The Silver Madonna and Other Tales of America's Greatest Lost Treasures by W.C. Jameson Page A
Authors: W.C. Jameson
Ads: Link
ephemeral stream.
Shortly after the Treaty of Hidalgo was signed, gold was discovered in California and the great gold rush was on. These two events eventually brought together Peralta and a German immigrant named Jacob Walz (sometimes spelled Waltz and Waltzer). Walz would soon become the most prominent figure associated with the Superstition gold mines.
Walz arrived on the eastern seaboard of the United States with many years of mining experience. He was immediately employed at gold mines in North Carolina and Georgia. Walz was living in Mississippi when he learned of the fabulous gold discoveries in California. Along with thousands of others, Walz packed his bag and headed west in hope of striking it rich.
Little is known of Walz’s activities prior to 1860. He was purported to be a recluse and for the most part shunned contact with other men. It is believed he worked several small but unproductive placer claims in northern California. Here he was known as the Dutchman, a nickname that stuck with him for the rest of his life.
According to legend, Walz was enjoying a beer in a tavern in some small mining town in California when he was distracted by a disturbance. At the opposite end of the bar, a drunk and angry gambler was beating on an elderly man. When the gambler plunged a knife into the stomach of the defenseless man, Walz stepped in and wrestled the weapon away. He picked up the bleeding victim and carried him to his hotel room where he treated the wound. Over the next few days, the old man recovered as Walz tended to him and brought him meals.
The old man introduced himself to Walz as Don Miguel Peralta II and the two became friends. When Peralta was fully recovered, he told Walz about his rich gold mines in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. At first, Walz did not believe the old man, but Peralta eventually provided him with directions as well as a map showing the locations of several of the still productive mines that had been covered over along with a number of the buried caches.
A short time later as the War Between the States gained momentum, Walz, using the map and directions provided by Peralta, traveled to the Superstition Mountains to search for the gold mines. He had difficulty interpreting Peralta’s map, but after several years of searching finally found gold. In the western end of the range near the normally dry Camp Creek, Walz found much of the ore earlier scattered by the Apaches following the ambush. In addition, he located a significant placer deposit.
Not far from Camp Creek, Walz encountered the ruins of several rock houses in which Peralta’s miners and guards once lived. Not far from these, he located two shafts that had been covered over. From where he stood near these shafts, Walz could see the sharply pointed peak off to the south that a number of researchers have identified as Weavers Needle, a prominent landmark in the area. Other investigators, however, are convinced that Walz was looking at Pinnacle Peak. After exploring the region for several days, Walz found at least two of the large caches of ore and ingots that had been buried by Peralta.
Once Walz determined that he had indeed found Peralta’s mining claim, he set about panning gold from some of the streams and reopening the mine shafts. As he panned and dug ore, he allegedly cached quantities of it alongside Peralta’s stashes in other places. According to research, the only time Walz ever left the range was to travel to Phoenix to purchase supplies.
While in town, Walz always paid for his purchases with gold. According to many, they were the purest nuggets ever seen in the region. When townsfolk asked Walz about the source of his gold, he refused to talk about it, saying only that no one would ever find his mines. As in California, he was known locally as the Dutchman.
When more people became aware of Walz’s mining successes, some began following him on his return trips to the Superstition Mountains. Walz
Shortly after the Treaty of Hidalgo was signed, gold was discovered in California and the great gold rush was on. These two events eventually brought together Peralta and a German immigrant named Jacob Walz (sometimes spelled Waltz and Waltzer). Walz would soon become the most prominent figure associated with the Superstition gold mines.
Walz arrived on the eastern seaboard of the United States with many years of mining experience. He was immediately employed at gold mines in North Carolina and Georgia. Walz was living in Mississippi when he learned of the fabulous gold discoveries in California. Along with thousands of others, Walz packed his bag and headed west in hope of striking it rich.
Little is known of Walz’s activities prior to 1860. He was purported to be a recluse and for the most part shunned contact with other men. It is believed he worked several small but unproductive placer claims in northern California. Here he was known as the Dutchman, a nickname that stuck with him for the rest of his life.
According to legend, Walz was enjoying a beer in a tavern in some small mining town in California when he was distracted by a disturbance. At the opposite end of the bar, a drunk and angry gambler was beating on an elderly man. When the gambler plunged a knife into the stomach of the defenseless man, Walz stepped in and wrestled the weapon away. He picked up the bleeding victim and carried him to his hotel room where he treated the wound. Over the next few days, the old man recovered as Walz tended to him and brought him meals.
The old man introduced himself to Walz as Don Miguel Peralta II and the two became friends. When Peralta was fully recovered, he told Walz about his rich gold mines in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. At first, Walz did not believe the old man, but Peralta eventually provided him with directions as well as a map showing the locations of several of the still productive mines that had been covered over along with a number of the buried caches.
A short time later as the War Between the States gained momentum, Walz, using the map and directions provided by Peralta, traveled to the Superstition Mountains to search for the gold mines. He had difficulty interpreting Peralta’s map, but after several years of searching finally found gold. In the western end of the range near the normally dry Camp Creek, Walz found much of the ore earlier scattered by the Apaches following the ambush. In addition, he located a significant placer deposit.
Not far from Camp Creek, Walz encountered the ruins of several rock houses in which Peralta’s miners and guards once lived. Not far from these, he located two shafts that had been covered over. From where he stood near these shafts, Walz could see the sharply pointed peak off to the south that a number of researchers have identified as Weavers Needle, a prominent landmark in the area. Other investigators, however, are convinced that Walz was looking at Pinnacle Peak. After exploring the region for several days, Walz found at least two of the large caches of ore and ingots that had been buried by Peralta.
Once Walz determined that he had indeed found Peralta’s mining claim, he set about panning gold from some of the streams and reopening the mine shafts. As he panned and dug ore, he allegedly cached quantities of it alongside Peralta’s stashes in other places. According to research, the only time Walz ever left the range was to travel to Phoenix to purchase supplies.
While in town, Walz always paid for his purchases with gold. According to many, they were the purest nuggets ever seen in the region. When townsfolk asked Walz about the source of his gold, he refused to talk about it, saying only that no one would ever find his mines. As in California, he was known locally as the Dutchman.
When more people became aware of Walz’s mining successes, some began following him on his return trips to the Superstition Mountains. Walz
Similar Books
