The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-05-09

Nsg#S&&&# sentsai 10 bring sufncient on the
eTs3&8z3&x supply TO make work for week AZ
&z@ ~ time possible. Even after tho
completion or the roads there was
~s%w dnseulty tn obtaining water for the
WXw#HB purpose Of supplying the engines or
the little stations necessary wher.
ever there was q siding
In order to secure water IN abundance. tho
santa re railroad had ordered tunnel bored III
the Clipper range located in San Bernardino
county from eight 70 ten miles northwest OF
DANNY. the station TO which II vas 10 be piped u
discovered III large quantity. This all happened
within score Of years. The man who yoiun.
teered for the work. O competent mining man.
who was well acquainted with the sinking OF
shafts and the boring OF tunnels. Was Thomas
Schsheid OF Los Angeles.
firing Of work one day IN early June OF 1894,
he started on a prospecting trip. something which
he did whenever be felt In need OF relaxation.
He wandered into Of the canyons close at
hand and discovered there spring. What 70
him more surprising and even startling WAS
the trail that led up the canyon. stopping ut the
watering place.
The trail al timea very Indlstnct because OF
the solid rock formation. led over three or four
small hills the hoghack on two ranges and then
into another canyon. This he followed until 1t
ended IN blank wall and he realized that the
tran had been lost Going back short distance
he discovered II winding up the side of the hill.
II led 10 two immense rocks rvaling the towers
Of old English castle They seemed to form
ihe portal 10 the wealth beyond and nature had
act them closely together that they allowed
Just SUFFICIENT paasageway to permit burro well
raeked to enter
And just beyond the portal stood an Isolated
rock There beside the black boulder OF enor
fuous size stood the Ehreds of what had been
camp. The wooden upright supports were still
standing. and drnped from them floating In the
breeze wera the ehreds Of what had been
fent. HrushS had been carefully piled up around
the sides. InSide there WINS bench OF bcughs.
stIl covered with blanket. which was. like the
tent covering dapidated and ragged. Tho stiI.-
ness OF the place and the fact that man had been
making hia habitatlon there struck Schofeld like
blow from lst
pile or railroad tics, number Of rusty old
axes which had been used as wedges for splitting
the ties for tagging. few other mining tools
and badly decompoaed food attn lay about
the place indicating very sudden abandonment
Of the camp by ita owner. The most conspicuous
Of all things about the place was an oldfashioned.
heavily rusted Dutch oven. the largest schoneld
had ever seen and trife over two feet in diam
etor SO oppressive the place and 30 nerve
fackfng the immediate strain that he continued
on the traii which led away from the camp
Just shcrs distance away he came 70 shaft
where considerable work had been done. il was
sunk upon series OF small Rtringers that ran
parallel 70 one another for long distance and
al Intervals Of about six inches He counted
twelve of these peculiar formations In the rock
and they we're Of almost solid gold' He tested
them. "hornng. great strings Of coarse gold
The surrounding ore was OF an indlgoblue
quartz formation. and "to me the stringers. pass
ting through the dark porphyry appeared a bed OF
roaes OF golden hues hidden In the depths Of
giant bed OF violets.' said schoheld In telling OF
his discovery II traced these lines OF hgh-grade
ore for distance Of nearly 5000 feet. and found
them widening and eniarging they went They
Interested so that failed to notice for hours
that the day was fast waning and that would be
fore IN In nve NJ qh
The mystery the awe and even the fear OF
that night I shall never forget Was In the
haunt of a robber crew who had found wealth far
richer than could be obtained from their nefars
ious trade In the city, Had the owners been
cruelty murdered and their wealth carried on by
some one eisef Was the victim OF some strange
rhantasma9oria. OF would awaken to find all
the wealth and the adventure OF the day dream
These and countless other suggestions coursed
through my throbbing brain, and slept little that
aight
In tho morning | explored the shaft al the
first light OF breaking sun above the jagged sky.
tine OF broken peaks. found that the shaft had
been sunk 20 possibly seventy or eighty feet that
IL WIS equipped with wineass. rope and bucket
and that II had been weil timbered all the way
OF ore Indicative or the fact that little none Of
the product OF the mine had ever been carried
away
After gathering number OF fine samples and
n large uuAuilKy OF tbe h0Fneu kotus went DAth
20 the camp and there again was attracted BY
the Dutch oven. Something seemed 70 draw me
toward II, X contained gold Half of II was full
of the product and there | unable TO cart II
away All marks OF those who resided there were
Of such old stamp that ] never thought wheth
Il would be right wrong The idea Of pcs
session OF so much wealth nearly overwhelmed
me. and after grasplng some OF Il | started back
to the camp by the tunnel. planning trip 70 Los
Angeles to whether Il really gold that
had found
And when Schoheid had his ore and his metal
tested he found that II was the real article and
that he had made himself richer by several hun.
dred dollars with Just the small amount be had
been able 70 lug out on hts person. II fred him
with the desire to return at once and obtain all
OF the treasure II the right owners had not re-
turned Put he has never been able TO get back
70 the Dutch oven.
In e Ing back from the mine he had paid III.
he heed 20 the general direction taken He had
followed the trail blindly on hts way up and
again Oh his return Journey Consequently after
number OF weeks, when he returned with part
uar m ok FORT he frfa andf