The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1910-08-09
TREASURE IS MYTH.
Stories of Hidden Gold OF Aztecs
Inventions of Historians.
Greatest Store OF Precious Metal Was
Found In Imperial Palace and
Promptly Shipped to Spain by
Cortez-Amount is Small.


San Antonio. Tex.-According to
Jose Ramon Palafox, a Mexican jour
nalist. who recently passed through
this city on his way TO Washington.
there are no hidden Montezuma treas
ures
No doubt the stories circulated
about the hidden treasures of the Az.
tee emperors have their origin in the
sadly exaggerated accounts of old
Spanish historians-men who swal-
lowed the yarns of the conquerors OF
Mexico and whose judgment had been
upset by the few shipments of gold
and silver made to Spain shortly after
the taking of the Aztec capital" said
Senior Palafox.
The amount of gold and silver in
the possession of the Aztecs at any
time was comparatively small and in
the case Of the people consisting OF
little more than a few personal orna-
ments. The greatest store Of these
precious metals was found by the
Spaniards In the imperial palace and
this was promptly shipped to Spain by
Cortez. Compared with the wealth OF
the bucket. The statement made by
historians that fernando Cortez sent
ship loads Of gold and silver to his
king should not be taken literally. for
In all probability It means no more
than that heavy shipments OF these
took place
The accounts of the Montezuma
treasure is merely O counterpart of
similar extravagances found on many
pages OF history. We read OF the
fabulous wealth OF the people of the
Euphrates valley, of the ancient Egyp-
tians, of India and other parts and so
far have never found a trace Of It. In
their day, no doubt, these people had
certain amount of gold and silver,
but they never had enough to cause
us moderns to call them rich. Dis
persed among them in the form of
currency, as Is the case today, their
wealth In precious metals would have
made very poor showing. Gold and
silver, then, as In the case of the
Aztecs, were not used at all as medi-
ums of exchange or were used only in
very limited way. Rulers paid and
and as rule coverted 1t into articles
OF practical value or objects OF art.
The old records show this down to a
very late date. The tribute collected
by the kings of Egypt, for example,
were gold and silver vases, statuettes
and the like. We see Rameses reward
the services of his generals by hang
Ing golden chain around their necks
and so on.
Conditions in Mexico when the con-
quistadores got there were the same.
Metals did not figure to any extent as
money or its equivalent In the pal.
ace of the emperor gold and silver
were found in the shape OF cooking
utensils, toilet articles and wall Gov
erings. Perhaps a small store of gold
and silver ingots was also discovered
and so, no doubt, was q small quantity
of precious stones.
The so-called Aztec goddess telling
OF the whereabouts of hidden treas.
ure are all spurious and are sold to
unsuspecting foreigners for fancy
prices. 1t is an industry somewhat
analogous to the making of antique
furniture and Jewels. OF course only
the most credulous are taken I'm and
usually one experience sufnces TO tell
the purchaser of codex that no has
been humbugged. However, sometimes
great deal of harm Is done by an
interruptions man getting posses.
sion of a so-called codex. He IS enter.
prising enough to turn his purchase
to good account as far as he is con.
cerned, but those who have been fool
ish enough to believe his plausible
stories will find that the Montezuma
treasure Is no more than a tablets.
In fact, q swindle Probably no one
knows Mexico better than do it's ma.
tives and nowhere are traditions and
the like better preserved. In view
OF these facts II would be more than
strange that the Mexican should sell
information as to treasures when he
could lift the hoard himself"
Asked what he thought of the codex
now said TO be I'm the possession OF
an American by the name of r. A.
Kenyon. Mr. Palafox expressed him
self to the effect that I'm all probable
fly II was no better than other docu.
InenJs OF that kind, and that quite
often a so-called codex was well
enough executed to even deceive those
familiar with the subject.
"a great deal of harm has been
done TO Mexican investment oppor.
tunities by ancient mine and hidden
treasure swindles." said Mr.. Palafox
NO sane man should take any stock
IN either. Mexico IS well stocked with
Americans who do nothing else but
exploit their countrymon on the other
side Of the Rio Grande. This also
applies TO some Of the rubber land and
colonization propositions Americans
ready to invest money IN the republic
should first put themselves in touch
with the Mexican government Doing
thds VIII savo them money and disap.
pOdntment"