The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-04-04
The Secret OF q Rich Mine.

SALT LAKE, UTAH, Marcn Io'-
Enooh Davis lies in the Utah peniten-
tiary awaiting the death sentence as
an atonement for the murder of his
wife. He is a poor man, without
friends. His case was appealed to
the supreme court Of the United
States, and the decision of the lower
courts, ordering the infiction OF the
death penalty, was sustained. Eco
ple of the territory who are conversant
with the facts connected with the
cruel murder for which he was tried
are anxious to know why he is not
executed, and are equally concerned
about the cause for so much assistance
having been rendered in attempts to
secure an acquital by prominent men.
1t now comes to light that this is
the only known living person who
owns the secret to a great gold treas
ure hidden in the dark canyons of the
Wahsatch mountains. The gold fields
are supposed to be the richest in the
great West. They are situated in an
almost impenetrable gorge, about
sixty-fve miles east of Salt Lake City,
on the Uintah Indian reservation.
The Indians will not permit prospec-
tors to pass within five miles Of the
alleged treasure vaults. The Amerl,
can Asphalt Company, composed OF
Denver and New York capitalists,
almost succeeded last spring in secur-
ing a lease upon these lands for the
ostensible purpose Of working the de,
posits of asphaltum. Some interested
parties thought the company intended
to seek for gold, and, through the ef,
forts of Delegate Rawlins, prevented
the lease being granted.
The story connected with the dis.
coyery and partial working Of the gold
fields is also strange one. Several
years ago, when Brigham Young held
the reins of government in all OF
Utah, he was visited by an old Cali
fornia miner named Edward Rhodes.
At the close of the interview the
miner departed quickly into the East
mountains, accompanied by his son
John. It is related that the old gen.
tleman had some deal with Brigham
whereby he agreed to deliver his
weight in gold to the president within
specified time.
In about six weeks from the time OF
departure the father and son returned
| and delivered to Brigham two sacks of
pure gold, weighing something over
eighty pounds each. The man was
instructed not to attempt to work the
| claim, nor divulge the secret to any
person. It was then the policy OF
Brigham, as leader of the Church, to
| prevent the opening Of mines within
the territory. He counseled the
saints to make irrigation bitches and
| reclaim the arid lands, leaving the de-
velopment of mines to future genera
tions.
The old miner died and left his Sc.
cret unknown to any mortal but his
| son. In 1876 the son, John Rhodes,
then a man, decided to again visit the
gold field. he did so, and was sup.
posed to have been killed by the In
dians, as he never returned. The
| matter had almost been forgotten un-
til Enoch Davis was arrested for the
| murder of his wife. In his lonely
| prison cell he related how he, in COM
papy with Rhodes, visited and IN
spected the gold fields, which are de-
| scribed as being most wonderful. The
doomed man says the Indians killed
Rhodes and he escaped. He has kept
the matter a secret till now because
people might think that heu killed
| Rhodes.
Several mining men Of Salt Lake
City are very much excited over the
story. A man in Sampete County has
the only diagram made by Davis de-
| scriptive of the country. The pris,.
| oner has offered to go in shackles and
| chains to the old sluices worked by
old man Rhodes years ago if he is as
| sured protection and his life is spared:
The old-timers Of Utah have looked
longingly at these canyons for many
years in the hope that some day they
might be permitted to inspect the sup
posed rich pockets Of gold.