skyhawk1251
Sr. Member
Chapter 10 of "The Lost Dutchman Mine" by Sims Ely mentions an old trail leading up the east side of Bluff Spring Mountain. I'm wondering if there is still evidence of that old trail and, if so, does anyone know exactly where it begins? GPS coordinates would be helpful.
I have other questions related to this book, but I'll raise them in separate posts.
Jimmy was a cowboy employed on the Bark range, and he was a special friend of mine since I had once done him a substantial favor. That evening he was genuinely excited. "Do you know," he exclaimed, "there's a trail that runs up the east side of Bluff Spring Mountain? Well, there is - a big, wide trail -and I found it yesterday. I hurried to Phoenix to tell you about it."
The trail didn't show on the mountainside, Jimmy Anderson said, until you were some rods up and quite a distance from the brush where he had been working a steer out, and he never would have noticed it at all if he hadn't happened to be at just the proper spot. It ran at an angle to the right for a considerable distance, then doubled back, and finally zigzagged its way to the top. And the truly astonishing thing was that the trail was deeply worn into the solid rock in many places, and everywhere it was at least three feet wide. Thousands of animals must have traveled up and down that trail, said Jimmy Anderson, in order to wear it so deep. He had ridden the trail to the summit, becoming more and more astonished by the minute, marveling at the great skill that had been required to layout its course.
I realized at once that this was truly momentous information. Unfortunately Jim Bark was up north just then, but just as soon as he was available, we rushed out to the range. Jimmy Anderson went with us to show us the trail.
It was just as he had described it. In most places it was at least three feet wide, and in many sections it was worn into the rock to a depth of at least three inches. And all this width and depth were there at least half a century after the Mexicans had kept their horses and mules on that summit. We decided, of course, that erosion had had something to do with the depth of the trail, that water from the rains could have accounted for some of the depth; yet here at last, it seemed, was irrefutable evidence that the old mine we sought was somewhere in this area. We rode our horses the full length of the trail and then, still on horseback, explored much of the flat. A half-mile or so to the north from where the trail emerged at the summit, we found the head of a ravine which was more than a mile long and ended in the narrow section of the wedge. In many places along this ravine, there were deep tanks of water in the bedrock. Serving as catchment basins when it rained, these natural tanks would supply ample water the year around for animals living on the mountain. The ravine ended in a sheer drop of at least a hundred feet-a gorgeous waterfall when it rained. (At a later date I examined the terrain around the foot of the drop with my prospector friend, E. E. Wright, and we observed that miniature Niagaras had carved a hole in the bedrock there of the diameter of a forty-gallon barrel and at least two feet deep.)
Everywhere we found luxuriant grass, and I was led to remark that the magnificent pasture surrounding us was certainly a reflection on the much vaunted intelligence of the Bark bulls. For Jim had said on former occasions that in times of extreme drought they would make their way to the highest and most difficult places in search of feed, and indeed the trails which they-and the cows and steers that followed them-had made in this way had served to obliterate every ancient trail which otherwise might have led us to the mine we sought. Yet here was a trail and a bovine heaven that they had missed. It was Jimmy Anderson who sprang to the bulls' defense, pointing out, as he had before, that the trail did not begin at the base of the mountain, but some rods up the slope. It was a trail that had evaded men's eyes until now, and a bull, he guessed, might be pardoned the error.
This was a natural stronghold for both men and animals - a hidden trail on the east and its only other approach, the narrow and difficult one to the west, barred by vertical canyon walls, which Jim and I had surmounted on our first trip to Bluff Spring Mountain. And there, as Indian John had explained to Jimmy Gibson, a few guards armed with rifles could defeat any band of Apaches that sought to steal the horses and mules. As we sat our horses, looking about us, we agreed that here at last, on this isolated mountaintop and in the trail leading to it, we had found such evidence as should stimulate us to pursue the Dutchman as a reality. No other possible reason could be deduced for the construction and use of that trail or for occupying the flat summit with such great numbers of animals. Certainly the mine was somewhere in this area, but whether it was north, south, east, or west of this the silent mountain vouchsafed not a clue. Bluff Spring is another prime exhibit in the case. This is the formerly flowing spring, now only a well, situated at the base and about midway of the four-mile mountain to which it has given its name. It lies only a few hundred yards from the brush where Jimmy Anderson made his momentous discovery.
When the two cattlemen, Le Barge and Charlebois, brought their herds in from the northwest and established them along Le Barge Canyon, as it came to be called, they found an abundance of pure, fresh water there and also at the mouth of the intersecting canyon since named for Charlebois. Exploring the surrounding country, they were amazed to find a protected supply of water within a well curbing - the future Bluff Spring. At one time the water had flowed free - this was evident - but now it had been curbed by a skillfully laid rock wall, which stood some two feet above the surface and reached down to a considerable depth.
But why? these cattlemen asked themselves. Le Barge Spring with its unlimited supply of water was less than two miles distant, and Charlebois Spring only another two miles beyond that. For what reason had people gone to the trouble?
Jim Bark and I assumed that the spring was used by the Mexicans on their expeditions to and from the mine, and good evidence supporting this conclusion came to light when Jim discovered in a recess in the mountain wall, some yards higher than the spring, at least a hundred Mexican sandals. These sandals, with soles of cactus fiber, held to the foot of the wearer by cactus strings tied over the instep, were eloquent testimony to the use of this water by Mexican peons in large numbers. Impractical for mountain wear, the sandals had been cached there by the spring and then forgotten in the stress of Indian attack or other hazard. The spring was therefore, we surmised, the last gathering place for Mexican expeditions before they set out on the return journey to Mexico via the direct route to the south. That surmise was made certain by Jimmy Anderson's discovery. Here, indeed, was the final outfitting place. Here the horses and mules were brought down from the mountaintop. Here they received their loads. And from here, if their luck held, soon both men and animals were out on the desert, away from all danger of attack by the Apaches. "The Lost Dutchman Mine" by Sims Ely
I have other questions related to this book, but I'll raise them in separate posts.
Jimmy was a cowboy employed on the Bark range, and he was a special friend of mine since I had once done him a substantial favor. That evening he was genuinely excited. "Do you know," he exclaimed, "there's a trail that runs up the east side of Bluff Spring Mountain? Well, there is - a big, wide trail -and I found it yesterday. I hurried to Phoenix to tell you about it."
The trail didn't show on the mountainside, Jimmy Anderson said, until you were some rods up and quite a distance from the brush where he had been working a steer out, and he never would have noticed it at all if he hadn't happened to be at just the proper spot. It ran at an angle to the right for a considerable distance, then doubled back, and finally zigzagged its way to the top. And the truly astonishing thing was that the trail was deeply worn into the solid rock in many places, and everywhere it was at least three feet wide. Thousands of animals must have traveled up and down that trail, said Jimmy Anderson, in order to wear it so deep. He had ridden the trail to the summit, becoming more and more astonished by the minute, marveling at the great skill that had been required to layout its course.
I realized at once that this was truly momentous information. Unfortunately Jim Bark was up north just then, but just as soon as he was available, we rushed out to the range. Jimmy Anderson went with us to show us the trail.
It was just as he had described it. In most places it was at least three feet wide, and in many sections it was worn into the rock to a depth of at least three inches. And all this width and depth were there at least half a century after the Mexicans had kept their horses and mules on that summit. We decided, of course, that erosion had had something to do with the depth of the trail, that water from the rains could have accounted for some of the depth; yet here at last, it seemed, was irrefutable evidence that the old mine we sought was somewhere in this area. We rode our horses the full length of the trail and then, still on horseback, explored much of the flat. A half-mile or so to the north from where the trail emerged at the summit, we found the head of a ravine which was more than a mile long and ended in the narrow section of the wedge. In many places along this ravine, there were deep tanks of water in the bedrock. Serving as catchment basins when it rained, these natural tanks would supply ample water the year around for animals living on the mountain. The ravine ended in a sheer drop of at least a hundred feet-a gorgeous waterfall when it rained. (At a later date I examined the terrain around the foot of the drop with my prospector friend, E. E. Wright, and we observed that miniature Niagaras had carved a hole in the bedrock there of the diameter of a forty-gallon barrel and at least two feet deep.)
Everywhere we found luxuriant grass, and I was led to remark that the magnificent pasture surrounding us was certainly a reflection on the much vaunted intelligence of the Bark bulls. For Jim had said on former occasions that in times of extreme drought they would make their way to the highest and most difficult places in search of feed, and indeed the trails which they-and the cows and steers that followed them-had made in this way had served to obliterate every ancient trail which otherwise might have led us to the mine we sought. Yet here was a trail and a bovine heaven that they had missed. It was Jimmy Anderson who sprang to the bulls' defense, pointing out, as he had before, that the trail did not begin at the base of the mountain, but some rods up the slope. It was a trail that had evaded men's eyes until now, and a bull, he guessed, might be pardoned the error.
This was a natural stronghold for both men and animals - a hidden trail on the east and its only other approach, the narrow and difficult one to the west, barred by vertical canyon walls, which Jim and I had surmounted on our first trip to Bluff Spring Mountain. And there, as Indian John had explained to Jimmy Gibson, a few guards armed with rifles could defeat any band of Apaches that sought to steal the horses and mules. As we sat our horses, looking about us, we agreed that here at last, on this isolated mountaintop and in the trail leading to it, we had found such evidence as should stimulate us to pursue the Dutchman as a reality. No other possible reason could be deduced for the construction and use of that trail or for occupying the flat summit with such great numbers of animals. Certainly the mine was somewhere in this area, but whether it was north, south, east, or west of this the silent mountain vouchsafed not a clue. Bluff Spring is another prime exhibit in the case. This is the formerly flowing spring, now only a well, situated at the base and about midway of the four-mile mountain to which it has given its name. It lies only a few hundred yards from the brush where Jimmy Anderson made his momentous discovery.
When the two cattlemen, Le Barge and Charlebois, brought their herds in from the northwest and established them along Le Barge Canyon, as it came to be called, they found an abundance of pure, fresh water there and also at the mouth of the intersecting canyon since named for Charlebois. Exploring the surrounding country, they were amazed to find a protected supply of water within a well curbing - the future Bluff Spring. At one time the water had flowed free - this was evident - but now it had been curbed by a skillfully laid rock wall, which stood some two feet above the surface and reached down to a considerable depth.
But why? these cattlemen asked themselves. Le Barge Spring with its unlimited supply of water was less than two miles distant, and Charlebois Spring only another two miles beyond that. For what reason had people gone to the trouble?
Jim Bark and I assumed that the spring was used by the Mexicans on their expeditions to and from the mine, and good evidence supporting this conclusion came to light when Jim discovered in a recess in the mountain wall, some yards higher than the spring, at least a hundred Mexican sandals. These sandals, with soles of cactus fiber, held to the foot of the wearer by cactus strings tied over the instep, were eloquent testimony to the use of this water by Mexican peons in large numbers. Impractical for mountain wear, the sandals had been cached there by the spring and then forgotten in the stress of Indian attack or other hazard. The spring was therefore, we surmised, the last gathering place for Mexican expeditions before they set out on the return journey to Mexico via the direct route to the south. That surmise was made certain by Jimmy Anderson's discovery. Here, indeed, was the final outfitting place. Here the horses and mules were brought down from the mountaintop. Here they received their loads. And from here, if their luck held, soon both men and animals were out on the desert, away from all danger of attack by the Apaches. "The Lost Dutchman Mine" by Sims Ely
