Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1894-04-27
MEXICO's LOST CITY.
The Remarkable Discovery Of q
Prospecting Miner.
While Rambling Through the Wuds OF
the Durango Mountains tho Pros
pector Happens Upon the
Deserted Town.

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 Globe Demo
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 city in their traditions. On the
strength of Rarresa's statements three
different parties have been Quilted 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
lean said it contained.
The story of Barresa, who was alive
up to few years ago, is that when a
young man of twenty-five years of age
he was imprisoned in the carccl 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 fled to the mountain wilds of
the north in the effort to reach his old
home Mt San Bimas. The Sierra
Madres Elm the state of Durango are
among the widest mountains in the
! world and are almost impossible. The
fugitive soon became lost and for many
days wandered in an almost demented
condition over the rugged businesses.
One day in coming out upon d prccipi-
tous bluff looking down into a.decp
valley he saw far below him what ap-
peared to be a populous city. After
great difficulty he succeeded in de-
scending the precipitous wall which
henmed in the settlement from the
outside world, but found, to his amaze
nent, not an inha bitant in sight. EX-
ploring the city, he found the houses
deserted and the courts of the dwell
ings grown up with rank weeds and
tropical plants. Exploring further, he
found signs which told him that the
city had been deserted or it's people
swept suddenly out of existence while
life. The place could easily be recog-
pized 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.
The discovcrer took samples of his
ore and after many more days of wan
dcring finally found his way to San
Dumas, where he had the samples
assaycd. They proved to be very rich
III silver, with some gold, and the story
told by the Mexican created large in
tcrest.. A party, with Barresa as its
| gnides 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
| i'll the world he was unable to again
| find 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 success I'll 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, al various times have es-
| sayed to rediscover the ancient citv
aud its workings. Many of them have
come toEriefand have never been heard
of since trying to unravel the mystery
of the Sierras.
Richard T.. Chism, of the City OF
Mexico, well.known mining man and
ut present editor of the Mexican Miner,
was personally acquainted with Bar
reBa when he was an oldman, and says
there can be little doubt that the late
find made is but an accidental discov-
cry of what has been searched for
through many yours. Mr.: Chism is On.
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
ceetE IN. thcir purpose lie thinks some
OF tho richest silver mines in the re-