El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-19

J here.
I there is plenty Of nice water, timber
and grass for our animals, and we will
I camp for the night There IS some
/ gold down here, but nothing like /
I will show you tomorrow night
And thus all proceeded to FOLLOW the
! guide down the trail that led to the
! canning ground. Just 4 short distance
/ above where we were camping was
/ Geronimo with a band Of indians. This
! surely was an ideal place 20 camp,
I as we saw, water, fire wood and smell
! ter for the canyon was hemmed in
| by perpendicular rocks hundreds of
l feet high as far as we could see In
every direction, and our guide told US
| this canyon was miles long, and this
was the only place in the whole canyon
where an animal Of any kind could
get in or out After hard days march
up this rough canyon through which
we had come, there was rapid dis
mounting and getting down to the
beautiful stream of water, as the ami
mails and men alike were extremely
thirsty
"While some Of the men were drink
ing from the brook they discovered
free gold and quickly their gold pans
were secured and panning was begun
Such a great amount Of free gold
caused the widest excitement. The
pan was passed from one to another
and yells OF joy were soon ringing
down this box canyon. and wonderful
excitement prevailed. To find free
gold in such quantities as they had
never seen before from surface dig
gings, and the great amount Of lump
gold that was seen in the pan. they
knew it must not be far from the
mother ledge.
Gold Everywhere.
'aThe pleasant surroundings, good wa
ter and the discovery Of more than
thew expected, caused shouts to go up
h1A would cfQW-fnaV
wanted to leave this beautiful spot
where there was SC much gold The
panping and prospecting went on until
late in the night and it was 10 or II
o'clock before the men could quiet
themselves down to sleep. Before day
light next morning breakfast was pre-
pared and at daybreak some were al
ready washing out gold. Then they
proceeded prospecting the EldoradO up
and down this box canyon, and the
whole day was spent. Some we're max
ing preparations to build a house and
the day was one Of wild excitement
from morning till night Only the
darkness drove them into camp.
while sitting around the camp fire
that night arrangements were made
to detail a detachment to start for pro-
visions the following day. Nine OF the
party with their pack outfit started
back over the route SO carefully lined
out by the guide for Fl. Wingate for
supplies.
zone German in the party, on account
Of the great cheering and excitement
Of the miners, feared that the indians
might become dangerous and that they
all might be ordered out or killed. so he
asked for his portion OF the provisions
to be dealt out to him so he could work
as he pleased; he said he did not want
to put in his time building houses. SO
he set to work panning out the gold.
and when his provisions were about
Frn1
that he had about $4,000 in gold He
got out safely. Joined a brother and
bought a cattle ranch in Arizona. The
indians heard of him and he and his
brother were both killed later.
supplies Are sent For. .,
"On the fourth day the party arrived
at TT Wingate in the evening: Hur-
riedly they bought their supplies and !
had everything packed in order 10 |
make an early start II took four days |
to return TO camp. The men in camp |
were very busy prospecting the source
of their great gold ina Lhey I Sssii /
on the right-hand side OF the niue
creek, back and up the side OF the Dlutt 1
for a distance of 800 feet, that the |
formation was extremely REQ oNloe OF I
iron. and about 900 feet from the creek |
bed was the ledge OF quartz that car
Rod tbs values We found nothing /
above il, and / do net remember now |
OF ever picking a piece OF quartz IN /
that canyon and breaking il that /
could not see free gold. From this /
creek wash up to the ledge the tIost /
was very thick. The ledge at this |
point was only about four foot wide, !
but extended from one end OF the I
canyon to the other, distance OF ABOUT 4
eight miles. Six miles up from the
camn we came to perpendicular rock /
ais several hundred feet high. At /
the lower end Of the canyon the water
sank in the sands and crcvices IN the /
rocks. This was surely walled-in
CANYON by nature, If there ever was
one II had only one outlet. Tor the
men examined very closely TO see II
there were not some way in and out
az the canyon other than the one by
which they came in. but their guide 4
had told the truth--there was but one
entrance.
The End Of Dream.
Most of those remaining in camp
busted themselves putting up fine
Ioe house. which was completed in
about eight days The ninth day after
their arrival in camp, and the eighth
dav after the party had gone after
nrovfsions. they were expected to re-
turn and ] said TO my bunking mate;
II cts go out and meet the boys COM 1
ing back with the provisions Later I
said to him; Do you notice that the
indians who were camped just above
us a few hundred yards are acting
verv strangely and the squaws and
have all Disappeared
"He said: Yes / have noticed it; 1
haven't seen one this morning
'ITp to this time there had been
much friendship between the indians
and our party of miners, and it was
very common for the children to be
down in our camp, but this morning
there were no women nor children to
be seen, and very few bucks: those
left in camp seemed to have a nervous.
1uick movement.
Indians Murder the Party.
After talking the matter over be-
tween ourselves. we shouldered our
guns and started to meet the pack out
tit After we had gone a few miles
back on the trail, we hesrd shouting
md screaming OF men. Advant ,re f-9e
discovered that the indians were ltilt-