The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-07-16

| z t,1l - =.
The tcfy q ~ fxz,ou1 t,i,s.,,,,. !. B. 8
The Z 1fad1e da(3ses q - Old - !; n.
comes from The Axtecso f Maxico 0o.. i.
where II northeastern Arisora g.. E ]
: small valley, shout i've mile -, !.
and two miles Wide, walled ii 81 49,
ing mountains. The sides are s. nrsc .. i
itous that il b impossible to climb da,,,
them, and there Is only one entrana. s
through cave, which Il carefullv IA !.
den BY Indians, who guard the treasn,s
tor tho second coming Of Monteznrss
Il Is said that even among them r.
entrance IL only known to the three most
aged men, and is never communicatad
except when, on the death of one i !.
necessary to give the knowledge int
the keeping Of another.
The valley itself, though surrounded
by inhospitable rocks, is a paradiss
Watered by the stream which fous
through it, its soil is covered with fiowe,.
and beautiful trees, through the branchas
Of which fit bright hued birds. The onIv
reptiles seen are the gold snakes. with
their glittering greenish yellow scales
Stretching across the valley from ona
side to the other is q ledge of pure gold
its masses of virgin metal cleaning ana
glistening in the sunlight. It is said -
be Eve 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 thu
sunlight like gigantic diamonds. Across
the ledge the stream flows, forming a
little waterfall, below which the nuo-
gets Of gold can be seen in the water
and ont. 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 surround
the place, the strange ceremonies and
horrid banquets which have served 70
keep the secret safe. the tribe of Azteca.
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 cacti 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 q dangerous Indian
country. / have been told twice that it
was in the Chircahua mountains. It is
always said to have been found merely
by accident by men who were either
hunting or prospecting for hedges, about
the only two occupations which VIII
make unscientifc men climb the noun
tains. Ncan only Be seen from xh1N1ss
par end after the morning mists In the
valley have cleared away. Then, Is ono
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