The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-30
LOST NINE LEGENDS.
Several Stories About Mislaid Mines in
Different Parts c. World,


The last issue of the Virginia City
Madisonian contains an interesting ar
tcle on lost mines and expresses thu
belief that the legend is a myth of the
first water. The article is as follows:
There is not a mining district from
Mexico to Alaska that has not a legend
of lost mine. The popularity about
all these lost mines is that invaria bly,
they are Of richness almost SURPRISING
belief: the rock fairly .gltters With gold
The regularity about the legends is
that they are believed. All miners have
more or less faith in them, and if the
truth We're told rather more than less.
The prospector who has not hunted for
such a lost treas sure is no real prospector.
He simply is a man out of n job, roam
ing the hills for exercise. He may think
he is prospector, but unless he has I'M
rlicit faith in the existence Of a lost mine
somewhere. mine that will make him a
ulti-millionaire within the year--he is
mistaken. Faith in the unattainable, is
what keeps the real prospector alive. Ha
may locate god lead but in his inner
most consciousness he knows that he can
find that marvellous rich lost mine the
next time he is in the neghborhood.
age. country or cline. They are known
in Australia as we'll as in the Rockies:
in Africa as Well as in Mexico; to the
ancients as we'll as to the roderrs.
How many men have thought they cord
locate the lost mines of Solomon if-hut
always that insuperabc "if:" Sir John
Vaudeville loca ted them in China: Marco
Polo had them placed in japan. AMI
each had adherents Marco Polo, by the
way, never was in Japan. but he said he
knew that the houses were rooted with
gold and the streets paved with it. 1t
was the story of Montezuma's gold that
led to the conquest of Mexico, and then
the mines whence the gold came were
lost. MOntezuma ransomed himself for
six millions in gold. and after the gold
was collected he was killed. 1t was the
story of the gold to the southwest that
led Pizzara to Peru, and after Atahualpa
had paid at his ransom a room full OF
gold, some $14 600 COO. the tragedy of
Mexico was repeated and Atahualpa was
killed. and then, too. the richest mines
were lost. Since the conquests Of Mexico
and Peru innumerabe quests have been
made for those lost mines. The gold of
the 1ncas must have come from some
mine, and the known mines never could
have produced it, These lost treasure
houses are somewhere in the Andes. and
some day they will be found.
The Potosi in Bolivia produced over
IS, OOO, 000. 600 between 15A5 and 1875 but
this gold came after the lost mines were
lost. Chile has her lost mines and so has
Peru, Ecuador. Bolivia and Colombia.
Are the Central American states free
from such legends? No. indeed, they are
more numerous there than anywhere
else. Not season passes that some trav-
eler does not return from Mexico with a
wondrous tale told him by the natives
of rich minerals in the interior mountain
Businesses. California is prolific with
such stories. No prospector lives that
does not believe in the lost placer dig
gings where gold may he scooped up by
the shovelful, diggings that have been
thrice found and thrice lost. Every
state has its own particular pet lost
mine. Montana has a number Of them.
The richest lost lead Of Madison county
Is one that never was found to be lost.
That is somewhat of an Irish bull. but 1t
conveys the meaning. 1t is known that
the placer gold of Alder gulch came from
some free gold lead that was worn away