Researching a treasure tale

[NightStalker45b]

I’ve got a treasure tail here in Arizona, and a big location. My question is other than the Internet how can I find more info on this story?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I consider 99.99% of "treasure tales" to be nothing but telephone game gone awry.

Oh sure.... they sound ssseeooo compelling. They are each 100% bullet proof true, right ? And if you doubt them, the teller will laugh at you all the way to the bank. Right ? And if there's any conceivable way (given enough slaves and crazy motives) then it's 100% true till proven otherwise, eh ? The human mind/psyche wants SO hard to believe (lest you be "left out") that we put aside all critical analysis.

If you want some real doozies, then just get any treasure mag's from the 1960s and '70s. They were each filled with "lost mine" and "stolen loot" stories. In fact, a buddy of mine even submitted one of them , which got accepted for publication (so he could get the $50 acceptance pay/fee). Throw in a few faded newspaper clippings, and a drawing of a miner posed next to his burro, and ... it MUST be true, eh ? We got a good laugh wondering if anyone ever went looking for it.

 

[NightStalker45b]

It’s an interesting tail I’ve read it now 3 different sources with different treasure every time, a vain of gold and hidden gold bars and I think dust so not to much faith in it. It was a good story though

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... It was a good story though

yes they're all good stories. Why do you think the treasure mag's from the 1960s & 70s sold so many ?

After awhile, they all sort of started to sound like this:

The dying prospector/miner drags himself into the wild west saloon. The lone survivor of an indian attack . Curious on-lookers gather around him as he spills the story of fabulous riches back at his mine. They rush him to the doctor, but he dies of his wounds before being able to reclaim his riches. Here's the 5 clues to the cave of 100 lbs of gold bars.... blah blah blah

 

[NightStalker45b]

yes they're all good stories. Why do you think the treasure mag's from the 1960s & 70s sold so many ?

After awhile, they all sort of started to sound like this:

The dying prospector/miner drags himself into the wild west saloon. The lone survivor of an indian attack . Curious on-lookers gather around him as he spills the story of fabulous riches back at his mine. They rush him to the doctor, but he dies of his wounds before being able to reclaim his riches. Here's the 5 clues to the cave of 100 lbs of gold bars.... blah blah blah

Yep that’s pretty much it, but there’s always the voice saying you should check this out

 

[Tom_in_CA]

... but there’s always the voice saying you should check this out

Exactly. You wouldn't want to be "left out", now would you ?

 

[cactusman]

I assume that the people in the treasure tale had names -- research them. See if they existed at the time and were in the area stated. While far from 100% accurate (they had to sell stories), old newspapers from the era should also be able to back up the tale, if large enough and true. Also, your local historical society might have information as well. If the story was big enough, perhaps it made it into some local history books, which you can locate.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I assume that the people in the treasure tale had names -- research them. See if they existed at the time and were in the area stated. While far from 100% accurate (they had to sell stories), old newspapers from the era should also be able to back up the tale,....

Cactusman, I have no doubt that names, dates, etc... are all 100% accurate in every tale. The trouble is, that if there's no treasure, then it doesn't matter if the names and dates are accurate.

When it comes to treasure tales, you will often hear the following quip: "Just have to separate fact from fiction". Well the trouble with this statement is, that if 99% is true, but 1% is false (that there's no treasure), then it doesn't do any good that 99% is true.

Like Rat poison: 99% good grain, and only 1% poison. Doesn't matter that the grain is 99% good grain, just like it doesn't matter that a treasure story is 99% true. Right ?

 

[Normsel]

I sometimes get caught up in the treasure chase and more often than not when I read between the lines I add up the facts and realize there never was a treasure and if there was someone else found it long ago. Example is I was researching a gangster and bootlegger that supposedly buried money on his farm not far from the city. He was murdered and no one ever found it. I found the farm and metal detected the entire area over about 2 months. I found tons of broken mason jars and even remnants of old still parts. I thought eureka I am on to something here. Then I thought about it. The gangster had a driver and the diver drove the gangster to the farm when he buried the money. The gangster not the driver was murdered somewhere i town. I researched the driver and come to the conclusion the driver lived in a nice home especially for the 1920's. Conclusion to me was the driver dug up all the money and lived a pretty good life afterward.. I could be wrong but a chauffeur don't live in a house that would be beyond his means for that era. Heck today that house back in those days would be equal to a home costing 200k or more today.

 

[against the wind]

yes they're all good stories. Why do you think the treasure mag's from the 1960s & 70s sold so many ?

After awhile, they all sort of started to sound like this:

The dying prospector/miner drags himself into the wild west saloon. The lone survivor of an indian attack . Curious on-lookers gather around him as he spills the story of fabulous riches back at his mine. They rush him to the doctor, but he dies of his wounds before being able to reclaim his riches. Here's the 5 clues to the cave of 100 lbs of gold bars.... blah blah blah

You were there too??

 

[NightStalker45b]

Tell ya the truth I hear a lot of stories from word of mouth. Old ranchers in the area. It’s rare there are any names so all I can do is start with the story and see if I find anything and go from there.

A lot of issues I find are when I’m told stuff like find the old Calvary rd etc. sometimes easier said then done

 

[Honest Samuel]

If you got the information from old ranches and not from treasure books and magazines, do more interviews and go for it.