The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-08-18
AN \ ENCHANTED. MINE.
A Mountain of Gold Guarded by the Spirits
of Msssaored Minors. .-tf


A Mountain of Gold Guarded by the Spirits
of Massaored Miners.
About sixty miles from the Pacific coast
in the State of Sinaloa, is mountain known
| as "Cerro del Oro," or Hill Of Gold, writes
correspondent of the st. Louis G!obe-Denso-
| crat from Sonora, Mex. 1t rises IN ma
jestic grandeur from the midst OF cluster
ing hills, grand in themselves, but lnslg-
! ni1icant in the presence OF this s1!ent'
gloomy, rugged old king. To the casual oD-
server there is nothing remarkable about
! this magnificent mountain, whose SIDES are
| covered with vegetation, and apparently as
smooth as the grassy slopes OF California,
seen from the deck OF a passing steamer:
! It's immensely is not realized until the ascent
| is undertaken Its sides, apparently SO
| smooth, are found to be traversed oy ueel'
gorges and by assures, shaded by glaht
| trees, whose interlacing branches cast d
| somber gloom over the entrances 10 tue
| deep canyons. It is with hesitation AKIN 10
! fear that one enters their cavernous deptns'
| There it is that the people of the nelghbor-
| ing hamleJs have taken refuge III the darh
| DAYS of revolution and invading wars, leav-
| ing their poor fllts, and budding tnelf
| children together TO seek shelter from the
| rude storm Of human passion, in the rugged
| bosom of the old mountain OF mystery.
Manga gray-headed man and woman can
remember the time when with hurried
steps and many backward glances they
| sought shelter in the deepest businesses, as
the only haven of safety. Fortunate were
they who had sufficient warning to gather
| ND their few COWS and burros. the former
| furnishing milk, and the latter loaded with
| corn and bedding from the home that would
soon be destroyed by the relentless torch OF
| the invader.
! Nothing but war in its cruelest form cou1d
| induce q Mexican to leave his home anu
seek shelter in the gloomy caves OF Old
! Cerro del Orc. For it is the abode OF spirits
and demons. No one cares to venture
alone INTO it's depths. Many queer tales are
! told Of the strange sights seen by venture
some persons. That it is under ss spell OF
enchantment is well known by tho old and
firmly believed by the young.
That extensive mining has been done in
this mountain no one can doubt, as nuner-
Gus }1atios where ore was assorted, and
ruins Of arrastras where the gold was ex-
tracted, prove shat beyond q doubt, and ny
digging into the piles Of waste tine specl-
mems Of free gold ore are Obtained. but no
trace of a mine can be found. Occasionally,
in the neighboring villages, while excayat-
ing foundations for houses. bars OF gold
| have been discovered, and ornaments OF
/ gold, crudely hammered out. have been un-
tearthea But there are no gold mines
| known 10 exist within leagues OF this
mountain.
| There is strange tradition handed down.
that loug ago this hill was the scene of
active mining; that the mountain side. now
50 gloomy and silent, echoed the click OF tue
| hammer, and the voice Of the muleteer urg-
ing the patient animals as they toiled round
the arrastra, and the singing Of the happy
,ainers rushing down the mountain side,
their days task dore-shinking Of tho
| bright eyes watching for them, and the hot
tortillas aud frijoles waiting for them at
their humble little home.
But in On evil day all was changed. Il
band OF robbers, lured by the glitter Of the
abundant gold, swept down the mountain
side like blast Of fire, shot down the men
like dogs. not leaving soul alive TO tell
the tale. The treasure they secured was
immense. They loaded all the mules with
! treasure and left the place, 80 lately full OF
! life, a scene Of grim death and desolation.
Then it was that the "Ducndes' (falries)
| of the mountain by enehantment closed up
the entrances Of the mines, and it is said
| that spirits Of the murdered miners still
! dwell in the mines.
/ Once every year the portals Of the mines
are opened. On the eve OF st. John TO-
wards evening an old man appears at the
mouth of the tunnel: and later the mount
air side is l,eopled us Of old the ghostly
actors going through the work as in life,
the lnen with their hammers, the mule
teers at their arras1ras. all tnsily at
work, but silent as the grave. young
man who vas belated while looking for cat
tie came unexpectedly upon the scene. RE
was fixed without power OF motion, and
was forced against his will 10 see the ghost
ly crew at work over the glittering golden
treasures. At twelve O'CLOCK, the ghostly
captain gave the signal and al hands quit
| work, and, selling their napkins contain
ing the midnight lunch, lit fires to heat
their tortllas and coffee. The fire was az
unearthly blue and burned with IL flicker
| ing, tain light. The eyes of each and
every one were lit up with an uncannY
glow Of phosptorescant light, AT ., word
they all resumed work, until at tue crow
| ing Of q cock at distant hamlet, ali van
ishad and the unwilling spectator found
himself again capable Of motion. In the
gray morning he rushed flan1ically home,
tearing his flesh and clothing in his mad
rush through the thorny brush Arriving
LIZ WAS iIlct ny ii lIOliluCls uOCh lIOul
his wife, who fell fainting to the ground.
His hair had turned snow white, and while
only twenty-five years old, he appeared to
be an old man Of sixty
Years after this some little girls We're out
gathering wild fruit. They camped upon a
level place free Of bushes, which they never
remembered to have seen. Looking up they
saw the entrance to q tunnel, and just in
side was seated venerable old man who
was making motions for them to come
closer, but they being frightened ran home.
The next day a party OF men visited the
| spot, but it was tangled labyrinth of
thorny brush interspersed With large
| trees.
The tradition further states that in only
one way can the spell be broken. That a
person of perfectly pure heart must walk
boldly up TO the mouth of The mine, and
boldly addressing this old man, must ask
who he is and what he wants. He will offer
to give to the speaker the wealth of the
mountain, only on the promise that one
tenth Of the wealth taken from the mine be
devoted to masses for the souls of himself
and his murdered companions
F1uency of the Sign Language.