The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-02-21
A MEXICAN PARADISE.
The Alleged Discovery of a Gorgeous An
Cient Temple.

The Alleged Discovery of a Gorgeous An.
cient Temple.
At one side of Gold avenue in Alamo.
just above the Montezuma mine, may
be seen an old Mexican dry-washer
named Don Mariana Salazar He is
very industrious, thoroughly under
stands the business of dry-washing, and
his gains during the six or eight months
he has been at Alamo must have been
considerable. During the summer he
went over to Mexican gulch, but saws
he has done much better in Alamo.
where he is now, by scraping the bed
Hck and running the dirt through his
machine, making from $3.50 to half
ounce per day. He made his dry
washer, which is small affair, himself,
and was really the parent of that kind
of business here. He never goes near
the water to clean up, but simply
empties his machine into blanket, and
with his gold pan Sits his dirt out in
less time than it would take an ordinary
man to carry out the operation with
water
Don Mariana, who is a native of
Sonora, was years ago a miner in the
Real del Castillo, Zaragoza, Yuma and
other points north of here, making and
selling many machines to the Yuma In
dians. About five years ago he made
trip down the peninsula on the ocean
side, returning by the gulf, and his ad-
ventures, if he should reduce them to
writing, which he is capable of doing in
Spanish, would make an interesting
volume. A day or two since he told a
wonderful story about finding the ruins
of an ancient temple on the gulf side,
somewhere in the vicinity of San
Borja, three or four hundred miles down
the peninsula. He says he was placer
mining at Calmilli during the first ex-
nitement there, and in company with
two Frenchmen undertook to pass over
high range of mountains which was
supposed to be impossible. Owing to
scarcity of water at Calmilli they tray
eled all day and the next night by moon
light and when nearly exhausted they
encountered what appeared to be two
small lakes of clear water, and plunged
in it to quench their thirst. The water
was salt, but they were so thirsty that
they drank until they vomited and were
Frustrated by exhaustion. Afterward
they recovered sufficiently to make
their way back to the mines. and the
Frenchmen did not care to make any
further explorations in that direction
Don Mariana afterward returned to
San BOrja, and from ranch called FL
Rey started out to cross the gulf range
at another point. This time he says he
was successful beyond his expectations,
and after passing the divide came into a
veritable Garden of Eden on small
scale. In valley mile or so wide and
three or fei Gfr miles long he found grow
ing wild in the greatest profusiOn
oranges, grapes, pears, guavas, dates and
fruits the like of which he had never
found in Sonora Near the center Of
the valley were the ruins of an ancient
temple one side of which was standing,
with arches and style of architecture
different from any thing ever found
about any of the old missions In the
courtyard above a stone platform were
suspended three large copper bells and
great deal of metal, some made into
vessels and some in crude state, was
scattered about. Salazar thinks the metal
was bronze He says he spent several
days in this strange valley eating the
best Of fruit to his hearts content, and
looking in vain for human inhabitants
or traces of dead ones. Finally he made
F. lis way to the gulf and resumed his
! prospecting journey rthward.-Alamo
(Lower California; Nugget.