cactusjumper said:
Hi Paul,
[Joe, I know you've mentioned more than once that Julia and Rhiney made their first search through Hog Canyon. I know you put alot of stock in Sims Ely, so why don't you believe when Sims says that Helena (Julia) sold her business and with Rhiney took a wagon and team to First Water on the northerly side of the Superstition Wall and walked into the mountains from that direction?]
Actually, I've been saying that for many years now. I am aware of what is in Ely's book, but my guess is that this fact was one of the things from the Bark Notes that the family asked, or told him, to leave out.
"As I was riding the range about six miles west of the home ranch in August 1892 or 1893. I met some campers near an old well belonging to ranch, and they proved to be a colored woman by the name of Thomas and a young man about 18 years old by the name of Rhiney Petrach, whom Mr. and Mrs. Thomas had adopted." The Bark Notes.
"Six miles west of the home ranch" (Quarter Circle-U) puts them at Hog Canyon. For many reasons, Hog Canyon makes perfect sense.
Take care,
Joe
Joe,
While you may be correct in your assumptions, take a step back and look at this from my perspective. As I mentioned, you've made it clear that you put a great deal of faith in Sims Ely's book and his word. His book has a definitive provenance - that being that he was the author. I don't know how much was actually written directly by him, or how much editing took place, etc... but the fact is, it's documented that he is the author.
The Bark notes on the other hand (at least all the copies you and I have seen) have little or no provenance. There's no proof that they are truly Jim Bark's word at all, in fact one could make a better case that it's likely they are an adulterated version at best, and possibly a fabrication at worst. You know the stories about how they were "discovered" as well as anyone - as a source of information, at the very least, the Bark Notes as we know them should be strongly questioned as to their accuracy.
I understand why you choose to believe that Julia and Rhiney's first trip was through Hog Canyon, but when you step back and look at why you believe that, it's primarily because it fits your theory correct? The issue I have is that you can't just pick and choose what parts of something you want to believe just because they match your theory. Either you believe Sims Ely's book and his word, or you don't - it becomes problematic when parts of his book are used to defend a belief, while other parts are discarded because they don't point in the same direction one wants it to.
Does that make sense? I honestly don't mean to be argumentative here Joe, and I don't mean to come off as being a smart%#$. Heck, when it comes down to it, both the Ely story and Bark story about Julia and Rhiney might be correct since neither one actually comes out and says it was their "first" trip into the mountains. It's implied that way in Ely's book, but never says it.
) is that a relative of Jim Bark got access to a set of notes after Bark passed away. These notes have been described as a diary, a set of notes or even a rough draft of a manuscript to be published at a later date. They were supposed to be recorded by Jim Bark during the years he looked for the Lost Dutchman Mine - much of which was while he was partnered with Sims Ely.
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; however, you know what they say about that "fresh set of eyes". 
