Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-10-11
Collection OF Weird and Thrilling
Tales of the 0lden
Days.
STORY OF A HAUNTED NINE.
Pretty Tradition OF Chlid's Prayer
And it, Answer--Crsc That Caused
Dcsoiatc Death valley.

Of "a haunted mine. and such "a boast
California can make on the authority
Of early legend
once upon time, In the days of ola
and the days ~ gold. miner by the
name Of Thomas Bowers lived ana
dolved In the vicinity Of Pike city
A shy. silent man was Thomas. doing
his prospecting without a partner and
even holding aloot from the jolly COM
pany of the other miners after tde
days work was done And In the same
shy. silent way that he had lived ne
died -noiseless footsteps across me
snow 10 tho brink of the slope where
he had been prospecting and at inc
foot OF a landslide his speeches. body
alone in death.
AFTER his remains were buried, de-
Gently and In order, there were eNclted
whispers about strange noises az the
mouth Of the Old shaft, and soon, quite
incidentally, on course. the mine was
abandoned.
The greed lf gold, however. taps Inn
patiently at closed doors, and after
some little time a thrifuess miner hop,
Ing for a short cut 20 wealth undertook
Co work the Old mine again. and sud
denly surprised his creditors by pay
ing mis- bills. But things flowed not as
many a slip OF nerve between nugget
and pick Every morning the miner
found that his sluiCe had been tamper-
cd with, that during the night the
water had been turned on by unknown
hands. Yet the most diligent search
led 20 no discovery and as last hope
of untangling the clammy mystery the
miner one evening inaugurated
watch. well-armed with rife.
The shadows deepened into darkness,
into an absolute hlacknesa. Suddenly,
while accommodating, q phosphorescent
light attracted his attention and as he
bodily advanced toward il he discovered
"a plaCard hung from a tree, a sort Of
spectral transparency, 81 seems bear
ing the following words, Notice! I,
Thomas Bowers. claim this ground for
placer mining"
When the readers mind had recov-
cred from its earthquake Of astonish-
ment the miner made a snatch at the
placard. a prickling thrill went
through his fingers. as though they
had taken liberties with an electric bat
terry. The luminous writing was gone.
but I'm his ears roared the flowing water
Of the sluice. and through the roar the
sharp. clear-cut tap tap OF a pick.
Again the fash of warning Highland
before him stood Tom Bowers
The California miner is no coward.
The rifle was lifted. fred. with yen
Of rage the ghost, brandished pick and
shovel In excited arms pursued the
trespa sser.
race between life and death in a
new sense was the one that followed
all the way to pike City There. the
other miners, celebrating n new find
by a dance I'm saloon, wore suddenly
alarmed by terrified screams. Running
out, they fOund-neither man nor ghost,
but tossed upon the ground rife. and
pick and q shovel with tho initials T.
b. cut IN the handle
CHTLD's PRAYER.
\ legend OF an entirely different type
Is connected with the same period Of
California history.
During the rush for gold in the If
ties. "a party ceme west by the CHA
river route The heat was intense me
supply OF water gave out. on the hot
barren sands just below Yuma the dv-
ing oayalcade pitched their desperate
camp.
In the silence OF the early night. from
one Of the wagons came the prattling
voice OF little child lifted I'M PRAYER.
do dear God, give us water, and 7
never VIII be naughty again"
And scarcely had the petition gone IN
10 the stars when the sound of,v f1ln-
ming water was heard and up from tbe
dry, hot sands dubbed "a pure. life-giv-
ms spring.
The water OF this New river. as fl
WIS called. swept north for 20 miles
! az one place spreading into "a deem lake
two miles wide but when uiera lion
went by the northern route. me neftv
| tradition naively ends. no longer need
od, the New rivers spring dried up.
LEGEND OF DEATH VALLEY
Perhaps no more desolato spot can b.
| pictured than Death valley with lts ter
| rihc heat. us lack Of water. the soda
| dust Of the plain strewu with mumnf-
| ned animals and the bleached bones of
| lost prospectors. But fair and fertile
| once lay the valley o 0ourlshing pueblo
| ruled over by a beautiful queen.
Alas the beatty was only skin-deep.
and ambition alone ruled n cold. cruel
heart. palace 90 surpass the houses
| OF the rrighbOring AzteCs was her
dream. and she cared not how many
lives might be sacrificed ln speeding
tho labor
For miles the tribe carried stone and
timber and when they faltered by
| the wayside she dashed their naked
! backs. So sacred was royalty regarded
/ that her people dared not protest but
Boz her zeal to have the palace erected
before accident or possible death. shs
had forced her daughter even 90 foiu
tine throng of workers. and when me
lash was lifted against her own flesh
ANA blood the princess turned. before
sinking down Boo death from exhaustion.
and cursed both her mother and. tho
kingdom.
The gods answered quickly The SUM
sent down o. heat 90 fierce that ths
streams dried up vegetation became
scorChed. the animals sought new
abodes. while queen and people died as
though hy plague
but in the midst OF the desoIution.
| che palace half completed may De- seau
/ to this day-if fortune faVors the trnv
/ elrr with mirage.
CATS CAUSED NOISE.
An amusing ghost story hauuts lhe
/ early history of Santa Barbara island
Such were thf awful noises heard by
/ ships lu passing that every sailor ou
/ board deNoutly crossed himrelf cone
! WINGED that ID w1s che hetdquarters
/ of swimming and dying monsters Nm
/ fortunately for the sailors yarns. li
/ was I8tt0rly discovered that some shil
! wrecked cats had landed ON tho Island
| ihe.r numerous progeny living SUNNI
/ iuousIF ou dead hsh and the eggs and
| the Young of sea fowl.
ORIGIN OF sIERHAR
lonF before me first white man ODD.
| tered Kern county. that locality Nas
] IN VI H...H