The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-08-19
A COLONY OF DEATH.
A Valley Oncc Trod by Cortez and Ills Fol
lowcrs-The Skeleton Inhabitants.

A COLONY OF DEATH.
A Valley onco Trod by cortez and Els Fol.
Iowcrs-The Skeleton Inhabitants.
'That," said well-known .Leadville
assayer, indicating piece of odd-lookine
ore which he held in his hand, chat piece
comes from mine with q history per-
haps as singular as anything you ever
heard"
He then related story in substance
rs 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 it on all sides like
colossal barriers erected by nature to guard
it from the intrusion of mankind and no
beaten path apparently leads thither by
which any one could penetrate to the
spot except the most daring mountaineer
that ever scaled the mountain heights or
with pick and shovel delved into the fin
ty bowels of the rugged Colorado slopes
after the precious metal. The spot in
which the mint is located is a beautiful
green valley, in which Summer eternally
prevails, with only one outlet, through a
dark cleft in the towering rocks, which
from the outside would never be discOv-
cred except by chance.
About the year 1924, when the Span
iards under Cortcz penetrated Mexico
and overfowed the country surrounding,
number of the lawless Andalusians,
camp followers, or whatever the occupa-
ton of those who drifted into the beauti.
full country along with the large hosts Of
soldiers detected some of the conquered
indians wearing ornaments of massive
gold upon their persons SO directly differ
ent from any Of the precious metal the
secret of whose deposit they had long be.
fore wrested from the simple natives that
they Mt once concluded it must be derived
from mine whose whereabouts was yet
a mystery to them. Avaricious and
cruel, as Bancroft on good authority rep.
resents the Spauiards to have been at all
times, the secrets of the hidden mine
must come into their possession at any
price and at all hazards. But supplica-
tions and intimidations alike proved in
cfectual in forcing the red children to
make the coveted revelation, and az a
last resort recourse was had to a cowardly
ruse, the SUCCESS Of which is unquestion-
ed
A number of the adventurous vandals
from Spain, the destroycrs of Mexico,
tracked some of the Indians at different
times into the mountains, and by this
means finally discovered the whereabouts
of the hidden mine in the valley. TWAS
fully developed, and seemed to have been
operated by the intelligent aborigines for
a long time, the method of reducing and
the noble metals being no
secret to them. Suspicious even of their
comrades, and fearful lest by some means
their precious discovery be betrayed, or
the Indians drive them from it, they fell
upon the small body of Navajoes working
the mine and assassinated item to the last
man. They then took surreptitious leave
of the Spanish settlement, removed their
effect to the hidden valley. and founded
a colony there, erecting houses, and in
due time developing themselves into quite
o large and busy community.
In 1860 Cortez began his incufsions
into the vast mountain districts lying
North of Mexico, penetrating the inter-
vening territory and entering the South
ern portion of what is now Colorado.
By some strange happening his soldiers
learned of the existence of the isolated
colony, and, guided by all aged Indian,
they found the lonly 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 secrets by
taking their lives, Cortez had the whole
colony executed, assassinating the men
and children and outraging the women
or carrying them away with them into
the mountains. This done, he selected
a number of his own force, and, leaving
them to operate the mine, ostensibly in
the interest of his government, he press
ed on toward the North 10 prosecute his
search for more hidden treasures.
The new colony was less successful in
the management of the mine. Srife pre-
vailed among them, and extended to the
Indians who lived in the neighborhood,
and with whom their predecessors, from
the best political motives, had lived at
peace, courting their friendship by inter-
and completely winning them
over to their cause. The new colony
had neglected this all-important precau.
ton, and having incurred the hatred Of
the redskins by their initial movement
of slaughtering their friends, open hostil-
ity between them was very soon the or
der.
One dark night the Indians in count
less force poured into the sleeping valley
and inaugurated q feast of blood in which
nearly three hundred Spaniards sacri-
feed their lives, none escaping to tell the
tale. As suddenly as they had come
they had departed, leaving dreadful
scene of carnage behind them. The i'm
provements went into decay, and Cortez
returning by another route the valley was
forgotten and centuries cast their shad-
ows over its bloody history.
Last Spring two young men, named
Charles Ackerman and William Ram
sey, left Leadville with pair of pack
burros, two ponies and shovels and picks,
to 60 on long prospecting tour. They
strayed into Southern Colorado, and,
having for long time wandered aimless-
ly about among the rugged hills, going
out of the way of hostile Apaches, and
creeping along dull Indian trails, where
perhaps, never white man set foot, they
sought refuge in deep cleft inthe noun
tains one stormy night, and there built
their camp fire. The ruddy glare of the
flame penetrated far into the dense gloom
of the cavern-like retreat, and, actuated
by an irresistible fascination that drew
til TN onward, they supplied themselves
with burning brand and set out to ex'
plore the mysterious region beyond the
circle of the light They at last de-
bouched into the hidden valley containing
the colony of death, but being unable to
discern their surroundings at night, they
passed the hours until daybreak at their
camp fire, and in the morning made a
visit to the ruined settlement. Strange
to say, possibly owing to the shelter
which the high mountain ranges afford
IL