Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-01-19
Realistic Story Of Their Disco.
very and Of the Indian
Massacre
ON APACHE RESERVE
Fabulous Returns Secured By
Adventurous Party Of White
Men i'm 1875
(Socorro Chieftan)

Inc TedlHlS Oh IdcL ana notion prOD-
ably afford nc parallel Ii the romantic
story of the finding Of the famed
Adams diggings, Of the tragical cir
cumstances under which they were
lost, and Of the money expended and
the hardships endured in vain efforts
to find them again. That A. v. Adams
about 40 years ago headed a party OF
prospectors who found som placers
diggings fabulously rich in gold some
where in western New Mexico on east.
ern Arizona, that nearly all the party
were massacred by Indians while un-
dertaking to gather the gold they hal
found, and that Adams himself and
other prospeetors by The cor hal
since gone broke both financially
and physically in their efforts to re-.
lcsate these digsings, -thess are facts
too well authenticated to admit Of
question.
Probably no living man is better au,
thority on the subject OF the Adams.
~diggings than is r: G. Patterson, an
old and highly respected citizen Of So
zorro county. For the purpose Of pre-
serving the most authentic Informal
ti0n on the subject, as well as for the
purpose Of giving readers Of this pa.
per the benefit Of the romantic and in
~teresting story, Mr.. Patterson was ask
ed a few days ago to tell what he
knew about the Adams diggings. Here
Is how he tells it:
sit was in 1875 that ! came to my
ranch 100 miles west Of Socorro. The
next year a party Of four men came
along and inquired for a certain lo-
cality, particularly an ash spring.
knew they were p~rospectors. the
leader finally told me that they We're
original members Of the A. v. Adams
party from California. He added that
Adams was a southern mar and as he
couldn't cuss the government as he
wanted to in California he went to
Arizona. He camped at the Pima vii
lagos and there made up a party TO
go prospecting. A Mexican in the vii
lage, who had been a captive among
the Apaches. told Adams that II the
party would give him six horses ne
would show them where there was
plenty of gold. This was in the win
ter OF 1866. The party consisted Of
90 men. The guide took them to a big
mountain, going northeast through the
country. So much ! learned from tbs
leader Of the four prospectors.
an 1876 Adams himself came TO my
place. We talked together all one
Sunday. asked him what mountains
he passed through after leaving the
pima villages. He replied that they
went into no mountains until they
reached those in which they found the
the gold. He added that their course
was northeast, that all the streams
they saw we're small, and that there
were small mountains To their righl
and a big open country TO their left
ali the time. The party finally camp
ed al the foot Of a mountain at tht
mouth of a small canon from whicf
the water ran southwest. \ took M
party nearly all day to 80 IA miles "
the canon. ii was 50 rough. Az IN
summit they could see peaks like hay
stacks about a days travel from then
toward the northeast. The party nov
went down on the east side through
timber into a valley six miles long, y
which the Indians had planted corn
The water in this valley ran northwes
and at the lower end fell over a precl
pice so feet high. The guide told thu
party that they would find gold in thi
valley, and they paid the Indians
horse for the privilege Of working u
the corr field.
adams said that a Dutchman In tn
party seemed TO scent trouble. for n
said, 4 tink you hat some troubles mi
desc Indians and asked hat ne mign
take his grub to himself and then toll
me he wanted to go away. dam
said. further. that this Dutchman pan
ned out 40 pounds Of gold In ten day
without making q hole in the groun'
as big as a wagon box Or reaching be-
rock.
According to Adams story the ra
tions now got short and ten men starr
ed for q fresh supply, and Tor Dol
to work with. The Dutchman wa
among the number. They were to 9
to the nearest point. Adams did no
know where. The party finally becom
ing overdue, Adams and another maj
went to the top Of the mountain wher'
they could zee over the trail . day