Imperial Valley press., 1912-08-31

through the ranges before, lay the old
Peg-Leg mine, with it's tabled wealth
There was a stampede from the camp,
which did not last long, on account Of
the hardships the searchers had TO
face.
Only in the northwestern part of the
Salvation springs.
Other portions of the range contain
huge natural tanks in the mountains,
which at that time were discovered in
all but one or two instances to be dried
up AS a result, only few hardy
prospectors were steady in their
search. which had it's original incep-
tion in 1858, when Peg-Leg Smith wan
dered into Mohave with nearly $10,-
000 worth of black nuggets in his pos
session.
The day he pulled into the mining
camp, with its three saloons and two
stores, his lips We're cracked and black,
and his hands almost bursting from
the pressure of blood caused by long
tramping His mule had saved his
Ilife by half dragging him into the
camp. which he would never have To-
Gated alone.
For several days he lay abed, grip
ping the saddle bags, which had been
brought into his room in one of the
shack. that served as saloon and no.
tel. When he recovered consciousness
and health, he opened the saddle bags
and satisfied the curiosity of the hum
dred or two prospectors who were
working in the vicinity.
What they saw startled them. 1t
was black gold. Nuggets, hundreds
of them. as black as coal on the out
side, but pure dull gold within. where
did you get it?' was the question, and
Smith tried to tell them, after securing
from each of them promise to share
in the wealth should they find it.
According to his story, he had been
living with the Yuma and COcopah III
dians along the Colorado river for sew
eral years. Away from the river the
land resolved itself into the driest,
most desolate region imaginable, a re-
gion they seldom ventured into be-
cause of their dislike for the God Of
Fury, who overwhelmed them and bur-
led them beneath the swirling sand
WITCH IINg oOu5ht tlO biaNh pCi'-
bles
They told stories of great treasures
of yellow metal, but never ventured
after it themselves. Smith, who had
lost a leg while in an encounter with
the Indians in crossing the plains,
boarded up all of the stories, and
after securing all of the information
possible he went to San Francisco TO
obtain a partner in his work. At that
time the desert was not mapped, and
it was really hazarcous undertaking
for any man to attempt.
In this desolate region Smith lost
his bearings. The fierce yellow sun
the dancing, juggling heat waves, the
dust flurries. confused his direction.
He finally climbed upon a black butte
that stood near by and, arriving st
its summit, probably 1900 feet in the
air, he attempted to locate his where
abouts.
when I reached the top" he told
some of his friends, Il saw just i
short distance away another butte of
exactly the same height and type as
the one on which l stood It was CON
nected by low saddle, and the twin
buttes were isolated from the main
range. Finally I decided on the way
was to continue and started back
down the hill to my mule, which. had
remained at the foot of the incline.
Il had tied the animal to a bOul-
der in order to prevent it from break
ing away and carrying off the only
water supply available for perhaps 4
week or more Rather restless the
mule had stamped about and kicked
up some good sized pebbles that
showed strange CLINT where the hoof
had struck. Picking up one of the
black stones, I pulled out my pocket