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

mac oDNteraten al signs OF a tran ana mis- knOWt-
edge OF getting back was gone with H.
Men will sacrifice love life. virtue and kindred
things ~ there IL 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 adtuncts TO the continued hunt for treasure.
Among the strange stories that are more widely
known IL that which has 10 do with lost placer
OF great riches.
II linda it's origin in the early eighties. either
1883 or 1884. when white man, lone prospec-
tor. wandered Into the camp OF the Piute Indians
at Piute Bend on the Nevada side OF the Colo
RADIO river The bend only lay a few miles above
Fort Mohava. and Il Ii there that Jamison which
10 generally given as the mans name. gathered
his first inklings OF the storied wealth nccumulat
ed by several members OF the tribe.
They were said TO know OF several great gold
deposits In the desert and mountain country
uguous 70 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 half third OF It's actual value.
buying the bauhies and the gaudy apparel dear
70 the heart OF the red man. II also led occa-
sonalIy to serious trouble. attempts Of unscrupu-
lous whites to obtain their secrets. sometimes
even BY force, usually by some chicanery
Jamson 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 brotherin-
law he WIS indebted for the discovery OF i'm.
mensey rich placer. To reach It at all seasons
OF the year was apparently impossible
I'VE shall walt TIL the snow falls and covers all
the land" said the red brother 10 Jamison.
They waited for two years for such time 10
come snow not being usual thing In that portion
OF the country every year And when II came,
the Indian took his adopted tribesman for a long
journey, to place OF three peaks and a place
where no water was obtainable. save through
melting the snow. and there they gathered from
beneath the white cloak much gravel and carried
u back 70 the camp OF the Indians In three days
Feeling assured then. OF the wealth he was
TO gather, Jamison wrote an old eastern friend
whose name has been lost II is said 10 have
been Fields He told Fields all about the won.
derfnl gravel and so excited his desire for riches
that within a few months Fields had arrived at
Fort Mohave, Jamison left the Indians with the
excuse that he had to look after particular bush
ness In California.
Then with Fields he went to Homer, station
on the Santa Re railroad in San Bernardno coun
~, California. There they purchased span OF
good mules with some OF the gold that Jamison
had saved from bis FIRST trip, and they loaded
old blackboard with barrel OF water and 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 diggings early the next morning
There we climbed mesa said Fields telling
OF the discovery In after years, And on top OF
this proceeded with work which merely con,
sisted In scraping the gravel In heaps and pan,
ming II in a tub which Jamison had brought along
for the purpose TIE water which had been left
IN the barrel was used In the tub The gravel
was nearly half gold. 80 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 wan far too much work to pan It clean"
Want o. water. the bugahoo that has menaced
every prospector at one time or another in the
southwest. came upon them at nghtfaH when
they were forced 10 give TO the two mules the wa
ter that had been used for panning II was less
than enough to aueneh their thirst, and in half
nanic the two miners cached their tub half full
OF dust and their gold pan In small cave which
they had discovered In one OF the little canyons
leading on the mesa
Then came their retreat ignominous as any
that ever befe an army. With all their wealth
they forced to 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 II
In that summer period, With coming of dawn
they found themselves Ia sad plight. They
had lost the trail entirely, were In country new
70 them. had not a drop Of water aud scarcely a
handful OF food
with breaking light came hone Way off in the
distance they discerned the budapest that has
led to mary salvation In the desert wastes:
telegraph poles strung at regular intervals. lie
reach them and the railroad tracks they marked
work, walking instead OF trying TO ride behind
the worn-ont mules they struggled on. theit
tongues long black from out their mouths. their
throats burned 10 a cinder cyispness, their eyes
bullying In continued effort and strain,
And reaching the 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 minel
who happened on 10 the broad wooden platform
OF the only bar in Blake during the noon siestl
OF the town. They were more dead than alive
and II took several hours OF hard work TO brins
them 10. For two days they were out OF the
minds
Their FIRST thought coming to their gold
Had they lost liz Had II been stolen? The,
directed search for It In the wagon. and there I
lay in a large canvas sack. untouched by the rner
who had cared for the mules. When II wal
weighed the men found themselves in possession
OF $4,000 for single days work. The story o.
their find made Blake deserted village IN few
hours stampede for gold was on. For days
and weeks II continued, but never successfully