Burro Schmidt's Tunnel

The story of this tunnel, carved in the granite mountain on the El Paso Mountains, as was told to Michelle Mowery by her step-dad who was a miner out there for 60 years.

Wm.Henry Schmidt was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in 1871 At the age of 24 he was stricken by the deadly lung disease called tuberculosis. Six of his siblings had already died of the disease. His doctor told him he had, maybe, six months to live. Mr.Schmidt,in desparation, asked his doctor what he could do to prolong his life. The doctor said "you might go out to the high desert in California. There you may be able to dry out your lungs, somewhat, because of the low humidity and dehyderation. Although this has never been proven to happen."

Mr. Schmidt went to Bakersfield,Ca. and got a job with the Kern County Land Co., although he was hardly able to breathe.This was in the late 1890's. In 1906 he discovered several gold claims on Copper Mtn. He filed the claims and moved to the area known as Garlock,Ca.,at the four thousand foot elevation on Black Mtn.,in the El Paso Mtns. The only access to the area was a canyon trail, a very rough ancient river fit for burro travel only.

He purchased two burros Jack and Jenny. Hence he became Burro Schmidt. He said he would never haul his ore to the smelter in Mojave down that back trail. So, he decided if he dug a tunnel through the solid granite mountain, he could meet up with the Borax road, which ran from Death Valley to Mojave through the Rand Mountain area and the El Paso Mountain Valley.

His drilling, blasting, and picking commenced. Solely, he labored long days, carrying the ore and rock on his back and in his wheel barrow, out of the tunnel to be dumped over the side of the mountain. The tunnel was solid granite, which needed no shoring,except at the entrance to the tunnel. Being at 4200 foot elevation there was a shortage of oxygen, making his labor even more difficult.

The tunnel averages six feet high and ten feet wide, but, some areas vary greatly. In areas where very colorful ore can be seen, indicitive of copper.gold,iron,and silver, it might be ten feet high and ten feet wide. Burro Schmidt occasionally cut his dynamite fuses too short [to save on mining cost]. This resulted in a fast blast, not giving him time to escape.

He was trapped many times by falling rock and injured as many times. Making his way to a neighbor's cabin, a couple miles away, wiping the dust and dirt and the blood away, he was heard to exclaim, again and again, "It almost got me this time"!

He eventually laid rails for an ore car, which he pushed by hand the full length of the tunnel full of rock for years and years. The tunnel runs straight for hundreds of yards,then takes a slight turn for about 1800 feet. At this point he made a 90 degree turn to the left. After about 300 feet he came back to the turning point and decided to turn to the right and proceed digging. After about another couple hundred feet of digging and blasting and hauling rock for approximately 2200 feet, Burro Schmidt saw the light at the end of the tunnel. He had made his way out of the mountain on the south side.

Where he had originally planned to carry his ore out of the tunnel and down to Mojave for assaying. Another forty miles of dirt travel, but this never came to pass. He was now up on the side of a very steep mountain with no way down to the valley but to climb. After thirty two years (1938) of tunneling he had dug through nearly 2500 feet of solid granite, using only a pick, a shovel, and a four pound hammer. The tunnel gets smaller and smaller at the end. But, so did Burro Schmidt, his photos indicate that he was getting shorter in heighth as he grew older.

The tunnel maintains an average temperature of 68 degrees winter and summer. Jack lived to be 21 and Jenny died at 25 years of age.

Burro Schmidt used a kerosene lamp to light the tunnel. When he had no kerosene he used a two cent candle. In the summertime he worked on a Randsburg ranch to get money for his grub stake and mining supplies. His diet consisted of beans,rice,bacon,fish chowder, boiled onions, sardines and lots of whiskey.

We have visited his cabin,which stands intact,as he left it. Newspaper and cardboard cover the ceiling for insulation, from the turn of the century. His shirts were made of flour sacks. His overalls were patched with gunny sacks. His shoes were soled with tin can lids nailed on to a worn out sole.

He lived another sixteen years as the proud proprietor of a VERY FAMOUS TOURIST attraction called "Burro Schmidt's tunnel".

Ripley's believe it or not cartoon celebrated the feat,calling him the human mole. A tiny man of super human strength and a very positive attitude.

The Great Wall of China may be level to the ground after 250,000 years. Burro Schmidt's tunnel is believed to last 500,000 years. A rare and very interesting sight to visit.

Burro Schmidt actually died of old age and a worn out body, still filled with the spirit of mining. He was hospitalized in Ridgecrest Hospital where he passed on in 1954.

Burro Schmidt was a legend in his own time.

The tunnel was purchased by a lady named Tony Siegert who lived there for 60 years without electric, water or neighbors. Tony drove herself to town in Ridgecrest, until she passed away in (around) 2000. She made a tourist attraction of the mine and her cabin. She was as excentric as could be. Her cabin consisted of everything she had collected for 70 years.

The mine is open to tourists but the cabin is gone. Though the spirits and the memories of Tony and Burro still live on.

Tony was also a legend in her own time.