Golden Empires - by Milton Rose

Old Bookaroo

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Dec 4, 2008
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While preparing an annotated bibliography of the Tayopa legend, I reread Milton Rose's "I Found a Lost Mine" (True West Sept.-Oct. 1958 [Vol. 6, No. 1], reprinted in GOLD! 1970 [Vol. 2, No. 1]. He states he wrote and published a "paper-bound booklet (pamphlet)" titled Golden Empires about the Lost Mine of the Padres, AKA Lost Mine of the Jesuits, AKA Lost Mines of the Estrellas (Stars) prior to 1930.

Has anyone here ever seen a copy of this little work?

Good luck to all,

The Old Boookaroo
 

2.0 - I did not find Rose's Golden Empires listed in either "Rascoe's" 1200 Treasure Books; A Bibliography (1970) nor in The Journals of El Dorado by von Mueller and Conatser (1977). It is not listed as a source in Probert's excellent work.

If none of them had or knew of a copy, it is a very rare item, indeed!

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

I saw an unpublished Milton Rose manuscript last Summer, didn't catch the title though. Might make it back that way this Summer (God willing) so I'll keep my eye open. Also got my hands on some correspondence between Milton and KvM including KvM discussing the LUE. Interestingly, Karl mentions the "Tomb of the Missing Padre" in Treasure of the Valley of Secrets...wonder if there's a connection?
 

The Salt Lake Mining Review (Salt Lake City, Utah) · 30 Jul 1911, Sun · Page 17
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I saw an unpublished Milton Rose manuscript last Summer, didn't catch the title though. Might make it back that way this Summer (God willing) so I'll keep my eye open. Also got my hands on some correspondence between Milton and KvM including KvM discussing the LUE. Interestingly, Karl mentions the "Tomb of the Missing Padre" in Treasure of the Valley of Secrets...wonder if there's a connection?
Randy - I hope you can obtain a copy of the Rose MS. Sounds most interesting. I've recently been reading about Rose and the "Father Kino Silver Bars" - quite a story!

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

I have the first part of the series he wrote for TW, I need to round up the 2nd part apparently. He mentions "I'm Sick of Lost Mines!" This article was also responded to by Karl von Mueller in a letter that TW published. It was a rather long letter if memory serves me. Not long after, another letter appeared from Charlie Millen (I believe that's the name) who was writing about Karl and his collection of antiques at his house when he lived briefly in Salt Lake City. Seems like TW was a lot more intersting back then. :)
 

I have the first part of the series he wrote for TW, I need to round up the 2nd part apparently. He mentions "I'm Sick of Lost Mines!" This article was also responded to by Karl von Mueller in a letter that TW published. It was a rather long letter if memory serves me. Not long after, another letter appeared from Charlie Millen (I believe that's the name) who was writing about Karl and his collection of antiques at his house when he lived briefly in Salt Lake City. Seems like TW was a lot more intersting back then. :)
Randy -
"Millen, Charles G: A lifetime pursuer of buried treasure & mineral wealth. He has endowed numerous charities with the fruits of his successes. Commonly known as 'Charlie.'"

~ Encyclopedia of Buried Treasure Hunting, Karl von Mueller (1965)

The easiest (and lowest cost) way to run down those old True West articles is to obtain copies of GOLD! Years ago I picked up a complete run, and it is not for sale today.

As I wrote, the three-part Milton Rose "I Found a Lost Mine" series is reprinted in the 1970 GOLD! "Annual" (Vol. 2, No. 1). That same issue includes "I'm Sick of Lost Mines" by Dr. E.R. Harrington. And a series of letters received in response to that article when it was first published: "The Heck You Say, Dr. Harrington."

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

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The “Lost Mine of the Padres” or the “Lost Mine of the Jesuits” could be in any one of several Southwestern states, or down in Old Mexico. There are several treasure yarns with those names. “Lost Mines of the Estrellas,” however, narrows it down to the Estrella Range in Pinal County, Arizona. More specifically, to “Montezuma’s Head Mountain.”

Probert’s Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of the West (1977) has several entries about this particular legend. One of them is Western Treasures, Lost & Found by “Jesse Ed Rascoe” [Ed Bartholomew] (1961). He links the “Lost Mine of the Stars” to Milton Rose. His Some Western Treasure Trails (1964) has the story of the “Spanish Bullion Plant” that owes a great deal (although without a citation) to John D. Mitchell’s “Don Joaquin and His Gold Mine” (Desert Magazine, May 1943, Vol. 6 No. 7 – Probert states it was first published in the Arizona Mining Journal).

Ray Howland wrote “The Lost Mine of the Stars” (Arizona Highways, February 1935, Vol. 11 No. 2) – a very personal account of his hunt for and discovery of this mine. Interestingly, he notes the same “rock house” described by Mitchell.

There is also a short account of the hidden gold bars in Lost Mines and Hidden Tresure by “Leland Lovelace” (1956).

Although I do not have a copy of Golden Empires, the evidence strongly points to it being about the Montezuma’s Head Mountain in the Estrella Range “Lost Mine of the Stars” and the gold bar plant associated with it.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

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