Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-09
SEEKING HIDDEN TREASURE.
Arkansas PrOspcctOrs Hunting for
Lost Spanish Silver Mines.

From the st. Louis Gobe-Democrat.
From Springdale, Ark, it is learned that
much excitement exists in portions of
Washington county, growing out of the
strenuous efforts being made by treasure
seekers to discover the silver mines which
are popularity believed to have been found
and worked by De Soto, when the Spanish
adventurer and his soldiers were camped
in that part OF the state. 1t is matter of
history that DE Soto spent months in north
western Arkansas in 1910. 1t Is also be-
lieyed that during his sojourn there he and
his followers opened and operated silver
mines of fabulous richness The Indians,
or such of them as were illured by promises
of dazzling rewards, gave the Spapiards
the clew which led to the location of the
hidden wealth. but the latter. who had ex-
pected to discover mountains of gold. show
ed TO elaticn over the find To this day,
handed down from one generation to
another stories are told of the Spanish
discovery OF silver mines in the state. and
the uses in which the metal was employed;
and to this day has the search for these
mines been kept up, the father leaving the
treasure to his to ferret out, and the
son bc9ueathing the hidden wealth to his
children, in the assurance that they would
discover il. If it be an igniS fatuus it is
certainly long lived for there are people
living in these mountains who cherish the
hope of finding this long-lost treasure, just
as ardently as did their ancestors years
and years ago.
There are farmers living beyond Fayette-
vile and Springdale who have in their pos
session many curious relics of the Spanish
occupation of the country. Capt. J. n.
Morris has /. rude cross, two or three drink
ing cups. several images of saints; Andrew
McCune has a pair of curiouSly wrought
bride bits; Jim Holiday has a couple of
c.umsily shaped rings. All of these things
are made of pure silver. thus showing that
the Spaniards actually had plethora of
the white metal. and placed little. If any,
value upon it. The prevalent belief is that
after the Spaniards left that part of the
state and bent their course in a southerly
direction, with the expectation of finding
ineXhauStibie gold mines, the Indians care
fully concealed the silver mines which the
adventurers had abandoned, and destroyed
every clcw which might lead to their loca-
ton or discovery. So well, indeed did the
crafty aboriSireS do their work that from
that day to the present time the secret re-
mains hidden in the mountain depths, and
thus far despite the energy which has been
spent in finding them the exact location of
the mines remains secret still. True,
silver in small quantities has been found
from time to time. the latest find being
only a few years back: but the "old Span
ish mines" as they are termed in neigh
horhood tradition, remain undiscovered
firing the heart of the treasure seeker with
the ardor of avalice.
Within the past ten days the hunt for
the mines has been conducted with per-
severance almost beyond belief. Nearly a
dozen persons have engaged in it, all of
them, but group of three men, acting in
depeEdently of each other. The report is
given out that one of the party, said to be
an old miner who recently came to the
state from Colorado struck lead of silver,
which, it was thought, would run into the
long-sought fo. mines, but it was proved
that the vein was too scanty to pay for
working even. it playing out entirely soon
after it was discovered.