The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-16
strange TALE Of GOLD
FabuIously Rich Mine Worked
in the Ancient Days.
OLD SPANISH CRUCIBLES
Long Lost Louisiana Mine"
May be Found Again.

Guthrie, o. T, Oct. 1.-THE Tulsa Dem
ocrat publishes the following marvellous
story:
The finding in the mountains east of
the Grand river a few days ago of some
old Spanish crucibles and smelling uten-
sis, which apparently had not been used
for century past, has caused quite a
ripple of excitement among the little
crowd of prospectors who made the i'm
portant discovery They talk of the mat
ter now in whispers ana watch with sus-
picious misgiving anyone found proving
around in the vicinity Of the find" The
crucibles are Of ancient type and parti-
cles Of gold still adhering to them is
looked upon as almost positive evidence
that they were at one time employed as
shelters for the gold dust taken from
the mountains in which they were found.
Indeed it is now confidently believed that
the long lost Louisiana gold mine is
about to be discovered, and the little par
ty Of searchers who found these old cru
cibles is now making almost daily ex-
OF the Grand river in the hope Of soon
ascertaining the exact location.
In connection with the finding Of these
old Spanish smelling utensils an old
Usage Indian woman, whose forefathers
knew the location Of the lost Louisiana
mine tells sort of traditional story of
its early history, which tends to encour-
age present prospectors in the hope of
soon locating the abandoned mine.
Many years ago, so the story runs, the
country now composing the Cherokee and
Creek nations, was the great hunting
grounds Of the Osages and other smaller
tribes of western Indians. The Osages
lived in villages along the east bank Of
the beautiful Grand river, and for a hun
dred years before the Cherokees and
Creeks came west they were undisturbed
In their possession Of the vast prairies
TO the west and the rugged mountains to
the east. The prairie at that time
abounded with great herds Of buffalo,
from which the Indians obtained Their
meat and robes for the winter and over
which thousands Of wild horses galloped
with unbridled freedom. The mountain
region to the east was rich in mineral
valuable ornaments worn by the Indians
Being sufficient evidence Of this fact. The
chiefs and warriors of the rich Osages |
were, in those days, literally burdened
with gold, their buffalo robes were heavily
fringed with it and their rude accoutre-
ments Of war and the chase dazzied the
eyes Of beholders with their glittering
richness. To the first white men who
ever made their appearance among the
Osages-a little band of adventurous
Spaniards-they boosted of their fabulous
riches They told Don Valdez. the lead
er OF the Spaniards, that If thew b-Tt |
knew the secret of the red mems source
of wealth they might shoe their horses |
with gold as cheaply as they could with |
iron. and it was only after years Of hard |
ships and privations among the Indians |
that the great gold mine was found by |
Don Valdez and his men.
It was not many years after the con- |
quest Of Mexico by Cortez that Don VAL |
DEE and his party came north in search |
of riches. As a result of a bitter quar- |
rel with his father, who was an officer of
high rank in Cortez's army, young VAL |
DEE was forced to fee from Mexico. He
in one of his trips to northern Mexico he |
had met and loved Lerito Calantes. a
Mexican senorita OF great beauty. but |
unfortunately Of lowly birth Owing to |
this latter fact the proud, aristocratic
father objected to his son marrying the |
poor Mexican girl. and when the impetu-
Gus young man declared his intention of 1
marrying the maiden regardless OF his
fathers wishes, a quarrel ensued in which
the elder Valdez was insulted by his son
beyond the pale Of forgiveness. This
marital trouble made it necessary for
Don Valdez to fee from the country with
out again seeing or communicating with
the girl he had determined to marry.
He soon organized small party of al
venturers and they came northward until
the muddy waters Of the present Arkan-
sas were reached. Here they met for the
frst time the wild and wealthy Osages.
The Indians were friendly to Don Valdez