deathbed confession

[lilorphanannie]

[FONT=&quot]This story has some revelance due to the apparent fact that was told by someone who was present and heard the confession first hand. It involves an employee who worked at the mill/smelter that processed ore from the silver mines on Treasure Hill. Treasure Hill is the name given to a two mile long and 9000 foot high ridge and the town that grew up there. It is about 14 miles south of Hwy. 50, between Ely and Eureka ,Nevada. While he lay dying from injuries that resulted from being kicked by a mule he said that he had stolen three large silver bars while working at the smelter and buried them in shallow ground at night along the fence of the livery corral. The livery corral was located in the ?narrows? just south of Shermantown. ....What is interesting ,is that today with the aid of Google maps ,on can trace the trail leading down south from Shermantown,to where the path pinches in through a series of rock formations ,the narrows ?, and on the east side of the trail there appears the outline left by absense of vegetation of what would have been at least two manmade structures,owing to them being rectangular in the outline that remains. A hunch on my part is this could be where the livery corral was at. with GPS cordinates and a metal detector plus a pick and a shovel someone might get lucky on this one. Typically the bars at that time were 44 pounds and would run 85% silver or better.[/FONT]

 

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[Crow]

Gidday Amigo

Thanks for the interesting story. I think that might be the narrows you are referring to?

Crow

 

[galenrog]

There are at least a few dozen cache rumors near Shermantown based on similar stories. I have not done enough research to determine which may have enough facts to warrant further study.

Have fun.

Time for more coffee.

 

[GoDeep]

I personally don't put much faith in "deathbed" confessions. They are usually the work of fictional writers that found their way onto the pages of treasure rags or when they are real, are the fantastical ramblings of a fever laden and oxygen deprived mind well on the way to meeting it's maker...

 

[Crow]

I personally don't put much faith in "deathbed" confessions. They are usually the work of fictional writers that found their way onto the pages of treasure rags or when they are real, are the fantastical ramblings of a fever laden and oxygen deprived mind well on the way to meeting it's maker...

Gidday Godeep

In essence I would agree in part.....

In short the story is what it is...

And certainly not worth traveling half away around the globe for? Or spend a life time obsessing about either.

But for some one who is retired with time on their hands passing through and a love of scrounging around old abandoned mining town sites an hour or two spent searching is perhaps a treasure in itself amigo?

The mining area in question has 4 abandoned mining towns that houses are gone but traces of streets foundations are still there. Regardless of the above story being true or not. the treasure hill mining district in its heyday took out 20 million dollars in silver. Shows at least at one time the people living there had money? Some indeed living in these four settlements may of hoarded some of their money then died before revealing the location. The houses are gone...but what relics lie in the ground?

Here is picture of map of the now abandoned settlements.

Crow

 

[GoDeep]

Gidday Godeep

In essence I would agree in part.....

In short the story is what it is...

And certainly not worth traveling half away around the globe for? Or spend a life time obsessing about either.

But for some one who is retired with time on their hands passing through and a love of scrounging around old abandoned mining town sites an hour or two spent searching is perhaps a treasure in itself amigo?

The mining area in question has 4 abandoned mining towns that houses are gone but traces of streets foundations are still there. Regardless of the above story being true or not. the treasure hill mining district in its heyday took out 20 million dollars in silver. Shows at least at one time the people living there had money? Some indeed living in these four settlements may of hoarded some of their money then died before revealing the location. The houses are gone...but what relics lie in the ground?

Here is picture of map of the now abandoned settlements.

Crow

Beautiful area Crow, definitely worth treasure hunting in.

 

[Crow]

Gidday amigos the main settlement near treasure hill was Hamilton.

The town boomed following the discovery of rich silver deposits nearby. With a population of six hundred, it was renamed for mine promoter W. H. Hamilton. The post office first opened for business on August 10, 1868[SUP][4][/SUP] while the community was still part of Lander County, Nevada.

White Pine County was formed in March 1869, and Hamilton was selected as the first county seat. By its peak during the summer of 1869, Hamilton's population was estimated at 12,000. There were close to 100 saloons, several breweries, 60 general stores, and numerous other businesses. There were also theaters, dance halls, skating rinks, a Miners’ Union Hall, and a fraternal order located in the thriving community. Close to 200 mining companies were operating in the area.

100 saloons it seems many miners like a wee drink amigos?

Makes one think how many coins fell through the floorboards of these makeshift saloons by these drunken miners?

So amigos as you can see in the historic photograph below the town was quite substantial in its hey day in 1869.

The four settlements around the treasure hill mining area. However, Hamilton's prosperity was not to last. It was soon discovered that the local ore deposits proved shallow. Subsequently, by 1870, less than two years after its founding, the community was already in decline. Once the shallow nature of the local ore deposits became known, many of the mining companies left the area. Hamilton's population and economy began a rapid decline. At the census of 1870, the population was 3,915, less than a third of what it had been estimated at the previous summer. On June 27, 1873, a large fire spread throughout the business district and caused an estimated US$600,000 (equivalent to $12,960,000 in 2020) in damage. Most businesses that burnt down were abandoned, and not rebuilt. By this time, the town's population was estimated to have shrunk to only 500. Another fire destroyed the courthouse at Hamilton along with all of the records in January 1885. County records began to be kept at the Ely courthouse begin January 5, 1885. Although Hamilton was the first county seat of White Pine County, the rapidly shrinking community lost that designation to the town of Ely in 1887.

So regardless of the story of missing bars the site is well worth detecting. Especially the saloon site and buildings that burned down. Who knows what may turn up amigos.

Crow

 

[KANACKI]

Hola amigos

A little over 40000 dollars roughly in today's prices. Nothing to sniff at.

Its what you call a pot luck speculator. Either it exists or existed there or its not?



You can see on the above map Crow has posted the mill and the narrows to the south. The corral must be between the Mill site and narrow gorge the road passes through?

Kanacki

 

[lilorphanannie]

We all know that most treasures are found by accident. and for those that that are treasure hunters ,their success rate is usually related to their investigative and research skills. But at some point ,one has to get out into the field. My motive for some of my recent posts ,is that through all of my reading here on this wonderful site,there is oddly very little comentary on fieldwork and actual treasure recovery. This story ,IMHO, has enough meat to it, for someone who lives in the area and has a metal detector ,to perhaps spend a weekend onsite. I know a man who has recovered 15 treasures similar to this one, yes 15. What is his secret? He is in the field pursuing leads ,all the time.

 

[KANACKI]

Hola amigo

I and That raggedly old Crow are enjoying your posts immensely. Since I am on marooned on my island due to Covid 19 and Crow is in Australia in which its reverted back to a penal colony no one can leave because of the Pandemic.

Sadly it is sign of the times finding treasure and profiting from it is seem as rather grubby these days.And to make some thing public is the Kiss of death for those who actually going out and finding things. So its better to deny such things and remain non committal?

Ironic for people who actually find treasure its better to be not believed and thought as exaggerating blowhard than be believed. Because when believed amigo that is when the claws come out. law suits and everyone want a piece of your ass with legal claims.

I am not surprised the man you mention has made 15 recoveries. But I imagine he gets on with it without attracting too much attention to himself?

Better to be discreet amigo to be a rich nobody than broke and famous.

Kanacki

 

[Curtis]

This is great stuff, how can you get such detailed information? Its amazing.

 

[lilorphanannie]

Thanks for the advice ,and I take it seriously. I realize how my ego can be my enemy . I have debated at length as what to comment on ,what photos to reveal. I think I still have been able to keep secret the important projects Im working on and the successes . At the same time its lonely out here and I sucumb to wanting to participate in some way.

 

[bfloyd4445]

But in today's world why do all that work just sit at home the gov will send you free money without digging......Cant find workers. Have fences to build and the only person i found willing to work wanted $20,000 for one 1/4 mile fence if i clear the line. Ridiculous

 

[Crow]

Thanks for the advice ,and I take it seriously. I realize how my ego can be my enemy . I have debated at length as what to comment on ,what photos to reveal. I think I still have been able to keep secret the important projects Im working on and the successes . At the same time its lonely out here and I sucumb to wanting to participate in some way.

Gidday Amigo

No shame in that amigo. Egos are everyone's enemy even mine. Its some thing we have to keep in check even my own. It is indeed a lonely road to travel for so few dare to travel it. I for one and Know Kanacki does to enjoy your posts immensely as they are no nonsense astute observations. I contribute my time and my one finger typing in sharing a passion in researching old treasure legends in the spirit of interacting with like minded people.

So please keep post stories amigo.

Crow

 

[KANACKI]

Hola Amigo

I second that.

Kanacki

 

[Curtis]

Yes please keep them coming. So hard to find a good one that is plausible.

 

[bfloyd4445]

what do you mean plausible? When your dying you may say anything. People do say some strange things when they are about to move on. How do you even know the people you are addressing in this thread are even currently alive?

 

[Crow]

what do you mean plausible? When your dying you may say anything. People do say some strange things when they are about to move on. How do you even know the people you are addressing in this thread are even currently alive?

Gidday bfloyd4445

How do you even know the people you are addressing in this thread are even currently alive?

Well I hope I am? Maybe raggedy old Crow is already dead? I keep thinking I am thirty until I pass the evil mirror and the reflection is not Crow I knew staring back at me. Now a raggedy old Crow with dropping beak and black feathers missing in places they shouldn't be.

The story should be taken in the context of what it is. As for plausibility perhaps? perhaps not? The problem is the Courthouse in Hamilton burnt down in 1885. Losing all the records of the above mining towns So no way to prove one way or another. Other than oral history that is never exactly trustworthy to detail. That said theft by low paid miners and processing mill workers was more common than you think, not only back then but even today. In casting bars production figures can be fudged especially with lax accounting by the supervisor of the mill. As for confession a guilty person want to clear his guilt before his death is not uncommon to confess things. However people can say strange things rambling also?

As I said before is it a story to spend the rest of your life searching for? Hell no! Is worth swinging a detector if making a casual passing visit the area which consists of 4 abandoned silver mining towns on the off chance? hell yeah!

Crow

 

[bfloyd4445]

Well, this certainly will require a more in depth analysis, which correctly done requires beer. Some people need not even speak but still manage to continue their favorite pass time after they are gone. One lady i know of managed to fulfill her lust for virile men and boys after she passed away. When asked why she didn't marry her answer was, I don't have time for that sort of thing.......I heard she was very popular with the local high school boys almost up until she passed away at 75.

 

[lilorphanannie]

Something that might give a little more creedence to the possible veracity of this story is that this confession was made while he and his son were on the way to dig up the buried bars. He was on a wagon pulled by a mule. The mule kicked him in the back and left him unable to move and bleeding from the mouth. Eventually another wagon came along and those people helped get this man to a doctor,he died on the way. The story comes from one of the men on the second wagon. They returned to search, but had only iron rods and stabbed them into the ground all along the corral perimeter. He said that the ground was too hard to penetrate more than a few inches. Years later in the 1950s ,that man related this story to a man he met who thd a metal detector. The guy with the metal detector went to search but he went alone and couldnt locate the remains of the corral. I mentioned this story since with the aid of google earth it appears to me at least that at the site that must be the narrows mentioned in the story, there seems to be the vague outlines recognized by a lack of,vegetation,or better yet vegetation and ajoining bald areas that might suggest to someone with imagination ,the perimeters of former existing manmade structures. Being a corral and livery stable, one should further be able to confirm that hypotheris by finding evidence oh horse activity ,such as horseshoes,nails and the like.