The midland journal., 1913-05-02

IN order To secure water in abundance, the
Santa Fe railroad had ordered tunnel bored in
the Clipper range, located in San Bernardno
county from eight to ten miles northwest OF
Dandy the station to which it was to be piped II
discovered in large quantity This all happened
within a score of 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
Schofield of Los Angeles.
firing Of work one day In early June of 1894
he started on a 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 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 1t
ended In blank wall and he realized that the
trail had been lost Going back short distance
he discovered it winding up the side of the hill
1t led to two immense rocks, rivaling 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 an isolated
rock There beside the black boulder Of enor
nous size stood the shreds Of what had been
camp, The wooden upright supports were still
standing and draped from them, floating in the
breeze, were the shreds Of what had been
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 still
ness of the place and the fact that man had been
making his habitaton there struck Schofeld like
a blow from fist
I A pile of railroad ties number of rusty ole
axes which had been used as wedges for splitting
the ties for tagging. a few other mining tools
and some badly decomposed food still lay about
the place, indicating very sudden abandonment
of the camp by its owner. The most conspicuous
of all things about the place old-fashioned.
heavily rusted Dutch oven, the largest Schofield
had ever seen and trife 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 shaft
where considerable work had been done. It was
sunk upon series of small strngers that ran
parallel to one another for long distance and
at intervals Of about six inches. He counted
i twelve OF these peculiar formations In the rock
and they were of almost solid gold. He tested
| them, s'horning' great strings of coarse gold
The surrounding ore of indigo-blue
! quartz formation. and ito the stringers. pass
ing through the dark porphyry, appeared a bed OF
1 roses of golden hues hidden in the depths of
giant bed OF violets,' said Schofield in telling of
his discovery Il traced these lines Of high-grade
| ore for distance of nearly 5000 feet. and found
them widening and enlarging as they went. They
interested me that failed to notice for hours
that the day was fast waning and that would be
4 forced to remain there over night
The mystery the awe and even the fear Of
4 that night shall never forget. Was in the
haunt of 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
faffrsa nf ac&r
4 phantasmagoria. or would awaken to find all
! the wealth and the adventure of the day dream?
4 These and countless other suggestions coursed
through my throbbing brain, and slept little that
\ night
I'm the morning explored the shaft at the
I first light of breaking sun above the jagged sky
/ line of broken peaks found that the shaft had
been sunk to possibly seventy eighty feet that
! 1t was equipped with windlass. rope and bucket
and that 1t had been well timbered all the way
to the bottom. Outside discovered large pile
of ore indicative of the fact that little or none of
\ the product of the mine had ever been carried
away.
4 after gathering a number of fine samples and
i 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
toward it. 1t contained goldi Half OF 1t was full
of the product and there was unable to cart 1t
away. All marks Of those who resided there were
4 Of such an old stamp that never thought wheth-
er it would be right wrong The idea of pos
session of SO 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 see whether it was really gold that
had found"
And when Schofeld had his ore and his metal
tested he found that 1t was 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 once and obtain all
of the treasure If the right owners had not re-
turned. But he has never been able to get back
to the Dutch oven
In coming back from the mine he had paid lit
tie heed to the general direction taken. He had
followed the trail blindly on his way up and
again his return journey Consequently after
number Of weeks, when he returned with part
ner to look for the treasure and found that some