The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-17

Has the lost trail of the Aztecs, leading
| to one Of natures vast reservoirs Of gold
en- treasure, been discovered on the rug
ged sides of Sierra Blanca, the loftiest
and greatest mountain of Colorado? Will
the uncovering Of this trail lead to the
reopening Of one OF more Of the wonder
fully rich mines from which the Monte
zumas of Mexico drew their golden
wealth, which tempted Cortez and his
Spanish freebooters and led to the down.
fall and virtual extinction Of the people
called the Egyptians of the New World
VIII the result be the establishment of a
| mining section which will add millions In
gold each year to the wealth Of Colorado
and the nation?
These are questions which most deeply
concern the people of Alamosa, the me-
tropolis of the fertile San Luis valley, the
Psychologists, and the merchants who
foresee great future for the town. These
questions have resulted in the gathering
on the rugged sides and in the gulches
of Sierra Blanca Of nearly five thousand
hardy miners, with about two thousand
more men of the tenderfoot variety.
Sierra Blanca, in every respect the
greatest mountain in Colorado is the
southern terminus Of the serrated Sangre
de Cristo range, which forms the eastern
boundary of the San Luis Park, or val
ley, which was once a gigantic lake, and
is now 1900 feet above the sea level
Blanca itself rises 14,4S3 feet above sea
level, more than 800 feet higher than re-
nowned Pixies Peak. It is twenty-three
miles around at timber line, and about
seventy miles in circumference at it's base.
1t Is about eighteen miles east of Alamosa
and sixteen miles north of old Fat Gar
land, now the town of Garland.
CONDITIONS OF AZTEC MINES
When the warlike Navajoes were driven
from the San Luis valley thirty odd years
ago; and white men took their place, the
first of these adventurous settlers learned
from the last of the red men, traditions
of another race of men who came from
the South with great pack trains of bur-
ros and strong guards Of armed men.
These Southerners, the story ran, had
delved in the sides Of the huge peak, and
had carried away on the burros vast
quantities of gold.
These strangers, the Navajo story tel
lerS aVerreQ, mao maze great trails over
the valley, and even to the apex of the
mountains, but many moons before they
had suddenly ceased their visits, and the
trail had been covered up by the sands
of the plain and the detritus Of the noun
tain. These stories interested a few who
sought to trace the trail from historic
interest, while few others made desulto-
ry efforts to prospect the gulches Of the
peak; For years, however, both classes
met only failure in their work.
Finally the story Of the lost trail was
forgotten by all except Judge Holbrook,
of the district court Of that section; for
mer Gov. Head, for years agent Of the
Navajo and Ute Indians; Crescentio Val
dez, well educated Spanish Mexican,
and a few others who said little about It
because hooking laughter always greeted
their references to the legend
Prospectors found rich float" about the
gigantic base of the mountain, but no
one was able to trace the vein or veins
from which 1t came, and it was at once
agreed that the float had been borne an