Gilpin observer., 1913-05-08
THE PROPRIETOR
AND HIS eURRo
(salt Lake Mining Review

ut has been a long while since
visited this part of the country said
the prospector to his burro, land it
locks as If no one had been here
since my last visit. 1t is evident
that you take no interest in the min
ing possibilities here, and seem con-
cerned only about the possibilities
ct this beautiful little spring. and
the little grassy patch below it; bmt.
this is really historic spot, and
yonder rough slabs mark the rest
ing place of those who first ventur-
ed into this region, and who came
to their untimely end through the
treachery of marauding band of
redskins. 1t was some twenty-five
years ago that a prospecting party
Nof five left San Berdue, headed i'm
northwesterly direction. They were
we'll equipped as to porvisions and
supplies, and had a pack tran of
five jacks. For weeks they searched
the canyons and saddles of this
made the most important gold dis
covery somewhere not very far from
where we are now camped. AS
matter Of fact, they made this spring
their headquarters, and had built a
rock cache in which to store their
provisions, the remains of which you
can still see over there under that
overhanging cliff. The boys had al
ready pounded out considerable of
the yellow metal from their discovery
which is popularly supposed to be not
farther than three-quarters of a mile
from this spring. They had opened
up two-foot vein of honey-combed
quartz, that was literally lousy with
gold, and had planned to put in an
arrastra, when the tragedy of which
/ am about to tell you. transpired.
On the night in question. after play
ing stuff until it was too dark to
see, they all turned in, not even
thinking of setting night guard. The
burrcs were all down on the little
meadow, and not even a dog had
been brought along; for, with dog
in camp, the calamity might not have
happened
II see that you are becoming in
terested in my story continued the
prospector, land wish that l would
hurry ON to the blood and thunder
portion of my narrative, as you have
tears to she'd over my recital and
fear that if they are held back too
long there will eventually be bad
cloudburst in this vicinity; all of
which speaks we'll for your tender
and sympathising nature. But, to my
story: that night the little party
was set upon by a band of Indians
which had been trailing them for
weeks Without a word of warning
each member of the prospecting party
was tomahawked, and four were kill
ed outright. The fifth victim, how
ever, received only scalp wound
and managed to roll over into the
bushes unobserved by the savages.
Then, very slowly, he crawled away
until he was far enough so that he
could take to his feet, when he fled
from the scene Of bloodshed as fast
as he could. Reaching crevice in
some jutting rocks, he hid until morn
back, cautiously, to where the bodies
of his comrades lay, scalped and de-
spoiled of their clothing That night
he began his weary way back to San
Berdue, where posse was soon form
ed to return to camp, bury the dead
hunt down the Indians, If they were
i'm the vicinity, and finally, to re-
sIme work in the operation Of the
newly found gold mine. The bodies
stark and swollen. were just as they
had been left. and those slabs yon
der. mark the resting place Of the
remains. The Indians were not tC
be found, and SO it was decided tc
follow out the plan of working the
mine. During all this time, the pros
pector who had escaped had been sui
fering from the blow on his head
and with privations and exposure. He
seemed rational enough. but had los
all remembrance of the direction Il
the mine and its location. Weeks
WIRE spent in the endeavor to re-dis
cover it; but to no avail. Since ther
many parties have been out in these
hills trying to find the lost miEe
but without success. for there is nc
more veidence Of its existence thar
could be found in Westlake Park In
Los Angeles. ! hope, however. while
we are here. to be able to throw q
ghimmer' Of light on this mystery and