Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-06
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1nlOSplCaDle place on the gIODe. IL mas
fairly earned it's name, for almost ev-
cry time a breath of wind shifts its
blazing sands bones are uncovered
the remains of men and beasts that
tempted fate by coming into this arid
wilderness.
During recent years this inferno on
earth has become widely known large
ly through the mysterious actions of
"cow puuncher," Walter Scott, famil-
iarly alluded to as "Scotty." The spe-
cial trains, the bizarre habits, the care
less liberality and the picturesque Ian
guage of "Scotty" have raised him to
the rank Of a national character. He
rushes off to the East with a bagful of
gold dust, scatters his wealth with the
prodigality Of Goal Oil Johnny" and
when he has squandered his pile re
turns quietly to Death Valley-where
he says he has a gold mine-and re-
plenishes his pockets for another "good
time"
This fabulous, mysterious mine of
"Scotty's'' has been the source of much
nounce it as a myth; others allege he
has found the hidden loot of some
stage robbers of the past, but "Scotty"
only drawls:
Maybe I've got a mine and maybe
not. Maybe it's on Furnace Greek, in
the Funeral Range, Death Valley, and
maybe it's somewhere else, and maybe
1 amt got a cent"
There is ore somewhere in Death
Valley. Good, paying ore-gold and
copper-and this is the loadstone which
has drawn so many prospectors to their
destruction. Men have gone into Death
Valley time and time again, and passed
out of sight. Others, after intense suf-
fering, have crawled back through the
burning sands, a mere shadow of their
former selves, their minds entirely
turned
Death Valley is the bed Of an old salt
lake. 1t lies in the southwest corner of
Inyo County, California, and extends
Cue north and south for about seventy
five miles. On the north the pestilential
valley, which is from five to twenty
miles wide extends into Nevada, where
it is known as Fish Lake Valley. There
are only two or three places in this des-
ert where drinkable water may be OBJ
tanned; other pools and springs are
strongly impregnated with arsenic, and
consequently poisonous. The inhabit-
ants of the desert are rattlesnakes, side
winders, more poisonous than the for
mer; lizards and an occasional coyote.
For ornamentation there is here and
there to be found a giant cactus and
some insistent mesquite. For the rest
the landscape is, in the daytime, daz-
zling sheet of white sand and borax.
Perished In the WiIds.
In 1850 a party Of MOrmOns from
Salt Lake persisted in the valley from
thirst, and since that time the wilder
ness has been known as Death Valley.
1t is a real valley, in places 400 feet
below sea level The heat in summer
is unequaled in any other part of the
world. 1t has been known to send the
mercury in a shaded thermometer up to
1871 degrees. There have been stretches
of forty-eight hours when the thermOm-
eter never showed lower temperature
than $50.
1t is necessary to bear these facts In
mind while reading the thrilling mar
rative of the prospector, H. w. Man
ton, who. a few weeks ago, entered
Death Valley in search of a copper
mine, and after three days in the heart
of the desert returned to the world a
wreck In the three days Mr.. Manton
wandered across the desert and back,
a distance of eighty-fve miles.
''The heat within the gorge was ter
rife" narrates Mr.. Manton. GAS
walked my feet sank in the yielding
borax dust, did not perspire; 1 could
not. The great heat drank up all
perspiration before it had time to col
lect on the skin. Pools of brackish
water rose out of the marsh in little
hummocks where once had been hot
springs. Telescope Peak rises sheer
10000 feet into the colorless sky, Just
from the rim of Death Valley, and di-
rectly back of the properties on which
was to make my report. With this
in my eye held as straight a course
as could for the gaunt peak.
"More and more, as l plodded on, |
wanted to sit down, to sing, to shout.
to do something to break the terrible
monotOny of the white world that
seemed claiming me for it's own. Grad
ually the water disappeared from my
canteen. My will power was leaving
me; I could no longer restrain my
thirst. I drank copious .draughts from
the round nozzle and then, all at once.
when l lifted the precious can to my
lips, the water was gone. A bare drop
remained, and this l sucked up raven
ously. Inexorably the sun demanded
water.
II knelt beside one of the potholes.
bent my face to its rim. l almost
drank Then years Of desert training