Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-09-22
A PEON MONTE CRISTO.
Pedro Dreamed of Gold and Mea1
 (Oro Con Carmel and Found Both. \

(Oro Con Carmel and Found Both. | ! Back in the Sierra Madre mouns tains two days journey on mule-back from Culacan, the capital of Einaloa, | Mexico, is gold mine of wonderfue richness owned by Mexican peou' named Diego Maldonado. The mina is an antigna, name given by tha | Mexicans to the old abandoned Spanish mines so frequently uncov< cred by prospectors in these days of | frenzied gold hunting, and previ0ua, | lain idle for two hundred years OH ! more. | This Diego was laborer on gread | maguey plantation and as he was al< ways in debt to his employer he waa | practically a slave, for to owe money | in Mexico makes the debtor a bOndS man and he belongs body and soul to his creditor If he be unfortunate enough to belong to the peon class. For twelve years Diego labOred in the hacenda for few centaves peg day going at the will of his master, half starving in his hut on the hills but happy when he had plenty of cof- fee and tobacco to eke out his diet
 of corn cakes and beans. But Diego
 longed for better things and. like Oli.
 yer Twist. he hankered for meat
 Once he stole a piece of dried goat
 flesh that hung on string in the pas to of his masters house, but the mas jor domo saw the horrible crime and
 broke the thiefs shoulder with c grubblng hoe.
 Then Diego had to lie in the hut on the hill and smoke cigarettes while his wife labored in the fieldS But he hankered for flesh, and while he hankered the hills called him and he went to them. Every morning ho went abroad with his pickawee and pecked at the rocks In Senentri0nd canon. He had a hunch that gold might be hidden there. and with gold he could buy meat and freedom. cd he pecked away at the rock while the little brown wife toiled among tho maguey plants. The sun cured ao him from brassy sky and the cac1 tus tore at his flesh, but he fnltereQ not and then one day a thing happen< ed.
 He had been following a blind trail | that led him to a mesa and had scaled n ledge at the risk of his life when behind a vast growth of cactus hQ discovered an old dump pile. Pur< suing this lead he found the entrancq | to a mine but 1t was walled up with rubble and cement. Meat was now | fin sight. for Diego was wise in hi9 ignorance and knew that he had foun<l a rich antigna, for the old Spanisl4 miners didn't wall up worthlcs1 mines.
 The next day he borrowed from his master money euf~i ficient to pay "Denouncing' tnlino his claim on) the land surroundinH the find thereby enslaving himsel9 aud his wife for years. but he satd not a word to anyone about the mlnes \ Then he ran away to Cullacan, nle<4 his papers of ''denouncement" and; bought a pick. hammer and somd drills.
 In September 1905 an Engilsh syn< | dicate headed by the duke of West( minister offered Diego Maldonado nf{ teen million dollars for his gold mfn4 | fin the Sierra Madre, but he ouiy laughed. i
 "what do want with your goSd . asked Diego. "I have a mountain ful of 1t and can help myself when like. If took your money then my trouble would begin would have many lawyers i'd look after my fors tune. many clerks to care for ny business. much distress to keep io from leaving me and my hair would blanch with the care of investmentnH | No will keep the mine"
 He built a stout keep of stone % | his mines entrance. had steel vault door hung there and armed men to guard it day and night. When Dieeo wants money he takes his men intn the mine and breaks off sufficient ore which is immeseiy rich- The sme1fer fjrhieriv wgf tA -1hrTxenuBDoa4 man hands him a check and he Eoe9 to the City of Mexico where the hftiA brown wife lives in a palace.
 It is this man who offers to bul10 war ships for his native country. tn pay on national debts and to do o<boe xrpa. things. He owns the fnsteso yacht in Mexico and wiIl entsf ke1
 for competition in the Rrezt infefnn> tSonal regatta to he held In Hsmpeox Roads. at the Jamestown exposific1& near Norfolk Virginia In 1907. It =
 not necessary to ed that in th0o
 latter days Diego Mahonado - -