The times., 1898-10-31
AZTEC TREASURE.
miners and Others in Mexico Con.
time to Search for II.


From the New Orleans Picayrncl
THE interview In the PicaylIne this
morning with Capt. Evans the veteran
Mexican miner said drummer last
night at the Grunewald Hotel reminds
me of very interesting story | heard
when in Mexico some months ago. You
have heard the old legend OF the fabu-
lous gold buried somewhere in the mo n
tains by the Aztecs about the time OF the
invasion of the country by the Span!ards.
when they robbed the people and swept
away into their own Golfers all the go den
treasures of the unfortunate Az;ecs
Prescott's version of this story is the
best, and there is certainly more truth
than fancy in the legend. You remember
there had been a large expedition sent
out from the City OF Mexico By the Mon
teZumas into the gold country, for the
purpose OF gathering Il vast amount of
the precious metals for the Ornamental
ton of new temples that were being con-
structed. The record reads in the legend
that this expedition was just starting
back to the capital when word was
brought it that the nation was in the
hands of Spanish robbers. They were
instructed to bury their treasures and re-
turn to their homes empty-hand=d, rather
than to give the additional booty to the
followers of Correz. The gold expedition
followed instructions, buried its treas
ures and returned TO the capital. Cortez
was waiting for them, for he had advice
OF their mission. He was 50 enraged Ut
their empty-hauded return that the en-
tire party was ordered killed
We'll, ever since that day, at stated
times, miners and others have sought for
the treasure Many diligent scar ches
have been made, but all have proven fu-
tile The secret of the hiding place was
lost with the death OF those who buried
it When l was in Mexico, travelling in
the interior some miles from the city
met with an American named Miles. He
was from some point In Missouri. He had
three partners. MeXicans, one of whom
was an Indian and they We're just start
ing for some point in the interior, where
the Indian said the famous treasure was
hidden. | have never heard word from
the expedition. Miles WAS confident that
they would find the ore, for 1t seems he
had good reason to believe that the In
dian knew what he was talking about
Miles said that hetplace whittier they
were destined was within fifty miles OF
Mexico City, within the range Of the sur
rounding mountains During the days Of
the Aztecs there was constant warfare
going on between the people of the Mon
tezumas. living within this range, and the
tribes living without that limit, so much
SO that any effort TO penetrate beyond was
met with armed resistance. Hence, he
reasoned. as there was very little, II any,
communication between the Montezumas
and the outside world, all the gold mines
from which the vast wealth of the Aztecs
was drawn must be within few miles OF
the city Miles believed that some day
these old mines would be rediscoVered,
and would prove as wealthy as they evil
IDENTIFY were before the Spanish plundered
the country. This treasure, buried so
many years ago. the old Indian said, was
now buried in the waters of small lake
in the interior. This lake was the des-
tination of Miles and his party. l have
watched the papers closely for some ac-
count of the expedition, but have never
seen q word about it
This man, spending several months Of
every year in Mexico, is convinced that
there are vast gold mines somewhere in
the interior. close to the City of Mexico.
II remember" he continued. "one day
was in the store of small country mer-
chant, and an old Mexican came in,
bought a few goods. and, taking the mer-
chant off to one side. handed him a small
tobacco sack filled with gold dust. l learn
ed afterward from the merchant that ne
had many customers of this kind, who
came in quietly. made their purchases and
always paid for them in gold dust. Bui
he told me they could not be persuaded
nor bribed into giving. away the secret of
the precious metals location. He told me
that there sometimes came into his town
whole bands of Mexican Indians, all hav-
ing gold dust. with which they made their
purchases But they show the bitterest
spirit toward all who make Inquiries re-
lative to the sources of their crude
wealth"