The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-21
A Romance of the CucamOnga
Ranch
OLD TAPIA'S SILVER CHESTS
He Buried Them and Then Went to
Sonora
Years After Some Mexicans Appeared at the
Ranch and Are Believed to Have
Found the Bullion

About six hundred acres of the famous
Red Hill portion of the Cucamonga ranch
were sold to l. W. Hellman the other
day. the price paid being $25, 900.
Thick as is California with traditions
and romances, there is no part of the
state which is more suggestive of them
than this old ranch.
1t was on this ranch that the old
Mountain View House was located. Billy
Reubottom was the landlord Hand he
made the place famous for the good grub
he provided. 1t was the first stage sta
ton this side of the desert, and many
man has driven harder and faster SO that
he might reach it by nightfall and enjoy
the corn dodgers. butter ilk and fried
chicken and cream that he knew were
awaiting him.
This was the rendezvous, too. for all the
parties OF Southerners that left this part
of the state during the war.
During the time that the Mojaves were
troublesome scout was kept located
there because from the hill above the
Mountain View House g. seping view OF
the entire San Bernardino Valley could
be had.
1t was on the Cucamonga ranch that the
old adobe house of the Tapia family was
built, and this old place, too, is full of
"reminiscences.
When California passed into the hands
of the United States the last of the Tapia
family was esta blished there. He owned
thousands of steers and horses snd was
regarded as a very wealthy man. The
cession of California broke his heart. He
foresaw how the Gringos were going to
oyerrun the country, and he probably
Mexican rancheros would not have very
good chance. So one day he drove all of
his cattle down to San Pedro and sold
them.
He received the price in silver, and
there were six large chests of it. In those
days banks were not numerous in this
part of the country, and very likely old
Senior Tapia would not have trusted his
silver to the care of any of them.
Loading the chests on mules, he carried
his money to the ranch, and one dark
night buried it. So that he might know
the place again. he drew chart with the
spot where the treasure was buried, care
fully marked.
Then he gathered together all of his
vaqueros and dependents. He told them
of the sad condition of affairs in Califor-
MIA, where the old dons who had owned
the country for years were going to be
ing 'Spaniard, said The, would lremain in
California; but then Senior Tapia was
very bitter.
The end of it all was that Senior Tapia
packed up his baggage, the vacqueros
packed up theirs and everybody set, out
make new settlement.
When the party got as far as where the
town of Banning now is, it was attacked
by marauding band of Coahuilla Indians.
Senior Tapia was badly wounded and fell
from his horse, while the band OF his sup
porters was routed.
Mic low NY tho rnadsiAo heJnlQos for a
day or two. Then priest came along
and aided him, but the old Don was too
far gone. He was delirious when the
priest found him, and talked good deal
about his buried boxes of treasure. Just
before he died he reused little, and with
the padre where to 60 and look for the
silver. He had not The chart with him,
and could not very accurately describe
the location of the caches. 1t appears
that he had given his diagram to a vac
quero for safe keeping. Whether this
the melee neither he nor the padre were
able to tell. At any rate the priest came
to this locality after Senior Tapia had
died. He did not place much dependence
on the old Dom story because he thought
he was delirious and did not know what
make desultory search, but was unable
to find any trace of the treasure. Sup
posing that there was no silver to be
found, he made no secret of what Tapia
had told him.
Just as soon as the story was known q
hundred people went out to the Cuca-
monga ranch to look for the chests of
bullion. About two hundred acres sur
rounding the adobe house was dug up,
over and over again, but the prospectus
were no more fortunate than had been the
old priest, and at last everyone came to
believe that there was no money buried
there.
Several years ago band of Mexicans,
headed by an old white-haired vacquero.
appeared at the old Mountain View
House. 1t was evening, but instead of
stopping over night at the hotel, they
purchased some provisions there and
camped out along the roadside.
The next morning they were gone with
out having told anybody what their err
rand was. But near the foot of an oak
tree. not far from the Tapia house, were
six deep holes. They had not been there
before the appearance of the Mexicans,
and everybody in that vicinity believed
that the grizzled yacauero at the head of
the band was the same one to whom,
years before, Senior Tapia had entrusted
the chart, and who. with some of his
friends had come back to dig up his old
masters money.