Lost Arch Mine - Roy Deckers Desert Magazine Article

Old Bookaroo

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Dec 4, 2008
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Lost Arch Mine - Roy Decker's Desert Magazine Article

Howdy, Friends!

Some time ago I posted a version of the Lost Arch Mine story from Horace J. West's Miner's Guide.

Since that went up on TN I've seen several references to Roy Decker's article in Desert Magazine about it - but I can't locate the piece.

Would someone please be so kind as to provide the issue information? In what month and year did that article appear?

Probert lists the following Desert Magazine pieces that discuss the Lost Arch:

Charles Battye "Let's Find the Gold - Then We'll Know Which Arch" (Letter) Jan. 1945 (Vol. 8, No. 3)

Walter Ford "We Found the Arch - but Not the Nuggets" Nov. 1944 (Vol. 8, No. 1)

Earle Stanley Gardner "A Scheme to Find the Lost Arch Mine" Dec. 1963 (Vol. 26, No. 12) - from The Desert Is Yours

John D. Mitchell"Lost Arch Placer" Feb. 1941 (Vol. 4, No. 4)

Milton Nunemaker "Lost Mine" (Letter) Feb. 1964 (Vol. 27, No. 2)

Choral Pepper "The Trigo's Fallen Arch" Jan. 1965 (Vol. 28, No. 1)

Jack Pepper "Treasure in the Turtles" Jan. 1965 (Vol. 28, No. 1)

Mary Frances Strong "Touring the Turtles" Feb. 1971 (Vol. 34, No. 2)

Please feel free to add any Probert missed. However, I am particularly interested in Mr. Decker's article.

Thank you!

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
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OB

If you would kindly provide the year and month it was published I would be happy to oblige.
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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lastleg:

Thank you for the offer but that's what I'm looking for. several post here have referenced Mr. Decker's article (one even provided a link that no longer works).

I'm looking for the month and year - sorry if I did not make that clear.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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somehiker:

Thank you very much!

I do appreciate the lead.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
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Buckaroo

Just joshing, type in Desert Magazine Archives and you can review them all. After I joshed I
had a look through several issues but there are so many it would take all day to find. And
my browser shut down in the search. A year back I looked for the original story to a cache
in Nevada and it took many hours because I love the read the whole edition.

lastleg
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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lgadbois:

Thank you very much!

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

Oroblanco

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Sorry I am late to the class - thank you all for providing the correct info yes it was Oct of 1999 issue, Western and Eastern Treasures, not Desert magazine.

Good luck and good hunting amigos, I hope you find the treasures that you seek.
Roy ~ Oroblanco
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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Oroblanco:

Thank you very much!

There is a soft spot in my heart for that magazine, as it published my first treasure article in August, 1969. I'd written in while still in high school.

There is a bitter spot in my heart for that magazine, as Robert F. Ames ("Jack Black") never paid me for it. Apparently that was just the way he did business. It wasn't until a very stand up guy, Jack Lewis, used my map and material in his interesting Treasure Hunter's Digest. Mr. Lewis wrote me a check, even though he really was not obligated to do so. I brought the matter to the attention of the new owners of the magazine, who had in good faith sold the material to Mr. Lewis, and they came through with a payment, as well.

Anyway - this is about you and not about me. Thank you for the information!

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

lgadbois

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Mar 20, 2003
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A lot of people had bad feelings about Bob Ames aka Black Jack. He was a good story teller that wrote most of the early stories for his magazine. He was a poor business man. I think he had some personal problems that led to the selling of the magazine.

After he sold, he used the subscription list to invite everyone to subscribe to a new treasure magazine. The new magazine never happened, but he kept the money that his old customers had sent. Milt Rose stopped by to see him one day and accepted a couple of books for his subscription payment. I had written Bob a letter to ask about the new magazine and never received an answer. I decided it wasn't worth pursuing.
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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lgadbois:

I know Bob Nesmith wrote a few articles for Western Treasures (at least one had the byline "Capt. Jafar Clarke"). He traded advertising space for the articles, so he came out OK.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo

Wasn't Milton Rose the publisher of John D. Mitchell's first book in the 1930's? I know he wrote a couple of articles for True West or Frontier Times. I would very much like to read his ms. on the Lost Adams Diggings.
 

lgadbois

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Mar 20, 2003
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After graduating from the University with a degree in Geology, Milton Rose and his Dad, Dewey, moved to Phoenix and started a business called the Rose Printery. Milton and John D. Mitchell shared some resources for the writing of that first book, and the book "Lost Mines of the Great Southwest" was published by the Rose Printery in 1933.

John D. Mitchell's 1953 book included rewrites of some of the original stories, plus additional material. Mitchell was a resident of Arivaca till at least 1954.

I would like to get a copy of Rose's manuscript on the Lost Adams. Will Rose, a participant in one of the expeditions, was a cousin of Milton Rose. Forty years ago I tried to talk Milt into sending me a copy, but he was saving it for a book that he was writing. The location of the Lost Adams is now well known, and further research would be a total waste of time. I guess the manuscript can be purchased, but I have not followed up with that.
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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lgadbois:

You wrote "The location of the Lost Adams is now well known." Would you be so kind as to share where it is? Quite frankly, this is news to me.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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RdT3:

Not yet. Perhaps he's on Tropical Time?

There are a couple of new posts under the LAD Thread (Section? Division?). A few promoting a PR video that is, in my opinion, long on claims and short on evidence.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

UncleMatt

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I agree bookaroo, I kinda snorted when I saw that. That outfit has been good for a few laughs honestly. If you make a grandiose claim about finding the LAD, but got no gold to show...
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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UncleMatt:

The "reality show" format has become a cliche. Conflict among the members, confidential asides to the camera, great mysteries and all the rest of it.

It's an old song with a slightly different tune. As long as I've been associated with various aspects of treasure hunting - and that is almost fifty years, man and boy - there has been a huge difference between those who talk about it and those who do it.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo
 

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