Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-22
WINS RICHES
IN MINING
BRAVE WOMAN SELLS GROUP OF
CLAIMS
ACQUIRED VALUABLE PROPERTY
BY HARD WORK
Interesting Story of Hard Fight with
Fortune by Mrs. Fernina Sarrais,
Whose Husband Was Killed
in Mine
Special to The Herald.

OpeCldl 10 lHc
NINA, New, July A.-The best sale
yet made in the Luning mining district
was when Merriman & Rice of San Fran
cisco made large cash payment to Mrs.
Fermina Sarrais in deal which involved
the transfer of twenty-four claims, of 4S0
acres, located some six miles northeast of
Luning The total amount to be paid
Mrs. Sarrals within six months is said to
be $4,000.
OF all the women who have made
fortunes in mining Mrs. Sarrais is enti-
tied to first place as prospector, and
not only as a prospector, but practical
miner, is the claim made by Lne Spanish
woman who has made Esmeralda county
her home for the past forty years. She
was attracted to Nevada in the early COS
by the tales spread all over the world
of the wonderful richness of the Com
stock lode, and after living in Virginia
City for a few years she built a shack
at Luning thirty-five years ago and there
she has resided ever since.
Made Scores of Locations
All of the old camps, such as Ida,
Silver Peak and Palmetto, were visited by
her and she made scores of locations all
over the desert, and what is more re-
markable, she bad few hands to help
her in doing the assessment work-she
handled the pick and shovel herself.
and those calloused hands of hers are
silent proof that for years they have
twisted the drill and swung the hammer.
In all her wanderings over Southwest
ern Nevada and Southeastern California
she never forgot her holdings at Lunfng.
She could not afford to hire help to do
the assessment work on her ground the
greater portion of the time and had to
do it herself. Occasionally wandering
prospector or an Indian would stray
along whom she would be able to induce
to help her with the work for board and
shelter at her house.
She spent the greater portion Of every
year at Luning. When the Tonopah and
Goldfield excitements were waited to
Luning Mrs Sarrais packed up and took
in both. She made a few locations in,
both camps, but her object in going to
them was to earn little money to prose-
cute work on her Luning CLAIMS, and this
she did by taking in washing and doing
general housework for families.
A Strange Woman
Mrs. Sarrais is now close to tse three
score and ten age, but those ken, PEN
etrating, shrewd eyes of hers would
be an adornment to many aNwonan of
80. She is scarcely five feet in nsight
and shows more of the Indian characs
teristics than Spanish. To Herald re-
few days ago she said
'I was born in Nicaragua, in Central
America, many years ago. My father
was a Spanish gentleman and my mother
was a pure bred Montezuma Indian.
knew a great deal about mining before
coming to Nevada, as had lived in the
mining camps of Central America and
Mexico before coming to the United
States 1 was married at Candelaria in
this county, over forty years ago, and
there my children were born.
my husband was killed in one of the
mines when the children were young,
and L was forced to earn a living for
them. 1 managed to give them a fair
education, and two of my boys are now
superintendents of mines. have
worked hard all my life and have
roughed it on trails and in new mining
camps so often that when 1 sit down
and think over the different places 1
have been in l sometimes think that l
am over 100 years old. Those desert
prospectors are fine fellows and every
where 1 have travelled they have treated
me as a mother would treat her own
child. l will never forget their kindness,
and in the event of my making fortune
none of them will ever go away from
my house hungry, and 1 will also throw
in a word of cheer when I bid them
good by"