Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-06-17


heard OF 1t aud sent IN demanding to
know what had become of the big chief
The Spaniards replied that he had been
sent ON a great mission which would
take him eight days 10 fulfill. The
Indians said they would come back in
ei9h, DAYS and if in that umr the chef
had not returned they would hold TIE
SpaniardS accountable for his blood.
during the eight days the Spaniard,
{ fortified their two cities aud buried al
the gold and silver. Of which there was
a great quantity awaiting shipment to
Spoin. Making a note of where the
treasure was hidden, they wrote it in
book and placed the book under a great
pile of rocks, on the top OF which they
erected big wooden cross. This was
done in case they should be vanqulshed
When the eight days expired and the
chief did not return the Indians came
against the two cities and destroyed
every living thing in them. After that
they had suspicion that the two places
where the cities had been were haunted
and no living creature could dwell
there The springs dried up and the
place became a desert. | have been
within seycnty-tiye miles Of where they
are said to be myself and then had to
turn back because of the lack of water.
Il never had any faith in the story
though, until ! met the young man
was speaking of. lie had gone with
his father on an expedition which was
gotten up by Frenchman to find the
Lost Cities. It seems that one Of the
priests had escaped from the doomed
places before their destruction and he
left an account of what had been done
there in the church records. These
records were found by the Frenchman
and with them rs a guide he formed an
expedition. My friend was Just fourteen
years old when le went with his father
on the trip and he remembers very well
his experience.
They found the lost city and the
church He said the sanctuary alone
was II yards wide and IS yards long
and the walls were Is feet thick. Not
far from the church was the entrance
OF the mine and the boy was let down
by rope 100 feet long but 1t was not
long enough TO touch the bottom. The
water supply of the expedition gave out
and they were Obliged to return, al
though they found the cross above the
pile of stones. but did not have time to
hunt for the book. Twenty years after
that my friend who is now 10 years old
made another trip to the Lost Cities
and found them but could not locate
the cross, which had probably fallen
into decay. He and another man who
went with him are, aS far as know,
the only two men alive who have ever
seen the two Lost Cities.
There is another legend of untold
wealth among the Pueblo Indians which
| know has some foundation of truth.
though 1 have meyer seen the place my
self. first heard of 1t from Father
Anthony. noted Western priest. who
has spent Lis life among the Indians
and afterwards heard Of it from
others. But the main story came to me
from friend who said he absolutely
saw the wealth himself. The way il
happened was this:
Zone day he was out hunting when
he came to a cleft in the mountain side
that struck HIM as being very strange
IN appearance. In going closer he saw
that at the bottom was door formed
of massive block of stone which was
so nicely balanced that man could
open or shut it. Beyond it was 2
polished passageway leading into the
living rock and a few feet back of the
entrance stood a dead Indian, stuffed
in lifelike manner and holding a hent
bow with its arrow guarding the en-
trance.
"He passed beyond the dead Indian
to a place where the cleft winded and
there on the shelves on each side of him
he saw ranged row after row of magni-
hcently carved gold plate, bowls and
dishes Of all kinds. He was going
forward to examine them closer when
he Leard sharp hiss and saw before
. MIN an immense rattlesnake cooled in
the ditch in the center of the passage
and ready 10 strike. He was DrcDarino