The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-15

the particulars, and what he unearthed
IN the shape of hearsay and facts will
be found following. But before giving
the result of q trip of investigation up
TO the scene of the excitement, we will
give the story, as near as we have
heard it, about certain Spanish mines
that are supposed to have yielded an
abundant supply Of precious metals in
times gone by:
All early settlers in this valley are
familiar with the story that at a time
some eight or ten years before the first
settlers arrived here, there existed
valuable mines in the surrounding
mountains which had been worked by
MeXicans The story goes, as told US
by an old settler recently, that an old
Mexican living in Arizona had told a
former resident of this valley many
years ago about how Mexicans, when
ne was mere lad, used 10 return to
their homes in the fall and winter
with long pack train of burros heav-
lily
LADEN WITH GOLD AND RICHES
which they had taken from mines To-
Gated in what was agreed by all to be
this valley. The old Mexican described
the mines as being about 80 miles from
body of water Utah lake., follow
ing uD canyon until a little valley
was reached, and taking up the first
stream which emptied into the river
that wound its way through the can
yon into the body of water. He told
how the miners had been murdered
and driven from their treasure by the
Indians. which had been the cause of
no more work being done on them
The miners had taken refuge from the
bloodthirsty Indians inside the tunnel
which they had dug, but the latter fin
ally induced them to come out on a
promise of peace, when at the oppor-
tune time the most of the greaser
MINERS WE'RE MURDERED
and their bodies thrown into the
mouth of the mine, others escaping to
tell of the fate of the victims of mis-
placed Indian confidence. This story
was also told, it is claimed, by In
dams in early days and has been the
cause of many months of diiigent
search by numerous pioneers for the
hidden treasure. One man, Isaac Ross, !
returned for that special purpose after |
having moved back to Missouri. But |
none of them ever found any trace of |
this much sought after wealth, and its |
whereabouts always remained a mys- |
terry
But now comes the rumor that the
supposed mines have been discovered |
after being hidden for 80 years or over,
and here are the grounds upon which
such probabilities are based:
After finding Messrs. Bethers and
Boren at their homes on Daniels creek
the writer took up a long and tedious
march under their guidance to the spot
in question. Just one hour and 20 min
Ites were taken up in the ascent from
Boren's ranch up the dividing ridge
between Daniels and Center creeks,
1t an angle of what seemed 40 de-
srees, to
THE NEWLY DISCOVERED MINE,
about two miles distant and almost on
OPP of the WaSatch range. Here we
'ound a tunnel which has been driven
about % feet into the solid rock, fol-
owing a vein of ore from the surface,
which is reported to return very good
assays in gold. This tunnel is the re-
suit of labor at odd times during the
oast year of the two men. Northwest
If this prospect is another which has
)nly recently been known to exist
here, although it has every appear
lnce of being there for years past.
low far this tunnel enters through
he solid rock into the side of the lofty
mountain remains yet to be found out
Is the work of cleaning out the dirt
md rock that now fills it up has only
,een completed far enough to enable
he proSpectorS to determine its course
md dimensions.
short time ago there was still an
ther mouth of a tunnel accidentally {
tumbled onto, lying southeast about
3 yards of the other two and on a di- ,
ect line. This also was filled up with ,
pose dirt and rock but very easy dig /
ing. as a pick is seldom used. The {
york OF
CLEANING THIS TUNNEL OUT ,,
5 being given the most attention at !
=
cen accomplished when the reporter ]
7as a visitor there. leaving a hole J,
Trough the solid rock from three to
our feet wide and from five to six g
eet high, so far as explored. AS I
tated above, the work of cleaning out l
he tunnel is done mostly with shovels {
lying bare the top and sides of solid e
one, which plainly demonstrate that :
ne implements of man have been used l
! the first excavations. i
The foregoing are some of the rea- s
ms advanced for thinking that these h
lnnels might at one time have been Y
he source from which the Mexicans v
| former days replenished their lard
IS, and another circumstance which I:
also used in this connection is a O
rye granite rock which stands per- p
endicular in the ground about half
mile distant down the ridge from T
lie prospect and is covered with q
PECULIAR LOOKING HERO.
GLYPHICS
1t into ii with apparently an instru- L
ent after the style of an ordinary
INCH. The rock is of a wedge shape
eing about a foot thick on one side :.
I'd tapers down to about two inches =
IickneSs on the other. 1t stands abour
re feet high and is about four feet D
ide. The characters upon it can only d
. translated by those accustomed to n
len signs. One of the figures is of a Ii
an with hands thrown up as though q
Iddenly surprised; another is what |;
? would call a burro or pack mule; :,
lother half moon, and there were n
number of others, while perfectly y:
sibie, we were not able to decipher al
cir meaning. T
Aiessrs. Bethers and Boren, the own NJ
S of the find argue that these hero m
yphics have been put upon this rock Pl
guide for the persons who former y.
worked the mines TO go by in re- n,
rning to them after several months
'sence, as would of necessity have NJ
en- the case if the Mexican theory is W
lie. A careful watch is constantly IN
pit by the men engaged in cleaning spi
[ the tunnel for bones of =,
THE MURDERED MEXICANS be
10 were thrown therein. but none IA IA
We been uncovered as vet of that ar
aracter. Whether or not the gentle to
IN have found any lost mine is a III
alter that time will unravel, but that pa
ey have found prospect holes of tn
me description, made by human ma
nds, is a positive certainty, and we ~ ~