The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-20
rOyTEzUMA'S NINE.
1 Golden Will O the WiSp Which
EntiCed Explorers.

cobin Stake-Weary Searching for
=. Has Worn Out Many a Man.
found. Lost and Found Again.
From the New York Advertiser.
nsrver. Col. April 1S.-The glamour of
.u,once clusters thiclly about the mines
- his western land. There is always an
;a+srest in wealth and its possession
I'D production, and over no source of
hes is there so much romance, comedy
.nJ tragedy as there is over gold in its
I'm state. The marvellous wealth of
.ss Nonte2umas, the search of Monte
Cr5sto and the deeds of the Forty-niners
,rbo took from California a store of
,realtb but endowed the coast with a
,srer-ending glory of adventures, I'M
ooraIed and unapproachable, instead,
are always of interest. The adventures,
d,ads of daring, privation and distress,
sore Of them rewarded with fabulous
tnds of gold, have been related
IN song and story, and in every
-art of the world have been discussed
t time and time again by the side of lonely
vail fires. in the cafes of eastern cities
and in the courts of royalty. The search
tor cold in business pursuits may be pro-
egic hut the search for gold in its native
Condftiou is never unaccOmpanied by ad-
venture and dangers more or less pro-
,o|rced With a gradually growing sus-
nensioD Of the independent gold mining
io1nstry on the Pacific coast the old time
rrosnectors, scorning TO enter the SER
ZOOS of the syndicates which came into
teirg turned their steps uorthward and
to,rard the east, locating in Arizona,
Montana, New Mexico and this state.
They are the men who devel-
6nei the silver resources of this
sastion. and they are the men who
nave discovered new mines of gold
in regions where the metal had not been
known to exist, developing for the states
and territories a source of wealth which
is annually adding to the possessions Of
the citizens. Fully as susceptible to the
Influences of the stories told of rich mines
having been discovered and again lost as
are their fellow citizens of the eastern
states. these hardy, restless miners, full
of the migratory instinct as were their
predecessors Of the days of forty-nine,
keen up d ceaseless, energetic search for
the hidden stores of fabulous wealth
which tradition tells them are to be
found in lost mines, places which other
miners had discovered, and then through
the misfortunes of being driven out by In
dams or superior mbers of other pros
pectors. had been forced to abandon, los
ing in their flight all but a general
knowledge of the location of the mines.
There is a never-ending romance over
these mines, whose wealth, while Of
course somewhat problematical, is still
known to be very great.
Probably the most famous OF all these
mines, according to the traditions handed
down from the AZteCs to the Indians and
by them transmitted to us, is that OF the
Home of Gold This spot of most de-
siraOle possession is in a most wonderful
valley somewhere in Southwestern New
Mexico, in the Sierra Madre, ten acres in
extent; it is inclosed by high, rocky walls
and is accessible only by a secret passage.
In this valley it is always summer time,
ana thousands of tropical birds of
rich plumage flap their gaudy wings
among the southern trees and verdure.
Across the valley there is a ledge of pure
yellow gold, thirty feet wide, which gilt
ters in the sunlight with dazzling, be-
wildering brilliancy A stream of limpid
water murmurs dreamily across this ledge
OF gold ana ripples over the yellow metal
as other streams do over common rock.
The legend is that the ledge of gold ex-
tends down to the center of the earth,
and that 1t will remain there until Monte
yuma returns to earth to free his descend
ants from the dominion OF the kin of the
conquestadores. They call this place the
Madre d'Or0, and believe that from it
VIII come the wealth for the uses of
Montezuma Years ago Jose Alvaray,
wandering, like many another prospector,
ABOUT the Sierra Madre in search
OF the Home of Gold" saw
The valley from the top of the
wal. Unable to enter the paradise of all
the gold hunters of the southwest. he
look up his abode with the Indians who
guard the canyon leading into it. He
became member of the tribe and event
qGaLy the husband of the chiefs daughter.
Later on she betrayed TO Jose the secret
Vi Ine entrance to the valley, although to
tnlS day 1t IS mystery to the Indians
Tow the chiefs daughter learned it.
taxing advantage of the information,
o0Se entered the valley. and in his greedi-
ness weighted himself down with gold so
yLaV ne could not escape by the only way
when mad been pointed out to him. He was
discovered, and the Indians sacrificed him
VI Vhe golden ledge with all the terrible
ceremonies OF the old Aztec religion. In
GGeSIar at losing her husband, and in fear
~. ~. herself by reason of her treachery.
.ne cnlets daughter threw herself into
L [ag Ealley from the top of the rocks and
ler olOou mingled with that of her
I 9and on the gold of the Madre d'Oro. The
Aulans stu guard the Home of Gold 8"
oUy other prospectors still talk of finding
uau securing it, despite the fact that
many OF their calling have gone into the
''eLre Madre mountains to find it and
nave not returned.
/, Almost equally famous, but more tanpi-
gte' Is the Lost Cabin mine in the Rio
. .ao.H mountains, to discover which a
f,U.e ol men have lost their lives, and a
w. w." ,: .uelr minds. 1t has been discovered.
srS G'9Co cred and lost half dozen times
int ,ia 10 To-Day as great mystery, and as
dies Ies ing as ever. The man who first
So,Io cred the mine built the cabin, lost
1iia. an" ia never found either again. was
tS1 IlurIDurt, d California stampeder of
o ',iI otIy-nlne epoch. He was a decent.
g g1igC cIlllcn of GAINESVILLE, Wis. until the
- lever struck him in 1S4q. when like
ey 'DuSahos OF others, he went TO the coast.
fo @p0C -tug 10 pick up a great fortune in n
and GGa3 ana return home to astonish
nec,o 9"@lIe MS old neighbors. He pros
ST. ST. unnecessarily in half a dozen
him os anu territories, and in 1863 found
inc 10 pg I'm in Walla Walla. Manag-
o,6er L Ialse little money he had two
bv nar, euturesome spirits, Jones and Cox
fl en- caro,, bought new prospecting out
ro[yiGIiSisIlhg or six horses and a months
NnIlo,a, us ana the party SET out over the
Rorl5i". ''dll Tor the eastern slope OF the
pa ycHies, After many hardships the
s stS reached the Yellowstone. con
The lea a big raft and foated down to
catnn ~ horn river, where they made