The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-12-06
WONDERFUL DISCOvERuEs.
An Ancient City and Masses of Gold
and silver Found In the San
Juan District Of Col.
OFAdO. --..

An Ancient City and Masses of Gold
and silver Found In the San
Juan DAstrict of Col.
0radO. ..s-4-,l
Correspondence Chicago Times. s5dgsas
LAKE CRY, COL, October 25.-This
busy, thriving metropolis of what il
popularity known as the San Juan
country, is now convulsed and hall
crazy with excitement over new and
rich discoveries of gold and silver
lodes in the San Minguel district, q
region of country which lies forty
miles west of Lake City, and which
can only besreached by crossing the
snow-clad mountains that separate the
waters of the Uncompaghree from the
GunnigoD. This mountain range is
nothing more nor less than a success
sion OF slittering peaks from thirteen
thousand to fourteen thousand feet
high, and with the exception of trail
that leads down the Uncompaghree
river to Uurav, is absolutely inaccess-
ible, Except during the summer months
For years past old hunters and pros.
pectors have limited mysteriously of
the San Minguel and Dolores valleys
and under the seductive influence OF
old bourbon and the camp fire, told O..
streams whose sands were yellow
with gold, Of pay streaks and bars
where fortunes could be taken out in
q single week with common sluice
box and rocker, and of leads of quartz
in the noun tain side that fairly gilt
tered with specks of free gold and
ruby silver; but until quite lately all
the yarns were set down as harmless
freaks of imagination, and no effort
was made to discover the real charac-
ter and richness of the country. AT
last W.. w. Remine, a veteran pioneer
and prospector, whose life has been
spent on the western slope, and who,
at the comparatively early age of forty
years, has made and lost dozen for
tunes, determined to investigate mat
ters for himself, and early in June,
1876, left Sylvester with nothing but
his trusty rifle and pack mule, with
the avowed intention of exploring the
mysterious valley of the San Minguel.
In vain his cOmrads represented the
dangers and hardships to which h.
would be subjected. Remine was i'm
movable in his purpose, and, after
struggling through mountain canons
and oyer giddy heights never before
passed by the foot of man. he found
himself one bright morning in Angus
standing in a beautiful valley nearly
two miles in width, through which
flowed the crystal waters OF the San
Miguel. Intent upon exploration, he
followed the stream down a distanc
of twenty miles, to its confluence with
the Dolores river, and here found g
valley ten miles wide. level as q bill
lard table. and covered with a luxuri-
ant growth of erase, which waved in
the summer breeze and afforded nour-
ishment to large herds of buffalo.
mountain sheep, black-tail deer, and
every species of game known to the
Rocky Mountain regiou. The prime
val simplicity and wilderness of Eden
was here. The deer and the antelope
had never been hunted and gazed with
timld curiosity upon Remine allowing
the bold intruder to walk up within a
few yards, while the indu strious bea-
yer damned the limpid stream and
raised his progeny unlisturbed.-
Working his way through the tangled
vegetation Remine was on the point
of crossing the stream when he heard
a loud, yindictivd snort, and looking
up there stood a gigantic cinnamon
bear. In an instant the faithful Sharp
was at his shoulder; report, a puff
of smoke followed, and the monster
fell to the earth with an ounce ball
through her brains. After disposing of
his trophy Remine proceeded to take
a circuit through the valley, and on a
level plateau on the west bank of the
Dolores river discovcd the ruins of
what had once evidently been large
city.
Ancient ruins and fragments of pot
terry were scattered in every direction,
and the foundation walls of some Of
the principal buildings were still stand
ing in good state of preservation. In
the center of the ruins, and standing
in q clear, open space, was the remains
Of temple, which had evidently been
devoted 10 the worship of the sun.
The walls were of hewed stone, and SO
laid together that it was
it was hard to detect joint. AL
though exposed to the ravages of time
for thousands of years, the founda-
lion looked "a massiye and strong as
when first laid by it's ancient builders,
and even the plaster with which the
walls were lined inside had not lost
its color, but seemed as bright and
fresh as though put on but yesterday.
Filled with wonder and feeling of
reverence at beholdihg such an i'm
posing ruin, Remine proceeded to
the temple, and found that it
was one hundred and twenty feet
wide and three hundred feet in length. |
The walls in many places were adorn- |
I'd with rough representations of ncu
md animals. with no pei spectlve,
while over one of the windows was
he rn6a fiunra of Gouo hoa.;...