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Show wgrTMiiiimMy'iiiii IWf Outdoors idMWWC SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS TUESDAY JANUARY 26, 1993 Adventures in Scouting 12 1 Montezumas Gold Treasure By Royce Young Visible a mile away from the canyon floor were the steps, going up and obliquely across the rippled mesa, and standing out against the blanket of snow like the checkered trail of an ancient map. Do they go up to another cave? Yes, but of more import, to a vantage point from which the U.S. Marshall and other locals like Cowhide Adams could guard the hidden treasure. From the top of those steps d looking south youll see a mountain on the vermillions beyond which is Mt. three-cornere- Trumble, all lined up with Freddys gold, like looking through the buckhom sights of The three cornered white mesa is where the treasure is, according to Therm Crosby (a e trapper and herder of these parts, still living and in his 90s). I hadnt ought to tell you this, he continued, cause youll spend your life, like Freddy, digging for it; but it faces the rising sun East of a three cornered mountain and is guarded over by rattlesnakes! life-tim- Years ago, continued Therm, I was herding goats down there in the early spring. It was an exceptional warm morning and 100s of rattlesnakes were coming out of a hole in the earth east of that three cornered mesa! You ever been back? I asked. No, the frenzy over gold in cottonwood finally died out and with it the treasure fever. Our troop began climbing up the sandy bench to be the first at the base of the treasure mountain, then without exception came the usual question, What made em think there was gold in here? Freddie Crystal. Why was he so convincing? Lets discuss some reasons an old musket Ya see, Trumble is where Freddy was reported to have met a decendent of Montezuma and copied on paper the Indians treasure map. Others substantiate his drawing the map from one that he saw printed on maguey paper in a monastaiy in old Mexico, from whence he returned with afresh bullet scar across his cheek. He and Alvin Judd were standing on this site when all the years of searching clues finally here: 1. THE LEGEND ITSELF; It came together for Freddy Crys- is documented that after Montezuma appeased Cortez Do you think the treasure is with some treasure, most of it was taken out of the country at Trumble? tal, releasingfrom him a victorious warhoop. Mf- - after Montezuma lost his life to an insurrection of natives. 2. FREDDYS VISION; While hospitalized from a mine accident in Idaho, Freddy said he had a vision (he preferred to call it a panorama) of the gold bearers leaving Mexico, crossing the Rio Grande, through part of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and via the Ute crossing (crossing of the fathers) to the mouth of Johnson Canyon. 3. AZTEC PETROGLYPHS: He had acquired these before he ever had a map, and was estatic when Levi Edgar Young brought to the Deseret News a photo of the cliff near Finley Buntings ranch. Fortunate to be in SLC at the time, he acquired the photo from th eNews and couldnt wait to get back to Kanab. 4. THE MAP: After searching from about 1912-1Freddy disappeared for several years. He came back with a map, and wasnt above letting local ranchers see it. 5. THE CRYSTAL BALL: Freddy kept on his person a silk handkerchief in which was a green crystal ball about the size ofa small orange. When he came near, it was to find the treasure. Finl;ey Bunting told me his dad had Freddy look into the crystal ball to find some of their lost sheep. Freddy couldnt produce the sheep so the Buntings didnt V'f J 4, After exploring the mine, the troop exits toward daylight Photo by Royce Young. get too aroused with gold fever. of yam. Anxious Cloyd said, 6. FREDDYS CREDENCE: Lets crawl in there. When he said there would be Go ahead. Til follow and pull certain mountains, there was; you out if you get stuck. certain symbols, there was; cerNo, I want someone else to go tain Aztec steps, there wasjlime-ston- e first O.K. you slither in there, plugmortared with marsh grass, snake bones, and clay, Dave. there was; booby traps, there Nah, he said, I get clauswas. The only thing Freddy trophobia. So that promising never found was Tamene (men access was left by the couraof burden) bones, the mud GOD, geous scouts to some future yam and of course, the treasure, or bearers. We left a deep, dangerdid he? (He disappeared as mys- ous, vertical shaft and other corridors to Freddys ghost and teriously as he came). The squalling December air slipped out into the frigid air pushed us to the warm, earthy and down the sandy crest, cringbreath of the cave mouth. Be- ing at the inch of snow on our tween the blackness and the camping gear. Still diggingfiorgold, yes, even chilling light of its entrance was our breakfast pantiy . Talking of diving, and the new venture is Freddy helped to thin their pa- unfolding into as thrilling a ventience as we spread the peanut ture as it was in the past. But we butter and jam on bread-to- o wet cant still believe in treasures, and snowy to cook breakfast at can we? Just you wait and see! After all, considering the techcamp. With flashlights in hand, we nical, sidewalk society in which entered treasure mountain. we now live, anything that will Hey, they are still digging in lure beys out into the wilds of this place! I remarked, This nature is a great TREASURE. passageway was not here seven years ago. Two passages forked Dr. David P. Nicholson off from the end of the main Veterinarian tunnel. Yam lay in the sand, Large & Small Animals strung from one passage to the Housecalls made daily. other. While explaining why cavers roll out string as they go, the boys were pulling on the string till 100s of feet of it lay A & B GARAGE piled up at their feet. In Fredonia Why would this string still be 10 here? one asked. Maybe there is a dead body on the end of it! Abruptly Michael managed to slip behind me and the tomb-lik- e passageThe scouts are careful as they climb up to the entrance ofthe mine searching for "Montezuma s Gold Photo by Royce way. Kory suggested that we were just unrolling a hidden ball Young. TOPS?2 Specializing in Trucks & 4 x 4's, Gas Trailers, Pick-upand Diesel Engines, Electrical and Transmissions. s, 1480 N. Main 643-73- 97 Emergencies St or for 643-701- 7 J |