The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-09-14
SEARCHING FOR AN
IMMENSE FORTUNE
Fabulous Wealth " Said to Be
Watched Over by the "Gild-
ed Man" m a Lake.
is OVER s5oo,ooo,o 900. 90
Enelishman Believes That at the Bot
tom of Lake GuataAita in Colombia
Lies Remains OF Vast Trib-
utcs to "Sloek."
From the London. express.

From the Londo,. express.
In a small city office sA,us.ted ia London
wall news is anXlously awaited from a
man who is sitting on tho cdge of a noun
cain lake in Colombia, entral America,
waiting for rain.
Heavy rain many mean roc him. and for
chose in the city office in Iondon-wall, thS
recovery of treasure worth, so Experts asy,
ut least 500. 100000 The hero OF the v4ga
is MIR. II. Knowles, managing director in
Bcgota of Contractors, Limited. The
story of the company is one of the most
amazing romances of misunderstanding in
history.
The lake of Guaravita, in Colombia, lies
IN the basin formed by the cone of an OK
tinct Volcano. 1t stands 5000 to 5000 feet
above the sea level, and it but a few mics
from the thriving little coal city Of DO
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 have made pil.rimageS to the
lake, when they cast every Imaginable
kind 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
We're 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 G1O0, CO..
eco.
An Early Failure.
Quesada, the Spanish conqueror of the
Chibclas, was told the story of the treas.
ure, and succeeded in reducing the water
OF the lake, then PA feet deep, to 10 feet.
Then the sides fell in, and all his labor
was wasted. Further attempts Were
abandoned, and the lake regained to 9
very large extent its former depth.
Where the great Spanish administrato
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 Il concession obtained
from the Colombian government to drain
the lake and recover for their own usna
the treasure believed to be hidden by It's
waters. Among it's directors are Mr.. r. j.
Price, Nj. +. for the eastern division ct
Norfolk, chairman, and Mrs. c. j. de Mlr
rietta. Its capital was originally G30,00i.
ana Was increased TO luJ,Abu IN lJ0o.
After six years of hard work, howevel
some of those connected with the com,
pany are beginning to believe that thu
'Gilded Man is etill 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
have not materiaiiZed.
First the lake was Grained. 1t was not
an easy task, for il is some nine miles ill.,
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 workInen lad succeeded in cutting
Trough the basin of the lake, and the wa,
ter had boon drained successfully. There
was great iubilation. and preparations
were made for the large coMsignments oil
gold, silver and jewc,s which might be eX-
pected to arrive on The next boats.
Unfortunately the water is not the only
barrier or which the 'Gilded Man has lc
rely for the safe-keeping of his treasure
The iubilation in Londonwall was sum.
marily ended by a cablegram stating that
twenty-five feet of solid mud. or some 90.
100000 cubic feet in all, st.ll lay between
the treasure seekers and their quest.
But what is 30, $50 cubic feet of mud
when .e100,o 00,0 Geo is at stake? y new en-.
cheering feat was decided on-tlae con.
struct.on of a great dam across the hole
made in the side of the basin, terminatin.
in a shaft through which the mud shou.C
be washed and carefully prec.pitated, sc
as to secure the gold and silver treasure a!
they We're disturbed from their hiding
place of centuries.
The dam was constructed, and with 4
the cleansing shat but while thc work wa:
in progress a strange ching had happened
The Coded Man" was evidently ar worL
again.
For over three years the engineers hat
worked in the rain, N such a downyour
indeed, as was unprecedented in Contra
America. AS the water ran from the lake
however, the rai.l has stopped, and /;
drought equally without paleiiel in the
history of the country set in. For moro
than two and a half years not a drop o.
rain has fallen at the scene Of the orera;
tons, and when tire engineers mad com
pleted the construction of the dam it wa:
only to find that the sun had baked TIL,
30,O00,0 coo cubic feet CT mud into the consist
ency of hard rock.
Hidden Wealth.
Then, Eletaphoricaliy speaking, the cngi
neers sat down ard Mept. The rocls-ltk,
substance still lies as an i;nrenetra5.,
bomb-procf lid over the go.den gods ant
the silver dishes and ornaments, to sa,
nothing of the jcwelod gcdGesAes ard thei
glittering handiaa-dens.
The few natives in the region. remnant.
of the great race OF Ctfibchas, occasionall,
visit the scene and sralle cheerfu.ly at the
doWncast llnalisrlrgon. lit is all tic worl
of the 'Gilded Man. who is watching Owe.
his treasure mountain they say. alS
they plainly hint that when the rain cc,ne:
If it ever does coEle-to soften the mud
some other obstacle VII Gefeat the desire
CT the treasure seekers.
Letter after letter from ar. knowles tt
the little Office in 1he city dojacted!y refer:
to the determined opposition nature ha:
placed in his way.
Il regret TO say rain Absolutely refuse:
to fall here" he Wrotc in one OF lis let
tiers. '1,hi is ali the more hcartrendir1s
as it falls all around. / havc been her,
hoping against hope, hearing the laundei
and seeing The storm pass u; by. winch i:
an awful rial, IS you can imagine"
w really ought 10 get al tie waite
We want in May" he wrcte again, 'Lu
nobody can guarantee this"
So far his pessimism has been justified
The "Gilded MGn'' ii, TAX .ns care Of hi
Own.