The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-05-12
-MEXICO'S LOST CITY.
The Remarkable Discovery Of q
= Prospecting Miner.
While Rambling Through tho Wslds OF
the Durango Mountains tho Pros
Dector Happens Upon the
Deserted Town.

The finding of ruined and deserted
city recently among the wilds of the
Durango mountains by Malvern W..
Cresworth, an English mining man,
has had the effect of renewing the in
terest in the lost city long known to
exist somewhere in northern central
Mexico, says the St. Louis GlobeDemo-
crat. The claim made that Mr.. Cres-
worth is the first man to see the city is
perhaps erroneous, as it is pretty well
known to have been discovered by
Jose Barresa, a Mexican, over. half a
century ago, while the Indians of the
Sierra Madres have long referred to
such q city in their traditions. On the
strength of Barresa's statements three
different parties have been outfitted in
late years from San Dimas, q mining
camp on the west side Of the range, in
the effort to locate the deserted city
and secure the treasure which the Mex
ic4n said it contained.
The story Of Barresa, who was alive
up to few years ago, is that when q
young man Of twenty-five years of age
he was imprisoned in the carcel in the
city of Durango on the charge of cat
tle-stealing. Whether guilty or not
he declined to say, but at any rate he
succeeded in making his escape from
jail and fed to the mountain wilds of
the north In the effort to reach his old
home at San Dimas. The Sierra
Madres in the state of Durango are
among the widest mountains in the
world and are almost impassable. The
fugitive soon became lost and for many
days wandered in an almost demented
condition over the rugged fastnesses.
One day in coming out upon precipi-
tous bluff looking down into deep
valley he sawfar below him what ap-
peared to be q populous city. After
great difficulty he succeeded in de-
scending the precipitous wall which
hemmed in the settlement from the
outside world, but found, to his amaze
ment, not an inhabitant in sight. Ex-
ploring the city, he found the houses
deserted and the courts of the dwell
ings grown up with rank weeds aud
tropical plants. Exploring further, he
found signs which told him that the
city had been deserted or its people
swept suddenly out of existence while
pursuing the ordinary vocations of
life. The place could easily be recog-
nized as an old Spanish mining town
by the works which remained, and,
going into the old mills and arrastras,
he found large stores of silver ore left
while in the process of being worked.
ThA ~ ~ &c
ore and after many more days of wan
dering finally found his way to San
Dimas. where he had the samples
assayed. They proved to be very rich
in silver, with some gold, and the story
told by the Mexican created large in
terest. A party. with Barresa as its
guide, soon set out to locate the place
and sack it of its riches. But as the
mountains were without trails and the
country in general one of the toughest
in the world he was unable to again
dud the place, the trail to which was
at least very obscure and intricate.
Two other attempts to find the hidden
city under the direction of the Mex
lean were made in later years, but
were no more successful than the first.
As there was every reason to believe
the story many of the associates of
Barresa, who lived to be over ninety
years old, at various times have es-
sayed to rediscover the ancient city
and its workings. Many of them have
come to grief and have never been heard
of since trying to unravel the mystery
of the Sierras-
Richard +. Chism, of the City of
well-known mining man and
at present editor of the Mexican Miner,
was personally acquainted with Bar
resa when he was an old man, and says
there can be little doubt that the late
6nd made is but an accidental discov-
cry of what has been searched for
through many years. Mr.. Chism is en-
tirely familiar with the country in a
general way and says the Spaniards
three hundred years ago had large
mines worked by native slaves in the
region. If the fresh efforts which will
be shortly made to locate the city sue
iced in their purpose he thinks some
If the richest silver mines in the re-
public will probably be reopened to
The light and to work.