The Coolidge examiner., 1935-06-28
GOLDEN
PHANTOMS
Fascinating
Tales of tdI,h. Il. ws,,On
Lost Mines e~xu.
LOST DUTCHMAN MINE

book might be written about IL, De-
cause In the century that has
elapsed since It's discovery legends
have sprung up about Il that would
furnish volume OF interesting
and often exciting. even blood curd-
llng-readlng.
The very location of the mine Is
unusual II lies somewhere In Su-
perstItion mountain. that great, pic
turesque labyrinth which stands
out OF the desert forty miles from
Phoenix. Ariz.
Yet. somewhere among these hid
ing-plaCes where anything beautl-
ful. gruesome. or strange might be
concealed. nj least one person lives. /
Who It Is. how he manages to eX-
list. what he knows OF the secrets
Of Superstition are questions which
he alone can answer But there he
is. self-constItuted guardian of the
mountain. He is armed. and those
who venture near his place OF con
cealment realize that fact very soon,
though all of them have not lived to
warn others
1913 Is nearly a century ago. II
was In 1913 that young Mexican,
Carlos. the lllegitimate son of Dor
Miguel Peralto. fed from his IA
ther's wrath up into the winding
ways of Superstition. lie was fol-
lowed by two Indians who had or
ders To bring him back. but at last,
after many weeks had passed, only
one returned.
This Indian had much TO tell
Carlos had discovered ore of in
credible richness. and had started
for home with the news, hoping 10
soften his fathers heart One of
the sudden mountain floods which
sometimes catch wayfarers had
swept him away. however. before
he had come far. and with him had
gone the other Indian and the
horses. Carlos had lived only long
enough to tell the survivor his
story. and 10 point out the location
of the mine.
The Indian was able to show Don |
Miguel the place. and the old don |
worked the mine for five years. be
coming rich from its proceeds. |
Then the United States became the
owner OF all that territory. and Don
Miguel decided TO send In one last
enormous expedition. to take out all
the gold possible. and then to retire
gracefully. Four hundred men, ac-
cordingly. and n thousand mules,
were sent 10 the mine.
There were Apaches In the region
In those days. as soldiers of later
generation could relate. The Mexl- |
cans were unable to stand against
them. Only two boys crawled away
and managed 10 keep out of sight |
All the rest perlshed.
Carlos gave the mine Its first
bloody baptism; the four hundred
miners wrote the second chapter
with their gore. But that was only
the start OF the story.
Several years later a German
prospector named Jacob Walz lost
his way among the twisted canyons
Of the eerie mountain. Wandering
about without any idea where he
was going. he finally stumbled onto
camp where three Mexicans re-
ceIved him with native hospitality
and gave him food and water. Two
OF the men were the boys who had
escaped from the Apache raid; the
other was a compadre who was to
share their labor and their riches.
They were working a wonderful
mine. they told Walz.
The German pretended to be re-
markably ignorant Of such things
as mines. He acted Indifferent, but
he looked and listened avidly, and
watched for a chance to do some
thing that should make the mine
his-alone. The chance came; he
caught up his rifle and fired three
times. The third sanguine chapter
was written.
And now, having gained sole pos
session of the golden secret, the
"Dutchman" did a characteristic |
thing: he gathered up a load Of mug
gets, took them to Phoenix, grew
garrulously drunk, and told all
Naturally, every one wanted to
know where-when-how. This he
would not tell. The mystery pleased
him. The fiattery exalted him. But |
when anyone tried to follow, he be- |
came a stubborn old fellow who |
would not lead.
Even murder did not keep back |
the increasing number who tried to
trail Walz to the mine. He began /
to feel worried; what IL some one /
should find it? The only safe thing
was to hide the place so thorough |
ly that no one would know where
II was. He covered the opening with
logs and concealed them with rocks. /
So he went to Phoenix, and there
he grew Ill and died.
AS he felt himself going, the old |
man tried to tell friend about the |
mine. He gave him box full of
nuggets, and tried to describe where
they came from, but who can de-
scribe one place in that mysterious
mountain and he understood?