Howdy Idahodutch,
My intension was to address the topic of this thread, but tend to get off topic trying to respond to others. I was just trying to make it clear that there is just one LDM, not two, and that it was not a pit mine like many others claim. The Holmes Manuscript reveals this from one of the only two persons that heard Waltz's confession. Many claim it was a pit mine but fail to show where Waltz mentioned that.
If you are referring to the first gorge clue of Bick's Jan. 13, 1895 article, I do believe he got it wrong. Just like the two room house in a cave. When he found the two room house in a cave, he assumed it was the two room house Waltz mentioned to Julia. In his confession, Waltz does not state that it was in a cave. Bick's find was way out of the five mile circle. That's two things that show you Bick's find was not a Waltz clue.
On the first gorge clue, I believe it was the monumented trail that made Bick believe he had found the correct gorge. The Spanish marked the trails to several mines in my opinion. The 18 dots in the PSM's are trail markers, and they were all different. Some were stone monuments, while others were stones in saguaros, and others stones in trees. Waltz talks about this in his confession. He said some were so wedged in, he had to use an axe to remove them. This is why one of his clues was a tree with a cut branch.
Good morning Homar,
No worries on being off topic …. I don’t think we are, it’s all related.
Bick’s Jan 1895 article, the info from the woman clearly talks of 2 mines.
And some history/activity for each.
I have not seen anywhere else that speaks to 2 mines….. other than some clues about the mines.
It used to confuse me, that mine descriptions, openings, locations, surrounding terrain, etc …. Seem to be almost describing different mines.
Even Holmes manuscript, gives hints to the 2nd mine.
You and I had fun speculating about what in the world was at the hidden camp, that was so important, that Waltz wanted Holmes to go all the way back around to the mouth of the canyon below, and back up to the hidden camp …., just to be told to go back up high again.
I really think he (Waltz) started to give wrong direction for a second, then continued to give Holmes the path to the upper mine … the shaft mine (inclined shaft).
The hidden camp is the only way to find the 2nd mine, the one he gave Julia directions to find ….. “not more than 200’ directly across the canyon from the hidden camp” ….. actually I think the wording is just the opposite … as if to locate the hidden camp, to verify location of 2nd mine before digging, was the intent.
The incline shaft mine up above, was the one given to Holmes, hence his special clues to go back up from the hidden camp, for further instruction.
The 2nd mine is same altitude as hidden camp, hence the instruction to go directly across the canyon (same altitude), a specific distance.
The upper mine is much more difficult to get to, and the mine according to Waltz was then about 75’ deep. It makes sense to give the harder one to Holmes.
To Julia, he was giving instruction to the cache and 2nd mine…
Hence clues like ….. can’t find one without the other. (mine/cache)
The cache is buried on top of the mine.
I want to give some thoughts about Bick, but need to get my thoughts right first. It will still be on topic🤓
Edit: it is my opinion that it is the 2nd mine that many think does not exist … such as yourself; The mine directly across from the hidden camp.
The large gold deposit we located, is not more than 200’ directly across the canyon from the shallow cave we found, that had remnants of the hidden camp inside. So the one that supposedly doesn’t exist, is the one we found.
Good news right 😁
It increases the odds greatly, for existence of the 1st LDM mine up above.
I haven’t made it up to that area yet. There is a little hidden valley up there.
Remember when we were all looking at the “possible hidden camp”, and the Holmes directions for finding it came to life ….. Matthew got very excited and directed to me, that if he were me, he would drop everything, and immediately go up towards ….. that area (near where the hidden valley is located).
I’m an old man, I went for the easier one instead 🤓. ( I also had some additional info for the mine across from the camp, that fit perfectly with the info from “the woman).
Easier in sense that it less effort to get to …. I would guess that the pile of rock on top of the mine, is in the neighborhood of 75-100 tons of rock.
So yeah, I’m not too worried about someone digging it up 😁🥳🤓👍