BuffaloBob
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What evidence do we have to show that the story has any validity? ABSOLUTELY NONE! As is quite usual, we have only the statement of one man, and that statement was made by a very circuitous route (which is why I believe it).
Most Treasure Hunters know the story printed in TREASURE Magazine by Milton F. Rose regarding his finding a Lost Mine. As stated in the story, his Lost Mine just happened to be the famous "Pure Concepcion". There is only one problem with that story:
In a letter written to Father Charles Polzer SJ on 9 July 1972, Rose states unequivocally that the story printed in TREASURE Mag was complete fiction! Here, I will post pictures of the letter, and a transcription of the letter:
Letter from Milton F. Rose to Father C. Polzer SJ 09 July 1972 Dear Father Polzer, Thanks for your very informative letter of July 4th 1972. I will be looking forward to obtaining copies of your Major article on the Jesuit involvement with Sonoran Miners in the seventeenth century. I want copies for myself and for a very good (the best) “Jesuit Educated” friend of mine. Autographed copies, I hope. Does your work on article above have any connection with John Augustine Donohue SJ. Who is only one besides yourself, among modern Jesuit writers, that even acknowledges that there are treasure legends associated with the Society. Inspite of my writings or stories I have always had “tongue in cheek” as to the involvement of the Jesuit Order and it’s missions in actual mining operations. Neither do I believe that there are “Lost” Jesuit Missions. Perhaps “LOST”, unaccounted for, or non documented Visitas. This latter due to the word “involvement.” I’m positive that PAGE# 2 Tayopa was neither a Mission or visita of the Jesuits. My original story printed in True West and later in Gold was some 80,000 words in length. This was cut by Editor Joe Small to what was actually printed, and the manuscript returned to me with copyrights on same for later use by me. Have not seen fit to put it into book form as yet. I am doing triple research at present, and have learned a good deal. The big job facing me in a book, or books. The end point of my work. Not just a run of the mill book, but a classic. I hope I am up to it. As to the Franciscans? They are a different Kettle of fish. Will not go out on a limb here unless some research pans out. If so, it will really be an addition to Arizona History, backed up by scientist-experts. So far everything is right on. Have been doing some research on the bars. Have turned up a lot of forgeries that were not owned by me nor sold by me. One outfit in Florida made some, some came from an outfit in PAGE# 3 In Texas. Did turn up a few just like the ones I had, and was quite startled when I learned from whence they came. These latter bars came from a Yaqui Indian in Tucson, and were smuggled in from Mexico. They were all corroded and had the smell of death on them. All silver bars, no gold ones. All had KINO on them, and mostly the 1701 date. Mostly crosses and flat oblong bars. During year 1961 I had some correspondences with J. Graydon Rank of the a_ _ _s (aries?) association of Los Angeles relative to some bars they had. I, of course, only viewed pictures of them which matched some of my individual pictures of the bars, and also the bars on my composite picture of all the bars I handled. Referred him to a man, a registered assayer, who could have authenticated the bars against a spectrograph that had been made on each bar. But, the assayer in question bowed out. Why I do not know, nor have found out from the man himself. Everything I did was done under the then existing Federal laws as to Gold and Silver, as I had obtained permits from the Fed. Govt. PAGE# 4 For all I did. Also all I did in Mexico was done legally as my Mexican :Lawyers can attest. Legal fiction is just as valid today in Mexico as it was in the years you speak about under the Spanish. Spectrographs of the bars are as good as fingerprints on humans and for identification purposes. Also all bars that I sold cannot be duplicated even with modern methods. Forgeries of such are spotted. Old Spanish or Mexican smeltering practices is a lost art inspite of the voluminuous treatises on the subject by our former President Hoover. I also has a “bean pot”, along with a mesquite stick that was in it, carbon dated by experts. Give or take five to ten years the date of the pot and stick was 1850. Date of massacre of mule train carrying the bars, according to the Papagoes, was roughly years 1846 to 1855. Total number of bars found was about 380 or roughly 90% of silver bars carried by the mule train. 500 gold bars carried by the train I have never found, but have done a lot PAGE# 5 More searching in the last two years- still no luck. Silver bars weighed from 12 to 16 avordupois _ _ _ _ _ _ Gold bars are supposed to weigh 12 lbs each. Have not obtained or sold any bars for many years. Turned down the ones the Yaqui had for suggested reasons above. Except for what passes between us on the subject, will probably forget I ever had anything to do with the bars. Thus letting the question of historic authenticity remain a moot one. To lot of dyed in the wool treasure hunters, to decry a lot of “fabulously” wealthy “Lost Mines” and “Treasures” is like taking a stand against or decrying “motherhood.” I am going to do just that and try to cut the props out from a few of the most famous, nevertheless. This is gospel, and not soft soap for you. One more item. The Mexican Archives contain some very old Spanish silver PAGE# 6 Bars that were removed from a man made cave in the barrancas of South Central Sonora in 1946. In my story I called this “Geronimo’s Cave”. I removed all the gold bars therein, and left the very bad low grade silver bars which the Mexican Government removed in 1946. Have made attempts to get pictures, etc., of the bars, but have met failure both times. Does this sound familiar? Sincerely, Milton F. Rose PE |
As I get the opportunity to investigate this subject further, I will post more details. In the meantime, anybody who has more details can email me here:
During the course of my research, I found a good reference to a completely different Mule Train Massacre. When I put all the pieces together, I will enter that under the title "Mule Train Massacre II"
I actually believe that these two Mule Train Massacre Stories are one in the same, only that Rose got the dates wrong on his massacre. I think the massacre he was researching happened in 1751 and not 1851 (approximately).
Thanks-Mike
