Randsburg-continued....

Despite Dr. Rose Burcham's much-vaunted business acumen, the money needed to build the mills, pay the miners, and to construct the necessary buildings, still had to come from somewhere.

What's more was that Dr. Burcham was pretty ignorant about the processing of ore- at least during these early days.  And, when the three male partners decided to celebrate the first shipment of ore to the Garlock mill for processing, they took advantage of her ignorance by telling her that they needed some silver coins for use in extracting the gold from the rocks.

In reality, of course, the men wanted the money to buy the celebratory drinks.  Ever perceptive, Dr. Burcham figured this out, after Singleton made two more requests silver coins!

I'm getting better...

During my last post, I didn't mean to imply that the air show made me sick.  I actually came down with the flu shortly thereafter.  I'm still coughing, and I'm not as energetic as usual, but I'm slowly re-joining the land of the living.  I"m dreaming of my next desert adventure, and I will continue the saga of Randsburg shortly.

Forgive my absence....

I was at the Cable Air Fair on Saturday and Sunday, and I am now sick. 

The saga of Randsburg, along with tales of my desert adventures will continue after I recover.

Thanks for your understanding, dear readers.

Randsburg, continued

Instead of a busy mining operation, Dr. Burcham found that the camp consisted of two tents and a small hole in the side of the mountain.

Undeterred, Dr. Burcham quickly adjusted to camp life.  Besides cooking and washing for the three men, she handled nearly all of the financial matters.  Given the number of "investors" who were always on the prowl for easy marks, Dr. Burcham's business acumen was a blessing; she had a knack for being able to spot shady deals immediately.

To be continued...

Randsburg, continued...

During her first night in the desert, Dr. Burcham was awakened by someone or something nudging her.  She woke her husband, who attributed this to the horses.  He suggested that she toss some hay to them.  This, she did, but Dr. Burcham could not get back to sleep.

Dr. Burcham was eager to see how much progress had been made at the new mining camp, but her excitement turned shock, as she and her husband approached the camp.

More to come.

Randsburg, continued...

Hello my faithful readers, and happy New Year!

The train ride from San Bernardino to Mojave was long and tedious.  The wagon ride from Mojave to the camp was even worse.  Even during the rest stops, the July desert heat, along with the dust made the "rest" stops anything but restful.

By the time Burcham and his wife reached Garlock (some of the old buildings stand to this day- but they are on private property), it was dark.  A treacherous climb up Rand Mountain still awaited the couple, but they decided to camp at Garlock for the night.  This way; both the Burchams and their horses would be rested prior to heading up to the camp.

To be continued...

Randsburg-continued...

Travel by train during the late nineteenth century could be tedious, tiring, and dirty.  Nevertheless, Dr. Burcham arrived in Mojave in July, 1895, with her medical supplies and durable clothing.  Her husband met her at the train station with a team of horses and a wagon.

More to come.