The Tumacacori Treasure Room and Mines

[VICTORIO]

Quinan Bear Wrote " I can tell you that the Opatas mine is in earth, while the Guadalupe and conception mines are in stone." Sir I will never hunt these locations I am too far away and have too many projects of my own. I just wanted to ask what you mean these mines are in stone. You also wrote " Now that you know that the gate is not the one at the mission, but one made naturally. are you gonna ask where it is? or do you still think it east of the mission? " I really don't want to know where it is I would like to know if you would please explain the lay out of these mines just to see if they might apply some to my sites. I would just like to get a better idea of how these people would think. I'm talking about the ones that built these missions leading to the min es.

 

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[desertgoldman]

Hey,all. Noobie here - to the site, that is. Just would like to say this site is way cool. Living near Tucson and been involved in th'ing and prospecting for a few years now.

Anyone in the area that needs a buddy for a quest - keep me in mind.

 

[Oroblanco]

WELCOME TO TREASURENET DESERTGOLDMAN!!!

I would bet that you have some stories to tell? I hope you will share your adventures with us, and look forward to reading more from you!
your friend,
Oroblanco

 

[desertgoldman]

Thanks,oro. Looks like a great bunch of guys here! mostly - lol

 

[Oroblanco]

HOLA amigo Desertgoldman!
I have to agree most members are great - including our gals! I think you are going to fit right in. As you probably have noticed, with such a large group there are a very few sour apples but we have that handy-dandy "ignore" function for them.
Oroblanco

 

[Old Dog]

Well this old sour apple wishes you welcome,
and good hunting.
Good to see you here. Hope you can jump right in and share info and experiences with us.

Thom

 

[Oroblanco]

Thom - YOU a sour apple?

 

[desertgoldman]

Thanks, Dog!

Wasn't blasting anyone - just had noted the vehemence with which some were ready to attack others and descended into personal attacks. Likely to happen when folks are passionate about the same subject. I know first hand that our investment of time and effort in searching and researching treasure legends often results in a proprietary feeling towards the subject. But until the treasure is recovered, nobody has a "right" to them.

In reading this thread I see that Cpt. Bill was hot on the trail of one of these Tumac. mines and intended to spend up to a year in the area to recover the treasure - from March 08 to March 09 - in the new malpais down by the AZ/Mexico border. Sure wish I had found this site sooner, as I'd have taken him up on his offer to go along.

Question is - did he ever resurface? Haven't seen any recent posts of his. Do we need to form a rescue team? Is he squishing his toes in the sand in Cancun, spending a silver bar a week? Anybody know?

Oro - You and I have so much in common it's incredible. Hate to admit it, but I did read your top secret classified, your eyes only, double secret probation, forbidden blog. "Didn't understand a single word" ( quote from the Indian chief that captured Gene Wilder in 'The Frisco Kid') !! lol Most important is a preference for fresh veggies! lol I've been less fortunate than you I think in dodging the bullets of life,perhaps, and in the last few years though I haven't been exactly homeless, it's only recently that my wife and I have found a place where we could start to think about having a garden. I might be tempted to pull the trigger on a sasquatch if the reward was to be a peck of homegrown tomatoes - in other words - I'd kill for one!! lol Maybe next spring.

I empathize with your frustration in searching for the Raspberry Mine. This is the third - and I hope final time - that I've lived in AZ. It's MY state. I just let everyone else live here! You all needn't thank me - I reckon it's the least I can do for you. I've never been truly successful at treasure hunting but have a couple of accomplishments of which I'm proud.

1. In Thomas Terry's AZ treasure atlas there's a couple of entries re: Providence, AZ - "the wickedest town in the West" from it's founding until 1913 when the railroad quit servicing the town. It's in Yavapai County near Poland Junction."just over the hill from McCabe". Not,of course, on any map today. Found it. "Trove"? An Ex-lax tin with a hand drawn map inside indicating a claim marker on nearby Big Bug Creek, imploring whoever found the map to "please don't destroy this marker". lol Ironically, when, after WEEKS of searching I finally located the townsite, there was a National Forestry Service marker there which gave a bit of history about the town at nearby the NFS day use area which was closed - looks like it was built and closed within the era from 1950's to 1960's based on things I found there.

2. Believe I have found the area where the incidents related in John Mitchell's story of The Lost Pick Mine occurred. I have filed a mineral claim at that point. Not because it would entitle me to the treasure, but because there is placer gold on the claim - all small so far - and just as importantly, drinkable water year round. As you and others know, Oro, water in Arizona is more rare than gold. I mention this find, Oro, because it occurred in a place where the place-name in the story no longer exists. If I ever find the treasure (estimated at $70-80,000 at the time of the incident - roughly $3.5 million at todays gold prices) it will be strictly by accident, because now when I go up there I spend the available time digging and processing.

Don't mean to turn this thread into a discussion of The Lost Pick. Sorry for the rambling. Thanks, again for the welcome guys.

Oro - nobody filed the necessary forms for you to exit Arizona with my office. I'm certain you are the kind of partner I need out here. People don't really have to live in that extended ice and snow filled winter, ya know? Move back soon and I'll overlook the attendant f.ine for exiting the state with improper procedures.

 

[gollum]

DGM,

Bill has been saying things like that for years. Some of the things he fails to take into consideration are that:

• Two people have had almost all of Javelina Canyon under Treasure Trove Claims since about 1986
• The Virgin de Guadalupe Mine is in the Coronado National Forest. Not legal to dig there without permits
• It's impossible to drive anywhere near Javelina Canyon as it has been blocked by USFS and BLM

He has claimed intimate knowledge of MANY lost treasures, but nothing found to date.

I know a couple of people he has made plans to meet and never showed up.

Welcome and Bestwishes-Mike

 

[desertgoldman]

Thanks for the welcome, Gollum!

I appreciate what you have to say about Bill. I tend to take people at face value until proven otherwise. This tendency has caused me some grief in my life, at times, but has also resulted in my becoming acquainted with some individuals I consider to be treasures. After all, "gold is where you find it" figuratively as well as literally, and you have to dig alot of horseshoe nails to find a nugget!! lol

Anyway - am I the only one who has noticed it is about 9 mos. from the time he was supposed to return from his adventure? Whether he is a horseshoe nail or a nugget I'd like to hear how his effort was rewarded. Anyone else?

 

[EE THr]

DGM;

He also posts on the Yahoo Group "MicronGold."

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MicronGold/messages

His last post was 8-21-09.

 

[gollum]

DGM,

If you go through his posts back a few years, you will see that happens over and over again.

Don't get me wrong. I believe he gets out and travels a lot, but other than that, I can't say.

Best-Mike

 

[desertgoldman]

All right, den. Believe I've got your opinion on that subject...

Just wondering if he's missing in action or is a billionaire partying down.

 

[desertgoldman]

Also, Mike, I didn't get to see his posts at yahoo. My experience w/that outfit was that yahoo wanted to claim total control of my computer, a second lien on my house, and sacrifice of my firstborn son. Don't "do" yahoo anymore. lol

Even if Bill is a total BS artist, I'd like to hear his current ration!!

 

[Oroblanco]

HOLA amigo Desertgoldman and everyone,

Desertgoldman wrote

2. Believe I have found the area where the incidents related in John Mitchell's story of The Lost Pick Mine occurred. I have filed a mineral claim at that point. Not because it would entitle me to the treasure, but because there is placer gold on the claim - all small so far -

HOLY COW buddy if you are not pulling my leg, you WILL find all the gold you could ever want, almost hate to post this publicly but it is common knowledge among prospectors so here goes - that placer gold is very likely weathering out of the lode - and the lode was incredibly rich. So it is just a matter of following up that dust to the ledge, then comes the hard work but the big payoff. Also, that small stuff is what we are after, - heck most people, when we talk about gold mining, start talking about huge nuggets - they are unaware that less than 2% of gold occurs in nuggets, 98% is in the form of dust or even smaller. That is your paycheck, though the non-gold-miners will never be impressed with it, it is real money and know that your peers ARE impressed with it. After all, an ounce of gold dust is over $1000 today!

Desertgoldman also wrote

Don't mean to turn this thread into a discussion of The Lost Pick

Maybe we ought to start a new thread for the Lost Pick, after all it IS one of the most famous lost mines in Arizona? What do you think? Thank you in advance,

Desertgoldman also wrote

Oro - nobody filed the necessary forms for you to exit Arizona with my office.

Dang it I KNEW we forgot something - good thing we left at midnight and kept to the back roads! This Dakota interlude was supposed to be fairly short, but of course we put our place up for sale just in time for the real estate collapse, so as so often happens with plans...things are taking much longer than hoped. We still HOPE to be able to move back, and now know what type of property to buy, now if the danged real estate buyers would just get active again...!

Gosh Desertgoldman, it does sound like we are kindred. I do have to admit that right now, I am looking forward to processing the LAST of the garden output soon, but a recent visit to a grocery store tells me it was definitely a good deal financially. I will have to tell you of a couple of Arizona garden "tricks" that I tried out here, some worked and some backfired! (heh heh )

My apologies for the off-topic blab there amigos, to try to tie this back in, our friend CaptBill has not posted recently in any thread HERE that I saw, perhaps we ought to try to contact him in case something is wrong? I know he has failed to keep meetings but he is after all one of us, and you know how treasure hunters and prospectors are, not the most gregarious of folks. <An inner fear that someone will learn the secrets we know perhaps?> What do you think?
Oroblanco

 

[desertgoldman]

What a guy,Oro! You are something else!

No,amigo, although I can (and do) pull legs with the best of 'em, I'm not pulling anyone's leg in this instance. I'd like to share with you the story of my quest for it, which I have put down in writing on my blog on Myspace. I didn't have a myspace until my wife created one for me a couple of years back. When she did, I took the time to write down the particulars of the search, sort of in book form, with the few pix I had left after my divorce in 06. My nueva esposa and I just moved back to Arizona about a year ago - my 3rd and I pray to God, my final time. They'll have to run me out this time if I'm to leave here before I die!! I really love this state.

The only way I can prove my claim is in the same area would be to actually find the treasure - which is highly unlikely for a variety of reasons which I won't go into here in depth. I'm sure you understand when I say that armchair treasure hunting is WAAAY different than getting "out there" and making things happen. If you're fortunate to make it to the legendary location - what now? Thousands of acres, hermano, and only so much time.

The treasure, according to Mitchell, was "buried in a hole under a large rock between the rock and the creek bank". Well I found an arrastra, which was part of the story (and those don't grow on trees, as you know). There's no way to know if it's THE arrastra except by finding the treasure. Mitchell's story sez the crushed ore in the arrastra was mixed with mercury and the amalgam was buried. Never one to damage any historically significant site, I have only dug down in one spot in that arrastra to get a sample and did indeed find gold. But that gold was gold - had no silver mercury coating as any gold in it would have if the miners had indeed used merc. So, you say, that's evidence you're barking up the wrong tree,Des. Mebbe. Didn't find any "big rocks" either. I have several ideas about finding the treasure and may check them out sometime, but for now, when I head up to the claim, I spend my time there prospecting, which normally rewards me with some gold anyway. The first few years of searching for treasure netted me very little!! lol

I will just say at this point - I'm where the story SAYS I should be and I found an arrastra near Bronco Canyon. Doubt anyone else ever will find it because it's not on any map I know of. I'll explain that to you when you get your arse back here and we head up sometime together!

(still chuckling about your midnight escape from AZ!)



Anyway, if you'd like, I'll send you an invite to my myspace page and you can read the blog and tell me what you think.

 

[desertgoldman]

I'd show a pic of the gold my wife and I found at the claim this summer if anyone could tell me how. Sorry, but I'm a tard on techy stuff. lol

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

L I S T E N I N G my friend. also waiitng for oro to incriminate himself.


Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[desertgoldman]

I have read several - certainly not all, of your posts, and was under the impression you were un caballero magnifico.

Tienes mas decir?

 

[Oroblanco]

HOLA amigo Desertgoldman and everyone,

I hate to say "WOW" again but WOW - you know the old-time prospectors would never EVER leave their arrastras intact when they were done mining - they were torn down and the gold recovered, which is why we rarely ever find one today. The fact that it was found intact tells us that the men who built it most likely were either killed or run out of the country never to return. The mine can not be far away - for any miner worth his salt would certainly not want to waste lots of time and energy simply hauling the ore from the mine to the arrastra to process it, especially when there could be hostile Indios behind any or every rock. I get the impression you may have already found it, but do not wish to say so publicly - if this is the case, I will understand and not "press" you for enough details to lead some claim jumper to your mine.

May I ask for a linkee to your blog amigo? For some odd reason I have this compulsion to read about the very type of things you have mentioned....

Don Jose de la Mancha wrote

L I S T E N I N G my friend. also waiitng for oro to incriminate himself.

Ah well I would tell you the whole story but it would bore you to tears and besides no one would ever believe it, but yes a 'midnight express' exodus, after a dawn start made for a VERY long day. It was a bit hard to leave even dead four-legged friends behind. I will just say there were some very odd 'incidents' in the short time we got to live there, which persisted to the very last moment.

Oroblanco