Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-09-14
Fabulous Wealth rs Said to Be
Watched Over by the "Gild-
ed Man" n a Lake.
rs OVER $500 900. 90
Ena!ishnnan Believes That at the Bot
tom of Lake GuataA,its in Colombia
Lies Remains OF Vast Trib-
utes TO $50 oGk."
From, the LondoM express.

1880
waiting for rain.
Heavy rain many mean or him, and for
those in the city office III London-wall, the
recovery of treasure worth, 80 experts gay,
at least 600, 600, Geo. The hero of the vig1
Is Mr.. II. Knowles, managing director In
Bogota of Contractors, Limited. The
story Of the company is one of the most
amazing romances OF treasure-seekirlg IN
history.
The lake of Guatavita, in Colombia, lies
IN the basin formed by the cone of an ex-
tinct volcano. 1t stands 5000 to $1,000 feet
above the sea level, and it but a few miles
from the thriving little coal city Of Bo-
gotta. Many centuries ago 1t was the Sac
red lake of the Chibchas, a race which at
the time Of the Spanish conquest number
ed over 100000 individuals.
The Chibchas worshiped the "Gilded
Man, and devoutly believed that their
deity made his home at the bottom Of the
lake Of Guatavita. Periodically they are
declared TO nave made pilgrimages To the
lake, when they cast every imaginable
kline Of treasure, gold, silver and jewels
into the waters with the object of propitia.
ting the "Gilded Man" who, through his
army Of priests, threatened all kinds OF
pains and penalties unless the treasure
were offered In sufficient quantities.
The story of the Chibchas has many
times been investigated by travellers, and
all agree in believing that the lake con-
tains untold treasure. Humboldt, the
famous traveller and historian. was one OF
those who estimated its value at G10o, co.,.
COO.
An Early Failure.
Quesada, the Spanish conqueror Of the
C%hibchas, was told the story of the treas
ure. and succeeded in reducing the water
~ .ho Iala +hnp OlA feat dean to * fppt
Then the sides fell in, and all his labor
was wasted. Further attempts were
abandoned, and the lake regained to o
very large extent it's former depth.
Where the great Spanish administrator
failed, however, Contractors, Limited, a
prosaic British syndicate, formed just over
six years ago, has determined TO succeed.
The syndicate was formed for the pur-
pose Of exploiting a concession obtained
from the Colombian government TO drain
the lake and recover for their own uses
the treasure believed to be hidden by ts
waters. Among it's directors are Mr.. r. j..
Price, NJ. p. for the eastern division Of
Norfolk, chairman, and Mrs. G. j. de MI.
rietta. Its capital was originally G30,00S,
and was increased to G55.G coo In 1903.
After six years of hard work, however,
some of those connected with the com.
pany are beginning to believe that thu
''Gilded Man is still at the bottom Of thu
lake guarding his treasure. Encouraging
finds Of isolated gold and silver gods and
jeweled goddesses have from time TO time
supported the tradition of the treasure,
but so far the dreams of untold wealth
ave not materialized.
First the lake was drained. 1t was not
an easy task, for it is some nine miles ir
length, and unforeseen difficulties were
continually confronting the workers The
most harassing of these was the constant
rain, which, winter and summer, hardly
ever ceased.
Lake Drained.
At last, however, toward the end Of 1903
the welcome news reached London thai
Mr.. Knowles and his staff Of engineers
and workmen had succeeded in cutting
through the basin Of the lake, and the wa.
ter had boon drained successfully. There
was great jubilation, and preparations
were made for the large consignments Of
gold, silver and jewels which might be ex.
pected to arrive on the next boats.
Unfortunately the water Is not the only
barrier on which the "Gilded Man" has &c
rely for the safe-keeping of his treasure.
The jubilation In Londonwall was sum.
marily ended by a cablegram stating that
twenty-five feet Of solid mud, or some 80.
100000 cubic feet in all, still lay between
the treasure seekers and their quest.
But what is 10000, 900 cubic feet of mud
"llSl -lOObOOJ,ONV - At INdht. - icW Nl'
gineering feat was decided on-the con-
struct.on of a great dam across the hole
made In the side Of the basin, terminating
in a shaft through which the mud should
be washed and carefully prec.pitated, so
as TO secure the gold and silver treasure "a
they were disturbed from their hiding
place of centuries.
The dam was constructed, and with it
the cleansing shaft but while he work was
in progress a strange thing had happened.
The Coded Man was evidently at work
again.
For over three years the engineers had
worked in the rain, n such a downpour.
indeed, as was unprecedented in Central
America. AS the water ran from the lake,
however, the rain has stopped, and a
drought equally without parelIel in the
history of the country set in. For more
thar two and a half years not a drop of
rain has fallen at the scene of the opera
tons, and when the engineers had COM
pletca the construction OF the dam it was
only 10 find that the sun had baked the
So,0O0.00 cubic feet of mud into the consist
-ency Of hard rock.
Hidden Wealth.
Then, metaphorically speaking, the cnSi-
neers sat down and wept. The rock-like
substance still lies as an impenetrable
bomb-proof lid over the gJ.den gods and
the silver dishes and ornaments, TO say
nothing of the jeweled goddesses ard their
.glittering handmaidens. .
The few natives in the region, remnants
of the great race OF Chibchas. occasionally
visit the scene and smile cheerfully at the
-downcast Englishmen. ut is all the work
OF the Gilded Man who is watching over
his treasure mountain" they say, and
they plainly hint that when the rain comes
If 1t eyer does oome--to soften the mud,
some other obstacle VIII defeat the desire
CT the treasure seekers.
Letter after letter from S!r. Knowles to
the little office in the city dejectedly refers
to the determined opposition nature has
placed in his way.
Il regret to say rain absolutely refuses
to fall here" he wrote In one Of his let
tiers. This Is all the more heartrending
as 1t falls all around. / have been here
hoping against hope. hearing the thunder
and seeing the storm pass us by, which Is
an awful trial, as you can imagine"
We really ought to get all the water
we want In May" he wrote again, ''but
NOBODY can guarantee this"
So TAR his pessim!sm has been justified.
The "Gilded Man Ia taking care Of has
.oWO.