The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-09-04
A Colony OF Death.

THAT" SAID well-known Leadyille
assayer. indicating a piece of odd-looking
ore which he held In his hand, ''that piece
comes from mine with a history perhaps
as singular as anything you ever heard"
lie then related story in substance az
follows:-
The mine from which the ore was de-
rived Is situated somewhere on the line of
southern Colorado and Mexico. Vast
mountain ranges enclose 1t on all sides, ike
colossal barriers erected by nature to guard
1t from the intrusion Of mankind, and no
beaten path, apparently. leads thither by
which anyone could penetrate to the spot,
except the most taring mountaincer that
ever scaled the mountain heights or with
pick and shovel delved into the finty bow.
els Of the rugged Colorado slopes after the
precious metal. The spot in which the
mint Is located is beautiful green vallcy,
| in which summer eternally prevails, with
only one outlet, through dark cleft in
the towering rocks, which from the outside
| would never be discovered except by
chance.
About the year 1924, when tho Span
| iards under Cortez penetrated Mexico and
| overfowed the country surrounding, a
| number of the lawless Andalusians. camp-
| followers, or whatever the occupation of
those who drifted into the beautiful coun-
try along with the large hosts of soldiers,
| detected some of the conquered Indians
wearing ornaments of massive gold On their
persons 30 directly different from any of
the precious metal the secret of whose de-
posit they had long before wrcstcd from
the simple natives, that they at once con-
| cluded it must be derived from a mine
| whose whereabouts was yet a mystery to
them. Avaricious and cruel, as Bancroft
on good authority represents the Spainards
to have been at all times, the secret of the
| hidden mine must come into their pos.
session at any price and 1t all hazards; but
| supplications and dintimfdations alike proved
Intellectual in forcing the red children to
make the coveted revelation, and as a last
resort refuge was had to a cowardly ruse.
the success of which is unquestioncd.
A number of the adventurous vandals
from Spain, the destroyers of Mexico,
| tracked some of the Indians ut different
times into the mountains, and by this means
finally discovered the whereabouts of the
hidden mine in the valley. 1t was fully
| developed, and seemed to have been opera
ted by the intelligent aborigncs for long
time, the method Of reducing and elimina-
them. Suspicious, even of their comrades.
and fearing lest by some means their pre.
| cious discovery be betrayed, or the Indians
drive them from it, they fell upon the small
body Of Navajocs working the mine and
assassinatcd them to the last man. They
then took surreptitious leave of the Spanish
settlement, removed their effects to the
hidden valley, and founded colony there,
erecting houses and in due time developing
themselves into quite large and busy COM
| munity.
In 1860, Cortez began his incursions into
the vast mountain districts lying north of
Mexico, penetrating the intervening terri
tory, and entering the southern portion of
what is now Colorado. BY some strange
happening, his soldiers learned of the eX-
lstcnce of the isolated colony, and, guided
by an aged Indian, they found the lonely
mountain pass which leads to the hidden
mine. Under the preteXt of administering
punishment for the crime committed against
the Indians, whom they had robbed of their
secret by taking their lives, Cortez had the
whole colony executed - assassnating
the men and children and outraging the
women, or carrying them away with them
into the mountains. This done, he &C.
lected a number of his own force, and.
leaving them to operate the mine, ,ostcnsibly
in the interest of his government, he pressed
on toward tho north to prosecute his search
for more hidden treasures.
The new colony was less successful in
the management of the mine. Strife pre-
vailed among them, and extended to the
Indians who lived in the neighborhood, and
with whom their predecessors, from the
best of political motives, had lived at peace,
courting their friendship by intcrmarriage,
and completely winning them over to their
cause. The new colony had neglected this
all-important precaution, and, having in
CURED the hatred Of tho redskins by their
initial movement of slaughtering their
friends. open hostility between them was
very soon the order.
One dark night the Indians, in a count
less force, poured into the sleeping valley,
and tnauguratcd feast of blood, in which
nearly three hundred Spaniards sacrificed
their lives, ncnc escaping to tell the tale.
AS suddenly as they had come they had
departed, leaving dreadful scene of car.
mage behind them. The improvements
went into decay, and Cortez returning by
another route, the valley was forgotten,
and centuries cast their shadows over its
bloody history.
N|noo oPA i"S WV JouuB InCu, nUu1CQ
Charles Alderman and William Ramsey,
left Leadvillo with a pair of pack burros,
two ponies and shovels and picks, to 20 on
long prospecting tour. They strayed into
southern Colorado, and having for a long
time wandered aimicssly about among the
rugged hills, gong out of the way of hos
tile Apachcs, and creeping along dull In
dian trails, where, perhaps, never white
man set foot. they sought refuge in deep
cleft in the mountains, one stormy night,
and there built there camp fire. The ruddy
glare Of the flame penetrated far into tho
dense gloom of the cavern-likc retreat. and,
actuatcd by an irresistible fascination that
drew them onward, they supplied them.
selves with burning brand and set out to
explore the mysterious region beyond the
circle Of the light. They at last debouchcd
into the hidden valley containing the col
ony of death, but being unable to discern
their surroundings at night, they passed
the hours until daybreak at their camp. fire,
and In tho morning paid visit to the
ruined settlement. Strange to say, DOS
sibly owing to the shelter which tho high