Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-14
AN ENCHANTED MINE
4 Mountain of Gold Guarded by tho SpIr1Ia
 of Iassacred Miners,

A IsAOuntshlH Ot eOlu SuaTUeu Uy NVAAA@
 of Massacred MiaerS~
 About sixty miles from the Paclfia coast in the State of Sinaloa, is mountain -saown as ''Cerro del Oro,' or Hill of GoIG, .Erltes a correspondent of the St. Louis GtC-@~Eeno- crdt from Sonora, Mex It rises Fl ma jestic grandeur from the midst Of CaHster- ing hills, grand in themselves, DuE nnslg- niticant in the presence of tnIs s'uent, gloomy, rugged old king. To the casTal ob- server there is nothing remarkao.s' about this magnificent mountain, whose slv@As are covered with vegetation, and apparently as smooth as tho grassy slopes of Ca;zSrnia, seen from the deck of d passing su-Smcr. Its immensity is not realized until Juo1Scent is undertaken. Its sides, appar1-slv so smooth, are found to be travCrsed r5 deep gorgcs and by Assures, shaded u- giant trees, whose interlaciug branches USSt sOmber gloom over the entrances -A the deep canyons. It is with hesitation ssEln to fear that ono enters their CaVcrpous 1aSpths. There it is that the people of the nclRnbor- ing haInlets have taken refuge in rr-' dark days of revolution and invading War, leav- ing their poor huts, and huddiIu-: their children together to seek shelter 1r-Sa the rude storm of human passion, in the ESgged bosom of the old mountain of mystery. Many gray-hcaded man and wor-;zS can remember the time when with nHTrled steps and many backward glancoe they sought shelter in the deepest fastuCs-ss, as the only haven of safety. Fortunate were they who had sufficient warning to gather up their few cows and burros, the esrmer furnishing milk, and the latter lOadc@ with corn and bedding from the home that would soon be destroyed by the relentless roE7ch of the invader.
 Nothing but war in it's crue;es7 7or1n sould induce a Mexican to leave his no1ro and seek shelter in the gloomy caves oS old Cerro del Gro. For 1t is the abode or opirits and demons. No one cares to VoGture alone into it's depths. Many queer IalGs are told of the strange sights seen by v0A>ure- some persons. That it is under 7l spell of enchantmcnt is well known by tho CTt and i firmly believed by the young.
 That extensive mining mas 0een C-Rc i'll | this mountain no one can doubt, -1mer- | OuS patiOS where orc was asSorJed- and | ruins of arr;lstras where the gold was OK | tractCd, provo that beyond doubt; aEl by | digging into the piles of waste 5ino Hpeci- mems of free gold orc are obtained. 1nt no
 trace of a mine can be found Occas1opally, | in the neighboring villages whifc Cz%vat- | ing foundations for houses, bars e gold 1 have been discovered, and ornaments of | gold, crudcly hammered out, have uoesl un- 1 carthcd. But there arc no gold Eaines l known to exist within leagues oc this l mountain.
 There is a strange traction handed sewn,
 that long ago this hill was the scenc of active mining; that tho mountain sldeA now
 so gloomy and silent, echoed the clicK ~f the 1 hammer, and the voice of the muicUeer urg ing the patient animals as they tOileiI bDund l the arraStra. and the singing of tho nappT 1 miners rushing down the mounIa!z side,
 their days task one-thinking ca the 1 bright eyes watching for them, and JBH hot
 tortillas and frijoles waiting for Jnxsn at 1 their humble little home.
 But in an evil day all WAS clangoe, A
 band of robbers, Iured by the glitter os the abundant gold, swept down the r1ouStain
 side like a blast of fire shot down 1n~ men
 like dogs not leaving d soul alive tell | the tale The treasure they secures was l immense. They loaded all the mUIe= with l treasure and left the place. so lately x0ll Of l life, scene of grIm death and desoIsiion. 1 Then it was that the @Ducndcs" (rnries) | of the mountain by entertainment CioSest up
 the entrances of the mines, and iJ IH said | that spirits of the murdered miners still l dwell in the mines.
 l Once every year the portals Of the rsSne5 l arc opened. On the eve of St. Jonn to- l wards evening an old man appears sS tho | mouth of the tunnel. and later tiIc naunt-
 ain side is pcOp.cd of old, the gSostly l actors going through the work as life, l the men with their hammers, the uzule ! teers at their arrashras, all busnS at | work, but silent as the grave. 4 yuung l man who was belatcd while looking Ius cat l tie came unexpectedly upon the sCeus- He l was liked without power of moJIos- and | was forced against his will to see the EcOSt- l ly crew at work over the ghttcrlng gv4den | treasures. At twelve o'clock the guSstly
 captain gave the signal and all hanoS quit
 work, and, seizing their napkins conAain-
 ipg the midnight lunch lit fires to reat | theis tOrtlllaS and coffee. The fire was an
 unearthly blue and burned with fscker-
 ing uncertain light. The eyes of eacs and
 every one were lit up with an uncEnny
 glow of phosphorescent light. A0 word
 they all resumed work, until at the crow
 ing of cock at a distant hamlet, si7 wan- ished and the unwilling spectator Iwund ! himself again capable of motion. txz the ! gray morning he rushed franticaiiy rSme.
 tearing his flesh and clothing in TITS rnad
 rush through the thorny brush. Arriving
 home, he was met by mortified iooK srom l his wife. who fell falnting to tnc gr0Nnd.
 His hair had turned snow white, ana while
 only twenty-five years old, he appcarssl to ! be an old man of sixty.
 ] Years after this some IitITe glrTs Wer1 out ] gathering wild fruit. They camped upsn a
 level place free of bushes, which they never | remembered to have seen. Looking up Nhey saw the entrance to q tunnel, and JuS& in ! side was seated venerable old uan 'vho
 was making motions for them to some
 closer, but they being frightened ran r5me.
 The next day party of men visitca the spot, but it was a tangled laoyrInEa of thorny brush interspersed with 9rge ! trees.
 ! The tradition further states that in wnly
 one way can the spell be broken. TeEt a
 person of perfectly pure heart must valk
 boldly up to the mouth of the mine. and boldly addressing this old man, muss ask
 who he is and what he wants. He VIII uffer to give to the speaker the wealth os the
 mountain, only on the promise tnag &ne- tenth of the wealth taken from the m1ra be , devoted to masses for the souls of n1xselt and his murdered companions.