The fact is no one really knows for sure, but there are several theories. One claims that Arizona was taken from the Pima Indian word Arizonac, meaning “little spring place.” However furthur research traces this back to an inaccurate map of Early Southern Arizona, so it was not likely the true origin.

Another is the Papago, Ali-Shonak meaning “small spring.” This was used to describe Planchas de Plata, where the huge silver strike was found nearby Nogales. The miners thought it sounded like Arissona.

Still another is a play on the Spanish phrase meanining “arid zone,” Arida Zona. The correct saying is Zona Arida, so many believe this is just a coincidence, but it is possible that some clever phrasing and relation to other similar Indian terms helped solidify the Arizona name.

But perhaps the best case for where the Arizona name came from is the Arizona ranch settlement. This was a small area in modern day Southern Arizona that was settled by early Spanish ranchers and Basque people. Arizona in Basque translates to “good oak tree.” In fact there are cities named Arizona in Brazil, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other countries.

Arizona’s name became official when it seceded from New Mexico (yes it was originally all New Mexico) and became it’s own territory in 1861. Many names were considered including Pimeria, Gadsonia and Arizuma. Ultimately the name became Arizona and the rest is history.

Who built it and when?
The first published account of the mine site was by Ray Howland in 1935. It even included a picture of the stone house, so we know without a doubt that the site was constructed before 1935.

Now we can limit our search to the groups in the area from the 1500′s to 1935. That includes the Gila River Pima Indians, the Jesuits, the Spanish, the Mexicans, the Franciscans, and finally the prospecting white man.

First let’s look at the mine site a little deeper. We have a small cabin constructed out of stacked stones, large sections of stone stacked walls throughout the area, a spring dug into the creek, and all this in Pima controlled territory. The fact of the matter is no group or individual could have possibly constructed that level of infrastructure without significant resources and without the knowledge of the Pima Indians. The Estrellas are a line of mountains, and as soon as you leave the the cover of the mountain you enter large, flat expanses of desert: Pimas could easily spot any groups coming or going from several miles away. No one would have been able to sneak in, setup a mine, and sneak out with ore.

Secondly what prospecting white man, or small band of Mexican miners, would put the effort into all of that infrastructure when that time effort could be used to start mining. They would just as soon pitch a couple tents for shelter and get to digging instead of building a stone cabin. I searched book after book looking at shelters used in mining camps throughout the American Southwest and though some had more effort put into them than others, none even approached the level of work that would be required to construct the vast array of walls and the stone cabin at the mine site. This was no small operation! It would have required a fairly large labor force to complete and operate.

So that eliminates the small bands or individual Mexican or white prospectors from the list. Another one we can eliminate from the list is the Pima Indians. Although they may have helped with operations at the mine, they would never have started the mine by themselves. The only records of any mining done willingly by Indian Tribes were for salt. Indian tribes across North America had no interest in mineral wealth, and even after the Spanish showed up, who did have a lust for the shiny stuff, harsh treatment in Spanish mines lead tribes to destroy and hide placer deposits and veins containing gold and silver to avoid being forced to work in more Spanish mines. They wanted nothing to do with gold or silver!

Now Jesuit involvement in mining remains a controversial topic. Many so called trade bars of gold and silver have been found with names of Jesuit Priests, like Father Kino, molded into the bars.  Some sources claim that this alone is not proof that the Jesuits were actually involved in the operations. For each case of supposed Jesuit mining there was a mission or Visita in an area where the Jesuit priest could base his operations. In the case of our mine site the closest Jesuit religious structures were over 100 miles away! There are records that Father Kino, a very prominent Jesuit priest, visited the Gila River Pima Indians on several occasions, however it is doubtful that the Jesuits were in charge of the mine operations when they had only Father Kino who contacted them on occasion, and no local mission or Visita to oversee operations of the mine.

The Jesuits were expelled in 1767 and Franciscan Friars took over as the religious leaders in Primeria Alta. Up to this point, however, work at the missions was degrading. Resources were limited and after the death of Father Kino in 1711 many of the missions and Visitas became abandoned. When the Friars took over many of the missions in the North (still 100 – 200 miles South of the mine site) were completely abandoned. With their limited resources they operated only a few missions in the South. There aren’t even any records that the Franciscan Friars contacted the Gila River Pimas much less lead mining operations on their land a couple hundred miles North of the nearest functional mission.

The process of elimination leaves us with one option, the Spanish; and it is definitely not hard to conceive of. Spain’s lust for wealth caused them to expand from their settlements in South America after Marcos de Niza brought back word of cities virtually paved with gold in 1539. In 1594 Spain enlisted the help of Germans, who were experts in mining operations, to aid them in their quest for wealth. Early Spanish exploration by Coronado and Niza went way East of the Estrellas and continued North. The first recorded contact with the Gila River Pimas was by Father Kino in the late 1600′s. Between revolt of the Pimas, the deterioration of Jesuit operations in Primeria Alta, Apache attacks, and eventually the War of Mexican Independence, the most likely time period the mine was constructed is between 1690 and 1750.

The Spanish would not have worked the mine alone. Many accounts tell of how the Spanish used Indians as forced labor in the mines. Father Kino probably paved the way for good relations with the Pima people, and subsequent Spanish officers took advantage of the relationship to use the Pima people for labor. The relationship started out good enough but poor treatment of the Gila River Pimas, combined with bad sentiment and relations between other Pima tribes was likely the cause of the Pima revolt of 1751.

Was it rich?
This is hard to say for sure. I personally found samples of stained quartz with very small specks of gold, nothing of any real value, but proof gold is and was there, nonetheless. Many of the treasure stories regarding the mine speak of a rich vein of ore, but after all these are just stories. But if we take into account all the work put into developing the infrastructure of the site, that might be some indication as to how much gold and/or silver was pulled out. It is doubtful that so much effort would be spent constructing a spring, walls to hold donkeys, and a stone house for the leadership, for a small vein of ore. Now it could have been that what seemed to be a large vein of rich ore quickly died out as they mined further down, but based on accounts of the mines size and the level of infrastructure to support the mining operations, I believe it did provide a significant amount of mineral wealth.

Are there more mines?
Milton Rose’s treasure story was the only one to mention multiple mine sites, and his account I find to be the most accurate description of the site, and the most realistic explanation for the story behind how it came to be. Again I doubt that so much time was spent into constructing all that infrastructure for a single small vein of ore. They probably had good reason to put time into building a spring, and shelters, and walls. More mines may be out in the Estrellas, and when I get back to Arizona I’d like to check out Milton’s descriptions of the locations myself.

Can it be Substantiated?
Proof that this mine was operated by the Spanish may indeed exist. It was required that all mines in Spanish Territory give 1/5th of their wealth to the King. This meant that detailed records of mines and output was maintained. Now I’m certain some operations went unreported, but judging by the size of the Old Spanish Mine site, I would imagine that this one was on the books. The trick is finding those records. They could be in Mexico, or Spain, or even Rome!

What is the historical value?
If indeed it is, as I believe it to be, a Spanish mine, it illustrates a rich part of Arizona’s history: From occupation of the lands by the native Indian tribes, to early exploration by the Spanish, then work by the Jesuits and Franciscans, and later Mexican independence and the US acquisition of the land in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase. It is a standing Spanish and Pima built structure dating back 250 perhaps even 350 years! Verification would also contribute to our knowledge of Spanish mining in Arizona, the reasons for the Pima revolt of 1751, and the possible influence of the Jesuits on mining.

Loose Ends
Rose’s Mining Claim 1930′s – Remember Milton Rose’s story? If Milton Rose did setup a claim for the Estrellas it should be on record, the trick is finding it. I’m in the process of working this one out and hopefully I can get some results without too much headache.

The Howland Map – Ray Howland claimed to have found a map leading to the stone house in the back of a cave. In reality Howland was good friends with Milton and Mitchell. They likely all found the site together and went on to write their own accounts. But for the sake of argument, if the map was real, Howland apparently lost all of his possessions in a flood, after which his interest in treasure hunting was washed away as well.

The Cave – Several of the stories regarding the Old Spanish Mine speak about a cave where treasure was hidden, a Pima Indian was killed and buried, or a map was found. Ray Howland even included a poor picture of the cave in his Arizona Highways article. If such a cave exists, it would be an amazing find!

Other Mine Sites – Milton Rose spoke of 3 other mine sties in the Estrellas. If this is true it would tell us a lot about the size of the operations that were being conducted in the Sierra Estrellas.

Placer Workings – Supposedly the Spanish also worked the sand for placer gold at the bottom of the ravine where the mine site is. I didn’t see any evidence of placer working when I went, but I didn’t look very hard either.

Cross by the spring – The stories say there was a cross carved into a rock above the spring. It could have been taken by looters, but some closer examination might yield some more insight into whether or not there was a cross.

Arrastre at the Gila River – Unless the miners were packing out ore to be processed elsewhere, there should be an Arrastre somewhere near the Gila River that was used to crush the ore and separate the gold and silver from the junk. Carrying unprocessed ore all the way back to Mexico would be a waste!

1539
Fray Marcos de Niza was sent from Mexico to investigate reports of large cities of wealth (The Seven Cities of Cibola). Niza wrongly assumed Zuni Pueblos of Hawikuh were these cities of wealth, and though the report was incorrect it sparked Spanish interest in the region.

1540
Legendary Spanish explorer Francisco Coronado travels into Primeria Alta passing by present day Tucson and continuing North and then East to New Mexico and beyond.

1594
German Karl Jedler is appointed administrator-general of homeland Spanish mining. Later Germans were recruited to serve in Mexico because of their expertise in mining operations. This demonstrates that the Spanish were serious about acquiring mineral wealth from Mexico.

1687
Father Eusebio Kino arrives to Primeria Alta and is appointed missionary to the Pimas. He is responsible for establishing missions to convert the Upper Pimas including the Sonoyta (Sonoita) mission.

1693
Spanish colonization of present day southern Arizona begins.

1711
Father Kino dies and many of the missions in Primeria Alta remain neglected until 1730.

1736
Planchas de Plata, or balls of Silver are discovered West of present day Nogales by Yaqui Indians. This sparks intense interest in the mineral wealth the area has to offer. One common claim  is that a chunk of silver was found weighing 2,700 pounds, while other sources say it weighed as much as 4,000 pounds!

1741
A royal order closes down the nearly exhausted mines of Planchas de Plata. No one really cares, since the mines are all but played out already.

1751
Pima Indians revolt against the Spanish. Sources I found claim the reason for this revolt is unknown but I believe it was in part due to poor working conditions in the mines, as the Spanish used the Indians for the hard labor.

1767
The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) is expelled from the Spanish colonies because it is considered a political threat to King Charles III. Franciscans take over as the religious authority in Primeria Alta.

1775
Father Garces establishes the first route from Mexico to California following the Gila to the Yuma Crossing. Over time several other routes follow the same basic path to get to California.

1784
The mission of Sonoita is found deserted.

1800 (Early Years)
Apache Indians launch attacks against the Mexicans and Spanish in the region. This forces the Spanish to abandon missions and mining in Primeria Alta (southern Arizona)

The Maricopa Indians come to live with the Upper Pimas near the Gila River.

1810
The Mexican War of Independence begins as Mexico wants to be free from Spanish rule.

1821
The Mexican Revolution ends and the end of the Spanish in Mexico begins.

1830′s – 1850′s
Following the end of the Mexican Revolution and the adoption of an unrealistic treaty, the Apaches start attacking Mexican settlements again.

1832
Trapper Pauline Weaver carves his name into the ruins at Casa Grande, near the Pima Villages on the Gila river. Chief Six (James Surviate) claimed that Pauline Weaver was the first white man he had ever met.

1846
US Congress officially declares war against Mexico due to skirmishes in Texas.

Arizona has an estimated population of 600.

Under the direction of General Kearny, Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke, blazes a trail from New Mexico to the West Coast to again create a secure route to California.

1847
Jesse Roscoe writes, in Some Western Treasure Trails, about a story entitled Spanish Bullion Plant. The story says Indian and Mexican miners were working rich mines along the Gila. Rumors flew that the Americans were coming to take over the mines (remember the US just declared war on Mexico), so they cached much of the ore they had mined. However one of the Miners by the name of Joaquin loaded up pack mules to take back to Mexico. The rest of the story you know from John D. Mitchell’s Don Joaquin’s Lost Gold Mine. The story was published in 1964, so this was likely a spinoff of Mitchell’s story.

1848, February, 2nd
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed giving the US control of the land North of the Gila. Remember that the Estrellas are just to the South of the Gila River, so they were still under Mexican control at this time.

1849
John D. Mitchell wrote, in Lost Mines of The Great Southwest, a wagon train was travelling from El Paso to California for the gold rush. They made there way to the Estrellas where they traded with the friendly Pima Indians and stopped to camp at Montezuma’s head. They carried an iron chest with $50,000 in mineral wealth, and it was buried each night for safekeeping. In the morning a band of Apaches heading back north came across the group and killed all of them. Supposedly the treasure was never found. Published in 1933.

The California gold rush sparked the need for good trails to get from the heavily populated settlements in the East to the wild West of California. Many routes emerged but one popular option was to head from New Mexico into Northern Mexico following the Gila to reach California. Similar to Cooke’s route.

1853
The US realizes that the area South of the Gila contains significant mineral wealth and offers better routes to California for the gold rush. The Gadsden Purchase costs $10 million dollars and sets the boundaries for Southern Arizona that we know today.

1856
Charles Poston is one of the first to begin work to find and reopen Spanish mines. His focus is on the area of Tubac and later the Superstition mountains. There is no reference to him visitng the Estrellas.

1857
James B. Leach’s Federal Wagon Road runs south of the Estrellas through Pima villages. This was a freighting route that connected New Mexico to California.

The Butterfield Overland Stage route is developed following nearly the same path as Leach’s Federal Wagon Road. However, the Butterfield Route was far more popular for freight and people.

1858 
In a story by Thomas Penfield in A Guide to Treasue in Arizona, published in 1973, two Frenchmen set out from Phoenix to the Estrellas to find a lost Spanish mine. They made two trips bringing back silver bullion each trip. They left for a third trip to the mine and never returned.

1859
The US establishes the Pima-Maricopa Indian reservation on the Gila river.

1863, February 24th
The Territory of Arizona was incorporated into the United States by the Union. Before this Arizona was considered a part of New Mexico, and as of 1961, belonged to the Confederacy.

1878
In a story by Thomas Penfield in A Guide to Treasue in Arizona, published in 1973, two prospectors reportedly traveled from Mexico to the Estrellas in search of gold. They mined and cached $50,000 worth of gold before Pimas warned them to leave, when they refused one prospector was killed. The other escaped only to be killed before he could lead a party back to the site.

1912, February 14th
Arizona becomes the 48th state!

1933
John D. Mitchell publishes Lost Mines of the Great Southwest with the help of Milton Rose, yet there is no mention of the Estrella Mine. There is a story about a wagon train that buries a cache of gold near Montezuma’s Head in 1849 (see 1849 above).

1935, February
Ray Howland publishes The Lost Mine of the Stars in Arizona Highways and includes a picture of the Stone Cabin and the supposed cave where he found the map to the mine site. No date of actual discovery was published.

1939
John D. Mitchell publishes The Ghost of the Estrellas article in Peoples Magazine of Arizona. This is the first variation of the Don Joaquin and His Lost Gold Mine story. No date of actual discovery was published.

1943, May
John D. Mitchell publishes Don Joaquin and His Lost Gold Mine in the Arizona Mining Journal and is reprinted in Desert Magazine.

1954
John D. Mitchell publishes Lost Mines of the Great Southwest including Don Joaquin and His Lost Gold Mine.  No date of actual discovery was published.

1958
Milton Rose publishes I Found a Lost Mine in True West magazine and is reprinted in Gold. Even though Milton’s story is published last, based on the details in the story and his close friendships with John D. Mitchell and Ray Howland, Milton Rose was probably the first of the three to find the mine and stone house.  No date of actual discovery was published, but from date references in the story he likely discovered it in the early 1930′s.

1977
Byrd Howell Granger publishes a Motif Index for Lost Mines and Treasures. In it is a story about The Lost Treasure of Montezuma’s Head. As the story goes, Spanish priests coming to America settled on the Gila river and mined gold with the help of the Pima Indians. Under pressure from the Apaches, one of the Priests took the gold and buried it in a cave under the chin of Montezuma’s Head. No date of actual discovery was published.

From several old time prospectors in Phoenix I heard the story of the lost mine in the Sierra Estrella Mountains located south and west of the city. There was one hitch to hunting the lost mine; it was believed to be situated on the Pima Reservation and the Pimas would allow nobody to look for it, or even to prospect on the reservation. The story told in and about Phoenix was that two french men had gone to search for the mine, found it, and been killed by the Pimas. It was known that the two French men did find the mine and did bring a lot of rich silver ore to the local Assay office and cash it. Then, one day, the French men failed to return and no trace of the men or the mine was ever found. Though the tale was well known, no others ever searched for the mine; the threat of the Pimas effectively discouraged any ambitious prospector.

In the summer of 1930 I bought some topographical maps of the area south and west of Phoenix and Buckeye. Examining the mp disclosed an exciting fact- only the most southern part of the Estrella Mountain range was inside the Pima Reservation. The range has a southeasterly course, and the line of the reservation cuts across the mountains in an almost true north direction. Thus, fully two-thirds of the range was outside the indian land. Armed with this information and the maps, my father and I started to prospect the west side of the mountains on weekends.

In order to reach this area, one had to go around the south end- called Montezuma’s Head- and then work north between the main range and the smaller range to the west. Montezuma’s Head is covered with many pictographs carved there by the Pimas depicting events in tribal history. The largest group of pictograph shows the Indian killing both the Spaniards and Apaches. It was near this point in 1750 that the Pimas had caught a number of Spanish miners and killed all but a few.

My father and I started from the point to hunt the mine or mines. (We were to learn later that there had been one silver mine and three gold mines worked by the Spanish.)

One Sunday, on the way home from a fruitless hunt, we noticed a sign before a small house proclaiming watermelons and cantalopes for sale. We were hot and thirsty, and decided at once to stop the car and get a drink of water. An old Indian was sitting on the porch in the shade. We called to him, asking if we could get a drink of water. “Of course,” he replied curteously. “Come in out of the sun and I will have my wife bring you glasses.”

His wife promptly came out bringing two glasses which we filled from an olla hanging from the rafters of the porch. While we were gratefully drinking the cool water, the woman went back into the house and returned the chairs for us. The old man had spoken to her in Pima, saying that we were not only hot and thirsty but very tired. Obviously, he was curious about us and what had caused us to be so pooped. He sensed all this, as he was blind.

After several glasses of water and a few casual remarks about the heat, I gave him a brief resume of what we had been doing and why. Suddenly remembering that we had not introduced ourselves, I told him our names. In return, he said that his name was James Suviate, Chief Six, of the Pima Tribe, and that he liked our voices and our manners. We had thanked him for the water and thanked his wife for the glasses and the chairs.

I asked him if he had heard of the Spanish mines that were supposed to be in the Estrellas. He admitted he had heard of such but professed to know nothing about mines or mining. After more desultory conversation, we bought some melons from our host, thanked him for his gracious hospitality, and promised to stop by the next time we were out.

Later I told dad that we might have something here. Chief Six liked us and, though he had  been noncommittal about the mine, I felt sure he knew something about it. I had noticed a fleeting slime cross his face when he spoke of it and at the same time professed ignorance of mines and mining. I had become accustomed to reading my blind brothers mind by watching his face when talking to him, and was dead sure that the amused expression on the leathery face of the Chief indicated that he knew a lot about the Lost Spanish Mine.

We visited the Chief and his wife again and again, bringing them small gifts each time. This cemented the friendship between us, but failed to elicit any information on the mine. During all this time, Dad and I searched the mountains for several mines North of Montezuma’s Head. Each time we stopped to talk with Chief Six he always wanted a report on where we had gone ad if we had found anything. Patiently, I gave him a careful account of our search.

One day while describing a strange rock formation, I had the unmistakable feeling that the Chief had an accurate mental picture of that same formation. I stopped short, remarking casually that some people even if blind could see quite clearly with the eyes of the mind. “My blind brother was that way,” I added-and waited for the Chief to speak.

The silence grew almost intolerable as Chief Six turned his sightless eyes toward me. There wasn’t a vestige of emotion on that wrinkled, mask like face for nearly a minute-then suddenly the old man chuckled and said softly, “Tell me about your blind one.”

Quietly I told him about my brother. He listened intently, and when I had finished nodded his head. “Yes, it is true. The Great Spirit makes up to us sightless ones by giving us inner eyes. It is good that this is so.”

He called to his wife, asking her to bring him his sticks. She came out, bringing some thin, long sticks that had many small carvings on them. This was the first time I had seen the Indian history sticks. The Chief picked up several of the sticks and began running his knarled fingers over them. He found the one he wanted and began to talk.

“Many years ago in the time of my Father’s Father, the Spaniards came and started prospecting the country. All the tribes around were friendly to them. The Pimas, Papagos, Maricopas, and even some few Yaquis who lived not far from here. The Spainards found several gold mines and one silver mine in the mountains of the Stars. At one mine they built a stone cabin and a long stone fence to corral their mules. There was a spring near the cabin. It was the only spring in the mountains, and on the rock above the spring they carved a cross. Across the wash from the cabin, there was a high white knoll of rock, shot through with red streaks. This the Spaniards called Oro. They chiseled off the rock, loaded it onto the mules, and carried it to the river Gila where they has an Arrastre. The Chief and the Padre lived in the cabin. The other men built brush shelters not unlike those of the Apaches.”

The Chief’s story droned on and on, but this is the gist of it:

The Spaniards had also found a silver mine farther down the mountain, at the confluence of two mountains. At this mine, there was a pit and two tunnels into the side of the mountain. The dumps in front of the tunnels “were very blue.” All the material from this pit was removed and hauled to the river.

There was also a gold mine in the area South of where the Pictographs are carved on the rocks, quite away out into the desert. This was the richest mine of all, according to the Chief, as the “yellow iron” (gold) could be easily seen in the rock. In fact, there was more “yellow iron” than there was rock! This shaft was well hidden by the Pimas after they had killed the Spaniards. Heavy ironwood logs had been cut and placed across the top and then dirt was piled high then smoothed down, so that in a short while not even those who had done the work could find it. “If I could see,” said the Chief, “I could take you to the near vicinity, but could. not find the place even then.”

THE trail at the foot of the mountain to the silver mine had been erased, but nothing was done to cover up or hide this mine. The chief remembered or thought he remembered-that the mine was full of water. The trail led down the side of the mountain, branching off up a canyon filled with boulders as large as houses on its way to the silver mine. Thence, the trail led along the foothills to the Gila River where there was an arrastre, and to another gold mine in the foothills back from the river. The mine at the river and the one at the cabin were not as rich as the one out in the desert, so the Spaniards had quit working those two mines. The chief estimated the total depth of these two diggings as being about the distance from his front porch to the fence gate, or about seventy-five feet. The tunnels to the silver mine, he said, were about half that distance, and the pit at the silver mine was about the depth of four tall men, or about twenty-five feet.

The muy rico mine was as deep or deeper than the depths of the other two mines combined, and had tunnels running off at several levels. “It is so well hidden,” went on Chief Six, “that no white man or Indian will ever find it. All gold along the surface had been completely removed. The Pimas labored many days carrying dirt to cover the place over to the depth of several feet, and to make the ground as it had been in the beginning. Cactus and mesquite had been planted in the ground to help conceal any trace of disturbance.” (I made a mental note at this point as to what to look for to find this mine.)

Ending his story abruptly, the old Indian rose and asked us to take him out to a spot where he could see the length of the Estrellas. We had but a short distance when we could see the entire length of the mountains by slightly turning our heads. There we stopped.

“Do you see some dog-toothed peaks on the top ridge of the mountain?” asked the chief. I told him that I did. I did not, however tell him that I could see several sets of dog-toothed peaks.

“The silver mine is below the dogtoothed peaks,” said the chief slowly. “The gold mine at the cabin is half-Way between the peaks and the south end of the mountain.”

At such a spot in the terrain, I could see two small peaks shaped like dog teeth. Further north there were two more such peaks at what I would guess to be the distance of the silver mine. As my eyes looked farther north, I could see two more dog-toothed peaks and still two more even farther north. The silver mine could be below either of the three sets of peaks.

We then went back to the porch to sit and rest and talk. The chief read further from his sticks relating to the bad acts of the Spaniards and why the Pimas had attacked and killed them. The battleground had been all along the way from the river to far out on the desert, as the Pimas chased the Spaniards trying to kill them all. Only two of them escaped, the chief of the party and the mozo who waited on him. The chief and his man servant had good horses and armor. Those on foot and on muleback had been caught and killed. The pictographs tell the story, the chief said.

I asked the chief how old he was. He replied that he did not know and could not tell, but that he was of warrior age before the white man came. I asked him who was the first white man he had ever seen. He told me that he had gone to the Casas Grande to see his first white man—that one that had carved his name on the walls.

“You mean Pauline Weaver, the scout,” I told him.

“Yes, that is the one,” he nodded “How old were you then?” I persisted.

He thought a long moment. replying. “I had been a warrior several years,” he answered, holding up his hands with all fingers extended. “Maybe this many years, maybe a little more or less. Perhaps this much.” He folded two fingers down.

Pauline Weaver had visited the Casas Grande in 1832, as his name and the date carved on one of the inner walls attest. That would make Qhief Six at least 120 years old at the time we were talking to him about the lost mines. He died a few years later, in either 1935 or 1936, at the age of 126 or thereabouts.

THE next weekend after the chiefs story, my father and I went down the edge of the Estrellas to where we estimated we were about the spot where the first set of dog-toothed peaks would be on the crest of the mountain. They could not be seen from the side we were on. At this spot we were close to the edge of the mountains and had come out on a rather flat spot. The mountain presented what seemed to be a solid well or front. This proved to be an optical illusion, as we soon found the beginning of a built-up trail about two feet wide.

The trail led us gradually upward and around a point of the mountain. Just around the point we came onto a stone fence that stretched in a great circle and could be followed for a considerable distance with the eye. Hearts beating fast, we followed the dim trail on up. Finally we came to a rock cabin with a dirt roof.

The cabin was built against the steep wall of the canyon, and had one small window with bars in it that looked out to the other side of the canyon. One side of the cabin was made of solid rock. The trail passed under the window, which was three feet higher than my head. On the south side of the cabin a door opened only a few feet from the canyon wall. Old rotten pack-saddles and hand-wrought mining tools were lying about. The floor of the cabin contained more pack-saddles, mining tools and the peculiar straw hats the Spaniards had used as ore buckets.

These Spanish ore hats are worthy of description. They have crowns about two feet tall and are small-brimmed, with a heavy lining or band inside. The Spaniards pushed these crowns down inside until they rested on the tops of the heads of the wearers, forming pockets in which the broken ore was placed. The inside tip had a pad to reduce chafing. This method of ore-carrying left the hands free to grasp the rungs of the chicken ladders that they used to get up and down in the mines. A Spanish mine ladder, or chicken ladder as the gringos called it, was made of a length of solid pole. At about step distances along the pole, short cross-pieces were fastened to the pole with green rawhide thongs. The thongs were wetted and the ladder laid out in the sun to dry. The green rawhide would shrink or draw up tight, holding the cross-member to the pole very solidly.

After inspecting the inside of the cabin, we followed the trail on up. It crossed the wash, and there underneath a large rock was the shaft opening. I looked down into it. It slanted downward and was dug out in steg fashion, the steps being from six to eight feet high. There was a chicken ladder on each step, that looked to be as sound as the day they had been  installed. You never take chances in old mines, so I got a firm hand-hold on the big rock and kicked the top ladder. It crumpled into a rotten heap.

Other means of getting into the mine would have to be devised, but we would worry about that later. Carefully, I studied the edges of the shaft. The small quartz vein came up the side of the shaft topside. My eye followed it on top of the ground for a few feet and then it was no longer there. I realized that a large body of quartz rock had been removed between the edge of the shaft and steep edge of the canyon wall. From pieces of ore I found in the worked over area, I later learned that the rock ran $90 in gold, at the then twenty dollar per ounce price, to the ton. At least several hundred tons had been removed, and no doubt some of it had been richer than the above quoted price. It was clear that the Spaniards had found themselves a bonanza here, even if they hadn’t lived long to enjoy it.

IT is a strange and thrilling experience to step suddenly from the twentieth century back into the musty corridors of time by discovering a mine dialing back to the days of the Spanish padres on our continent. We were awed and excited, but primarily we were practical gold seekers and so we wasted no time on dreamy retrospection. There was work to be done and we got at it.

First, we erected a discovery monument, put up other markers to outline the claim, and inserted the filled-out claim paper in the discovery monument. While outlining the boundaries of the claim, I found the spring and the cross carved above it on the rock-—the same kind of Jesuit markings as appear on the silver bars in the photograph. I also found evidence that the Spaniards had worked a lot of placer from the wash below the mine; in fact, they had completely cleaned out the placer gold. There was no trail to the upper part of the mountain from the cabin, so there were no other diggings in the vicinity or higher up on the mountainside.

The next day I brought a long manila rope from the car, as well as carbide lights, sample sacks and a prospect0r’s pick. Thus equipped, I went down into the mine.

The shaft was about seventy-five feet deep. The six-inch-wide quartz vein, which I sampled at intervals, carried on down to the bottom where it changed course abruptly. The air smelled stale at the bottom, so I unrolled and wadded up a bunch of newspapers I had brought with me. I placed the wad of newspapers on the bottom of the shaft and set them afire. The smoke rushed upward and the good air came down, completely changing the air in the place.I breathed deeply of the fresh air, then went on to explore and sample the workings.

There was a large room at the bottom of the shaft-twelve feet high, ten feet wide and twenty-five feet long. Obviously this had been a large pocket of ore. At the far end of the room, at right angles to its length, there was a drift to the left about twenty-five feet long and to the right about ten feet long. The drifts were barely wide enough for me to turn sidewise. I followed both drifts and sampled the vein in the ends as well as in the top. I could not locate the vein in the bottom due to mud. I later found evidence to show that the mine had been filled with water in the past. I went back into one of the drifts and examined the top, discovering a porous condition that would allow water to pour in. I guessed that the drifts were directly parallel with the course of the wash above. Hence, when it rained and water came down the creek it would run into the mine until the place was filled up to the creek level. My deduction proved to be correct.

As I made my way out of the mine, I found a pocket in the side of the shaft that contained a seven-pronged brass candlestick, more ore hats and handwrought mining tools.

We made our way down to the car, carrying the ore samples, antique tools and candlestick, and our equipment. We decided to stop off at the Chief’s house to tell him the news.

CHIEF SIX was delighted that we had found the mine at the cabin and asked to have the place redescribed to him. He kept nodding his head as I talked, reliving old times. It was amazing to see the animation and interest this old, old man displayed. He asked me if I had seen a large mountain goat on the peaks above the mine. I told him that I had indeed seen such a goat, and that the animal had moved to keep me in sight at all times as though he was extremely interested in what we were doing. The Chiefs leathery face split in a grin. “Ha, that is just what he was doing! That Old One has been there on the mountains for many years. He guards the place, but he will leave now that the mine has been rediscovered. You will see that I am right.”

The old Indian had called the turn. I did not see the goat again, either at that point or at any other place in the mountains. It was sort of spooky. Still, knowing wild goats as I do, I could have been wrong about him not being around. Goats are crafty, cunning creatures and this one may have just been keeping out of my sight but watching me just the same. Oddly, he had shown no fear of men on that first day at the mine. I had got within two or three hundred feet of him, while he stood like a statue and watched me. He followed us down the mountain as we departed and stood motionless atop a ridge two hundred yards distant as we climbed into the car. I looked back several times as I drove away and could still see him standing there until the rough terrain blotted him from view. Just curious? Frankly, I don’t know.

The samples turned out to be very poor, except for the ones taken down the shaft. Three dollars per ton was the assay on the samples we took in the bottom of the shaft, and this of course wouldn’t pay to work it. We did the assessment work and held the claim for a number of years. At one time we leased the mine to other parties, but they only spent their money uselessly.

Upon becoming resigned to the fact of the cabin mine’s low grade ore, we next decided to work on down the mountain to find the trail leading to the silver mine. (A prospector is like a gambler, he never quits even if he hits the jackpot.) Months later, we had reached the river without finding another trail into the mountains. At the river we found the arrastre, and after some very diligent prospecting found the second gold mine there.

The mine also had a shaft and the chicken ladders were still in it. The vein was exposed along a ridge for some distance and had many holes dug at intervals along its course. The holes were dug at wide spots in the vein, actually pockets, and varied in size and width. Accordingly, the vein varied in width from two feet to eight feet in places along its course. Samples of the rose quartz vein averaged $25 to the ton.

The shaft was about eighty feet deep. Several drifts had been run out from it —one at about forty feet down and one at the bottom. The drifts extended both to the right and left for some distance. Samples taken from the vein all along the shafts and drifts, both top and bottom, averaged over $20 per ton in free gold which could be milled easily.

This mine could be worked for a profit, so we set out to do just that. By the time we had fixed the shaft and installed timbers and a hoist, the price of gold had risen to $35 per ounce. We worked out and shipped two cars to the smelter. The profit on the two cars was enough to pay for buildings, hoist, timbers, compressor, machine, tools and a small tenton mill complete. We set up the mill near the mine and milled the ore. It turned out to be easily processed and the recovery was excellent. We made good money from this mine.

EVER yearning for the big strike that lies always just over the horizon, I continued to search for the silver mine and the gold mine in the desert south of Montezuma Head. I had no luck, but those two mines are still there waiting for some lucky prospector to find them. I have Chief Six’s word for it and also another piece of corroborating information.

One day a young Mexican boy, about eighteen years old, came to our camp. He was riding a decrepit old burro equipped with an ancient saddle. Aside from the burro and saddle, the lad’s possessions consisted of some extra clothes, a couple of blankets and several cooking utensils. He asked first for food, and then if he could camp awhile with us. He offered to pay, but after seeing his poke I refused to accept any money. Both the kid and the burro were about played out. They had journeyed a long way from the south.

The lad brightened up after a meal and a good night’s rest. I asked him what he was doing up here so far from Mexico. I had a strong hunch that he was looking for the Pima. or Padre Mines. My hunch paid off.

He looked at me and smiled; he knew what I was thinking. “Ah, senor, you suspect that I come looking for the mines. Si, it is true. I look for a very rich mine that my great-great-grandfather worked many years ago.”

I rolled a cigarette While I thought that one over. “Look, son,” I said finally, “the mine I’m working now is a very rich one. It may have been worked by your grandfather many years ago-sure. It has also been worked by many other men over the years. But it was lost for centuries and I found it. So it’s mine now. Sabe?”

“Si, senor,” he replied-but I had the feeling he didn’t understand at all; just sat there looking at me with those bug black eyes of his.

“I also own the mine where the stone fence and cabin are,” I continued, “and that place may have belonged to your ancestors. You can have that mine if you want, but it isn’t worth Working.” “I know that, senor,” he smiled. “I have no interest in those two mines.”

“You’re looking for the silver mine, then?” I prodded. “I, too, have looked for it—in vain.”

The boy shrugged. “No, senor, I do not look for that one either.”

By this time the conversation was beginning to nettle me a mite. “Then you’ve come up here from Mexico to find the gold mine on the desert—the mine the Pimas covered up at the time of the massacre of your people!”

At this, he jumped to his feet and his eyes flashed fire. “Si—that is the mine I have come to find! And why not, since it belonged to my people?”

I rolled him a cigarette and poured him a cup of coffee and motioned for him to sit down and cool off. “Take it easy, son,” I said. “N0body’s going to rob you of What’s rightfully yours. Now tell me all you know about this mine and we’ll work out a deal to find it. From what I hear, there’s enough gold there for both of us.”

The kid was quiet for a spell while he smoked his cigarette and drank his coffee. He was composed when he spoke again, and the story he told was interesting.

THE desert mine he sought was rich beyond belief—so rich the ore was wired together with gold. The Pimas had not covered up all the vein, as his great-great-grandfather had returned years after the massacre of his comrades and dug out one burro load of ore from a spot he had discovered shortly before the Indians attacked. (Four men had escaped, among whom was his great-grandfather, who was a youth of eighteen at the time.) This rich spot was in the side of a small, rocky rise several hundred yards from the main workings. It was well marked and he was sure that he could find it. True, he had not found it on his way here, but his directions were from the head of the mountain out to the mine, according to the old map he had.

“One thing you haven’t figured on,” I reminded him. “That mine is on the Pima reservation, and the Indians wouldn’t let you or anybody else work it. You could get hurt if they caught you at it.”

He shrugged again. “Quien sabe? I can but try, senor. It will be as God wills. I need only a little of the very rich oro. Would not Los Pimas allow me to take just what my burro can carry?”

“Not a chance,” I told him. “They’d catch you for sure, take the gold away from you and maybe kill you. The best you could hope for would be to get chased back into Mexico.”

“Nevertheless, I must try,” he insisted. “But I cannot do any searching unless I have food to sustain me. Will you let me have the food and take my money? I realize, of course, that it will not be enough.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “But I’ll only take half your money in payment. Or, if you wish, I’ll take a copy of the map and consider myself well paid.”

“N0, patrons,” he replied firmly. “I promised my father that I would not give the map to anyone nor let anyone see it. I swore that I would defend it with my life. But I did not swear that I would never tell anyone where the mine is located.”

He rose to his feet, turned and pointed. “The rich mine is on the point between two washes just below yonder peak. Now, senor, if you will give me the food, I will be starting on my journey.”

He shook hands with me before mounting his burro. After riding only a short way, he turned in his saddle and called, “Adios, patrone. Muchas gracias y vayu con Dios.”

I never saw the boy again, but I have a hunch that he did find the “rich spot,” removed a burro load of ore and made it safely back to Mexico. He was that kind of kid; tough, game and intelligent. Lucky, too. Naturally, I planned to track him to the desert mine, but I made a bad error in judgment. Mistrusting my own ability as a tracker, I went to get C0met’s Tail, Chief Six’s son, who was an expert at that ancient craft. But Nature came to the kid’s assistance with a heavy rain, washing out his burro’s tracks. Before I got back with Comet’s Tail, the task was beyond even his great skill. If I had tracked him myself, I might have discovered the rich desert mine. But perhaps it was meant to be the way it turned out. Quien sabe?