The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-08-19
A COLONY OF DEATH.
A Valley Once Trod by Certezansi y5is Fol-
Iowers-The siSeleton Inhabitsats.

orc which he held in,his hand, 'tiitst 1iecI
comes from a mine with q history per.
haps as singular as anything you eyel
| heard.m
He then related o story in substance
as follows. i,5s
! The mine from which The ore was de.
rived ia situated somewheFe ON the line
ofSouthern 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 aud no
beaten path apparently leads ehither by
which any one could penetrate 20 The
| spot except The most daring inountainees
| that ever scaled the mountain heights or
with pick and shovel delved into the ffin.
ty bowels of the rugged Colorado slopes
ailer the precious metal. Tho spot In
which the mint is located IL beautiful
| green valley, in which Summer eternally
! prevails, with only one outlet, through a
dark clen in the towering rocks, which
from tho outside would never be discov-
cred except by chance.
About the year 1924, when the Span.
iards under Cortcz penetrated Mexico
and oyerflowed the country surrounding,
e number of the lawless Andaiusians,
/ camp followers, or whatever the occupa.
tion of those who driitei into the beatiti.
fn! country along with the large hosts of
soldiers detected some or the aconariered
| Indians wearing ornaments Of massive
gold upon their pessonsso directly differ.
ent from any of the precious metal tho
secret Of whose deposit they had long be-
fore wrested from the simple fiatiyesfliae
they atonce concluded it must be derived
from mine whose whareabouts was yet
a mystery to them. Avaricious and
cruel, as Bancroft on good authority rem.
! resents the Spaniards to have been at aII
times, the secrets of the hidden mine
must come into their possession ut any
price and Mt all hazards. But supplica.
tions and intimidations alike proved in
efectual in forcing the red children To-
make the coveted revelation, and as a
last resort recourse was had to o cowardly
rnse, the success of which is unquestiofi.
| ed.
| A number of the adventurous vandals
I.from Spain, the destroyets of Mexico.
| tracked some of the Indians nc different
times into the mountains, aud by this
means finally discovered the whereabouts
OF the hidden mine In the valley. It was
fully developed, and seemed 20 have been
operated by the intelligent aborigines for
long time, the method of reducing md
eliminating the noble metals being no
secret to them. Suspicious even of eheir
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 them 20 the last
man. They then took ksurreptitious leave
OF the Spanish settlement, removed their
effect to the hidden valley. and founded
colony there, erecting houses, and in
due time developing themselves into quite
q large and busy community.
In 1860 Cortez began his incursions
into the vast mountain districts lying
Nerth 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. guideG by an aged Indian,
shey 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, Rssassinating the men
and children and outraging the women
or carrying them away with them into
the mountains. This done, he selected
annmber of his own force. and, leaving
them to operate the mine, ostensibly in,
the interest of his government, he press
ed on toward the NortJisto to prosecute his
aearch for more hidden treasures.
The new colony was less successful in
she management Of the mine. Erife 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 Hired at
peace, courtiDg their friendship by inter
marriage and completely winning theni.
over TO their cause. Tie new colony
had neglected this all.impostant precau-
tion, and having incurred the hatred of
/ tpe redskins ty their initial movement
| of slaughtering their friends, open hostiI-
ity between them was very soon the or-
One dark night tho indians in q count
less force poured into the SLEEPING valley
and inaugurated o feast Of blood in which
nearly three hundred Spaniards sacri-
need their lives, none escapiua 10 teii tie
tale. AS suddenly as they had core
they had departed, leaving dreadfai
scene Of carnage behind them. The ial-
s=esssents went into and and Corsz
returning by another route the valley was
forgotten and centuries cast their chad
otas over It's bloody history. 4l
Last Spring two young men, named
CharleS Aekerman and William Ram.
sey, left Leadvillo with pair sof pack
bnrros, two ponies and shoyeis and picks,
TO go on Q long prospecting tour. Thsy
strayed into. 5oathern Colorado, and,
having for long time wandered aiinless.
ly about among the rugged hills, going
e f1s. - k,.-s L