St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-02-02
TREASURE TROVE.
Untold Millions Plugged in Walls
and Sunk in Lakes.
Why Mexico Can TruthfulIy Be Called
the Eldorado of Treasure Hunters
Gold and silver Hidden from
View in Old Structures.

Why Mexico Can TruthfulIy Be Called
the Eldorado of Treasure Hunters
Gold and silver Hidden from
View in Old Structures
The cupidity of the Spaniards who landad
with Cortez upon the shores of Mexico wac
first iLctcd by the golden trinkets which
the Indians brought to them to exchange for
European taWdry, says the TlUo ReDubLics
1t was the love of the precious metals that
LED them to deeds of bravery far eclipsinp
any thing Of modern years and eoualinp
the exploits of the Oldcn knights, The
history of the torture of Montezuma for the
purpose of ascertalning the point where tha
kingly treasure of millions upon millions in
golden jcWelry was buried substantiates the
fact Of the real object of the Spaniards in
couquerlng the valley of the Anahuac
Historians lay great stress upon the riches
in precious metals of the rulers of the sew
eral empires, but more particularly upon
the great wealth of Montczuma of the Grand
Ten0chtltlan, the present city of Mexico
In the description Of the jewelry and other
objects from the Skillful hands of the Aztec
metal workers one is transported to the
widest scope of imagination verging be-
yOnd the wonderful tales of the miraculous
pieces Of mechanism detailed in the cara
blan Nights" The golden bird with tenn
pered pieces of metal to give it the exact
colored plumage of the natural bird which it
represented and the continuance to make il
sing, the chameleon lizard in gold and in
the varied hues of nature, are some of the
objects found by Cortez and his COMPANIONS
IN the Aztec capital.
Where was this vast treasure of wealth.
which, it is claimed, exceeded any thing
then possessed by any European monarch,
buried? Some say it was buried beneath
the waters of Lake Tezcoco and others
claim on the present site of the Iturbds.
Hotel. Wherever 1t was stored it's hidlu m,
place still remains dead 10 the world. Prots1
ably in no other country in the universe |
there more buried treasure than in Mexico I
Nearly every week cases of unearthinl I
treasures are reported in some part of tf1H
Republic Banks in Mexico are of rccerhL
origin, which fact with the former i;
security from revolutions, probably in
measure accounts for the present finding
so much coin and jewelry. The custom
sinking money under bricks in the foo,
and plugging it in holes i'll the walls cor
menced with the occupation of the counties
by the Spaniards. Even until to-day tod
custom is in vogue in many parts of Me:ot
leo. Unlike most nations, the MeXicanpr
as a rule, hold what they accumulate, nee,
investing 1t in enterprises when there arr
any great risks of loss. Little by little
large capitals are acquired, and are sunk
in the earth or are plugged up in
walls, and many times are forever
lost to the world, Two years ago
treasure was found while making re-
pairs in the Conception Church Without
doubt the largest and most valuable treas
ures are still hidden from view in the
churches, old converts and monasteries i'll
this city. The Catholic church was the
Wealthest institution in Mexico, as the sill
yer rails and rich ornaments still to be seen
in the temples of God in the Aztec capital
attest. The frequent revolutions with
which Mexico was cursed up to twelve
years ago made it necessity for the
priests to have secret vaults to store the
ornaments of the wax images, the service
of the church and the tlthes. That by
DEATH sudden departures and other causes,
the vaults with their treasures in time,
should have been lost to the world is not
miraculous.
The latest discovery Of treasure has
Just been made in this city. A woman OF
advanced years>Aas lived for short time
in a room in the old Regina convent on
Regina street. She paid no rent her quar-
tiers being given her by a charitable person
whose name is not known. One day while
the old woman was driving a nail in one of
the walls she noticed that it went in very
easily, not giving the required resistance.
ImpelIed by curiosity, the woman COM .
menced to make an excavation in the wall,
| a., i,,l>o nod n 1oIi tyfr
| which she found a number OF pieces OF Sill
verware, which it is supposed formed part
of the convent church service. The |om-
| an made the discovery known TO her
| benefactor, who took out the pieces OF plate,
severely reprimandng her for her curiosity,
and also telling her that they belonged to him
| and that she must keep the secret, proms-
ing that he would give her piece OF
land where she could peacefully pass the
rest of her days The old lady continued liv-
ing in the room, however, and soon after made
another excavation in the wall, in which she
discovered sealed ola tearthen jar. She
broke it, and in it discovered forty or fifty
dollars in gold coins, reliquary in which
was the wax bust of a monk on when was
a hardly legible inscription, and morrow II
some documents or deeds to houses, and one~j
telling OF hidden treasure, with all DE-
scriptions where it is to be found. ms
time the old woman did not tell the charlta-
bic person of her discovery. She went anu
consulted Mr. BalandranO, to whom sue
took all the documents found with the Ok
ception of the one telling of the place Wneree
the treasure was hidden. 1t is SAID tnat Mr'
Noricga, who learned of the discovery maze
by the old woman, purchased the land WneFe
the treasure is supposed to be buried, anC
has already commenced hunting for H.