Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-11-15

NO" Glenn responded. "but there
ere other mysteries in that land"
Yes, yes. senior; II is a strange. weird
country. Long has Mount Chanaro
been summed"
why should that small mountain be
feared by the nativesr' he persisted.
1t was not long before this line OF
Inquiry, with no revelation on Glenn's
part OF the find he had made. drew
forth from the aged woman one OF the
StrangeSt traditions of Venezuelan
folklore. She told the story as though
II was settled part Of the history OF
Ter people. n chapter I'm the life of her
ancestors which was sacred for it's an
uQuity and Inspiring for the incentive
II gave TO ceaseless search, ceaseless
persistence.
Generations ago. she said. there
dwelt near Mount Chanaro a family OF
hardy woodsmen, half breeds-sons OF
Spanish Adventures, who knew that
jewels were valuable I'm the world Of
commerce. sons Of Indian women. not
afraid of the woods, not afraid to fight
intruders upon their settlement
This family was secretive. and when
any of its members reached the from
tiers had little to say OF the lands they
had come to inhabit. The family in
creased, and in time there was a small
tribe huddled around the base OF the
mountain. The Indians who lived
nearest seldom observed these settlers
hunting or fishing, although it was
done occasionally. Their settlement
was developed to an unusual degree,
and signs of civilization were apparent
at many places.
Ii was not long before members OF
this family began appearing periodical
~ at the mouth of the Orinoco with
gold nuggets to exchange with foreign
traders for what they wanted at home.
Even in its undeveloped form this gold
was almost pure. 1t was sent to civillz-
ed countries and assayed, and all who
examined II pronounced 1t TO be the
purest gold ever mined.
The ancient Venezuelans heard Of
this rich treasure, and some of them
sought to find out its secret source and
! share I'm the riches IL was sure to bring
But the old family would brook no in
and guarded. The gold would go to
market and all who saw IL would be
astonished. but no outsider was per-
mitted to see the wonderful mine.
Often while on their way to the from
tier or the mouth of the river, I'm spite
of all the secrecy and efforts to hide
that might be observed, members OF
the family would be attacked and rob-
bed, sometimes killed But the treas
ure continued to flow out of that re-
gion. seemingly ineXhaustible. The
fame of the mine spread abroad, and
the tradition grew that here was the
richest gold mine in the world.
Long years afterwarG, when the
story Of the mine became better
known, il was revealed that only few
members Of the old tribe really knew
where the mine was located. The
secret was hidden from all except the
few whose assistance was necessary in
mining the treasure. But the whole
tribe knew that the vein that had been
found was continuous one, very near
the surface of the earth, and very east
ly mined.
1t was not possible that Il great treas
ure of this kind should be heralded
abroad and the cupidity Of neighbors
not be excited. 1t took years for this
to be done 10 such an extent that the
security OF the growing tribe would be
disturbed. But the time came, and all
the resources OF the settlement were
necessary TO rcpel the invaders.
Int 4
invaders continued To come with ever
increasing frequency and strength.
The little tribe was diminishing, and
there were walls In the cabins of the
Gold tribe. as IL had come TO be called.
The struggle became so fierce that the
boats no longer wcnded their sinuous
way down the Chanaro and the ORR
noco. Lest outsiders should finally
force their way through, the mouth OF
the mine was covered up. and every
effort made TO destroy trace OF it to
all except the initiated.
AT last the final struggle came. In
dians broke through the Notifications
that had been erected, and the settle
ment was overrun. Most Of the old
tribe were ruthlessly killed, and only
one of the miners survived. He lurxed
about the neighborhood for several
days after the massacre l,cd zen
place, saw the homes burned. and saw
the invaders take away gold in great
quantities. for the tribe had used gold
to make the simple necessities of the
hearth and the table.
But the lurking miner saw that the
source OF his treasure was not found.
He saw. too. that the secret marks had
not been discovered. and his heart re-
joiced. Then he started on a journey
toward civilization. He now and then
met strange Indians. but successfully
passed by them, in many cases win
ming their friendship. At last he reach
ed the mouth of the Orinoco and told
the story Of his travels to the settlers
there. But he would never tell the
story Of the mine, nor where II was to
be found.