Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-03

secret process the Conner Refining
company, headed by j. A. Conner. is
brought into service. Conner is said TO
be the most notorious secret process
fraudulent assay man in the west
and has been thrice exposed in the
newspapers within the past eighteen
months, the last time in December,
1909, at which time he returned an as
say of $56 from a specially prepared
pulp composed of chemicals entirely
free from gold, together with sam
pie Of chrysocolla ore from the Live
Oak mine, Gila county, Arizona. Inc
snare was laid for him by John Her
man, a we'll known local assayer, ana
others, who became convinced that
Conner was induIging in unprofessional
conduct and misleading those VINO
might place credence in his process.
Great Riches in Sight
From the assays returned by Conner
and others Pierson declares he was
led to believe by Harris that the
twelve claims in which he was offered
a part interest for $4,000 could be made,
with the erection of a mill of some
sort, to pay untold riches.
Pierson says he called at the ONCE
of Mr.. Harris and was told at once
that the claims contained sufficient ore
to make the rush of 1S49 look as tame
as an afternoon tea" "Of course" it
was explained to Pierson. 'the ore is
not free milling; in fact there are only
a few assayers who have returned re
ports which would lead US to think OF
putting any money into the property,
but these five reports" Che exhibited
assay certificates by chemical or Sc
cpet process) "are SO good that we DO
not feel like throwing away the oppor-
tunity of a life time"
Charles W. Cherry, by trade butch
er, but known to probable investors as
q mining expert, was introduced 10
Pierson. The latter asserts Cherry
described the properties, dwelling upon
the discovery of a small quantity OF
gold-bearing ore in San Gabriel can
Won which he claimed he followed by
the strike of the vein until 1t out
cropped in the Little Dalton canyon. 1t
is upon the alleged outcropping and
contiguous ground that the fabulously
rich claims are said to be located:
L. b. French, the so-called railroad
magnate, is said to be in little evidence
in person. His name is being used,
Pierson believes, to impress tender1eet
with the Importance OF the scheme.
Pierson was told the partnership did
not wish to sell the claims outright,
but would accept a trihe, in the sum
of $4,000, with which to~erect mill.
1t was explained that the ore would
be brought down from the property
and run through the mill with little
difficulty and monster returns.
THE beauty of our proposition" said
Cherry in burst of enthusiasm, lis
the ore on top of the ground. We don't
have to mine for it. It's all there: you
can see it,"
Such statements would, of course,
make a mining man turn away in dis
gust, but that mining men are not
the kind the promoters would enter
tain, is now the stttled conviction OF
young Pierson, who has since his in
terview received expert mining adj
vice.
Inspects Property
Cherry took Pierson to visit the prop
erty which Pierson describes as being
covered with boulders and ledges carry
ing, according to Cherry testimony,
enormous quantities of gold. Pierson
was told he wwas tramping under foot
ore worth from $5 to $40 a chunk.
White flags in most impossible places
on the ridge were pointed out as mark
ing the corners of the claims, named the
bon Ton group" numbering twelve In
all.
Pierson says Cherry carried with him
on the trip a genial air of benevolence
and o prospector's hammer BE sure
of what you are doing" he said at one
time, land then go ahead. In any
deal one takes an ordinary business
chance. If the ore should not come up
to our expectations you would stlll
own e-quarter interest in the
claims" Pierson himself says that 1t
was not explained lust what the value
of the claims would be, without ore,
Cherry chipped off few samples
from a handy boulder, and gave them
to him for souvenirs OF the rich ore,
Those samples were turned over to
Prof. w. l.. Watts of the firm of JEFF
ferson and Watts, one Of the foremost
mining geologists and engineers in the