Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-10-06
guide for us as far as the Colorado

have been positive danger to any other
man.
lie aa5 voted "crazy" by all the
rarty. but in me the man excited the
liveliest interest, and by many conf
dences | tried to draw from him the
story OF his life. which felt sure was
made up of incidents of no ordinary
kind.
The night before he left us he drew
me to one side, and, sitting down with
MS back to tree and the flames OF
neighboring fire lightning up his pic
turesque face, he said: And SO you'd
like to know something about Madre
d'Oro?"
l told him that I should, II he
thought me worthy of his confidence.
1T Is secret" he said in half
whisper, 'but then what does it mat
ter II the world knew, so long as only
one man can find the placer"
What placer"
he place where all the gold in
these rocks and streams comes from
La Madre d'Oro-the Mother of Gold.
An, thousands have died trying to find
the place, and 1t may be that now that
know where it is | may not be per-
united to enter in, for you know the
Aztecs believe that the wonderful val
ley is enchanted"
"Indeed?"
Yes, and am inclined to that be-
lief myself. but then | have spent so
many long, weary years searching that
1t would not do to lose heart. now
that untold wealth is within my
! reach"
l agreed with him, and by careful
| questioning drew out of him his story
OF the valley of gold, which l subse-
| quently found to be an established be-
lief among the miners of the Northern
Mexican states. and to them it came,
without doubt, from the Aztecs, who
were once the masters of all this land.
Within hundred miles of the place
| Where We were then encamped was
the wonderful valley of gold, and Levi
Bronson was confident that he knew
the exact location.
The valley was in the heart OF the
Sierra Madre Mountains, walled In by
! towering rocks, and accessible only by
secret passage through which flowed
stream that, excepting on one day
in every year, filled up the passage and
made ingress impossible.
This valley Is small in extent and
perfectly circular Through it the
river flows cool and clear and filled
with fish whose scales are golden. The
banks are masses of variegated flow
/ ers, and trees ever in blossom made
( delightful shades and fairy-like ar
| bors. Birds of the sweetest song and
most exquisite plumage, of varieties
unknown to the outer world, make
vocal this wonderful valley and flash
| through its dark green foliage like
animated blossoms.
Running across this wonderful val
| ley there is a belt forty feet in width
on which no vegetation grows. for the
belt Is the top of a wall of gold that
flashes with indescribable brilliancy
when the sun balances in midheayen
and looks lovingly down on Madre
d'Oro.
The old Aztec priests know well this
valley, and as they still cherish the
belief that Montezuma will again an
pear in the flesh, to lead them against
the Spanish conquerors whom they
have never ceased to hate, they think
the wealth necessary to regain their
liberties will come from this valley.
But one white man ever saw it. and
that was a Spaniard named Jose AL
yarrez. who entered through the SUBJ
terranean passage. and, being discoy-
cred by the guardian priests, was sac
rificed TO the sun on the golden ledge.
And you know where this wonder
full valley is?" | asked Levi Bronson
when he had finished his description.
Yes" he replied Il am sure | could
lead you within one mile of the place. :"
Are you going there?"
81 am"
"And you are not afraid of the
guardian priests?"
mo, for | am doctor and I have
practiced my profession for years
among the Indians to make them my
friends. They would not harm me-"
But, granting that you can find the
gold" asked, "of what use will such
q fabulous amount be?"
81 will only take what l want" he
replied.
And how much will that be?"
II do not know. | have earned a
great deal in all these years of working
and waiting. l want to maze my old
age serene and happy"
Levi Bronson wanted me to Join
him, but | declined, and we each went
our separate way, and l did not hear
of him again. But II is safe to say
he never reached La Madre d'Oro.
have often thought of the old man
since, and those to whom | have told
the story laughed and said: He was
surely insane"
Perhaps he was, but is he any more
insane than the myriads who from
youth to old age give every thought
to the acquisition of wealth, and who
seek valleys of gold as inaccessible and
fabulous as Levi Bronson's Madre
d'Oro?-New York Ledger
/