South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-01
AGED PROSPECTOR
MAKES RICH GOLD
STRIKE IN PANAMA
Forty-three Years Work Gets
Reward in Tropical
Jungle Claim.

NEW YORK, Dec. 31.-After AZ
years OF prospecting. and with the
lure Of gold still running strong IN
his 63-yedr- old veins, Sim \. Shea
has just arrived here from the
tropical jungles OF Colombia and
Panama with the light OF success
IN his eyes.
After months Of lonely struggling
through the jungles OF Central Am
erica. after being thwarted from
stalking out a rich claim in Colon
bia. and with his hands and body
swollen from the bites OF tropical
insects. Sim Shea. OF Norfolk, Va,
ar..ved here on the steamship Pas
torres carrying in his pocket the con-
cession from the Republic or Pana-
ma for what he claims is one OF the
most valuable gold deposits he has
ever seen.
Many months ago Shea felt the
call OF gold. Leaving his wife in
CaliurO county, Texas, he set forth
for Central America. At Colon.
Panama, he purchased a seagoing
launch, went through the Panama
canal and sailed down the coast TO
Buenaventura Here he announced
his intention Of going into the Co
lonbian jungles in search Of gold
and platinum. Everyone told him
that no white man had ever pene-
trated the jungles he proposed 10
enter Shea, despite his SO years,
was undaunted.
Enters Wilderness.
He secured an Indian boatman to
accompany him and set sail up the
San Juan river Here he found set
Elements and he sought a country
where there were no settlements.
So when the high tides flooded the
jungles he sailed his launch straight
into the jungles through trees and
underground tying his boat up when
the tides went down.
After many months OF this lonely
lighting he finally discovered de-
LOsits Of gold and platinum. Then
he found more and more deposits
of gold and platinum. Convinced
that the jungle was loaded with
metal" Shea made his way back
TO the coast TO seek a claim. Here
he was advised that his 34-year- old
wife had come seeking him and had
gone into the very jungle where no
white woman had ever been seen
before.
Shea set forth again in search Of
his wife. From the natives in the
interior he learned that she had
gone back to the coast. Returning
TO the coast ne learned that she had
again gone into the jungles. with
negro packing her baggage. Warn
ed that a woman might safely meet
the natives Of these jungles but
thar no man could meet them and
live Shea plunged into the jungles
again only 10 finally hear that his
wife had returned to the coast
again.
In Forbidden District.
Once more Shea went to the coast.
hut again his wife had gone into
further jungles to seek him. Shea
plunged into the interior again and
his travels brought him into Pana-
ma and the San Bias country, where
il is said the San Bias Indians have
allowed no white man TO stay over
night Shea met the San Bias In
dams, he fought single handed with
them and he came out OF the San
Bias country only TO find that some
one had complained to the Ameri-
can authorities that Shea had been
rough with the San Bias Indians.
Tramping and boating on through
the Panamaian jungles, almost
frantic in his search for his wife,
Shea found valuable gold and tim
Der land. He came out to the coast
and staked out his claim and finally
met his wife His weary fight was
ended He had his wife and his
claim, but being a good prOspector
he could not forget the rich de-
posts of Colombia, so he went to
that country seeking to file a
claim. only to End that his struggles
had been for naught and that the
laws of Colombia forbid foreigners
from mining concessions, and that
this law was most strictly enforced