Old Bookaroo
Silver Member
- Dec 4, 2008
- 4,327
- 3,520
This one is for you, Don Jose! You are missed. And you always enjoyed my Sunday yarns.
From I found this:
MEXICO – On the Trail Through Western Chihuahua. Charles McC. Anderson. (Mex. Min. Journ., Dec., 1908; pp.) Describes the author’s experience Chihuahua and tells lost mines and hidden treasure which are believed to be in the state. Illustrated.
~ Engineering and Mining Journal January 9, 1909 Vol. 87 Iss 2
On the Trail Through Western Chihuahua.
BY CHAS. MCC. ANDERSON
In southwestern Chihuahuanese a good trail is anywhere a mule can go, while a fair trail is where only a hobnailed man or a sandaled foot can climb. In travelling in this part of the world it is well to keep this meaning clearly in mind and thus prevent disappointment.
We left the Republica mine, probably the most remote mine in Mexico as it is from five to six days fast mule back travel, in good weather and under favorable circumstances, from the nearest railroad station at Miñaca, over a fair to good trail headed south for the Chinipas country and on the second day out we arrived at the river where Don Benito Bourne has his headquarters. I was sorry not to find Don Benito at home for it is common report throughout this country that he has the only simon pure, name blown in the bottle, hunch as to the exact whereabouts of the famous lost mine of Tyopa.
I wanted to get solid with Don Benito before the day when he has a little idle time and goes out and brings it home, together with its 21 bars of gold bullion valued at $23.000,000, which all accounts agree are buried in the mine. All throughout this country one hears much of the lost Tyopa mine and while the amount of the buried treasure varies greatly, according to the enthusiasm of the narrator, it rarely gets below the official 21 bars of gold bullion valued at $23.000,000.
According to authentic accounts the Tyopa was a very rich mine located somewhere in southwestern Chihuahua and worked by the Jesuits some two hundred years ago and tradition says that in the height of its productiveness it was raided by a band of Apache Indians on one of their numerous descents on northern Mexico and every person at the mine was killed.
Owing to the remoteness of the mine and its defenseless condition and the continued hanging around of the Apaches, interest in the mine gradually died out among its owners and in the course of time all rememberance [sic] of it gradually passed from the earth except the tradition that such a mine once existed and that it was of very great richness.
Many expeditions have been organized to seek for the lost Tyopa mine and its 21 bars of gold bullion buried therein but, owing to the difficulties which the country presents and the obliteration of the old landmarks, none of these expeditions have been successful.
It is common knowledge in western Chihuahua that years ago a prominent mining engineer [Henry O. Flipper ?] of Ocampo while in the employ of a big Sonora land and cattle company [Col. William Greene’s outfit?] had occasion to be in that part of the country for some time and during his stay there lived with an old priest in one of the small pueblos of Sonora, and that sometime thereafter, after his work in that section was finished and he had gone away, he accidentally ran across this old priest's housekeeper in Guaymas who told him that the priest had died and that she had with her his personal effects which she wished to turn over to the proper representatives.
Not knowing who they were nor what to do with the property she gave them to the engineer to deliver to those entitled to them. On casually looking over the things left with him he noticed a large volume about two inches thick written on paper about the size of foolscap. This proved to be a complete record of the old Tyopa mine, the record of its workings, production and most important of all, its location and directions for finding it.
It also made reference to the 21 bars of gold bullion valued at $23.000,000 which was [sic] left in the mine at the time of the raid by the Indians and the killing of the people at the mine. The engineer turned the book over to the proper representatives of the priest and since that time it has faded from the scene as effectually as the mine itself. No doubt it is still in existence but where and who has it are unknown.
That such a mine exists there can be no doubt and it is easy to see why it remains undiscovered even with the assistance given by the directions given by the book above referred to. During the 200 years that it has been lost the all destroying hand of Time has obliterated all trace of it.
~ Continued below -
From I found this:
MEXICO – On the Trail Through Western Chihuahua. Charles McC. Anderson. (Mex. Min. Journ., Dec., 1908; pp.) Describes the author’s experience Chihuahua and tells lost mines and hidden treasure which are believed to be in the state. Illustrated.
~ Engineering and Mining Journal January 9, 1909 Vol. 87 Iss 2
On the Trail Through Western Chihuahua.
BY CHAS. MCC. ANDERSON
In southwestern Chihuahuanese a good trail is anywhere a mule can go, while a fair trail is where only a hobnailed man or a sandaled foot can climb. In travelling in this part of the world it is well to keep this meaning clearly in mind and thus prevent disappointment.
We left the Republica mine, probably the most remote mine in Mexico as it is from five to six days fast mule back travel, in good weather and under favorable circumstances, from the nearest railroad station at Miñaca, over a fair to good trail headed south for the Chinipas country and on the second day out we arrived at the river where Don Benito Bourne has his headquarters. I was sorry not to find Don Benito at home for it is common report throughout this country that he has the only simon pure, name blown in the bottle, hunch as to the exact whereabouts of the famous lost mine of Tyopa.
I wanted to get solid with Don Benito before the day when he has a little idle time and goes out and brings it home, together with its 21 bars of gold bullion valued at $23.000,000, which all accounts agree are buried in the mine. All throughout this country one hears much of the lost Tyopa mine and while the amount of the buried treasure varies greatly, according to the enthusiasm of the narrator, it rarely gets below the official 21 bars of gold bullion valued at $23.000,000.
- A photo from the December 1909 issue. It probably isn't the author - but it could be...
According to authentic accounts the Tyopa was a very rich mine located somewhere in southwestern Chihuahua and worked by the Jesuits some two hundred years ago and tradition says that in the height of its productiveness it was raided by a band of Apache Indians on one of their numerous descents on northern Mexico and every person at the mine was killed.
Owing to the remoteness of the mine and its defenseless condition and the continued hanging around of the Apaches, interest in the mine gradually died out among its owners and in the course of time all rememberance [sic] of it gradually passed from the earth except the tradition that such a mine once existed and that it was of very great richness.
Many expeditions have been organized to seek for the lost Tyopa mine and its 21 bars of gold bullion buried therein but, owing to the difficulties which the country presents and the obliteration of the old landmarks, none of these expeditions have been successful.
It is common knowledge in western Chihuahua that years ago a prominent mining engineer [Henry O. Flipper ?] of Ocampo while in the employ of a big Sonora land and cattle company [Col. William Greene’s outfit?] had occasion to be in that part of the country for some time and during his stay there lived with an old priest in one of the small pueblos of Sonora, and that sometime thereafter, after his work in that section was finished and he had gone away, he accidentally ran across this old priest's housekeeper in Guaymas who told him that the priest had died and that she had with her his personal effects which she wished to turn over to the proper representatives.
Not knowing who they were nor what to do with the property she gave them to the engineer to deliver to those entitled to them. On casually looking over the things left with him he noticed a large volume about two inches thick written on paper about the size of foolscap. This proved to be a complete record of the old Tyopa mine, the record of its workings, production and most important of all, its location and directions for finding it.
It also made reference to the 21 bars of gold bullion valued at $23.000,000 which was [sic] left in the mine at the time of the raid by the Indians and the killing of the people at the mine. The engineer turned the book over to the proper representatives of the priest and since that time it has faded from the scene as effectually as the mine itself. No doubt it is still in existence but where and who has it are unknown.
That such a mine exists there can be no doubt and it is easy to see why it remains undiscovered even with the assistance given by the directions given by the book above referred to. During the 200 years that it has been lost the all destroying hand of Time has obliterated all trace of it.
~ Continued below -
Last edited:
