No thanks necessary amigo...hope all is well with you and yours.
It's always a good idea to treat anything Rose said with a skeptical eye. He was remarkably well-informed, I guess hanging around the Supes and other Dutch Hunters for 60 or so years will do that. He knew just about everyone that ever set foot into those mountains. His Dad owned a newspaper in Mesa, can't remember which one off the top of my head. He contributed heavily to Mitchell's "Lost Mines of the Great Southwest", mostly the Arizona lost treasure stories in that book. Milton also served during WW2 and retired as a Colonel in the Army Reserves. Interesting guy.
The problem with Rose is he was also a treasure hunter...so anything he thought was important, he would write about, but change up certain info so as to throw off other treasure hunters. I guess he didn't see much sense in giving away possible critical info that he'd spent years tracking down.
I would put the existence of a map drawn by Jacob Waltz, and it's owner, as something Rose would've considered "critical" information. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he changed the name of the guy who supposedly bought it from Old Pete. Hard to say, but I wouldn't bet on it being accurate
Thanks Jim,
We have been getting weird weather, but we still like living in Idaho. 😁👍
A little far from the supers, but I might hurt myself if I was closer. 😉
I don’t plan to try to track down the original map. Sure is surprising that where ever it went, it stayed out of the light.
I don't know when the copy we have today showed up, or if it is the same as the original.
I suspect sometime after the wilderness act went into place. Maybe when computers and on-line stuff started. 🤷🏼♂️
But what I do know, is that the region shown on the map, has things identified, that when boots to the ground were employed, they were made by man. Time frame of the map things put them, well lichen was all over the top of those things, prior to their recent disturbance… so certainly over 100 years and probably more.
The origin mine date would have been just prior to Waltz settling in Phoenix, in 1868.
That’s over 150 years ago, that Waltz was covering his mine.
The one time he said he went back, he said nothing had been disturbed. That was approximately the winter of 1882/83
(I wasn’t there, so I can’t say 100% 🤓)
As far as the map, a big question remains …
is the copy we have, the same as the original?
It’s a good question. 🤷🏼♂️ and I don’t know.
Do I think this is the place of Waltz’ mine? Absolutely, but my health is not cooperating.
I have seen photos from the last trip. There was more work done on uncovering Waltz’ mine.
The tunnel opening to his mine was enlarged all around, to make a shelf about 5’ below the opening. Cut logs were stacked, cross cross layers, onto the shelf. The last foot or so was filled with rocks and dirt.
Then Waltz spent the winter covering the whole thing. A giant pile of loose rocks.
The amount of work needed, is not a small amount. I got there too late in life, to get it myself. My boys want instant gratification, and lost interest in the work part. They just want the gold part. 😵💫, kids nowadays. 😁😂😂
So I am once again sharing my search. Same deal as before.
If anybody gets into “his mine” I get a chunk of ore. 😁👍
That’s the deal.
I’m not posting photos on line.
As far as clues, they are all there.
One more interesting tidbit. I think I know why Holmes never found the place.
There is evidence that Dick Holmes was never at Waltz’ deathbed.
The story is he heard the directions to the mine the next day, from one of the 2 people that were with Waltz, was hen he was dying.
Holmes did not come into Phoenix until Monday morning. Waltz died Sunday evening.
All the stuff NOT part of the directions, from the manuscript, was most likely false and or twisted info. None of it locates the mine….. smokescreen perhaps 🤷🏼♂️.
That’s what the evidence I saw revealed about Dick Holmes, and Waltz’ deathbed.
Oh, and supposedly the name of the gentleman that told Holmes about the mine, was Gideon Roberds … with a “d” not a “t”
Gideon’s sister lived in Phoenix, just across the alley from Julia Thomas.
It was Gideon and his sister that Julia had watch Waltz, that Sunday evening.
The next day, Gideon was cleaning up the ore from under Waltz’ death bed, and Holmes was helping.
Gideon was old like Waltz, and in no shape to take Julia into the mountains. It is thought that this was why Holmes was helping Gideon with the ore, that he (Holmes) would do it 😳🙁😬 🤷🏼♂️ (I wasn’t there 🤷🏼♂️)
Stuff happened, but not the way we all heard it.
Half truths is what we got.
It’s ok though. We don’t need every little detail worked out, we just need to reach “his mine”.
If any of you go to look, go with my blessings 👍. It is very treacherous to traverse within the ravine, and to go up top (for viewing clues 😁)
If you die, don’t come after me 😂👍
Also, the giant rock pile is no joke. A broken leg waiting to happen, if not careful.
Jim, thanks again for sharing. 👍😁
- Idahodutch
