Hola amigos;
I had intended to stay out of this thread but have to add a bit.
First, the story as we have it via the Holmes manuscript is suspect, period. We know that we can show points in it that are false, like Waltz not being a citizen. This alone should raise some red flags. That is not to say that the entire thing has no value of course, but we should not take it too literally.
Second, have to agree with Greg, that we should not try to make our assumptions and conclusions based on what a modern foot-bound or quad-mounted greenhorn treasure hunter would or would not do. Most prospectors of Waltz's day traveled on horseback or mule, and could easily cover 40 miles in a day. Cavalry troops often could cover 75 miles in a day or even more. Not the ten or twelve miles one may hike on foot, nor the hundreds of miles you could cover on a quad. There is also an important difference in that a mounted man can literally see considerably farther than a man on foot or a quad, being seated higher from the ground.
Third, as to Waltz being a coward etc this is groundless. Waltz was an active prospector in Arizona in the 1860s, which as a student of history you know that time period was especially hazardous to the health of any 'white' (or black, Mexican etc) prospectors away from a settlement or fort. Even the weapons available to defend yourself were not as effective nor rapid firing, in fact the old muzzle loaders were very much common and in use. It took some guts to go out into the un-mapped wilds of Arizona in the 1860s armed with a muzzle loader, regardless. And Waltz was known to travel ALONE - which even today requires some extra level of self confidence. Also we might note that Waltz was viewed as possibly a dangerous man when he was alive, certainly if we grant credence to the Holmes manuscript it is clear that Waltz was not a man to be trifled with.
Fourth, as to the supposed story of the murdered nephew and finding the remains, and I can only speak for myself but I have not found any trace of any nephew to Jacob Waltz ever being present in Arizona, period. We DO have the intriguing and parallel story of the Ludy/Peralta mine, and have military records of two men named Ludy or Ludi, with an eighteen year age difference between them. They may have been brothers, or father and son OR
possibly uncle and nephew! This
may be the origin of the nephew tale.
Fifth, IMHO this legend that is so popular is really an amalgamation of several different, and
unrelated lost mine stories. Otherwise we must explain how the Ludy/Peralta story (which began as a lost SILVER mine, later is known as a gold mine) has so many parallels to the Waltz tale as we get it from Holmes and Julia/Reiney. (And by default, Sims Ely, Jim Bark, Bicknell, Storm et al - all the authors that followed)
I am sure that some are content to accept that the "H-ll I was there" syndrome explains away the alternate story of the lost Dutchman mine, however one might wonder why then, if these people being interviewed at the old PIoneers home, would have such a
DIFFERENT version from the popular ones? I hold that is evidence that the old timers being interviewed in the Depression were
not simply making up the story to insert themselves into history, rather they were telling of what they knew.
There are some key parallels too, like Florence and Adams mill being major points of the Waltz and Weiser stories, and here we have in the Pioneer Interviews those same landmarks being important as well. Also, we might consider the fact that SO many tens of thousands of people have searched, following the Holmes, Julia/Reiney or Sims Ely and Jim Bark versions, over much of the Superstitions without success. If either or both of those versions were correct, does it make sense that we could have had SO many people search for SO long, without finding the mine? On the other hand, how many have tried searching the area described in the Pioneer Interviews - namely the side canyons of Pinto creek? Plus it is a known fact that gold does occur in Pinto creek, so it is perfectly logical that a source lode may well exist there, perhaps in a side canyon just as the Pioneer Interviews say. Gold
has been produced from Pinto creek - how much gold has been produced in the western part of the Superstitions?
Sorry for the long winded post, please do continue.
Oroblanco
