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Show 214 Dame correctly assumed that the valley had already been explored by Bean's men, and within the last ten days at that. He therefore withdrew his men back up the canyon four, miles and camped. The following morning was Sunday, but there was no time to rest. They crossed back over Murry Summit into White River Valley, but this time they crowded tbe west side of the valley on the high bench lands of tbe White Pine Range. They crossed a hill in this region that was covered with green stones , which the company believed to contain 25$ copper. Surely they were correct in assuming these stones contained copper. Today the huge Kennecott open pit copper mine is located just four miles away on the other side of the mountain near Ruth, Nevada. About noon the men arrived back at Eureka Creek, the large stream they had discovered the day before. But this time they were on the west side of the valley where the creek issues out of the White Pine Mountains. In reality, the explorers had found Ellison Creek, a major tributary to the White River, and were not on the same stream they had previously discovered. A large wire grass meadow was found where the water spread out over the ground and sank. The grass was reported to be about two feet high. Two miles below, the stream rose to the surface again. Working their way down stream, the company struck camp about 8 P.M. where the creek sank a second time. The night was cold with water again freezing in their cups. Monday the 17th saw the men continue their return march to the base camp on Willow Springs. Following the approximate route of Nevada Highway 38 through the future town sites of Preston and Lund, several large springs were discovered but no land considered suitable for cultivation. When they arrived at their base camp, they found that George W. Bean and a company of men had passed through on their way east. The tracks that Dame had discovered a few miles north of camp |