This article comes at a convenient time where in with
all the seeming recent renewed interest in the Hoyt mine I decided to write of
it. After two days of putting this article together, I get a phone call informing me
the History channel would be airing an episode of Beyond Oak Island regarding
the Josephine mine of all things and featuring Terry Carter…. Well… I had to
make an exception and watch of course, and it wasn’t bad at all… Nice job
Terry, strangely enough at the same time a friend sent me a copy of what
appears to be Gales transcript to the book he never wrote as he passed before
hand… I love a good coincident…. Or two… needless to say I had to rethink and rearrange the article as I learned a few things I didn't know.... Who wouldn't be interested in a story which might lead to a treasure of over a billion in gold?
_______________________________________________
Authentic stories of the past told over and over each
time adding in ones own perspective is a rouge trait of story tellers and is
getting worse in these times where in there seems to be no love of the truth.
Minor details mention from the perspective of the originator are ignored and
emphasis given to non essential descriptive words and then you sneeze, wipe
your nose and an entirely different story sits before you, as you stare at it,
wondering what the hell happened? No matter what you say or do to correct the
miss perceptions the cancer continues to grow.
An example many of you might be familiar with, the Grand Canyon underground city discovered by G. E. Kincaid
sometime around 1909. the story as incredible as it already was has grown into a
deception of misinformation. It would seem a poor choice of words created the
problem not to mention those to week minded to listen to what they read…
According to
the story related to the Gazette by Mr. Kinkaid, the archaeologists of the
Smithsonian Institute, which is financing the expeditions, have made
discoveries which almost conclusively prove that the race which inhabited this
mysterious cavern, hewn in solid rock by human hands, was of oriental origin, possibly
from Egypt,
Well oriental people are NOT from Egypt, but perhaps
Kincaid didn’t know this… Egyptians were never here, shortly after the above
notation Kincaid describes a statue carved out of the stone which is clearly
Buddha but as it seems no one paid any attention and now you cannot find a
write up which does not lead with “EGYPTIAN CITY FOUND”…. The truth of the
matter is much more interesting…
Another misinformation that has been grossly blown out
of proportion is Moctezuma’s treasure, I guess there just isn’t any money in
the truth… but the truth behind it is a much more interesting story as well… On
with the intended story…
The Mina de Josephine de Martinique de Emperatris
Gale Rhoades and Steve Shaffer 1981
Although knowledge of the purported Josephine mine had
come to Gale as early as 1969, after years of turns of events it wasn’t until
Steve following up on a dream found his way up to Hoyt Peak area, and found the
mine they would claim and name the Bear hole…
It was some time in the year 1994 just 6 years after
the passing of Gale Roy Rhoades and after Gale had last put his pen to paper
and leaving his manuscript behind, Stephen B. Shaffer released his book about
the Lost Josephine mine, Of Men and Gold. Until Steve, who has since passed as
well, put his book out, many of those of the treasure world had never even
heard of the Josephine of Hoyt Peak, or the Mine of the Utes, even though it
had been well know several times in the past. Most had never heard of Thomas
Rhoades and his son Caleb. Gale was the 3 times Great Grand son of Thomas
Rhoades.
The following information is based upon the best
source material available that I am aware, I make no claim that any part of it
is true and accurate as none of us knows the answer to that… I write the
following to be of some sort of aid to those who will no doubt in the future
attempt the same thing so many have tried before, to locate the true Josephine
of the Garcia Waybill or Redotero.
As it would seem, here we are some 30 years later and
we are no wiser as to where the Josephine is, in fact it seems we now have 3
and still many don’t know what I am talking about. Now I don’t mean the
Josephine of the Henrys or any other location other than Hoyt Peak,
I’m talking about the two mines of the past thought to be the Josephine and the
real Josephine. This is not to say that all three have not at one time in the
days of the Spanish expeditions, that each had been considered the Josephine or
perhaps the title refers to any of the Royal Mines named in honor the Empress
Josephine of Martinique, a name which would not be known for well over 100
years since the mine was first known in Utah.
Just for notice the place the Empress was born in Martinique which was a
small island in the Caribbean and at the time, was an integral part of the
French Republic, yes… the Empress was French, not Spanish. Was Captain Garcia
and his soldiers French or Spanish?
Kimball and the Slave Traders 1851 and Captain San
Jose Pueblo
It was 1851 when General Kimball arrested some
Spaniards for slave trading in Utah
and he being the first to learn from one of the arrested of the Lost Josephine.
The Spaniard, San Jose Pueblo told General Kimball that many years prior he
hauled ore from the mines found near the head waters of what was now known as
the Provo River. Near as I can tell however the story made no headlines other
than the court proceedings, as it seems that only some circles had ever heard
about it. The early settlers in the Kamas valley knew well and good of the old
worked out mine west of the valley but never knew the story behind it. That
would all change in 1898 when William Bird and his son found an old mine up by Hoyt Peak,
but was it the same mine that Gale and Steve have wrote about? From here on I
will refer to that mine as the Hoyt Mine. As a result of William
Birds discovery, General Kimball’s story is told, and I find it is the most
credible of the documents used in this investigation along with the Garcia
redotero.
From the Salt Lake Herald December 6th 1898;
In the year
1842 there were four companies of Spaniard who came up into this country for
the purpose of prospecting and mining. They called the river they were on the Tempe Nogas but this is now known as the Provo River.
These men had
two mines which were located between the Provo and Weber rivers One of these
they worked out and the white people who first discovered Kamas valley or what was
called Rhodes valley In the early days found this exhausted producer which was
situated on the west side of the valley about half way between the Provo and
Weber rivers and when discovered tools of ancient make were round in its old
workings.
The other
mine and the one from which the Spaniards took the most gold was across the
valley on the eastside and was situated
on the ridgeback of what is now known as
Hoyt’s Peak between the Provo river and the Weber The Weber was not named at
that time but a man could stand on the
ridge between the tunnel and shaft of what Is now called the Josephine mine and
see the Tempe Nogas river now the Provo and also the unknown river [Santa Anna] now known as the Weber. “The Spaniards” Mr. Kimball went on to say left the mines when they load
secured all the gold they wanted heading for Mexico through the territory occupied
by the Navajo Indians. The Indians were hostile and massacred the entire
company with the exception of their captain who managed to make his escape The
Spaniard who escaped was named San Jose Pueblo.
Pueblo made
his way to Mexico where the Utah mines were recorded at Santa Fe and after
remaining there for sometime made up a party for the purpose of returning here
to reopen and work these old mines but upon his arrival finding the Mormon
people here he concluded to abandon his project Instead of which he went into
the business of buying young Indians for the Mexico slave trade.
The United States government hearing of this
ordered me, then deputy United States marshal to arrest the Spaniards which was
done in the fall of 1851, and I had eight Spaniards under arrest and under my
charge for It period of seven weeks who were charged with buying Indians for
the purpose of taking them to Mexico to sell as slaves. The only one of the prisoners
who could talk English was San Jose Pueblo and I spent considerable
time in his company gaining his confidence and he told me a great deal
regarding his gold mine above Kamas and all about the one which had been worked
out. The theory had been that the
Spaniards closed and sealed their mines
to hide them but San Jose Pueblo stated that their laws obliged them to
conceal their good mines whenever they left them for any length of time. He
also said that if this mine (the Josephine) was ever found the finders would
find in its old workings a lot of tools powder etc which had been used in the
working of the mine. He also said that this mine was a natural cave when first
found and that it was very rich in gold in the bottom and that the property had
been worked by them quite extensively, several cuts having been run from the
cave in which large of gold ore had been uncovered on every hand the workings
extending late the mountain until a depth of 600 or 700 feet below the surface
had been attained. Pueblo also stated that an incline tunnel had
been run in a westerly direction and that finding that this incline headed for
an old shaft on the property the workings were extended until air connections
were made. San Jose Pueblo also told me that he came to this country to
mine with his father when he was a little boy but when I first aw him he was a
man of at least 50 year which goes to show that the mines above Kamas had been
worked for many years prior to the advent of the white man into this country.
San Jose no doubt was with the Garcia expedition, but he makes
no mention of a cache being left behind… if he was 50 years of age in 1851, he would
have been a small boy in 1814 when Garcia left the Josephine as a result of
hostile Indians.
In the first portion of the previous article, it
mentions a place where if you stand you can see the Weber river in one
direction and the Provo
river in the other. For those of you who have not been to Hoyt Peak formerly
known as Hoyt’s Peak, if you were to stand between the Hoyt Mine and the Glory
hole, there is no way in hell you could see the Provo river or the Weber, there
is only two places that this can be the case and one location in my mind,
clearly shows John Young’s first discovery location was NEAR WHERE HE BUILT his cabin?
But it could also be one other location of which I have not yet ventured in
this article.
William Bird 1889
It is said in the article of the Salt Lake
Herald, October 25th 1889 states that that year William Bird
found a mine by following the instruction of a map and drawing which was
furnished them by others and as it would seem they knew its location was
recorded in the archives of Santa Fe
New Mexico.
It is further said that when they found it the
entrance was “walled” up with rock, and making entrance that it was an incline
of about 30 degrees and ran as far as a quarter of a mile being 1320 feet.... But…
no mention of a wooden door!..
According to the Garcia redotero that would not be
know for another 80 Years and according to its presumed author Captain Jose
Joaquin Garcia, there was a treasure in the mine left behind a big wooden door
located 46 varas from the mine opening and the treasure is said to be another 8
varas behind the door, this is approximately 150 feet from the opening of the
mine! Where is the thick wooden door? I have been in that mine some 280 feet
and I saw no evidence of a door nor a cave in as a result of an explosion which
would not occur for another 41 years after the discovery by William Bird. Bird
also makes mention of a presumed nearby shaft some 300 deep likely the Glory
Hole.
Based on this information and other documents it would
be my opinion that William Bird found the same mine, the Hoyt mine called the
Josephine some 80 plus years later, the Hoyt mine which the Forrest Service
bull dozed not many years ago. But was it the Josephine mine talked about in
the Garcia Redotero? I don’t think so.
Keep in mind the Spaniard that Kimball arrested in
1851, likely never knew of the Garcia Redotero, and if he did he wasn’t going
to tell about it, but I would however suspect he was a part of the Garcia
expedition. William Bird although it is possible, likely never knew of the
Garcia Redoterro either.
John Young 1939
Some 40 years later after the Birds had apparently
abandoned their efforts the story was revived again. I do not have the original
source material for the following but I am taking it from the last manuscript
of Gale Rhoades and I choose with some reservation, to take his word for it.
John Young who was the grandson of good old Brigham Young, reported in about
1939 the following taken from manuscript…
“John and his
twelve- year-old son, Keith were riding leisurely through the timber and up a
small shallow canyon toward Hoyt Peak when, just before they reached the crest
of a low pass on the northeast slope of the peak, a sudden thunderstorm let
loose, sending John and Keith Young scouring for shelter under a protruding
bush- like tree nestled against a small gray ledge. After the two had sat
huddled up against the ledge and in the shelter of the small bush-like tree for
a considerable amount of time, John turned to find that his son was no where to
be seen and he called out for him, not once, but several times. The boy,
hearing his father' s call, soon stuck his head out of a small nearby hole at
the base of the ·ledge, and said, "Dad! There's a house down in
here!"
Now I do however question the accuracy of how they
found the mine and would love to see the original source material, but keep in
mind the last persons to occupy the mine, ASSUMING it is the Hoyt mine and the
mine William Bird had found, was John Young. Was there time enough for a bush to
grow thick enough to conceal the mine opening in 40 years? Not likely although
possible, did John conceal the mine by closing it up again? Johns supposed
record of events says he crawled through a small hole. So far I do suspect a
bit of author liberties… the description he gives concerning the room just
inside the mine is fairly accurate, however later he says that there was much
evidence of donkey mule or horse manure and I am here to tell you that in that
first room was NEVER a horse mule or donkey, the opening was hardly big enough
for a man let alone a mule. And inside there was not as much room as you might
think, immediately as you entered there was a very large rock on the left side of
the room which seemed to work perfect for a table or shelf and not having much
room on the right to pass by it with the mine tunnel continuing past it and to
the south west then immediately turning west. Even if the doorway to the mine
was big enough for horses, there was no room in that cavity you entered first.
Also it was said the room ceiling was caked with smoke and soot, and the room I
went into was a ceiling of rock which looked no different than the walls or
tunnel rock. Johns remaining description of the tunnel is familiar but sounds
like Gale describing the interior rather than John. Then his description comes
to the door, now at that point which he describes a door, I am here to tell you
was no door anywhere in that specific mine and no evidence of a door what so
ever. I personally believe John was in another mine altogether at a different
location other than the Hoyt mine.
The information provided in the manuscript suggests
John thought he had found the lost Rhoades Mine and did not mention the
Josephine, “perhaps and old Spanish mine”
he said.
Reading the remainder of manuscript leads me to
believe several liberties were taken to merge two stories of two different
locations, I do not believe this was done intentionally to deceive anyone, I
can very easily see how he would have believed the two locations were the same
but it seems John Young knew of both and worked both locations. The mine he
first describes in this manuscript cannot be the same mine he is later working
which is no doubt the mine that William Bird found 40 years prior to Johns
discovery.
John Young in his later years account clearly had
knowledge of the Hoyt mine, I just don’t see the evidence of a door that according
to the Josephine redotero supposedly written by Captain Garcia in 1814, as
being the same mines.
Now this is not to say a wooden door in the mine does
not exist, it just doesn’t exist according to the description found in the
Garcia redotero. As it would seem there are two stories of an old wooden door
being found down in the glory hole, one was found in John Young’s later years
and described. According to the presumed later find and the description of the
door found, the two doors cannot be one and the same, in fact the latter is
likely much more ancient than the Spanish and we begin to see, that the reasons
the Spanish were mining this area, is due to much older information handed down
of which few would even think.
Let the discovery of the old Roman coin in the glory
hole be a clue. Yes it is possible it was dropped by some Spaniard, but let’s
not dismiss the first possible conclusion. As an example, if you are familiar
with the Lady of Elche Bust discovered in Elche Spain in 1897, just because the
bust was found in Elche Spain, does not mean a non existent culture called Elchites or Iberians were responsible, in fact I will venture to say, when all
is said and done… it will be discovered that the Lady of Elche bust was
manufactured here in the west on this continent, and is not a rendition of a
Lady… let the academics chew on that one for a while…
THE OLD UTE INDIAN 1960
Within the manuscript is also told the story of the 103
year old White River Ute Indian who was brought to their camp situated on the South East side of Hoyt, by John McBee. Although the
dates given or time frames don’t quite add up, regardless here is yet another
believable account of either the same
mine at Hoyt of Gale and Steve, or the mine of John Young’s first discovery, where
we still have a problem with a door.
The following is the story according to the manuscript;
In about
1877, when he was only 12 years old, he was brought out to Hoyt Peak by his
father and a band of warriors who were sent there, specifically, to kill a
small group of Spaniards who had been found working an old gold mine.
The leader of
the mining expedition, who was referred to as "Black Whiskers" by the
Indians, had come from California with a group of Mexicans which he had either
bought or stolen for the purpose of working them in this mine, using slave
labor tactics. He had also managed to obtain a certain number of White River Reservation Indians which he, with the help
of two other Spaniards, also forced to work the old mine. It was said that this
Spaniard, called Black Whiskers, had learned the location of the old mine by
researching old records and had come
in there, with his Mexican and Indian slaves, to work the mine of its gold and
silver.
Prior to the
presence of Black Whiskers some of the reservation Indians had entered the old
mine, peeled pure gold from its veins, and had taken the gold down to the
Rhoades Valley Fort at Kamas where they had traded it for food, clothes and
whatever else they may have needed.
But then
Black Whiskers came out there with two other Spaniards and they forced the
Mexicans and the Indians to work the mines, smelt the ore, and store up a large cache of gold and silver bars,
which they stockpiled behind an old wooden door inside the mine. When he
(the old Indian) and that delegated group of warriors arrived at Hoyt Peak
in 1877, the miners were all down inside the mine working. A plan of attack was
devised by the older men and he, being only 12 years old, was left a short
distance behind, on the south side of a large rock, to hold the horses while
his father and the others crept around the hillside and down through the timber
to take positions less than 100 yards across from the old mine entrance to
await the kill .
All during
the afternoon the young Indian boy watched with anticipation, and when the
miners finally began to emerge from a hard day's work from within the mine the
warriors steadied their rifles and took careful aim. Moments later, when Black
Whiskers and his two Spanish companions were in clear view, the signal was
given, shots rang out, and the three Spaniards dropped to the ground in sudden
death.
The Mexicans
and the Indians were then released and sent on their way, to freedom. However,
before leaving the area, the Mexicans
were allowed by their Indian liberators enough time to bury the three slain
Spaniards, as the Indians would not bury them after they had killed them. So
the Mexicans, in three groups, carried the three dead men up the hillside to a
spot above the mine, on the north side of the rock near where the horses had
been held by the young Indian, and there buried them alongside their personal
belongings, erecting a wood cross as their gravestone . [Why?]
Following the
massacre and then the burial, the Indians told the Mexicans that they were free
to leave and to return to their homes, but that, under no circumstances were
they ever to return t o the old mine.
The Mexicans,
of course, soon left the site of the old mine, but they were for a time
secretly watched by the Indians who feared that the Mexicans might try to
return for the cache of gold and silver stored within the mine. And, true to
the suspicions of the Indians, the Mexicans returned after only a few days,
where they loaded as much of the gold as they could carry on their pack animals
and then rode off. As they rounded the hill, a short distance from the
mine, they were set upon by the very
Indians who had freed them from their bondage, and the Mexicans were made to
bury the gold in the very place where they were stopped - in the side of the
sloping hill, not far from the old mine. When all the gold bars were covered,
the Indians once again let the Mexicans go, but only with a stern warning that
if they should return every one of them would meet certain death. The Mexicans
then fled the area and they never did return.
Although I find the story as credible, I do have a few
issues with it, one particular that stands out, why would the former captive
slaves want to bury their oppressors, let alone carry them up the hill? If
anything, I would have thrown them back in the mine and let them rot. Also the
part about stockpiling gold and silver behind an old wooden door seems a bit
odd and comes across as a convenient insert but as always, I could be wrong.
Let me say at this time that an old wooden door found
in an old Spanish mine would not be a unique occurrence, I am personal
acquainted with at least 7 mines in the area all of which might be considered
as the Josephine, depending on who has worked them in the past, and I would bet
at least 3 of them have old wooden doors in them, but only one will match the
description told in the Garcia redotero, if it is an authentic document. So far
John Young’s description of the first mine fits nicely, except it is in the
wrong place, just as is the Hoyt mine, this is not to say that either mine does
not contain an old wooden door and a cache behind it. IF the story told by the
Old Ute Indian is true as it was presented in the manuscript, then we
potentially have TWO caches behind an old wooden door in two separate mines.
Which could be highly possible.
The Old Maps
One of the
most asinine things I ever heard a treasure hunter skeptic say about the
treasure books is… "Have you ever noticed that all the maps fit on 8 X 11 paper?" I wonder if this Sherlock had ever made a copy a of 20
inch by 52 inch scroll….
A digital reproduction of an authentic
map
Before any Spanish exploration began, the Captain
would sketch (make a duplicate) a
copy of the area he was going to, first a general area map was made, and then
copied from a master map of that area, the master copy which was never intended
to leave the archives, he would make a copy of the licensed area he was going to, having received permission of the
King. These maps have shown up in all sizes, the smallest I have seen was made
by Miguel Hidalgo about 5 by 9 inches and likely not a licensed expedition and
the largest on goatskin probably about a foot and a half by 3 feet, and when it
was copied it took 2 scan copies and of course it was then made into 3 sections
the size of 8 X 11 so it could fit in a BOOK.
I saw a picture of a 4 Man Spanish cannon once…
however I noticed that it must have been fake as it fit on a 17 inch computer
screen…. Did I mention asinine? Moving on...
Lets start with the Pedro Nunez map of 1771 of which
is likely from a licensed expedition but either they could not afford a good
cartographer or he was killed along the way… who ever made this map was no
cartographer, but sometimes as in this case they were very good at capturing
other details not usually picked up on in cartographers maps.
I use this example for many reasons we will not go
into, suffice it to say, I believe without doubt that this is an authentic map
left behind by the dead. The right half of this map, representatives of Spain have
expressed there sediments about letting a copy of it go from the archives, and
there dismay about us having a copy of the left half, we call it the half map.
Pedro Nunez, Villa Vicerceo 1771
However I would like to draw your attention to a
certain portion of the map,
If you will notice the balloon with a mound drawn in
it, this mound is meant to represent the peak or mountain of what we today call
Hoyt Peak, and some may disagree… however
everyone has a perspective and often different from others, notice the X above
and behind the mound on the right? Also notice the X in front of the mound and
on the right along the dotted line which is a trail that passes along the front
of the mound on the south, the previous X is likely North East of the Peak, but
it is the lower X that I believe the notation on the map has to do. “La Mine De Josephine Emporatria” This is
near the location of John Young’s cabin built after his first discovery. Why
would John who was very possessive and secretive about the mines location build
his cabin where he could not see it over two hills and a half mile away? I
believe Johns first discovered mine is “one
of” the known Josephine mines, but it is not THEE Josephine of the Garcia
redotero.
The Garcia Map
This particular map is a hand drawn copy of the
original, as I recall Steve told me it was found in the archives of Santa Fe,
OR it came from the Garcia family whom he and Gale had tracked down at one
time, neither of which I can confirm. However after seeing as many maps as I
have, I have no reason to believe it is a forgery and there are certain things
appearing customary of the master map which strongly implies its authentic
origin and yes it does fit on an 8 X 11 piece of paper.
Aside from other features found on the map, there is
one feature that was clearly duplicated and apparently without question. The
theory of the skeptics is that Gale and or Steve would falsify their maps, Why,
when so many of them have surfaced through the years? On this map unknowing I
am sure to Steve and Gale is a notation that actually shows that the mine of
the Garcia redotero was not the mine they so adamantly believed it to be as
well as every other Tom, Dick and Gary.
I want very badly to show you this and compare step by
step to the Garcia redotero, but I just can’t. well, ok some… I can however
share it with that one individual who not only can take it to the next level
but would put forth the effort to do so for the right reasons. Certain
equipment must be had in order to validate what is already so plain… if you can
put two and two together then so be it, but the answer to this part is this, if
you want to know where this mine location truly is, read and read carefully…
The true Josephine of the Garcia redotero is exactly where he said it is… and
this map holds one of the best clues to support what Garcia said.
If you are familiar with Hoyt Peak
area the maps and the many perspectives… read carefully the following in
addition to the Garcia redotero.
Around 2002 or so I had just returned from a day up at
Hoyt, checking directions and distances validating what I had already come to
believe… being the skeptic that I can be, I just have to check and recheck, at
this point I was looking for my validation… On my way home I stopped in Murray to visit a friend
in a professional manner, in coming through the door he greeted me with a smile
and a “Dan! What ya been up to?” He
being a roadside treasure hunter knew of some of my research projects. I told
him I had just spent the day up at Hoyt Peak checking details of an old Spanish
mine… Looking slightly perplexed and as if I light just turned on, he asked me
if Hoyt Peak was east of Kamas, I assured him
that it was… then his eyes lit up and with excitement he said, I have a story
to tell you! If I told you who his dad was you would understand why this was
exciting to me as well… but I cannot…
He being not much older than I, said that when he was
10 years old and on his birthday, his dads Indian woman friend came to visit
him, this would have been about 1965 or so. She told my friends dad that she
has to speak with him and she began with saying how much she has appreciated
the friendship he had shown her these many years, she said “in fact, you are the only real friend I have”…
she continued with “I want to tell you
that many years ago, my grandfathers killed some Spaniards up near Hoyt Peak
who were working an old mine sacred to the Native people, after the massacre it
was placed upon my family to continuously keep the mine covered and hidden of
which we have always faithfully done so and I have done for many years." She
said that she was getting to old to do this any more and no one in her family had
any interest to continue, she said to him, "I want to give it to you."
The Indian woman drew her friend a map and gave him
many details and she bid him her goodbye’s. Excited he went to his son, being
my friend and asked him if he wanted to ride up to the top of a mountain with
him, “sure!” he said and they packed up and headed up the next day… He told me
the map lay on the seat between he and his dad, all the way up the mountain he
only glancing at it from time to time, he said we drove around the south side
of the bald Mountain called Hoyt Peak and around the east side turning westerly
and at the end of the road not far below the peak they parked next to an old
twisted pine tree on the edge of a ledge over looking to the North West a canyon valley
of sort. There was a small pond down below and his dad took the map and stood
at the edge of the ledge looking down, and then at the map, and then down
again, and his dad raised his hand pointing down and in the distance and said
its right down there! I bout fell out of the chair I was sitting in, and as he told
me this I could see every step and I could plainly see his dad was pointing at the
very spot I and a friend had previously discovered of which fits the redotero
directions and description near perfectly… I had my validation. We previously
had found the small BLACK ledge spoken of in the Garcia document, and
confirming the little Indian woman’s story, someone had been keeping the small
black ledge covered except where it broke surface in the bushes nearby.
Now let’s take a closer look at the Garcia map and
giving it a little credibility.
Now the Garcia
map has a unique feature that I am sure most everyone has overlooked, I didn’t
notice it until I personally hiked into the area myself some 20 years ago. You
will notice the river which stems southward from the Rio Santa Anna, (top of
map is North) this is the South Fork drainage but at its end it does not show
the tributaries or at least is not clear on this point. But remember that if
you were making a map showing the drainages you would like Captain Garcia use
the tributaries that were pertinent and where there was a water flow. Near the
south end of what Garcia drew as South Fork of the Weber, there is a branch
with the Weber continuing towards the mine X “Oro” however it is not shown. The
tributary it would appear he chose to place on his map is Maxwell Creek
and how do I know this? From the end of this tributary there is a gap where you
see the word "la Mina" and then del Yutas... and the line continues in a westerly direction and
shortly there after ending, why is this gap there? Did the river disappear?
Well… yes it did…
On one of our first expeditions into the area we
discovered that not far above the Maxwell creek junction with South Fork, the
creek comes out of the ground with no contributing water source from above it.
If you follow the Maxwell creek drainage up towards the Josephine, you will find
where this very same creek drops underground in a sink hole surfacing again at
the point previously mentioned. As it would seem Garcia noticed this as well as
this can be the only explanation as the why the map has a gap in the creek. If
you follow this creek from the sink hole to its origins, it leads to a spring
which is not shown on any map and it runs all year round. From the point in
which the water disappears into the sink hole to where in surfaces again is
about 1500 yards. The spring which feeds this water source does not contribute
to the small pond so many are familiar with in fact the USGS maps show that the
pond drains to the North then meanders its way to eventually joining with
Maxwell which it most certainly does not, in fact if and when water is flowing
from that pond, it peters out and disappears and likely feeds the pond which is
North of the small pond mentioned prior. Why is this all important?
If you will notice, as per Garcia’s stroke of his pen,
he marks the location of the Josephine of his redotero as being N/Westerly from
where the sink hole would be. This is when my suspicions were confirmed ever
since I first received and read a transcription of Men and Gold by Steve
Shaffer and a year or so before it was published it. I knew when I read the
redotero that the mine referred to as the Hoyt Mine, the Bird Mine, Bear Hole
and many other titles is not the Josephine of the redotero and also not the
mine in which John Young first described, but I did know it was the mine the
little Indian woman describe and drew a map to and the Mine of the Garcia
document.
This is also when I had a epiphany discovering a most
important awakening of knowledge… Spaniards could not fly… so why would Garcia make the distance to the
mine 1600 varas if no one was going to walk it? You have to follow the trail
and whether it is the new location I have just given or the Hoyt mine, both
could be justified as 1600 Varas, depending on the course and it certainly is
not perfect but only one of the locations falls into the description of NORTH
EAST of the Peak.
Now to finish this up, Garcia was a Sea faring
Captain, which would you think he would have been using for his bearing?
Magnetic North or North Star? If he was using the North Star the new location
is situated at approximately 40 degree from the peak, close enough to be considered
N/E. The Hoyt mine would be at approximately 85 degrees resting between East
and North by East. If he was using a compass and adjusting to the declination
of today which really isn’t much different than in it was in 1800, the new location would
be at about 27 degrees with the Hoyt mine at 72 degrees and N/E falling in the
middle of the two but nearer to the new location. Which was intended? Or do we
need to consider a new location? And the questions no one want to hear... Did Garcia make it back? and was he successful?
My hope is that you receive something from this if
nothing more than enjoyment.
Although I have several prospects, I am still looking for that perfect protégé, one who
has the time, the money, the intelligence and inclination to take it all to the
next level…. The hard part has been done, or has it, but in this day and age we
have all sorts of new technologies of which I cannot seem to get my hands on
and so I revert to further investigation… this particular project is still open
to additional methods of validation aside from the new technologies… I just want
to know the truth...
