hey gang,
Hello mi amigo Oro !!!!! I think you have some very true and valid points. I have always liked the way you look at both sides of a issue. Now to the point, First let me say that I think the term " liars ' is a bit harsh. Oro, you ask if I can " prove " that they were not telling the truth.... The answer would be no. The information I received, was from a original writer at Desert Magazine. Someone that had absolutely no reason to lie to me, and someone that in all meeting with me ( for nearly a year ) he simply told the truth. He would tell me from from time to time, I may not like what I hear, but it's all he knows. The only way to know " for sure " is to follow what he said and here it is point by point:
1- Desert Magazine was not making enough money to keep the going for long and needed a boost in subscriptions.
2- Jack Pepper " acquired " several black nuggets (
from whom, from where and how is not known ).
3- In Feb of 1965 the first letter appeared in the magazine, here's a copy of the manuscript. When you read it, think like a editor and look at the text. To me ( and I'm no editor ) there are things that someone like you- Oro, or anyone here would not include in a letter to a magazine about one of the GREATEST gold finds EVER!!!! Let me demonstrate, I will look at each part:
Dear Desert Editor:
Although the enclosed story has no
byline ( does anyone know what a byline is ? ), I believe it and the photographs will be of interest to you. After you have read the story, you will understand why the reasons for my remaining anonymous are too obvious to enumerate.(
to me the writing style is just too professional too be a average joe )
You have my full permission to publish the story and this letter if you wish. They may be of minor interest to the readers of Desert Magazine.
More important, I am also enclosing
two of the Peg Leg's nuggets. One is still black, exactly as found, and the other has had the black copper oxides removed by the process mentioned in the story and is now native "gold" in color. You will have these nuggets to show one and all who have doubted the story of Peg Leg's black nuggets (
who would doubt the story if there are " real " nuggets on display ). You may keep them with my compliments for Desert Magazine's collection of desert artifacts, in this case you can start a new collection of items from lost mines that have been found.
Very sincerely yours,
The Man Who Found
Peg Leg's Black Gold
The whole thing is short precise and professionally written. Ask yourself this, just how would you have written this letter? Would you have EVEN written a letter ?? Why would one feel " compelled " to write a letter to of all places," THE " magazine of South Western tales, lore etc. Also, this writing style is VERY important... Why ? Because shortly after Jack died, there was only ONE letter, and it is NOT written by Jack. One other point that has to be made is that Choral and Jack's marriage was not doing well either. Choral ( and no I can't prove this ) went to stay with Earl Stanley Gardner ( from Perry Mason fame ). This most likely can be proven with a little research... I just haven't done any of it yet ( I just finished moving last month ), but I will. I do know that there were some articles in Desert Mag, that both Earl and Choral worked on together.
Until 1965 Pegleg's story got " some " attention but not like it did. The first story appeared in Nov 1946, by Henry E W Wilson, and I was able to track his life and some of his " research " down.Let's just say, that the article he quoted as his source of the pegleg story was not what he stated in his original article. He quotes Los Angles Express ( newspaper ) from July 13, 1900 and December 1901 Munsey magazine as his " original source ". I have the Munsey article and there is nothing new there at all..... Anyway Desert Magazine had a TON of articles after 1965, oh yeah the subscriptions ( I assume ) went up enough to keep it going for awhile.
Please let me state that I have NOT called Choral Pepper a " liar ". If it wasn't for some of Choral's article's and books, I may not have gotten this far in Treasure hunting. The only thing that Choral " may " have done, is to write the last letter from " the man who found... ". She may have been told to do it, there were many people ( so I'm told ) who thought that after Jack died and the letters stopped, that the two may have been one in the same. I simply wanted to share what I was told, by someone that I held in EXTREME high regard. I told you what he told me and from there..... It's your choice whether to believe or not....I hope this helps....
PLL
One version, I believe by Choral Pepper, involved an ambushed pack train hauled back to Mexico with gold nuggets in packs. Indians cut off the packs and scattered the rocks looking for loot. 
