hi rattlesnake--did you know that there are 21 gold mines in apache junction? 17 are still operating ? about two weeks after the dutchman died, two mormans were riding there horses east of apache jct. and came to an area where they found gold nuggets on top of the ground., this became the "morman stope mine", it was very productive until the tunnel hit an uderground river an flooded the mine. it was opened again in the early fifties ,but even with heave duty pumps they could not stem the flow of water---the flooded mine in now the property of the salt river water authority. i spent 23 years searching for the dutchman mine. i think it has been found, of course the apache junction chamber of comerce doesn't want to believe that. it would ruin the tale. when the dutchman left the vulture mine he worked in the vicinity of prescot for a number of years, after which he moved to pheonix. i think it was 1881 that he got marooned in a tree when his house got flooded after a bad rain storm over ran the banks of the salt river--he was --up a tree for several days in chilling weather,after which he got pnuemonia, and eventually died. while he was sick he mentioned that from his mine you could see the old military trail, but from the military trail you could not see his mine. the old military trail went from fort mcdowell around the west end of the main superstition mountain, through what is now the quarter circle u ranch --up frazer canyun ,past the jf ranch and over rogers troth, and into the globe miami area. sections of it are still travable today. i spent 23 years looking for and studying the lost dutch mine---a lot of books and theories have been brought forth, and --unfortunately some with just speculation to support their views. the account that you mentioned in your post was one of the theories---it was a lot of fun all those 23 years . some time when we meet we can talk about the dutchman. incidentally he isburied in an old cemetary in phoenix. it's around 10th street in the vicinity of the freeway i think. good luck jim, and take it easy---hoss

• Re: Gold stealing never happens, Officer. RATTLESNAKEJIM 07:29:03 2/01/99 (0)