The sea coast echo., 1898-04-16
GOLD MINES OF TEXAS.
LOST PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE oP.
GRATED OVER A CENTURY AGO.

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Part Of Mexico Have Been discovered
by Prospectors, and Are Being Worked
Mt Profit Fate of Daring Explorers.
The traditions OF the lost Spanish
gold mines OF Texas possess d fascin-
alton to the hunter after fortune, says
San Antonio letter. to the New York
Times. Some of these traditions are
not mere fairy tales, but are based on
reliable records that are still to be
found in the old archives in the city
Of Monclova, Mexico, which town was
the capital OF Texas, when it was
part of Mexico. These records show
that some OF these old mines we're
very rich, and that they were worked
on an extensive scale century or
more ago, and that the Spanish gov
ernment and the Catholic church each
received share Of the proceeds.
One Of these lost mines was called
the San Saba. 1t was of fabulous
richness. The records at Monclova
show that in the twenty years that it
was worked by the Spaniards over
S5, 900, 900 of gold ore was taken
out. In that early day the min
ing methods were of the most primi-
tive nature, and the workings were
almost entirely on the surface. This
being the case it is probable that the
real richness OF the mine was not
known to the Spaniards. The San Saba
mine is supposed to be located about
seventy five miles north of here in O
rough section of country, which is a
part of Mason county. The direction
and distance from San Antonio to the
mine are given very clearly in the old
records, but OF the many attempts to
fnd the mine none has proved success
ful. During the past fifty years no
less than twenty expeditions have
gone from here in search eof the San
Saba property.
The earlier expeditions required q
considerable amount of daring on the
part of the men composing them. and
strange fatality pursued many men,
bers of the different parties who have
left here in search of the treasure.
The first expedition of which there is
my authentic record left here in the
early forties. The party was accom-
panied by an old Mexican who claimed
10 have received information concern
ing the mine directly from one of the
original owners of the property. He
acted as guide and led the gold hunt
srs to rough country. The land
marks noted in the old records were
'ound, and the party believed that it
would be an easy matter to find the
shaft of the mine. The discovery was
almost within their grasp when band
of Comanche Indians swept down
Upon them and killed all but one men,
Der of the expedition. The survivor
of this bloody massacre succeeded in
making his way back to San Antonio,
md related the horrible details of the
affair.
A few years later another expedition
left here in search Of the. mine, and
all the members of this party were
killed by the Indians. In the early
seventies a man named Howard went
from here to Monclova and secured
,omplete copies Of the records of the
nine. He organized u party here to
go in search of the treasure. Thirty
miles north of here they met band
Of renegade Indians, and in the fight
that ensued three members of the
party were killed, and the others re-
turned here and refused to make an
atlfer trial.
Since then number of searching
parties have gone from here and spent
months looking for the lost mine, but
1t has never been found. The recent
discovery of rich gold vein within
twenty miles of the reported location
Of the lost mine has revived the inter-
sst in the hidden wealth, and two ex-
ploring parties are now in Mason
county looking for it. The new gold
discovery was made by Col A. G.
5chryyer of this city. He is working
ais property, and has already shipped
tour cars of ore to the Puebla smelter,
which have netted him $4,000
There has long been legend that
there is lost Spanish gold mine To-
Gated in what is now Eastland county,
Texas. 1t is reported that this mine
has just been rediscovered, and that
sample of the ore has been taken out
and assayed, 1t runs $240 to the ton.
This mine was worked by the Span
iards seventy-fve years ago. It's aban-
donment was caused by the Indians,
who massacred all Of the miners and
hlled up the shaft. The rediscovery
Of this mine was made by F. l.. John
son of New Orleans, who came into
possession of a plot and description of
the property while in the city of Mex
leo few years ago.