The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-06-11
El Dorado.

A few centuries ago there was . gen.
eral belief in what was called El Do
rado, which is the Spanish term for the
golden region" This. encyclopedias
tell Us. was a proverbial term for a
country abounding in mineral aud
natural wealth. and was SO applied
from the fact that Crellana, the lieu'eu
ant of Pizarro. pretended TO have dis
covered = region in South America
which be thus named from the immense
quantities Of geld and other preciou.
metals which he asserted TO have seen
/ in Manoa its capital.
FL Dorado was long and often looked
/ for, by adventurer.. in the districts ly.
/ ing between the Amazon and Orinoco
l. was believed that in such locality
| there was region whose rocks were
impregnated with gold, which. under
the blaze of setting sun, shone ou'
from afsr like veritable piles Of preciou.
metal where the houses, plated with
CLEAN ing slabs, stood on the shore OF q
lake the sands whereof were golden.
Early in the present century, the lats
Baron Alexander Won Humboldt, very
daring and adventurous and sue.
cessful traveller. visited the New World
and solved the mystery Of El Dorado
While exploring the countries upon ths
| Upper Orinoco. he was informed that
the portion of Eastern Guiana lying
between the rivers Essiquibo and
| Branca is the classical soil OF the Do
RADIO Of Parima"
| Yes. in the islets and rocks Of mica
slate and tale. which rise up within and
around lake adjoining the Parima
shore. rejecting from their shining sur
faces the rays of an effulgent sun, were
mate rials out OF which imagination had
formed that gorgeous capital. the tenn
Piles and houses of which were over.
laden with plates of beaten gold!
| With such elements to work upon
heated fancy. aided by the imperfec,
! vision of distant and dubious objects
might easily create that fabulous super
structure. The brilliancy Of these de.
ceptive appearances may be judged
from the fact that the natives sscribed
! the lustre of tha nebule Of the Southern
Hemispere to the bright reflections pro
duced by them.
Even If El Dorado had been an &C.
tual fact Of prose. instead Of fancy
Of the mind, it could scarcely have pro
duced greater or more tangible wealth
than some discoverers and sdyenturer.
have actually alighted on 1t could
practically afford little more to any
individual than was yielded to JOSEPH
Laborde. by the mine Of La Csnads
in Mexico.
This modern Fortunatus wandered
into Mexico. all but beggsr. and
Humboldt says, soou was engaged in
working a mine which, for o long time
yielded him from 10000 to 100. .OOt
pounds weight of silver every year
FL Dorado could not have had much
more for him.
Nor could It we'll have done 30 much
hot without the expenditure of much
time and inbor-ss sheer accident did
for tue negro who, in q Brazilian ra,
vine. lighted on diamond worth near
/ ly $780, 900; or so much rs tie "happy
| thought" Of Sir Williams Phipps, when
it occurred to him that treasure might
be recovered from Spanish wreck that
had gone down off tho Bahama Islands.
and from which lie obtained treasure oi
which his share was 81 SOC. 900.
/ Labordc. who. rs already stated. had
limpsd wearily and painfully into Mex
leo. poor and broken down. and then
rapidly realized . yearly income oi
! l3o, 900 to l90,000 pounds Of pure sill
yer, founded church at cost Of &420,
600. He also put into il . solid golden
sun. worth 100000
/ After this. his luck changed. Hi.
| mines began to fail, and he wasreduced
to the lowest debts of poverty. Ther
be made his case known To tho arch
/ bishop. who. in consideration of hi,
| having built the church. allowed him
to take back the golden sun he had pu.
/ into il.
| With the money realized by the sale
of this treasure. Joseph Laborde took
heart and set to work again. Ill lucl
attended him and he nearly lost ali
Finally. he chancsd 10 embark the re
/ nainder in more fortunate enterprise
and died with fortune Of $500 900.
+ In vain have searched biographical
/ dietions ries for more minute particular,
| Of Joseph Laborde's life. | find many
of his name. but only one who may
+ have been the man looked for. HI
was bora in Spain. in l1ai. aud WAS 9
tiuancier during the reign Of Louis Nv
+ to whom. on one occasion. he lent
s.ot0. .oo0 of francs. aud by when he wa,
created marquis.
. His wealth caused him to b- accused
arrested. condemned and guillotincd. il
April 1894. This could scarcely hsv,
been the Lahortle of the Mexican mine
though both had one thing alike
namely. vas, wealth.
Inventors have also hai their vision,
of FL Doraio- now ard then realized
bu, very often. i, is 20 be feared. thu
purely imaginary regions of golier
peaks. yellow cleaning edihoes. and
auriieroas sands
Some Of thea have undoubtedly
rrpvra regions of vas, wealth, and III
sonc cases probably the wealth has
been IN proportion To the unostentatiou,
operations Of the inventor Fortune re-
wards, and Fame catalogues. only those
who have achieved success.
The world has oftea been dazzled by
wonderful stories Of fortunes realized
by successful inventors. but If the
touch o' some nsgis.ian's wand could
light mp the saurky ob~curi,y Of work
shops aid iahora.orie. with hriiisncy
AID splender in proportion ~ the pro-
fss made within them, il would probs-
bly, be found that many of the nloss OBJ