Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1902-08-15
HlLLsBoRo SIERRA COUNTY, N M. FRIDAY AUGUST IS 1909
The Peg Leg Mine.

the story told by Arm Of ChicaH'
bankers, a. related by Ohicag'
man atthe Cullen last night. The,
now propose to use the most moderl
methods In ascsrtaining the aetna
value Of the hill Of gold. which
according to tradition, exists in "a,
most inaccessible portion Of th'
Arixona desert An automobile il
to be built on which . party oi
mining experts and finanoisrs will
visit the mine This machine II
planned especially to resist the de-
ssrts disintegrasing influences, and
Il 10 believed that, for the first tins
since time began, men will BE- able
to vlsit the mine and escape the
loss Of either life or reason.
Tho story Of the mine 10 one Of
those tragedies Of the west which
has claimed its scores OF victims.
Oh late years no attempt has been
made 10 rediscover the mine, save
on the part OF the peripAtetic grub
who never dared venture
beyond the bare edge Of ths desert
which guards the treasure.
Years ago = wandering prospec-
tor, known - Peg Leg, because Of
an inequality IN his gait. came In
10 An Arizona town, his pockets
filed with gold, literally chemical
" pure. He refused to cay whore
he found the gold. and beyond his
Dft-repeated declaration that he had
located on = bill Of golden boulders
nothing could DO learned from him.
He spent hw wealth ia dissipation,
md disappeared for few days ~
] time, when necessary 20 replen.
sh his store, alUays coming back
With the same fabaious quantity Of
,old.
One day his treasure trove bstray-
d him. In some way, stiil uneK.
he wandered OF the trail
% had followed successfully = halt
oxen times. A week later he was
ound on tho outskirts Of the little
arizona village dying for lack of
,ater. He was carried In, but
ever fully recovered, aud though
Q lived for several months, he was
ways crazed by the suiferings he
Ad undergone, and was never able
, tell where 10 find the mine. Bot
40 story grew With each repetition
nd every town IN Arizona saw
start for the presum-
bio location of the mine. Many
ever returned, and. In fact, u has
zen estimated that first and last
sg- Legs mine has taken the lives
reason OF not less than 300 pros
BctoYs.
Last fall" said the Chicago
an, "the dead body OF a prospec-
i was found In Yavapai county,
risons. IL 10 not stated that the
an died Of q lack OF food or wat
In fact the exact means BY
h,ch be met death remain mys-
~ 10 this day--another OF the
ysteries which have always en- Z
ro1ded tho Peg Leg mine. No /.
q, 10 my knowledge. has ever ,
sds any inquiries as TO tho man. =
= Of the dead ones death. The
portant fact 10 that in his pocket 1
10 found q very carefully drawn !
lp Of the Peg Ley mine. and how !,
ma u. Ii the dead man drew 2
he WAS . man of education, for :
hough only drawn In lead pom. :
il was scaled carefully. and sven b
could follow II, 20 =
,derly were ell vital points noted !.
was enclosed In an envelope, sd- N
.rsed to a woman A noto stat. "
that. fearing be might lose his b,
son during the iearful siruggls :.
X to comparative civilization. =,
had drawn the map 10 the hope n
1 should he die, It would event o'
ly fall into her hands, and she 81
Id realize on his prospective sr
Alth. That II was not . dream :,
the dead mans induced by the ps
erts glare, was proved by huge