The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-21
Old Hztet mlnes
{ Creasare Boase Of lt1ontezuffa
has Been Discovered.


New York, May 2O.-The World says
Professor William Niven. the explorer and
archaeOlogist, has discovered the mines
from which the .Aztees of Mexico obtained
their gold and from which the proverbial
treasure of the Montezumas came Since
1883 Professor Niven has been searching
for these mines. First he accurately To-
Gated the capital of Montezumas empire
He knew that historians said that the
treasure house of the Montezumas was To-
Gated some eighty leagues west or south
west, and after years of search he has
found the mines. But one OF them has
been investigated The vein in this is
only three feet wide, but it assays s., 900
a ton.
For centuries the Spaniards looted Mex
leo, and until they were driven out they
were always able to extort gold from the
Mexican natives. Many and many a de-
vice and untold torture were used to try
10 make those who knew tell TO the
Spaniards where lay the mines from
which the gold was obtained. None ever
told. 1t has remained for a patient ex-
plorer to rediscover the hing
mines
In June Of 1894 Professor Niven found
the remains of a buried and prehistoric
city, which has since been identified as
Quechomictlipan. At first Mr.. Nivens
thought the ruins covered but a small
area, but he has now changed his opinion
In one Of his late letters he says: Il have
taken 300 photographs Of the ruins OF
Quechomictlipan, which cover a much
wider area than I had supposed-some-
thing Ike 1000 square miles. in fact In
stead of eight temples there are more
than twenty"
History has taught Mr.. Niven thai there
was something else in Mexico besides
ruins He knew that in the days when
Montezuma, ruled over his Aztees gold
was as common in Mexico as lead now
is with Us. For twelve years he has sat
urated himself with the lore OF the Mex
cans and for ten years OF that time he
has steadily sought the elucidaron Of the
mysterp Of the Lost Mines Of the Monte
zumas" Now he thinks that he has
found them
Neither the glory nor the profit OF his
find can De taken from him As long ago
as 1Sa5 he obtained concession from the
Mexican government that covered all his
work. and he has secured mose thorough
pro-ectson- Besidef locating the mines ne
has made a careful survey Of the mar
velous city he has discovered. The rec
ord of his discovery reads ike a fairy tz5e
Not only does It shaw that The ancient
city possessed a civilization little inferior
20 that OF todav. but G, a}So shows that
the city was probably the capital OF gov
e-n:ng city. CT the whole q Southern
America The main portion % the city.
which had evidently been the great mart
Of trade and me seat OF the greater popu-
laJion. shows that the metropolis had
boundaries greater than those % the pres
ent city Of New York, and beyond tbs
evidence Of suburbs which must have
MADE onechemscslspan larger than Ion
don.
Ornaments o. all kinds. statues. sid
images and human bones by the ton have
been found by Mr. Siyen ard lis work
men TAe enormous number 0. skulls
found 5 held "a prove the entire accuracy
% the old legends q The ghastly human
sacrifices offered by the Aztees az ,hetr
religious celebrations. Cort4z. VINO made
The first o. these reports. was iooked upoa