The Raymer enterprise., 1913-05-01


In order to water in abundance. the
Santa Fe railroad had ordered a tunnel bored In
the Clipper range. located In San Bernardno
county from eight to ten miles northwest cf
Dandy. the station to which 1t to be piped Il
discovered in large quantity. This all happened
within score OF years The man who voun.
teered for the work a competent mining man,
who was we'll acquainted with the sinking OF
shafts and the boring Of tunnels. was Thomas
SchoAed Of Los Angeles
Tirng OF work one day In early June OF 1894,
he started on prospecting trip, something which
he did whenever he felt in need OF relaxation.
He wandered into one OF the canyons close at
hand and discovered there a spring. What 10
him was more surprising and even startling was
the trail that led up the canyon. stopping at the
watering place.
The trail at times very ndistInct because OF
the solid rock formation led over three or four
small hills. the hogback OF two ranges and then
into another canyon This he followed until it
ended in blank wall and he realized that the
trail had been lost Going back short distance
he discovered 1t winding up the side Of the hill.
1t led to two immense rocks rivang the towers
OF old English castle. They seemed to form
the portal to the wealth beyond. and nature had
set them SO closely together that they allowed
Just sufficient passageway to permit burro well
packed to enter.
And just beyond the portal stood an Isolated
rock. There beside the black boulder Of enor.
nous size stood the shreds OF what had been n
camp The wooden upright supports we're still
standing and draped from them floating in the
breeze, were the shreds OF what had been n
tent Brush had been carefully piled up around
the sides. Inside there was bench OF houghs
still covered with blanket, which was like the
tent covering. diapidated and ragged The stu.
upsg NJ he ulnrn nd hn fnp, thot tunn bad ho,p
making his habItation there struck SchofeId like
blow from n fist
pile OF railroad ties a number OF rusty oil.
axes which had been used wedges for splitting
the ties for tagging, a few other mining tools
and some badly decomposed food still lay about
the place indicating very sndden abandonment
OF the camp by its owner. The most CONSPICUOUS
Of all things about the place was an od.fashloned.
heavily rusted Dutch oven the largest Schofeld
had ever seen and trlhe over two feet in diam.
ctor SO oppressive was the place and so nerve.
racking the immediate strain. that he continued
on the trail which led away from the camp
Just short distance away he came to shaf
where considerable work had been done. Il was
sunk upon a series OF small stringcrs that ran
parallel to one another for long distance and
at intervals Of about six inches, He counted
twelve OF these peculiar formations in the rock
and they were Of almost solid gold, He tested
them. 'hornIng" great strings OF coarse gold
The surrounding ore was OF an indIrobluc
quartz formation. and ito me the srlnCrrs pass.
Ing through the dark porphyry appeared bed Of
Of golden hues hidden in the depths Of n
giant bed Of yiolcts." said Schoicld in telling Of
his discovery u traced these lines OF high grade
ore for distance OF nearly 5000 feet and found
them widening and cnlarEinG as they went They
interested me that failed to notice for hours
that the day fast waning and that would be
forced to remain there over night
The mystery. the awe and even the fear OF
that night ! shall never forget Was ! in the
haunt OF robber crew who had found wealth far
richer than could be obtained from their nefar.
ious trade in the city Had the owners been
cruelty murdered and their wealth carried off by
some one else Was the victim Of somo strange
phantasmagoria or would | awaken to find all
the wealth and the adventure OF the day dream7
These and countless other suggestions coursod
through my throbbIng brain and slept little that
night
In the morning | explored the shaft at the
first light Of breaking sun above the Jagged sky.
line Of broken peaks found that the shaft had
been sunk to possibly seventy or eighty feet that
II was equipped with a windass, rope and bucket
and that It had been well timbered all the way
10 the bottom. outside | discovered a large pile
OF ore indicative Of the fact that little or none Of
the product OF the mine had ever been carried
away
After gathering a number OF fine samples and
large quantity OF the horned gold. went back
TO the camp and there again | was attracted by
the Dutch oven, Something seemed to draw me
toward II. II contained gold, Half OF II was full
OF the product and there was unable to cart Il
away All marks OF those who resided there were
OF such an old stamp that ! never thought whcth.
or II would be right or wrong The idea OF pos.
session OF so much wealth nearly overwhelmed
me, and after graspng some OF It started back
to the camp by the tunnel planning trip to Los
Angeles to see whether II was really gold that
had found"
And whom SChohold had his ore and his metal
tested he found that Il was the real article and
that he had made himself richer by several hun.
drcd dollars with Just the small amoun, he had
been able to lug out on his person. II fired him
with the desire TO return at once and obtain all
OF the treasure II the right owners had not re.
turned. But he has never beer eble TO get back
to the Dutch oven!
In co .ing back from the mine he had paid II.
tie heed to the general direction taken He had
followed the trail bllndy on his way up and
again on his return Journey. Consequently after
number Of weeks, when he returned with part.
nor to look for the treasure and found that soma
terrific rains and even a waterspout had been