The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-02-08

either grass or water and with hard
er road before us.
"(August ~ AS | walked on SLOW
| ~ and with effort, | encountered a
great many animals perishing for
want of food and water on the desert
plain. Some would be just gasping for
breath, others unable to stand would
issue low means as l came up, in a
most distressing manner, showing in
tense agony; and still others. unable
TO walk, seemed to brace themselves
up on their legs to prevent falling,
while here and there poor OK or
horse. just able TO drag himself along,
would stagger towards me with low
sound as if begging for drop OF
water. My sympathies were excited at
their sufferings, yet instead of afford
ing them aid was a subject for re-
lief myself.
Horrors Of the Plains.
High above the plain, in the direc-
ton of our road, black, bare noun
tain reared its head at the distance of
the plains were fiat, composed of
baked earth without a sign of vegeta-
ton and in many places covered with
incrustatiOns of salt Pits had been
sunk in moist places, but the water
was salt as brine and utterly use
less.
"(August 20) Through the
day there was a constant arrival of
wagons and by night there were sew
eral hundred men together; yet we
learned by a mule train that 1T least
one hundred and fifty wagons had
turned back to the first spring west of
the Humboldt on learning the dangers
Of crossing the desert, taking wisely
the old road (the more sOutherly
route) again. This change of route.
however, did not continue long, and
the rear trains comprising large por-
tian of the emigration took our route
and suffered even worse than we did
Ii was resolved that several trains
should always travel within support
ing distance of each other so that in
a
sufficient body of men should 60 to-
gether TO protect themselves. Reports
again reached us cOrrObOrating the
great loss of cattle on the desert he
vOnd the Sink. The road was filled
with dead animals and the offensive
| effluvia had produced much sickness: :
but shortly afterwards our own pOr
tiOn of the desert presented the same
catastrophe and the road was lined
with the dead bodies of wOrnnut and
starved animals, and their debilitated
, masters in many cases were left TO
struggle on foot, combating hunger.
thirst and fatigue in desperate ex-
ertiOn TO get through.
"(September ~ Ascending to the
top of an inclined plain. the long
sought. the long-wished-fOr and vel
come valley of the Sacramento lay be-
fore me five or six miles distant"
A Lake of Dross.
Delano was one of the more fortu-
nate Forty-niners. He had crossed the
plains. weathered the desert. threaded
through the Rockies and the empty
waste spaces on their Pacific side. had
lodged the Indians and now. on the
sunset slope of the Sierras he was
within sight of the promised land
from which had filtered hack to the
East such fabulous stories Of rich
ness In every creek-bed and fortunes
tn be made overnight by the lucky or
the shrewd.
He tells how establishment and
defeat and despair awaited most of
those who came as he had come. Here
is the story Of a typical case:
''In May. 1880. report reached the
settlements that a wonderful lake had
been discovered hundred miles hack
among the mountains toward the head
of the Middle Fork of Feather river.
the shores of which abOunded with
gold, and TO such an extent that ii
lay like pebbles on the beach. An ex-
traordinary ferment among the people
ensued. and a grand rush was made
from the towns, in search of this
splendid FL Dorado. Stores were left
to take care of themselves, business
Of all kinds was dropped, mules were
suddenly bought up at exOrhitant
prices, and crowds started off to
search for the golden lake.
"Days passed away. when at length
adventures began to return with dis.
appointed looks and their worn-out and
dilapidated garments showed they had
seen some service, and IL proved that
although several lakes had teen dis
covered. the gold lake par excellence
was not found. The mountains
swarmed with men exhausted and
worn out with toll and hunger; mules
were starved or killed by falling from
precipices. Still the search was con.
tfnued over snow forty or fifty feet
deep, till the highest ridge of the
Sierra was passed. when the disap-
pointed crowds began to return with.
out getting glimpse of the grand de-