True West Magazines

surlydog

Jr. Member
Dec 19, 2004
21
2
rock hill s.c.
I Ran into an old timer in Strawberry AZ. , That knew Murice Kildare (An alias) . Under the name "Murice" wrote many treasure stories. My source said much of the information was made up. He was after all . selling them. I had a pet story he wrote about a Pine Springs stage robbery here in AZ. I did a lot of research, and discovered the following: The stages that ran through there were mostly mail stages. There is NO record of a stage being robbed there in AZ. records. Also there was a store/post office at one time at the location. I got a hold of a list of postmasters for the dates before and after the "robbery". Facts per story didn't line up.. Another thing I have noticed in a lot of these printed yarns. is the weight of the gold as it would relate to the $ in gold robbed and carried away just don't add up. Gold is heavy. I suggest before driving off with detector in hand, all shouid do a care full fact check. Remember 20.00 in gold coin was about 1oz. Thousands get pretty heavy.
 

surlydog, I'll go one step further with your post: So too were 90%+ of the treasure stories in all the old treasure magazines also made up. Or .... well .... would find some silly old faded newspaper headline (a single set of facts) and the rest was silly made up hogwash. The 1960s/70's/80s treasure magazines were FILLED with "lost mine" and "stagecoach robbery" type stuff. So fun to read. But all silly junk at best.

For example: A buddy of mind sent in one of the stories that appeared in a 1970's treasure mag. Entirely made up. Just so he could have fun and get the $100 (or whatever it was) submission acceptance payment. He had a good laugh.

But nonetheless, reader bought into them hook-line and sinker , without the slightest bid of analytical scrutiny. Just throw in a faded newspaper clipping, a drawing a miner posed next to his burro, and a few "... It has been said....." and presto, it must be true.

The human mind wants SO HARD to believe in treasure "lest you be left out", that we tend to put buy into it, and just assume it must be true.
 

that is true today too, especially all the types of media, especially the dramatic ones that feed emotion,, it is all for making money
 

Strawberry AZ , I'd love to be able to metal detect there. Black Bart knocked off a few WellsFargo stagecoaches in Strawberry back in the Wild West days. He never rode a horse and would always carry the money over his shoulder as he walked or ran away.
 

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