The Montgomery tribune., 1910-05-13

NhpoNS Sed ieFel. Two other CraterS of lesser
nelsht rise one on either side of the main crater;
then sheer drop of several thousand feet of sul.
phur-coated rock to the highest signs of vegeta-
uoh' Below this on the Pacific slopes stretch
Deauutui rolling llanos or steppes. lower and
lower on down to the palm-fringed coast line
Somewhere on these immense slopes lies the
iost mine of the Indians "Tisingal" known to
and worked by the early Spanish settlers who
changed its name to la Estrea" or Mine of the
Star.
During the year 1S33-34, in going through the
archives at Cartago, Costa Rca some official doc.
uments pertaining to this mine were found and
permission was obtained from the Costa Rican
government for their publication Shortly there
after a company was formed in Cartago to send
out exploring parties, and although considerable
time and money were wasted and several lives
iost In an endeavor to locate this mine, no indica-
tons OF its whereabouts found.
Reprints of some of the documents referred to
nave come into the hands of the writer in which
Is preserved the old style Spanish in which they
were originally written during the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. Translations of these pa.
pers have been made and the information con-
tained tneren summarized. to which have been
added data obtained through a personal acquaint-
ance with the country described. During last
year an unsuccessful attempt was made by the
writer to ascend the highest crater of the Chri-
qui volcano for the purpose Of verifying certain
information .purported to have been secured In
the year 1905 from this point and pertaining to
the Tisingal mine. During the dry season of this
year a second attempt will probably be made
Among the documents consulted is one that.
literally translated. reads as follows:
Within the limits of the department of Cbiri
qul contiguous to the Republic of Costa Rica
exist places rich in gold known by the names of
Iis1ngai. Quebrada Ancha. Quebrada de Orc and
Others quite important The first of these places
was explored some time ago by Spanish colony
which In the year 1901 founded the city of Con.
cepc1on de la Estrea. near this mine of great
wealth. The excessive stinginess of the connuer
ors reduced the Indians of the locality to the con-
dition OF slaves. they being forced by the Spanish
TO work. mining the gold of the TisingaI These
Indians became tired Of the excessive work and
Dad treatment and became desperate In the year
16l1 they revolted against their oppressors and
'exterminated them; but other Spaniards at tho
place OF the mutiny again compelled the Indians
70 resume the working of the mine and made
harder for them their state of slavery This al.
most eliminated the Indians from this stretch of
country.
! "On the twenty-eighth of September, some
years after these happenings the Indians re-
turned. and without pity or consideration took
the life of every foreigner living Ia the country;
and not only this. but, carrying stones from dis
tant localities they covered up and destroyed all
traces Of the workings OF the mines. and\ they
Ilso razed all houses and churches belonging to
these ancient buildings today the foundations
of the church and a bell belonging to it.
AT last the news OF the new rebellion reached
Cartago in Costa Rica, where immediate prepa-
rations were made for revenge. 1t Is known that
at the beginning Of the year 1910 the government
at Carriage sent 200 men by the way of Boruca
and Tuis TO San Jose Cabecar, town to the east
about is leagues from Conceprion. This expedi-
ton took 500 Indians of both sexes prisoners and
reduced them to state OF slavery, and as such
consigned them to the inhabitants around about
Carriage upon their return to that place These
prisoners and all other Indians they met along
the way were massacred shortly thereafter,
From that time all Indians living in the
mountains in all directions up to distance of TO-
leagues turned bitter enemies Of the foreigners
and up to a few years ago would have nothing to
do with the white races. Due to these events all
traces OF the villages Of Turralba. Tuis. Atirro,
San Jose Cabecar and other places that lay on \
the route to Conception de la Estrella and Tisin-
gal we're ost and the trails Of COMMUNICATION
with the mines were covered with brush and
completely destroyed. 50 that after 40 years In
Carriage no knowledge was to be obtained as to
the locality OF the Estrella and practically no
person living knew or had seen tho mines at