Show lOST GOLD MINE OF THE UINTAH RESERVATION Said aid to Be of Fabulous Rich- Rich ness postmaster General Payne j Interested Series of Dei DeJ De- De i of Yellow Metal letaI J posits for Years G Guarded by Utes Now Revealed by Dusky Guardians of the I s' s Money loney Rock wilds of northeast- northeast Somewhere in in the Utah protected from the general en eln n knowledge of white men by the fact that t it is within the confines of the Indian Indian reservation is a wonderful wonder wonder- f ful gold mine Perhaps it might better b l. l termed a deposit or series of deposits deposits deposits de de- de- de posits for it has never been mined to iy any depth and the entire surrounding gron on is believed to be a treasure house L For or many years the location of this lace ilace was nas known only to the Indians s. s r Se I-Se Uintah and White River Utes from their old home in Colorado to his hIS vast cast territory which had been set setTe Side Te for them In in Utah picked up a metals and I title ittle knowledge of mining from their contact with white whiteneD neD nen They learned some idea of the alue of gold and when one day a brave rought in from a hunting trip a few p of beautiful quartz with tiny lobules and wires of pure gold stick- stick ig out on all sides the Indians prompt- prompt the specimens money rock his Is the name by which the gold- gold earing quartz has been known among ever since The Indians kept a long time the se- se et et of the location of the money ck k but now a syndicate in which General Henry C. C Payne a as g. g once concerned and corn corn- rises rs other politicians is said to be beeking beeking eking to gain a lease on mineral lands he Uintah reservation Strong ef- ef She r rs s are being made being Ima e to o prevent the ap- ap royal roval of this lease for the syndicate aId to be in possession of th the secret Bhe he location of the money rock ft I laid Asphaltum or oi- Money Rock Bock I It was was given out that asphaltum was wasie wase ie e object of the quest but men who aim to be on the inside of the deal clare that the lease will give the corn corn- nation possession on the payment po nominal nal r royalty ralty of gre tet gold old the world ls r t CALEB RHO RHODES ES R. R The first white man t to learn the sec secret et of the money money rock I or not must remain a question question ques- ques ques ques- tion until the full searchlight of publiCity publicity pub pub- can be turned on these mineral regions There is no doubt however that there are rich gold deposits somewhere on the Uintah reservation Many persons have seen gold from there Only one man who claims to have hae seen the deposits however has told the story outside He HeIs Hes Is s F. F W. W C. C of Provo Prove Utah He says he was piloted to the mine once several years ago by Caleb Rhodes Jr who except ifor for his lis father was for a long tf time e th the sp sole e. e white man who knew where the money rock came from 1 I Mr old ils- ils story to some confidential friends He declared that everything w was s just as he her related and he showed nuggets 1 2nd nd quartz specimens in support of ments He Is now mining in Nevada but before his lis departure he told a friend the following following fol- fol lowing owing story about bout his trip to the mine the language being that of the friend to whom he related it told me that several years ago he induced Caleb Rhodes's I son Caleb Rhodes Jr Tr to take him to the mine The younger man had been there here two or op three times with his father father fath fath- er er and knew the way Hath told old me they traveled from Vernal by a circuitous route somewhere over to toward toward toward to- to ward the Col Colorado rado line They rode horseback and after traveling over mountains and through valleys where the he fallen wood was so thick they co could ld scarcely get their horses along they arrived arrived arrived ar ar- rived at the edge of a lake or stream of water the exact act nature of which would d not explain to me Found Rich Ore He Here their hir horses hores s said he-said and ol l lashing shing two logs together rowed 1 r i r HENRY C C. C PAYNE The new Postmaster-General Postmaster Is Interested Interested interested Inter inter- ested in the syndicate which Is seeking the lost gold mine across the water to the other shore Here he said they found a ledge of ore so rich they the gold could be separated separated separated separ separ- simply by pounding the rock in a mortar and nuggets could be picked up easily There seemed to be an exhaustless supply of gold he said and it was easy of access from the water They stayed there two or three days according to his story building no fires and remainIng remain remain- remaining Ing ou out of sight In the d daytime to prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent possible discovery Then they re- re crossed the lake or stream and cutting the logs apart moved one down the bank banka a long distance so that any person who might chance upon UDon the spot would find lind nothing to indicate that a raft had been used Just after he had returned from the trip came to see me and showed me some of the gold which he I claimed to have obtained from the mine I on that trip The specimen which he showed me was a kind of agate quartz rich with gold that could be taken out by simply breaking up the rock He also showed me some nuggets of unusual unusual un un- un- un 1 usual size that he said came from th the place i He told me the mine was near the Colorado line Ine but In Utah and that no one could get to It with safety because because because be be- cause the Indians were watching It too closely I proposed to him to form a company and open up the mine but he would hear of nothing of the kind and since has said nothing more to me about It H He and this son of Rhodes are the only white men who claim to know the location of the mine b but t from what he told me it could undoubtedly be In Included Included Included In- In within the proposed Uintah mineral mineral min mm- eral land lease and some of those who are interested In Jn that have probably discovered the secret Gained Red Mens Men's Secret Caleb Caleb Rhodes Rhodes father of the man who escorted to the lost mine was the first white man to feast his eyes o on the glittering money rock In Its natural resting place Rhodes Is a rancher ne near Price Utah and he he- helias has lias liast t for r manY manY- years Deen a hunter hunter and and trap per A pioneer frontiersman he learned red and knew how the ways S of the men to to gain am their confidence Having done doneman man many little favors to the Indians he became popular with them and the Indian Indian Indian In In- dian police and others welcomed him to the reservation The Uintah reservation Includes a tract of land as large as the State of Connecticut Some par parts s of or It are grazing land others good agricultural land still other portions are rich IngOld Ingold in ingold gold copper silver and other valuable minerals Nearly all of it abounds in game and arid as there is only a handful of Indians Indians in this region they did not care if their friend Caleb hunted and fished in the reservation In fact they encouraged him In it it for they liked like his company and his gifts s. s One day Caleb aw some Indians with money rock As he gazed upon these specimens of quartz literally besmeared with gold the covetous spirit arose within him He lIe Inquired where the rock came from The Indians gave a a. sweep of the arm in the general direction but were not Inclined to tC give up the secret The details of how Caleb overcame the prejudices of the Indians and Induced in induced induced in- in them to lead him to the spot are not known The old man has always preserved a discreet silence lie He knew that he could not Bot mine the deposits regularly as they were on an Indian reservation and withheld from everybody everybody everybody every every- body so he took the only other course that seemed practicable That was to work the mine in absolute secrecy Mysterious Trips The people of Price began to notice that Old Calab would disappear from time to time It was yas supposed at first that he simply went on hunting trips When he came in inand and paid bills with gold dust and n nug ats the he people knew that his hunting trips were not for wild game but for the yellow y metal that has for ages inspired the quests of Efforts were made to watch him and learn But he was too shrewd Time and again he eluded me most vIgilant vigilant vigilant vig vIg- ilant watching slipped out on the reservation reservation res res- and returned laden with gold goldor or with gold-bearing gold rock Usually it seemed he would d hastily gather the rich rock into sacks and would take the ore off the reservation tb tO some quiet spot where where- he could crush it and washout washout wash washout out its metallic contents contents' Then with the gold in chamois pouches he would seek civilization Caleb Rhodes Sr was never known to take anybody Into hi his confidence nce reg regardIng regarding regard regard- rd- rd ing the gold deposits except his son and Is said to be the only other white man man who learned the Secret se secret secret se- se cret through this source Although the friend of quoted In regard to the trip to the mine says he was never approached to help form a company and get control of the mine other friends of were persuaded to enter into a scheme of this kind and the first attempt to get a alease alease alease lease on the Uintah gold mines resulted A company was formed and a lease negotiated with the Indians Salt Lake and Provo Utah men were interested and small amounts of stock were cut cutup cutup cutup up with Congressmen public officials and others who might help put the scheme through Indians Declined But the news of what was going on reached others They were not In The Indian agent was removed and H. H P. P Myton l of Kansas was appointed and rushed to the White Rocks agency on the reservation with all possible speed He lost no time but he was was was' twenty twenty- four hours too late At a council of the Indians it had been peen d decided Idd to grant the lease Try as he w would uld Myton l was unable to secure its revocation and the lease was sent to W Washington for approval by the Secretary of the Interior MaJ My Myton ton and others declared declare that the leasing of the mineral lands was wrong In principle prin ciple and the lease was was pigeonholed Having accomplished this MaJ Myton Myton My My- ton s set t about to learn from the Indians where th they y obtained he mOI money ey rock He cultivated th In every possible way He lIe allowed them unusual privileges He even went vent so far as to get Into trouble regularly with the Colorado Colorado Colo Cob rado authorities by permitting the In Indians Indians Indians In- In to cross the border on hunting ex ex- ex- ex But he finally gained the confidence of some of them and thus it is said learned the secret of the lo location location lo- lo cation of the wonderful gold Jd deposits The Syndicate Then the present Washington syndicate syndicate syndi syndi- cate set out to get a lease of its own which should include the region of the money rock The F Florence Forence orence Mining company was organized Henry C C. Payne of Wisconsin was m made de' de president president president dent of the company a position he re resigned resigned resigned re- re signed before he became Postmaster- Postmaster General The men who have done the most active work In putting the lease through aside from Mr Payne are Judge J. J W. W McConnell of Salt Lake L. L D. D Thoman of Chicago and hand H H. C. C Henderson of New ew York MaJ My Myton ton called caled a council of ot the Indians last autumn which was held n near r the White Rocks agency Old Tabby Tabby Tabby Tab Tab- by th the chief presided Accounts differ as as to the number of Indians present My Myton ton says there were Others say there were a about a dozen out of the 1500 India Indians s oti h th the reservation McConnell McConnell Mc Mc- Connell Timms Timma and and Henderson made speeches through the Interpreter Acting on t tie the e advice of MaJ My Myton ton it is said the Indians agreed to a treaty granting the l lease aSe ae This lease gives the Florence Mining company the right to prospect the entire reservation for two years selecting before the end of that time acres of land in lots and lo locations locations lo- lo as it may see fit and to work this land indefinitely on the payment of ofa ofa ofa I a nominal rental I I Claims Worth Millions rillions This would give the company thirty claims which might be scattered allover all allover allover over the reservation If the country is anywhere nearly as as rich in minerals asit as asit asit it Is represented to be any anyone one of these claims might be worth millions MaJ My Myton ton took three Indians to Washington to talk for the approval of the lease The story became known and the Utah delegation in Congress Congress- Senators Kearns and Rawlins and Congressman Congressman Congressman Con Con- gressman gressman Sutherland all non Mormons and anxious to have the resources of the State succeeded developed developed succeeded in post post- action until Congress could take a hand Efforts are now being made to havethe have havethe havethe the reservation thrown open The Indians Indians In In- need only a small fraction of the theland theland theland land and the people of the West Vest wish to have enough allotted to the red m men mento mento n to keep them in comfort and then to have the rest bought by the Government Government Govern Govern- ment and thrown open The reservation contains some of the finest agricultural and grazing land hand inthe In Inthe the West Immense deposits of asphaltum tum turn have been discovered within its borders and geologists say it will s some someday someday me day be one of the greatest p on-p producing oil sections in the country There are great coal lands on the reservation and copper copper cop cop- per and silver and lead besides the de deposits deposits de- de posits of gold If the reservation is thrown open hordes of ubiquitous prospectors will swarm over the hills searching and delving for treasure If the testimony testimony testimony mony of the men most familiar with the mineral sections of the reservation counts for aught they will uncover riches rivaling those of the Klondike or the newer bonanza camps of Thunder mountain Idaho or Tonopah Nev n New York Herald |