Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-04
HIDDEN WEALTH or PERU.

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In the far distant interior OF the old
empire of the Incas customs and habits
have changed as little since the fall OF
that gorgeous d~espotism as in any part
OF the world. Without modification the
native races have preserved all their
personal cowardice and their collective
cruelty. all their abstemiousness-only
varied by bouts of drunkenness-and
their propensity to hoard, like mon
keys and magpies, secreting that hoard
In the strangest places. The book has
yet to be written which will preserve
to the world an adequate picture OF
these strange and isolated people-half
children and half demons-relics OF a
past world among the railways and tel
egraphs of the present.
Doubtless there still linger among the
remotest villages and the older people
many legends and tales of the ancient
glory of their nation, but among the
half-civilized members, who speak more
or less Spanis. such tales are OF the
crudest and most elementary descrip-
ton. OF all these the most concrete
and the only ones which can be brought
to the touchstone of a proof are those
referring to treasure hidden during
times of wal or trouble and never re-
moved. The vast districts formerly
known as upper Peru teen with sucn
stories. During many years, even CEN
turtles, OF a disturbed and often des-
potic rule doubtless great quantities or
the precious metals have been secreted,
the greater part of which will prob
ably never be brought to the light OF
day but during recent years, by syste-
matte search, when the tradition of the
hidden treasure appeared to be more
definite than usual, some tapadas
(hoards) lave been discovered. and
have we'll repaid the time and expense
of the search, apart from the excite
ment inseparable from such an enter
prise. The following is a representa-
tive instance:
Treasure of a Fugitive Inca.
One of he latest of the lncas, to es-
cape from a victorious rival, had re-
tired to a wild spot just below the sum
mits of the eastern Cordilleras, and
here the tradition persistently fingered
that in a certain spot high in the noun
tains the fleeing Incas had buried a
treasure which had never been recover
ed, as he had been murdered on MS
return to Cuzco. Many generations OF
local landholders searched in vain I'M
der the scorchlng midday sun, or shlv-
ering in the bitter wind that blows at
1900 feet above the sea.
At last the time came for the man TO
open the tomb closed by the fugitive
ruier of that long-dead empire. The
old proprietors, who at the conquest had
received a grant of the district from the
Spanish crown, had degenerated into a
race of dissoluIe gamblers, and they
sold a part of their possession, o
the size of a ---tish county, for a few
thousand pounds to a new man more
capable and enterprising than the old
race. The legen> was investigated
then different versions were obtained
from different sources and carefully
compared. 1t soon became evident that
some key word had at first been at
tached to the story, but the most dill
gent inquiry could discover neither the
word itself nor the use to which 1t was
to be put when ascertained. Many
years passed; the new owner by manag-
ing methods-that is, by adopting the
improvements of the time of the SIX
teenth century instead of adhering
strictly to the mode of farming as car
ried on by primeval man-had accumu-
lated a considerable fortune. He had
discontinued his diligent search for the
lost treasure of the Incas and was now
about to definitely retire to the town
and sell the property.
One winter night, however, a mess
age was brought that far away in a dis
tant valley a woman reputed to be over
100 years of age was dying and had a
word to say to the patron before she
died. In the morning he started on the
long journey over the immense slopes
of rock covered with coarse grass, the
snow-crowned SUBMITS rising over
head. At the end of the journey, deep
in the recesses of the mountains, was
a mud hut. within which lay a shriv-
eled. decrepit object that 100 years be-
fore had first looked out, a blaek-eyed
baby, upon the wonderful view of
cloud, mountain and far-distant forest.
She was alone and dying, without rela-
tives or friends to assist her, for she
was a witch and none had dealings with
her or ventured heal of their own free
will.
The secret Disclosed.
Feared and hated by her own people,
! she turned at the end of her patron,
who had cared neither for her charms
| nor her curses, to tell him that word
| which was whispered to her in the dim
past by the aged grandmother. who
had died more than eighty years be-
fore where she was. dying now-the
word that would reveal the hiding
place of that treasure, the secret OF
which was to be carefully guarded until
the Incas should appear again to claim
their own and drive the conquerors
back to the sea. The word was wills
| pered, it meant in the old language,
1.-THE lake OF two stones" That was all,
| she knew nothing Of its application, had
no more to tell and died that night.
Although the word was now known.
the difficulties were not all overcome in
fact, many months Of eager search fol-
lowed. At last the place was found-a