Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-10-04
AN ENCHANTED MINE.
A Mountains of Gold Guarded by the
spirit of Massncred Miners.


spirit of Massncred Miners.
About sixty m les from the Pacific
| Coast, in the state Of Sinuioa, is n
mountain known ~ "Cerrc del Orc.
or Hill of Gold. Ii rises in majestic
grandeur from the midst of clustering
hills, grand in themselves but insig-
nificant in the presence OF the silent,
moody. rugged old king. To the cas-
ual observer there is nothing remark
able about this magnificent mountain
whose sides are covered with vegeta-
ton and apparently as smooth as the
grassy slopes of California, seen from
the deck of q passing steamer. Its im-
mensity is not realized until the ascent
is undertaken. Its sides, apparently
so smooth, are found TO be traversed
by deep gorges and assures, shaded
by giant trees, whose interlacing
branches cast sombre gloom over the
entrance to the deep canyons. 1t is
with hesitation akin to fear that one
enters their cavernous depths. There
it is that the people of the neighbour
ing hamlets have taken refuge in the
dark days of revolution and invading
wars, leaving their poor huts and hud-
ding their children together 10 seek
shelter from the rude storm of human
pass on. in the rugged bosom OF the
old mountain of mystery. ManE a
gray -headed man or woman can re-
member the time when with hurried
steps and many backward glances they
sought shelter in the deepest Businesses
as the only haven of safety. Fortu'
nate were they who had sufficient
warning TO gather up 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
, could induce Mexican to leave his
: home and seek shelter in the gloomy
!, caves of old Cerro del Orc. for it IS
the abode of spirits and demons. No
: one cares 10 venture alone into It's
depths. Many queer tales arc told OF
, the strange sights seen by venturesome
persons. That it is under n spell OF
: enchantment is well-known by the old
and firmly believed by the young.
, That extensive mining has been done
i In this mountain no one can doubt, as
numerous potios where ore was as
sorted, and ruins OF arrastras where
= the gold was extracted, prove that be.
: yond a doub;; and by digging into the
: piles of waste fine specimens of fino
gold are obtained. But no trace OF q
mine can be found. Occasionally, in
r the neighboring villages, while excavat-
Hnti "a, N nf
I have been discovered and ornaments of
y gold, crudely hammered out have
been unearlhed. But there are no
gold mines known to exist within
> leagues of this mountain.
u There is strange tradition handed
. down that long ago this hill was \
j scene of active mining; that the noun.
Ia side, now so gloomy and silent,
Q echoed the click of the hammer and
u the voice of the muleteer urging the
patient animals rs they toled round
a the arrastra, and the singing of the
happy miners rushing down the noun
: tain side. their day s task done-think
J. ing of the hot tortilias and frjoles
s. waiting for them at their humble lit
tie homes.
5 But in an evil day all was changed.
A 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, net
u leaving soul alive 10 tell tho tale
The treasure they secured was i'm.
>, mense. They loaded all the mules
with treasure and left the place, SO
lately full of life, a scene of grim death
and desolation. Then it was that the
d 'Duondos' (fairies) Of the mountain
o by enchantment closed up the
70 entrances of the mines, and it is
said that the spirits of the murdered
o miners still dwell in the mines.
o Once every year the portals of the
nine are opened. On the eve of ST.
/ John toward evening an. old man APP
pears ut the mouth of the tunpel, and
later the mountainside is peopled rs of
old, the ghostly actors go through the
work as in life, the men with their
hammers, the muleteers at their
: rastras, all busily at work. but silent
!. as the grave. A young man who was
u belated while looking for cattle came
unexpectedly upon the scene. He was
fixed without power of motion, and
J was forced against his will TO see the
!, gbostly crew at work over the glitter
golden treasures. At II O'clock the
: ghOstly captain gave the signal and all
hands quit work. aud selling their APP
kins, containing their midnight lunch,
!, lit fires to heat their tortllas and cof-
u fee. The fire was an unearthly blue
and burned with Pickering, uncertain
light The eyes OF each and every one
was lit up with on uncanny glow OF
phospherescent light At word they
all resumed work, until the growing of
cock. at a distant hamlet. all vanish
u ed and the unwilling spectator found
> himself again capable of motion. In
the gray morning he rush ed frantically
home. tearing his flesh and clothing in
: his mad rush through the thorny brush
Arriving home. he was met by borri-
: fed look from his wife, who fell faint
y ing to the ground. His hair had turn
ed snow white, and while only % years