Lost Dutchman Mine

[Boatlode]

Does the LDM exist?

 

[huntsman53]

Probably a cross-hybrid between the two!


Frank

 

[Tom_in_CA]

No. But the human mind wants SO hard to believe all these fun stories, "lest you be left out". We put aside skepticism, brush aside the possible explanations to debunk them, etc... "Treasure" has the pyschological impact on people, where .... you cease to look at the stories critically. Why do you think treasure magazines from the 1960s and '70s were filled all sorts of those stories: "Lost mine" and "stolen stagecoach payroll", blah blah blah. They were fun reading. Throw in an old faded newspaper clipping, and a sketch of a miner posed next to his burro, and then presto, it must be iron-clad true!

A buddy of mine submitted one of those treasure stories to the magazine back in the early 1970s (to get the $50 for accepted articles, no doubt). Entirely made up fiction. But it was a cool story, and all he needed to do was throw in a few factoids, and then wow, the whole story must be true then. I wonder how many people went out looking for the treasure in my friend's story? haha

 

[BC1969]

It did, but ****** cleaned it out years ago with his trusty 2 box, and in the words of another's great Sig line, tell nobody what where or when.

Mike

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Not sure he mined it or found someone's stash in a mine. Why would he bother trying to tell where it was as he was dying if it did not exist?

 

[austin]

Doesn't really matter. I've been there many times. It is federal land and the hiking trails are great. The scenery is spectacular in places. That's the real treasure, the enjoyment of hiking, exploring on and especially off trail, being with friends(or alone) and even enjoying the heat. Take plenty of water and search to your heart's content. The west is awesome...

 

[bigfoot1]

yes its real...like all the other treasure stories..."I found it,but now I need money to find it again"....want to know how it really happens in the real world of mining;

a guy or maybe several finally find what they have long suffered while looking for.They are excited beyond belief...maybe now they can send for their families they miss so badly.But instead of guarding it while help is aquired to exploit the find....they or he simply look around for a landmark and all leave together so they can get a cold beer and file a claim.

What do you know,the life altering,amazing,rags to riches find is now lost....because you know how the light plays tricks on you,and even though you actually lived there for a time....you just cant seem to find it.maybe if you tell enough folks,or show some placer gold you bought,you can get investors to finance an expedition which you will head to go look for it.
And heck,even if 150 years later it is proven untrue...heck write a book about it,make silly shows about it,the thing just never dies.

If a miner finds gold...he mines it.He never lets it out of his sight.He remembers where it is for gosh sakes.

 

[gollum]

Looks like many of the commentators here know nothing about the LDM.

Yes. It did exist as of 31 October 1891. Has somebody found it since then and emptied it out? I can't say. I personally don't believe so.

For the less informed:

1. No Waltz never worked at the Vulture Mine. Joe Porterie was the head assayer at the Vulture Mine. He examined the ore from the candlebox under Waltz' Bed. He said it absolutely did not come from the Vulture.

2. Could not have been in the Bradshaws based on Waltz' own words.

3. When tested in the 1990's by Thomas Glover (for his book on the subject), the ore did not match ores from any known mine.

4. In the last year of his life (while being cared for by Julia Thomas), he tried several times to tell Rheinhard Petrasch where it was. He specifically mentioned a cache AND a mine.

All the different stories about he got the mine don't mean squat. Was he a multiple murderer? Who cares. There are a few very good forums and books on the subject. The forums aren't used much any more, but the information is all there for the reading. The evidence for Waltz having a rich gold mine somewhere in the Supers is overwhelming.

If you are thinking of ging into the Supers to find it, be careful. Every year or two someone (or some people) go into the Supers looking for Waltz Mine, and are either never heard from again, or they find their skeletons later on. No joke. No BS.

Mike

 

[gollum]

I do believe that I had heard someplace that there is a nut or nuts going around chopping of peoples' heads...So, Gollum's warning should be taken to heart...

Ed T

It's not necessarily a nut or nuts doing it. Over the last 123 years (since Waltz' death) of people looking for this mine, there have been several whose bodies turned up sans cranium. You can maybe chalk some of them up to animal predation, or maybe the Black Legion making a statement.

Mike