Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27
NUGGETS ON THE ALTAR.
One Of the Stories Told of the LonH-lo
Mines of Arizona.

| One OF the stories Told of the Long-lost
Mines of Arizona.
| From the Arizona Enterprise.
The legends of lost mines Of fabulous wealth
in Pima county are almost numberless, and, it
might be truthfully added, generally myth
cal. The old-timers can tell of them by the
hour, and few have been shown glittering
evidences in confirmation of the wonderful
tales reluctantly recited with superstitious
dread Of the consequences of their perfidy
by almost superannuated Indians and Mexi-
| cans.
| That the precious metals were mined on q
gigantic scale in the dim past the many re-
| naming evidences already discovered fully
verify, yet the investigation of those that
chance has revealed has seldom proved fnan-
cially successful. Old arrastras, covered with
| the decay Of centuries. and crude smelling fur
naces that have almost returned to the dusty
destiny of all matter, speak of industries once
| in active operation that history and even abor-
| iginal tradition fails TO mention.
Some of the traditions told sound like fairy
| tales. and one. however skeptical. cannot but
| become deeply interested in their recital. As
a sample OF the highly plausible. well-authen-
ticated and extremely seductive narratives, one
related by Charles o. Brown of this city may
/ be received with interest.
speaking of old mines" said Mr.. Brown
81 have spent great deal Of time and money
| in hunting up clues, and one of them was ac-
| tually found, and can go to it at any time
Out in the Silver Bell country can take you
to mountain SO full of tunnels and shafts that
| II they were in good and safe condition, you
could travel through all day long and not
| reach the end A number of old-timers have
| visited it, and, judging from the vast work
done there SO long ago, they concluded that a
great mine of some kind had existed there
which had likely been worked out Many times
has it been located, and though its walls roof
and floor were carefully scanned and sampled,
| the result, while showing some gold. was dis
couraging, assays showing from trace up to
several dollars per ton.
MANY years ago talked with an old Papago
Indian, with whom l was on very friendly
terms, having often extended him little favors
about the gold and silver mines In burst of
confidence he told me that great many years
ago, when he was very small boy, the Indians
at San Xavier del BAG made weekly trips to
a very rich gold mine. On Saturday night
they returned with the product of their toll
The priest in charge of the mission kept small
| table in front of the altar covered with a white
cloth. upon which the pious tolers placed their
metallic offerings to the church. This
table was often covered with golden
nuggets, varying in size from q pea to
| ones fist and it was a rich sight. After the
usual service the priest would descend, and as
he picked up each precious piece he would
proclaim the name Of the donor and after
ward would call them forward to receive the
special pressing OF heaven. On the following
Monday they would again take up their march
III northwesterly direction for the mines, and
for a very long time this was repeated until
the priests were driven out of the country
| when they abandoned mining entirely
1.-The old Indian had at one time gone with
! the miners, who followed weli-beaten trail
| toward the Silver Bell country and he saw
them take out the gold. He agreed to show
| me the place, and out of curiosity l sent man
| with him one day. They went out to the old
| mine l have spoken of in the Silver Bell coun-
try, and when they reached certain gulch the
Indian pointed to the top of the mountain and
| said he would fiud a shaft there, covered with
cat-claw bushes out of which the most gold
was taken. The man found everything Just as
the old Indian told him. but long disuse had
filled up the shaft until it was nearly full
ION returning the old Indian could not be
found. He had gone ahead and was not met
for several days. He then said he did not dare
to show the mine to the white people and pro-
tested that he did not show it for fear the
Great Spirit would take his life. He said the
white man had found it, but he did not show it.
II visited the mine afterward, but the work
| necessary to clean out the shaft was too great
| and too expensive to undertake. and it has
never been touched.
The formation is q singular one and sam
pies of the white rock sent to California were
pronounced an exceedingly fine quality of
kaolin, such as fine porcelain ware is made of.
Through 1t were streaks of iron rust and it is
likely the gold was found in them. Whether it
will ever pay for the necessarily expensive ex-
ploration and prospecting 10 quite doubtful
but there is gold to be found there"