The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-05-02

E "a time possible Even after the
E4H@A completion of the roads there was
rSSkE difficulty in obtaining water for the
R6 purpose of supplying the engines OF
the little stations necessary whe--
ever there siding.
In order to secure water in abundance, the
Santa Fe railroad had ordered tunnel bored III
the Clipper range located in San Bernardino
county from eight to ten miles northwest CT
Dandy the station to which it to be piped #
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
Schofeld of Los Angeles.
firing of work day in early June of 1894
he started on a prospecting trip. something which
he did whenever he felt IN need cf relaxation
He wandered into one 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 tie canyon stopping at the
watering place.
The trail at tip>es very indstinct because OF
the solid rock formation, led over three or four
small hills the togback of two ranges and then
into another canyon. This he followed until 1t
ended in blank wall and he realized that the
trail had bee. lost Going back short distance
ne discovered it winding up the side of the hill.
1t led to tSo 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 well
packed to enter
And Just beyond the portal stood 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, the shreds of what had been a
tent Brush had been carefully piled up around
the sides. Inside there was bench of boughs,
still covered with a 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 habitatfon there struck Schoheld like
blow from fist.
A pile of railroad ties, number of rusty old
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 Schofed
had ever seen and trife two feet in diam
eter. So oppressive the place and so nerve
racking the immediate strain that he continued
on the trail which led away from the camp
Just a short distance away he came to a SHAFT
where considerable work had been done. 1t
sunk upon a series of small stringers that ran
parallel to another for 8 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, 'hornng' great strings of coarse gold.
The surrounding of indigo-blue
quartz formation. and ito the stringers. pass
ing through tie dark porphyry appeared bed OF
roses of colleen hues hidden in the depths of a
giant bed of violets," said Schofield in telling of
his discovery. 81 traced these lines of high grade
for a distance of nearly 5000 feet and found
them widening and charging they went. They
interested that failed to notice for hours
that the day was fast waning and that would be
forced to remain there night.
that night shall never forget Was I in the
haunt of robber who had found wealth ia"
richer than could be obtained from their nefar
ious trade in the city? Had the owners been
cruelty murdered and their wealth carried off by
some one else? Was the victim of some strange
phantasInago 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.
In the morning | 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 OF eighty feet that
1t was equipped with windlass, rope and bucket
and that it had been well timbered all the
to the bottom Outside discovered q large pile
of ore Indicative of the fact that little of
the product of the mine had ever been carried
away.
After gathering number of fine samples and
large quantity of the horned gold, went back
to the camp and there again I attracted by
the Dutch oven Something seemed to draw me
toward it. 1t contained gold. Half of it was full
of the product end there was unable to cart it
away. All marks of those who resided there were
of such old stamp that l 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 see whether it really gold that
had found.
And when Schofeld had his 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 hal
been able to lug out on his person. 1t fired him
with the desire to return at 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 his way up and
again on his return journey. Consequently after
a number of weeks. when he returned with part
to look for the treasure and found that some
terrific rains and even waterspout had been