Old Bookaroo
Silver Member
- Dec 4, 2008
- 4,327
- 3,520
The Lost Tayopa Chronicles — Pioneer Newspaper Accounts
------- o0o -------
News come from Guaymas, Mexico, that the last of the long lost Tayopa mines have been found fifty leagues from the sea. These mines are said to have been worked by the Spaniards over 300 years ago and to have produced over $80,000,000.------- o0o -------
Sierra County Advocate (Hillsboro, Sierra County — Library of Congress cites Kingston, N.M.) 15 November 1901
------- o0o -------
Report Finding of "Lost Tayopa.”
It was confidently expected that the particulars of the reported finding of the famous "Lost Tayopa" mine of fabulous wealth could be given in this issue of The Enterprise, but it cannot for lack of those particulars and to give what is known would be a violation of confidence. Three particulars can be given and they are: the discovery at present believed to be "Lost Tayopa" is on the federal mineral concession of Colonel W. O. Greene and that it was not found in the Guaynopa district; also it is a Chihuahua business man whose prospectors have made the reputed discovery and he is awaiting the return of Col. Greene and will no doubt take the matter up with him when he arrives here next week. ~ Chihuahua Enterprise
The Border Vidette (Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona) 6 June 1908 [No. 23.]
------- o0o -------
Even Cattle Not Immune.
Thomas Sexton, who resides in the Yaqui delta, at Ontagota, relates an amusing story that goes to show how superstitious are some of the natives of the country. The circumstance related occurred some years ago, when Mr. Sexton was engaged in mining in the Sierra Madre. He was travelling through the mountains, and had occasion to stop several days at a ranche [sic] owned by a wealthy native. In Mr. Sexton's outfit were a number of fine rifles, with which the ranche owner was much taken, expressing himself as greatly desirous of owning one. Incidentally the native gentleman imparted to Mr. Sexton the information that he knew the exact location of lost Tayopa mine, one famous in antigua days as very rich and productive. Upon receiving that information Mr. Sexton said: "If you will show me the Tayopa I will give you one of those rifles and one thousand rounds of ammunition."
"I dare not do it" was the reply. "Should I do so I would die."
But finally the gentleman, so anxious was he to possess the rifle, ciphered out a way in which he could have Mr. Sexton led to the mine and evade the penalty that tradition had taught would be visited upon all endeavoring to point out the long lost mine. Said he: "I have sent for my cow, and she will be brought in tonight; but her calf is tied out where she comes from. In the morning I will turn her out, and you follow her back to the calf."
"All right," replied Mr. Sexton, “and if I find the Tayopa I will give you the rifle.”
“Oh, but I am not showing you the Tayopa,” quickly replied the gentleman, in real alarm.
The next morning the cow was released and started in a hurry to go to her calf, with Mr. Sexton following her closely. After leading him over several miles of rough and precipitous country the cow fell over a precipice and broke her neck, dying in a few minutes. Mr. Sexton returned to the hacienda and reported the loss to the owner.
"Ah!, por Dios," exclaimed the disconsolate gentleman, "One cannot send even a cow to show the Tayopa without her losing her life."
And that was as close as Mr. Sexton came to finding the lost Tayopa mine.
The Oasis, “An Authority on Mines and Mining” (Arizola, Ariz.) 7 September 1907 [Second Series. Vol. IX., No. 18. Whole No. 747]
------- o0o -------
Notes of the Mines.
A report comes from Neuva Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, that the famous lost "Tayopa" mine, known for its richness in gold and silver, has been found in the Guaynopa region on the land of Colonel William C. Greene and upon the land be holds for his Greene Gold-Silver company, with an extensive federal concession to locate any and all minerals. Tradition and legion have thrown around "Lost Tayopa" a halo of romance, coming down from antigua days. Part of the story is that there is $10,000,000 worth of bullion buried there. The location of "Tayopa" has been hunted for years past.
New York Tribune (New York, N.Y.) 18 June 1908 [Vol. LXVIII - No. 22,495]
LOST TAYOPA MINE IS REPORTED TO BE FOUND - Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, California) 23 June 1908 [Vol. XXXV. Number 265]
The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, California) 23 June 1908 (Volume CIV. — No. 23.)
------ o0o ------
Jesuits Hunting Burled Treasure.
A Chihuahua, Mexico, dispatch says: In the towns- and villages of the Sierra Madre mountains in western Chihuahua there have been appearing from time to time Spanish Jesuit priests and it is believed by people from those sections that part at least of their aim is a search for the buried treasure of vice regal days and later when their order was powerful in the land.
These priests have been coming in to the old mining towns and villages one and two at a time and locating. In one little village of eight or ten families near the famous old mining town of Uruachic in the very heart of the Sierra Madres, there are four Jesuit priests, and they are building a church. In the town of Ocampo, one of the priests put a new iron roof on an old church and improved it.
It appears that the reason why the people think that these priests are after buried treasure is that those ancient mining towns and villages teem with legends of buried treasure and most of these stories are connected with the Catholic church, especially with the Jesuits, whose mining operations in their palmy days in Mexico were on a most extensive scale. The order is said to have very extensive records of their work religiously and otherwise in Mexico stored in Salamanca, Spain. The records of the “Lost Tayopa” with its fabulously rich silver mines and its millions of treasure located somewhere near the ancient trail from the city of Chihuahua to Sonora and near the line of those two states, is said to be in the possession of the Jesuits in their old field from which they had been absent for so many years is beginning to arouse much curiosity.
Mohave County Miner (Kingman, Arizona — Library of Congress cites Mineral Park — A.T.) 22 August 1908 [Vol. XXVI. No. 47]
------- o0o -------
A group of ancient mines believed to be the “Lost Tayopa” have been discovered in the Sierra Madres in a remote part of the state of Chihuahua. The discovery was made by an Indian, who made his secret known to Capt. Joaquin Chavez, a resident of the section. Chavez and others have visited the property and obtained samples of ore from the old workings which run high in gold and silver. The mines are surrounded by the ruins of a town.
The Sun (New York, New York) 15 March 1909 [Vol. LXXVI. — No. 196.]
------- o0o -------
Good luck to all,
The Old Bookaroo
