Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-23
AR|zONA'S lost MINES.
Indians Took Gold From the
Rock.
Who Feathered His
Nest.
One Of the Seductive Tales That Are
Told to the Crcdu-
lous Tender
foot.

The legends of lost mines OF fabulous
wealth in Pima county are almost num-
berless, and it might betruthfully added
generally mythical. The old timers can
tell of them by the hour, and a few
have been shown glittering evidences in
confirmation of the wonderful tales re-
luctantly recited with superstitious
dread of the results of their perfidy by
almost superannuated Indians and
Mexicans.
That the precious metals were mined
on a large scale in the dim past, says
the Arizona Enterprise, the many re-
naming evidences already discovered
fully verify, yet the investigation of
those that chance has revealed has sell
dom proved financially successful. Old
arrastras, covered with the decay of CEN
turiea, and crude smelling furnaces that
have almost returned to the dusty des-
once in active operation that history.
mention. 1t would seem that If the
crude and primitive, methods then in
vogue could profitably recover the pre-
cious metals from their rocky matrices
modern machinery would find it an
easy taskt o reap fortunes from the old
mines; yet, as before stated, the hope
full promises have seldom been fulfilled
in pursuing their development.
Some of the traditions told sound like
fairy tales, and any one, however skep-
tical, cannot but become deeply inter
ested in their recital. As sample of
the highly plausible, we'll authenticated
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, II have spent great deal OF
time and money in hunting up clewe,
and one of them was actually found,
and can go to it any time. Out in the
Silver Bell country I can take you to a
mountain of tunnels and shafts, that, if
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 great mine OF
some kind had existed there, which had
been located, but though it's walls, roof
and floor were carefully scanned and
sampled, the result, while showing
some gold, was discouraging, assays
showing from trace up to several dol
lars per ton.
"Msny years ago talked with an old
Papago Indian, with whom l was on
very friendly terms, having often ex-
tended him little favors about the gold
and silver mines. In a burst of con-
fidence he told me that great many
years ago, when he was q very small
boy, the Indians at San Xavier del Bao
made weekly trips to very rich gold
mine. On Saturday night they returned
with the product OF their toll. The
priest in charge of the mission kept a
small table in front of the altar covered
with white cloth, upon which the pious
toilers placed their metallic offerings to
the church. This table was often COW
cred with golden nuggets. varying in
size from pea to ones fist. and it was
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
afterward would call them forward to
receive the special blessings OF heaven:
Son the following Monday they would
again take up their march in north
westerly direction for the mines, and
luz n vCIy lOuS tIAC Uul5 was IOPCdtCus
until the priest was driven out of the
country, when they abandoned mining
entirely.
"The old Indian had at one time gone
with the miners, who followed we'll
beaten trail toward the Silver Bell coun-
try, and he saw them take out the gold.
He agreed to show me the place, and,
out of curiosity, sent man with him
one day. They went out to the old
mine / hsve spoken of in the Silver Bell
country, and when they reached a GER
tain gulch the Indian pointed to the top
of the mountain and said he would find
shaft there covered with cat-claw
bushes, out OF which the most gold was
taken.
The man found everything as the
old Indian told him, but long disuse
had filled up the shaft until it was
nearly full.
"On returning the old Indian could
not be found he had gone ahead, and
was not met for several days. He said
he dare not show the mine to the
white people, and protested 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 to
him.
81 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 a singular one and
samples of the white rock sent to Cali
fornia were pronounced an exceedingly
fine quality of kaolin, such as fine porce-
lain ware is made of. Through it were
streaks OF iron rust, and it is likely the
gold was found in them. Whether it
will pay for the necessary exploration
and prospecting is quite doubtful, but
there is gold to be found there.'