Subletts Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

[zerojinx]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

Yes I do remember the tale of the other two chests being found. It is highly possible if Sublett's gold came from a chest that the three Wells Fargo Chests are now gone and so is his gold, but then again maybe not. As is told in Dobie's book, he told his son or nephew "Hell, it ain't no use. They'd just take it from you anyhow." Which makes me think it was indeed a Wells Fargo chest or some such and there was possibly still more left behind. There may not be much, but a couple ounces would go a long way. And besides, that area was a stage and wagon route for a long time. I am sure there are other treasures to be found even if they are not a bottomless gold mine. The trick is getting permission to wander around and search with a metal detector. I've mapped a few locations I would like to search on Google Earth by looking at the terrain and possibility of there being water in those areas, but you can't really get a feel for how rugged the area is on Google Earth. I've driven through it a lot of times and it is definitely not an area one goes into lightly, or without good water supplies.

I plan on a dual search. The first in the park itself. I thought about "hiking" in and take a look for a week or two along the canyons on the east side of the mountains. There are some archaeological sites that have been identified by some of the springs and I thought of looking there first. The second would be in the Rustler hills area, once again based on Historic archaeological sites. Permission permitting on that one.

 

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[Mammothman]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

As I remember it Rolth Sublett always searched along Rader Ridge on the eastern face of the mountains. I recently read a report that igneous rock was found along Rader Ridge... in that case there is the possibility of gold being found in that area.

 

[zerojinx]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

As I remember it Rolth Sublett always searched along Rader Ridge on the eastern face of the mountains. I recently read a report that igneous rock was found along Rader Ridge... in that case there is the possibility of gold being found in that area.

Supposedly three chests buried in a cave between there and juniper springs. At least according to Jameson, who is a great story teller, but lousey with facts. The cave was one of those accidental finds by one Jesse Duran, who refused to go back to it, and who is hard to trace as the name Jesse Duran is the Spanish John Smith.

 

[zerojinx]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

I have heard of igneous rocks by the southwest facing of the Guadalupes, but I wouldn't be suprised to find it around radar ridge either.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

Where is Radar Ridge exactly?

 

[Mammothman]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

Where is Radar Ridge exactly?

It is located a few miles north of Pine Springs or almost due west of the Nickle Creek Cafe, which still exists on 62/180. At least that is the area I was able to identify as Rader Ridge. The ridge is named Rader, not Radar, after the brothers that settled to ranch in the area. The Frijole Ranch House was built by them... or at least their ranch was built on the site. I believe the ranch house or a newer one still exists in the same area, northwest of hwy 62/180

 

[Frankn]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

The problem here is that Sublett took his secret with him when he left. His son spent a long time looking for it. The biggest problem is the rumor that Sublett's gold actually came from a robbery and the mine was a cover story. I personally would not waste my time looking for a lost mine " unless there was gold or silver bars stored there." If you found a lost mine on private property, the owner would claim it. If you found a lost mine on Gov. land they would take it it wasn't a mine, but look what happened at Victoria's peak. That was an estimated $200m in gold!

​

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

The problem here is that Sublett took his secret with him when he left. His son spent a long time looking for it. The biggest problem is the rumor that Sublett's gold actually came from a robbery and the mine was a cover story. I personally would not waste my time looking for a lost mine " unless there was gold or silver bars stored there." If you found a lost mine on private property, the owner would claim it. If you found a lost mine on Gov. land they would take it it wasn't a mine, but look what happened at Victoria's peak. That was an estimated $200m in gold!

​

Yeah I could see your point, but the technology that we have today compared to what was available during the Victorio Peak find era, is much different. Today we have cell phones with cameras and videos, we have GPS, etc, etc.

I wouldn't say here what I would do because I don't know, or how I would react if it is on government property. If I find it without doing any digging, I would make the location identified means, by GPS, compass, etc. Taking pictures and video of the find, as well as walking into the mine, walking out, and show the surrounding areas to prove my claim and protect my findings. Yeah, I would have to take a few pieces out to show proof of claim.

Yeah Uncle Stupid may take part of it they probably will take it all, but I would try and file a legal claim on it, and if I get the legal claim, then if they steal it, I got all the photos and video as proof. Something the Doc never did nor had.

If it is on private property, well then I would contact the owner, (after doing the same thing above), and I would split it with them 50/50, with LEGAL contract.

 

[zerojinx]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

I don't believe I would say anything about it if I did find anything. For precisely the reasons stated in previous posts. Uncle Stupid need not know what i'm up to. I gave them 6 years of service and don't feel I owe them anything at this point.

 

[zerojinx]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

Where is Radar Ridge exactly?

It is located a few miles north of Pine Springs or almost due west of the Nickle Creek Cafe, which still exists on 62/180. At least that is the area I was able to identify as Rader Ridge. The ridge is named Rader, not Radar, after the brothers that settled to ranch in the area. The Frijole Ranch House was built by them... or at least their ranch was built on the site. I believe the ranch house or a newer one still exists in the same area, northwest of hwy 62/180

I stand corrected on the name. For some reason I always want to call it Radar instead of Rader. Perhaps the similarity in sound and spelling. Oh well, Radar Ridge it is.

 

[Frankn]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

When I find something, I want no trail behind me. The hole is filled and covered as the surroundings. There are no pictures to come out later to haunt me. There is no paperwork from the hunt that survives. My fuel bills for my motorhome have been paid for with cash. I have eaten mostly in my MH so I am not a known person in the area. The Spanish have a saying,"Los Muertos no hablan". The same goes for evidence of a find or even being at the site.I realize some contact is required, but it is kept to an absolute mimimun.

Oh! the translation is "Dead men tell no tales!"
No, I don't kill anyone, just the evidence of the operation.

 

[TheRandyMan]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

"Run Silent, Run Deep"

 

[zerojinx]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

I don't even discuss that kinda stuff with myself.

 

[zerojinx]

Re: Sublett's Lost Mine, Culberson County, Texas

While doing some fact checking into Jameson's stories of lost treasure in the Guadalupe Mountains, I discovered he didn't do any fact checking and just retold a already known story. This probably does not come as a shock to anyone.

 

[roofer]

I am still of the opinion that the sublett treasure was just a cache of previously stolen loot, perhaps from stage coach robberies. Any other opinions on this matter?

if you read the story they used a rope ladder to climb down to the mine so i dont think its frome any robbery but i do think its near a water source since you would need to be near water or die of thirst. what about the other mine lsot some where by reagen ranch a half black half mexican cowboy found that seems interesting to

 

[Rawhide]

I love the mountains in the SW. I can understand how you could look and not find anything. I once lost a site I was taking pictures of for over a week. How do you loose a mountain lol. Yes water is the key and most of the springs I find are dried up. Also if the Apache were involved with the site, expect it under several meters of overburden. Unless you speak Indian, its mostly likely a waste of time. Its gonna take a airplane with some hi tech equipment to find anything of size. If your looking for a box......good luck.

 

[curly]

'ol Curly back from grave...back in the saddle after being off this treasure site for 8 years.

Sorry, but all you guys are wrong on the Sublett Gold Mine, except Mamothman. Buddy, if you are serious about finding this mine, message me my friend because the Russel Hills are part of the clue. But I have the rest.....its not there but the trail starts there.

Lets get some history right: First of all Sublett did NOT get his gold from chests of nuggets abandoned by California Gold Miners or abandoned miners. Completely untrue. The Butterfield Stage line that wound around the Guadalupe Mts in 1859 and stationed horses for the stage line only lasted 18 months or so. Thats it! After that it was abandoned! By 1861, it was shut down for the civil war. When the feds reinstated a new stage line throught Texas to California the lines trails and forts they created for it went farther south through the Davis Mountains, and the northerrn Culberson County Guadalupe line completely abandoned and never saw gold or travellors from California with Gold ever again. It died fast so these wild tales of huge stashes of '49 gold is 99% bunk. There have been stories of 1 actual chest being found near the old station at pine Springs, but Sublett didnt dig up stage coach gold, I promise, you. Thats a wild ghost chase. He had a REAL gold mine he was using in the 1890's, and from evidence I have, it was Apache Nana's Snotahay Mescalero mine. Its a real gold play.....but very well hidden in the desert. Sublett put the clues together and found it.

Sublett told people himself, he got the evidence of the mine from the Mescalero Apache themselves, though it was not allowed. Several other pioneers also got the same directions from the Indians but never found it. Its hidden in a tiny crevace in a vast gigantic desert in the shadowy hills east of the Mts. I have the clues I got from old articles 100 years ago. Other men even with the clues Sublett had from the Indians spent fortunes digging around for it and never found it. Thats how damn hard it is to find.

Ill share one "nugget" of info. Like Mamothman mentioned, Sublett would stop at a certain spring on his way to the mine. The reason that spring is so important is not that it has gold, but it was the last stage of his travel to the mine. A family lived there and met Sublett so it proves the tale is real, and the fact Mamothman mentioned the same family, proves what I have that it was a historical fact....Sublett was a real man and found a gold mine! He knew that family in the Russel Hills and stopped on his way to the Guadalupe Mts. I would like to meet the descendents of this family as that is a true fact, and talk to them. According to the history I have, Submett would eat frijoles with them on their ranch then get in his wagon and head towards the Mountains. He would return after a period of time to the same ranch with the gold. And then back to Odessa east. The gold wasnt at the ranch or the spring. It was a stopping point on his way to the mine.

The question is, where he went from that location? I think I know. Thats where the Indian clues come in. I would like to meet someone that has access to the Guadalupe Mts park and the ranchers out there as I think I have enough clues to place the gold mine. The Indians located it by specific hills and peaks, certain landmarks, miles from certain places, then the hole. The way the Indians described it, its down in a crevace you climb down into. Its in the middle of nowhere in a vast desert near the Mts. Without the clues, its extremely hard to find. Many men prior to 1912 had the clues and couldnt find it! But once you find the crevace, you climb down into it and there is water flowing through a cave and volcanic black sands at the bottom. Its a sinkhole. In the sands you can rake up small nuggets. Its there still today......the ghost mine of the west, a fortune guarded by the ghosts of the Mescaleros that vowed no man would find it. Sublett did but like the Indians he trusted, took it to his grave. The Indians likely convinced him to keep the secret hidden. Because he didnt even share it with his son Rolth. This is also the Lost Apache Mine, Im convinced. Why its such an important find...

 

[lastleg]

Hey Curly, know what Ben's profession was before he came to Odessa?

 

[jonesy2012]

Any further progress on this story? And I'm not curly, but i wanna know ben's profession.

 

[lastleg]

jonesy2012 According to my source Ben was employed by railroads to witch for water. He must have been good at it.
Makes me wonder if digging water wells brought him into contact with a placer deposit. Maybe it didn't come from the
Guadalupes at all. Too big an area for me to be interested. If it was a placer down deep it would be impossible to find.