Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-01-05
EXPLORING DEATH VALLEY

We were encouraged by many
people along the way to go to Death
Valley. AT Boulder Dam we feit
Don't miss it, they said. 1t was a
hundred and fifty miles and no
town on the way, and Los Angeles
was another 800 miles from the val
ley. We stopped in the desert at
beautiful Amargosa (bitter) hotel,
where our interest increased.
Strange colors meet our eyes, sien-
ma, umber, green, grey,-then
brown, red and cream. We come TO
the ghost town of Ryan. The boraX
is gone, the mines abandoned, the
dumps turned red and yellow. The
roads Of the mine are level, and
lead straight into the entrances,
which are plainly visible. There is
much steep and dangerous climbing
up to Dante's View, and our engine
stalls.
There it was below us, a mile
hungry and gaunt, was as lonely
and silent as the grave. Here men
had lived CD out their lives, dig
ging gold, silver and borax getting
rich, losing all in drink and gamb-
ling, then dying as poor as when
they came. Yonder, ten miles away,
are the Panamint Mountains, over
which many of the 49ers never got;
they died here, and you may see
their graves a few miles below The
valley below was white with salt,
and there was something so fright
full, so awesome about it, seen from
that dizzy height, that we were
glad to hasten away. Hours after
we found the salt stood up like in
verted icicles, or rather like frozen
pillows of the sea, that rang like
twill hnY
Immense beds of conglomerate wit
messed to stormy inland seas that
laid them down, millions of years
ago; and with other tourists we Wis
tied natural bridge, cut under the
conglomerate mass by underground
currents.
We were urged to take the road
through Emigrant Canyon, past
F.migrant Springs. This. took us
perilous ascent, and down through
Wildrose Canyon. 1t seemed like
the steep, dark and forboding sides
over our heads would close above
us, as we came down the other side
Of Panamint Range. Crossing Pana
mint Valley, and over Slate Range,
we found We had passed over he
same route taken by SO many Of the
early emigrants in 1849. Thanks
q road, and that was something the
early travellers did not have. Now
that we have been over that route.
we can imagine something of the
utter despair they felt.
The Shoshone Indians living here
watched many a white man die.
then took all he had left The white
settlers came over the Mormon
route from Salt Lake Some re-
oipod bnpa tc cDarata tho rnjnac 9t
Skidoo Bullfrog and Rhyolite. and
other long abandoned mines. Twen-
ty Mule Team boraX was found here.
1t is said that Aaron Winters OBJ
tanned the boraX test from strang-
er and applied it first on his own
claim. Rosie he said, "we are
rich, the flame burns green" He
was, but he sold his stake TO VIM. I.
Coleman for $40, 900, and he sold it
to others, who became immensely
rich.
Walter Scott (Scotty) is supposed
to have found boundless wealth
here, which he often displayed IN
rolls of bills, when he came to the
city. He lives in a great white
Moorish castle which cost So, 100000.
IT is thought that his partner Albert
man. came to his aid when he
him. How much is Scotty's and how
much is Johnson's no one can tell.
One lives there all the time, the
other with his family comes and
goes at leisure, as if the house were
intended for a rich man on vaca-
ton. It seems that Johnson must
have done the planning. and pur
chasing, for it is filled with the rich
est rugs. and furniture, and great
taste is indicated in the interior dec
orations, as we'll as in the architec~
ture. Old-world artisans did the
work. The rooms are many and
big, and there are IA fireplaces
Scotty tore up the Rhyolite rail
read for fuel, and has stacked up
may nnSuf have 20 unod aS cola vet unmned
from which he takes from time to
time as needed. Or probably he has
gold stored somewhere, for use
when times are hard. AS of old mel
keeps all the world guessing, andl
continues to be the greatest mystery