The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-07-14
ROMANCE seen
IN COLD RUSH
Boys Find Pay Dirt at
Weepah in Time to Save
Family Fortune.

SnOne upon the waste idlluS vi NE
vada last summer had been less in
tense, the world would not have
had to wait until March 2 of this
year to learn about the gold strike
at Weepah. For the discovery
credited to Frank Horton. Jr., and
Leonard Traynor was actually
made last summer. The story of
the strike has the elements of ro-
nance and today Weepah is camp
Of prospectors, fortune hunters and
sightseers who use automobiles in
stead of pack mules and are build
ing a new gold town.
Horizons father is owner of the
Electric Gold mines and the nine
teen-year-old lad was exploring Its
property when he picked up small
piece OF rich "fioat" fiecked with
small particles of free gold. Frank
Horizons pulse beat rapidly. With
a hazy idea of locating a rich gold
seam such as the one that made
Goldfield famous % years ago, he
began covering the ground care
fully. As he worked, however, the
sun beat down upon him as only
a desert sun can. The intense heat
squelched his ambition for the time
being and young Horton went on
his way resolving to return when
the weather was cooler.
The Horton family consists Of
Frank Horton, Sr.; Mrs. Horton,
Frank, Jr., a sister and twin baby
brothers. The babies furnished
Frank, Jr., the incentive to return
once more to Weepah. He wanted
to make stake for the babies.
Leonard Traynor, another nine
teen-year-old lad, joined Horton,
and the two boys set out for the
hills from Tonopah.
TWO Boy Prospectors.
On the morning of March q.
after they had eaten their last ra-
tons, the boys returned to the
spot where the gold float had been
picked up the summer before. A
badger hole on the ground at that
time showed that gold-bearing rock
was just below the surface. 1t
PANIED well, and the boys began
digging the little cut that has
caused so much excitement since
that time.
In few hours trench had been
dug into the hillside and two sacks
of ore. had been taken out. The
ore had fiecks of gold running
through it and when crushed yield
ed a long string of yellow gold in
the pan. But the boys were too
excited to tarry longer. In a short
time they. had staked some claims
in their mothers names and close
to the Electric Gold ground and left
in cloud of dust for Tonopah.
In Tonopah they created a gen.
uine sensation by handing out sew
eral thousand dollars worth of ore
as samples. Mining men made Of
fers running into thousands of dol
lars for the right Of being told the
district in which the gold was first
found. Prospectors who happened
to be in the town of Tonopah that
night hurriedIy threw their packs
together and waited for the news
to break.
Keeping the Secret.
For two days the boys remained
silent The strike was on the
ground belonging to Horizons ia
Their, and they wanted to keep the
location secret until he could re-
turn.
1t so happened that in the days
Of Goldfield Mr.. Horton had made
nearly $1,OO0,000, which had been
spent in water projects in the VI
cinity of Oakland and in the south
ern oil fields. For years Frank
Horton, ST., had been working for
the Gold Electric developing ore,
but after reaching the stage where
1t would make a paying proposition
he was unable to interest further
capital. The ground at the time
of the gold discovery was under
option to another company for
money due, putting young Horton
In the same position as little Nell
when the villain was ready to take
up the mortgage on the old home
stead. Horton, ST., had borrowed
funds a. few days before to take
care of his family for a short time,
while he made one last desperate
trip to Los Angeles, hoping to raise
money enough to keep the wolf
away from the door of his home
and Of his company.
1t was then that Frank Horton,
Jr, and Leonard Taylor found
rich gold-bearing rock. The name
of Horton was saved. The Weepah
gold rush was started with automo-
biles, moving picture cameras and
radio sets as modern trimmings.
What Weepah Looks Like.
The camp of Weepah itself is not
large. 1t is situated In the heart
of barren country where water,
grass, trees, birds and beasts are
unknown. The landscape for hun
dreds of miles is made up of moth
ing but mountains, foothills and
great flats or valleys where stumpy
sagebrush Is the principal YER
dure.
1t is country where roads can
be better classified as trails off the
highways
Traffic, road and rail, goes to
Tonopah first; that Is an estab-S
,lished town capable of taking care
of the influx of fortune hunters and
sightseers. Then it pours into
Weepah. For that reason those
who make money at their business
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