Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1895 — A Wonderful American Road. [ARTICLE]

A Wonderful American Road.

Henan C. Cooke and C. A. Fauble, who are exploring San Miguel Mountain, near San Diego, were reported some days ago to have found an ancient roadway and tunnel to a gold mine. They say the report as to the tunnel was a mistake, as was shown by furthur excavation into the hillside. Their deception was due to the fact that a slide of rock and earth down the mountain side had made a deposit, in a natural way, having the appearance of a tunnel debris. They firmly believe that a gold mine is there somewhere, and intend to continue their search. They have found ore ledges and have filled locations on three mining claims, all showing good prospects. i Their description of the old graded roadway naturally leads to interesting speculation as to who constructed it. They say it can easily be seen that a dirt road over the crest of the Hog-back, rising from the Sweetwater river well up the mountain side, was first traveled extensively. But later travel was diverted over a part of the distance to a level shelf, and this new road is the one that creates wonder and astonishment. The grade is so perfe t that Cooke and Fauble firmly believe it was established by the best of surveying instruments. The solid rock has been cut out so deep that powder or some other explosive must have been used. The fills on the lower side have been made on true lines, and a distance of 1,000 or more f|<t of this kind of work shows educated workmanship.