The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1892-06-08
4 MEXICAN LEGEND.
A Mythicai Story of AN Illusive Valley
OF Gold In Eastern Arizona.

Mythical Story of an IIlusive Valley
OF Cold In Eastern Arizona.
The story Of the famous treasure Of
the ',Madre d'0ro" is an old one. II
comes from the Aztecs of Mexico. Some
where In southeastern Arizona there is
small valley, about five miles long
and two miles wide, walled in by tower
ing mountains The sides are SO precip
itous that it is impossible to climb down
them, and there is only one entrance,
through a cave, which is carefully hid
den by Indians, who guard the treasure
for the second coming of Montezuma
1t Is said that even among them the
entrance is only known to the three mot
aged men, and is never communicated
except when, on the death of one. it is
necessary to give the knowledge into
the keeping OF another.
The valley itself, though surrounded
by inhospitable rocks, is paradise
Watered by the stream which flows
through it, its soil is covered with flowers
and beautiful trees, through the branchc4
Of which fit bright hued birds. The only
reptiles seen are the gold snakes. with
their glittering greenish yellow scales
Stretching across the valley from one
side to the other is ledge of pure gold,
its masses of virgin metal cleaning and
glistening IN the sunlight. 1t is said to
be five feet, ten feet, fifty feet, 100 feet
wide. The gold lies in it in great veins
and nuggets, imbedded in clear quartz,
the sharp angles Of which glitter in the
sunlight like gigantic diamonds. Across
the ledge the stream flows, forming i,
little waterfall, below which the mug.
gets of gold can be seen in the water
and out Gold IN the ledge, gold in the
scales of snakes, gold in the stream, gold
in the birds--gold, gold, gold, gold-is
the refrain of the golden story.
The fearful precipices which surroun,
the place, the strange ceremonies and
horrid banquets which have served tc
keep the secret safe, the tribe of Aztec
living only to preserve for their IN
terious ruler this treasure house of
ture, have all aided In giving to tr
story its strange interest. Small W
der is it that the pulse should quic
and the eye grow bright as you hear
tale from the lips of men who more
half believe it. The lonely desert
rounding you, with the tall cacti
ing like ghosts in the half moo
the long drawn melancholy of til,
ote's howl, the prospector's fire of
wood, the men with their rough
ing and quaint language, all van
you listen, and in imagination !,
transported to the wonderful vall
which is the "Madre d'Oro," the -
or Of Gold" -
Nor are they content to tell the
as an Indian legend. They cite inst:e
Of white men who have seen the pl
who have descended into the valley 1.
some way and returned with all the sc |
they could carry. The location of tie
spot is always in a dangerous Indian
K country. q have been told twice that i.
wasein the Chifcahua mountains. 1t Is
always said to have been found merely
by accident by men who were either
hunting or prospecting for lodges, about
the only two occupations which will
make unseientifc men climb, the noun
tains. 1t can only be seen from the up
per end after the morning mists in the
valley have cleared away. Then, as one
stands onthe rugged peaks and looks
down, he sees the great ledge spanning
the valley below him, the virgin metal
| glittering in the sunlight, and he knows
| that he has before him the place Of
| which he has heard SO much and dreamed
so often.-Interview in Washington Star.