The Red Cloud chief., 1913-05-01

49,
HS8 purpose Of supplying the engines Or
the little stations necessary wher.
ever there was . siding.
In order to secure water In abundance tho
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 It was to be pped II
discovered in q large quantity This all happened
within a score 81 years The man who volun'
teered for the work. competent mining man,
who was 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 on a prospecting trip something which
he did whenever he felt in need OF relaxation
He wandered into Of the canyons close at
hand and discovered there a 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 indistinct 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 a short distance
ne discovered It winding up the side Of the hill.
It led to two immense rocks. rivang the towers
Of an 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 we'll
packed to enter
And Just beyond the portal stood mn isolated
rock There beside the black boulder OF enor-
nous size stood the shreds Of what had been n
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 was a bench OF boughs,
still covered with blanket which was, like the
tent covering. dilapidated and ragged The stil'.
ness Of the place and the fact that man had been
Vna IA hah NJ Inn thorO otrnr ko
. blow from fist.
A pile Of railroad ties. q number of rusty old
axes which had been used as wedges for splitting
the ties for tagging. few other mining tools
and some badly decomposed food still lay about
the place. indicating very sudden abandonment
Of all things about the place old,fashioned.
heavily rusted Dutch oven. tho largest Schofeld
had ever seen and a trife over two feet in diam
eter. So oppressive was the place and 80 nerve
racking the immediate strain that he continued
on the trail which led away from the camp.
Just short distance away he came to shaft
where considerable work had been done. II was
sunk upon a series OF small strngers 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 indigo-blue
quartz formation. and "to me the stringers pass
ing through the dark porphyry appeared n bed OF
roses OF golden hues hidden in the depths of a
giant bed OF violets.' said Schoield in telling Of
his discovery II traced these lines OF high.grade
ore for q distance Of nearly 5000 feet and found
them widening and enlarging az they went They
interested me SO that failed to notice for hours
that the day was fast waning and that would be
forced to remain there over night.
Tho mystery. the awe and even the fear Of
that night ! shall never forget. Was in the
haunt Of q 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 OF by
some one else? Was the victim Of some strange
phantasmasoria, or would I 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
I'm the morning I explored the shaft at the
hrst 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 n windlass rope and bucket
and that It had been well timbered all the way
to the bottom Outside ! discovered a large pile
Of ore indicative OF the fact that little none of
the product OF the mine had ever been carried
away.
after gathering a number Of fine samples and
q 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
Of the product and there was unable to cart II
away. All marks Of those who resided there were
of such an old stamp that I never thought wheth
er It would be right or wrong. The idea OF pos
session Of much wealth nearly overwhelmed
me. and after graspng some OF It started bacl
to the camp by the tunnel. planning trip to Lot
Angeles to see whether 1t was really gold that
had found"
And when Schoneld had his ore and his meta
tested he found that It was the real article ant
that he had made himself richer by several hun
dred dollars with Just the small amount he ha'
been able to lug out on his person II fred hin
with the desire to return at once and obtain al
OF the treasure II the right owners had not re
turned But he has never been able to get bac,
to the Dutch oven
In coming back from the mine ne had paid III
tie heed to the general direction taken He ma,
followed the trail bndly his way up an,
again on his return Journey. Consequently afte
number OF weeks, when he returned with part
ner to look for the treasure and found that SOM