Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-05-02

.r,<-S
HsA3 purpose of supplying the engines or
the little stations necessary wher-
there siding.
In order to secure water In abundance, the
Santa Fe railroad had ordered tunnel bored in
the Clipper range. located in San Bernardino
county from eight to ten miles northwest OF
Dandy. the station to which 1t was to be piped II
discovered in a large quantity. This all happened
within score of years. The man who volun-
teered for the work. competent mining man.
who well acquainted with the sinking OF
shafts and the boring of tunnels. was Thomas
Schofeld OF Los Angeles.
Tiring of work one day in early June Of 1884
he started 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 n spring. What to
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 indstinct 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 1t
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, rivaling the towers
of old English castle. They seemed to form
the portal to the wealth beyond, and nature had
set them 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-
size stood the shreds of what had been q
camp. The wooden upright supports were still
standing, and draped from them. floating in the
breeze. were the shreds of what had been a
tent. Brush had been carefully piled up around
the sides. Inside there bench of boughs.
still covered with blanket, which was. like the
tent covering dilapidated and ragged The still
ness of the place and the fact that man had been
making his habitation there struck Schofed like
n blow from fist
pile of railroad ties, number of rusty old
which had been used wedges for splitting
the ties for tagging. few other mining tools
and some badly decomposed food still Law about
the place. indicating very sudden abandonment.
of the camp by its owner. The most conspicuous
of all things about the place was old-fashioned.
heavily rusted Dutch oven the largest Schofeld
had ever seen and trhe over two feet in diam
eter. 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 a shaft
where considerable work had been done. It was
sunk upon a series of small stringers that ran
parallel to 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 of indgo-blue
quartz formation. and "to me the stringers. pass
ing through the dark porphyry, appeared bed OF
roses of golden hues hidden in the depths of a
giant bed of violets' said Schofeld in telling OF
his discovery 81 traced these lines of high-grade
ore for distance of nearly 5000 feet and found
them widening and enlargng they went. They
interested me that failed to notice for hours
that the day was fast waning and that would be
forced to remain there over night.
The mystery, the and even the fear OF
that night shall never forget Was / in the
haunt of a robber crew who had found wealth far
richer than could be obtained from their nefar-
cruelty murdered and their wealth carried off by
some one else? Was the victim OF some strange
phantasmagoria. 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
night
in the morning I explored the shaft at the
first light of breaking above the jagged sky
line OF broken peaks found that the shaft had
been sunk to possibly seventy eighty feet. that
IT was equipped with windlass. rope and bucket
and that it had bsen well tmbered all the way
to the bottom. Outside discovered large pile
of ore Indicative of the fact that little or none
the product of the mine had ever been carried
away.
After gathering n number of fine samples and
large quantity OF the horned gold. went back
TO the camp and there again was attracted by
the Dutch Something seemed to draw me
toward it. II contained goldi Half OF 1t full
of the product and there was unable to cart II
away. All marks of those who resided there were
of such old stamp that never thought wheth
er it would be right wrong. The idea of pos
session of much wealth nearly overwhelmed
me, and after grasping some of it started back
TO the camp by the tunnel planning trip to Los
Angeles to whether it really gold that
had found"
And when Schofield had his ore and his metal
tested he found that it the real article and
that he had made himself richer by several hun
dred dollars with just the small amount he had
been able to lug out on his person. 1t fired him
with the desire to return at and obtain ali
of the treasure II the right owners had not re
turned But he has never been able to get back
20 the Dutch oveni
In o-lIng back from the mine he had paid lit
tic heed 10 the general direction taken He had
followed the trail blindly his way up and
again on his return Journey Consequently after
n number Of weeks when he returned with part