Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-21
A MEXICAN LEGEND.
A Mythical Story of ans Illusive Valley
of Gold in Eastern Arizona

Mythical Story of ans Illusive Valley
of Gold in Eastern Arizona.
The story of the famous treasure of
the ''Madre d'Oro" is an old one. It
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 Montezu1na.
1t is said that even among them the
entrance is only known to the three most
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 branches
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 asledge 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 III 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 a
little waterfall, below which the mug
gets of gold can be seen in the water
and out Gold in the ledge, gold III 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 surround
the place, the strange ceremonies and
horrid banquets which have served to
keep the secret safe, the tribe of Aztecs,
living only to preserve for their mys-
terious ruler this treasure house of ma
ture, have all aided in giving to the
story its strange interest. Small won
der is it that the pulse should quicken
and the eye grow bright as you hear the
tale from the lips of men who more than
half believe it. The lonely desert sur
rounding you, with the tall cact look
ing like ghosts in the half moonlight;
the long drawn melancholy of the coy
ote's howl, the prospector's fire Of grease
wood, the men with their rough cloth
ing and quaint language, all vanish as
you listen, and in imagination you are
transported to the wonderful valley in
which is the ''Madre d'Oro," the Moth
er of Gold"
Nor are they content to tell the story
as an Indian legend. They cite instances
of white men who have seen the place,
who have descended into the valley in
some way and returned with all the gold
they could carry. The location of the
spot is always in dangerous Indian
country. have been told twice that it
was in the Chircahua 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 unscientific men climb the noun
| tains. 1t can only be seen from the I,r-
per end after the morning nlsts III the
| valley have cleared away. Then. as one
stands ON the 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