The Raymer enterprise., 1913-05-01


had obliterated all signs OF trail and his knowl-
edge Of getting back gone with It.
Men will sacrifice love life. virtue and kindred
things is there is great opportunity presented
for the accumulation OF sudden wealth. Strange
alliances. stories OF murder long legal fights and
bitterest enmity have grown up In the southwest
as adjuncts to the continued hunt for treasure.
Among the strange stories that more widely
known Is that which has to do with lost placer
OF great riches
II finds its origin in the early eighties, either
1883 or 1884 when white man, a lone prospec-
tor, wandered into the camp OF the Piute Indians
at Piute Bend on the Nevada side OF the Colo.
rado river. The bend only lay few miles above
Fort Mohave and 1t is there that Jamson. which
is generally given as the mans name, gathered
his first inklnss Of the storied wealth accumulat-
ed by several members OF the tribe
They were said to know OF several great gold
deposits in the desert and mountain country con.
tiguous to their place OF living. and from these
they frequently brought to Fort Mohave splendid
specimens Of nuggets and gold dust This gold
they traded for a half third OF It's actual value.
buying the baubles and the gaudy apparel so dear
to the heart OF the red man. II also led occa-
sionay to serious trouble. attempts OF unscrupu-
lous whites to obtain their secrets. sometimes
even by force, usually by some chcanery.
Jamison took course which brought him In
direct and continued contact with all members OF
the tribe. He married one OF the squaws and
after year or two OF living with the Indians
gained many Of their secrets, To his brother.in.
law he was indebted for the discovery OF an i'm.
mensely rich placer. To reach It at all seasons
OF the year was apparently impossible
I'VE shall walt till the snow falls and covers all
the land" said the red brother TO Jamison.
They waited for two years for such time to
come. snow not being a usual thing in that portion
OF the country every year And when 1t came.
the Indian took his adopted tribesman for a long
Journey. TO place OF three peaks and place
where no water was obtainable save through
melting the snow. and tnere they gathered from
beneath the white cloak much gravel and carried
1t back to the camp OF the Indians In three days
Feeling assured, then. OF the wealth he was
10 gather, JamIson wrote an old eastern friend
whose name has been lost. II Is said to have
been Fields. He told Fields all about the won.
deru gravel. and so excited his desire for riches
that within n few months Fields had arrived at
Fort Mohave JamIson left the Indians with the
excuse that he had to look after particular bust.
ness In California
Then with Fields he went to Homer n station
on the Santa Fe railroad in San Bernardino coun.
ty California. There they purchased span OF
good mules with some Of the gold that Jamson
had saved from his first trir and they loaded an
old blackboard with a barrel OF water and a few
provisions and started out driving south into
Homer Wash. From all reports they probably
Travelled forty miles that day and night, arriving
at the diggngs early the next morning.
There we climbed a mesa" said Fields; telling
Of the discovery In after years "And on top OF
this proceeded with our work. which merely con.
sisted IN scrapng the gravel in heaps and pan.
ming It in tub which Iamlson had brought along
for the purpose. The water which had been left
In the barrel was usei N the tub, The gravel
was nearly half gold so rich that II nearly stun
ned us. We became careless in our work picking
on only the coarse gold and the nuggets. and
dumped the residue OF fine gold and dust into the
tub. II was far too much work to pan II clean"
Want Of water. the bugaboo that has menaced
every prospector AT one time or another in the
southwest came upon them at nghtfall when
they were forced to give to the two mules the wa.
ter that had been used for panning II was less
than enough to qucnch their thirst and in half
panic the two miners cached their tub. half full
Of dust, and their gold pan in a small cave which
they had discovered in one Of the little CANYONS
leading Of the mesa
Then came their retreat, as igrominious as any
that ever befell an army. With all their wealth
they wer forced to run. panic seemed to over.
take them and they logged their mules through
the desert night. trying to get to Homer before
the break OF day and the heat that came with Il
In that summer period, With coming Of dawn
they found themselves In 4 sad plight They
had lost the trail entirely, were In country new
to them, had not a drop OF water and scarcely a
handful OF food
With breaking light came hope. Way on In the
distance they discerned the gudepost that has
led to many salvation in the desert wastes
telegraph poles strung at regular intervals To
reach them and the railroad tracks they marked
was their aim. Through three hours OF tortuous
work, walking instead OF trying to ride behind
the wornout mules. they struggled on their
tongues lolllng black from out their mouths their
throats burned TO cinder crspness, their eyes
bulgIng In continued effort and strain
And reaching tho railroad, they could discern,
Just short distance to the right few strag.
Cling buildings. some little outpost OF civilization.
with promise OF water II nothing more And this
they reached eventually. pulling their mules be.
hind them They were found by an old miner
who happened on to the broad wooden platform
OF the only bar In Blake during the noon siesta
OF the town. They were more dead than alive.
and It took several hours OF hard work to bring
them to. For two days they we're out Of their
minds
Their first thought on coming to was their gold
Had they lost It? Had It been stolen7 They
directed search for Il in the wagon and there Il
lay In n large canvas sack untouched by the men
who had cared for the mules When Il was