Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-03-31
HIDDEN WEALTH.
Strange White Indians in Mexico Nhe
Possess Mysterious Supply
Of Gold Dust.

In beautiful valley of the great Seer
| ra Aadre mountains, in old Mexico. lives
one OF the strangest tribes of the entire
continsnt-the Quincas. These people
are neither Aztecs, Mexieans nor InIi-
ans. though their neighbors call them
white Indians They speak Of them
selves as ouiucas, and their only village
is called Guinea Ma II is said that there
are not more than 900 OF them. and
they assert that they have occupied the
same locality for many centuries. though
they have tradition that their ancestors
at some remote period dwelt near a great
salt sea, and in proof Of this fact they
show visitors small collection of shells
carefully preserved in their only temple.
These people are nearly white, and liz is
rare that the traveller upon meeting
one Of them Is not greeted by a friendly
look out of a pair Of pleasing blue eyes.
By many persons who have made SUI
perficial acquaintance with the racial
characteristics and customs of this tribe
they have been regarded as Albino Zu ais.
A little inyestiga ton soon conyinces one
that they have no relationship whate yer
with these peculiar people. Their eyes
are not pinkish or weak@ike the Albinos'. .
nor is their hair of the same color or tex
ture. They are sun worShipers, says the
New York Press. but they do not prac-
tice any of the hideous and repulsive rites
requiring the use of reptiles peculiar to
the Zunis of New Mexico. They are dis
tinguished for their hospitality to str an
gers and for their love of peace and good
morals. Grimes that so common
among people OF a higher civilization are
entirely unknown to them. and it Is said
that their simple laws rarely VIC
lated.
They are the pets of the Mexican gov
eminent from the fact that they are ever
ready to pay any tax imposed upon them
without the least protest. When an as
sessment is made. the chief simply a SKIS
how much his people have to pay. and
when the amount is stated he replies,
ION the third day my young men will
bring you the money in the yellow dust,
IL it is the will of our God and our Fa-
Their who shines above us. Every i'm
portant matter always is deferred for
three days. to give to their priests tune
to consult with their God. they say.
but the MeSicans say that the delay is to
give 10 the chief men of the tribe an OPP
portunity to go TO their secret gold mine
and get the necessary dust AT any time
they can get any amount of gold dust.
but no man outside of the tribe has ever
been able TO discover the locality. Many
efforts have been made by government
officials, private individuals and robbers
To induce tHeSe people TO reveal the
source from which they so easily obtain
such large sums in gold dust, but they
can neither be moved by the hope of
the greatest rewards or the fear of the
most horrible torture.
1t is hardly probable that all of the
people are familiar with the important
tribal secret. Those who are best ac-
quainted with the manners and customs
OF the Quincas think that only the priests
and perhaps the head chief of the tribe
know where the gold comes from. Ex-
perienced proSpectorS who have explored
carefully the Sierra Madres in the vicin-
ity of Guinea Ma say that il is one Of
the greatest mineral regions on the con
tinent- but they never are able to hrd
any paying placer deposits. though rich
float quartz is abundant. and more or
less gold dust can be panned out from al
most every little gulch in the mountains.
For the last two or three centuries the
Quincas have dwelt in peace. They have