[x] Welcome at THunting.com!

A fun place to talk about Metal Detecting, Treasure Hunting & Prospecting. Here you can share finds and experience with thousands of members from all over the world

Join us and Register Now - Its FREE & EASY

THunting.com
Treasure Hunting & Metal Detecting Community
   
Advanced Search
*
Welcome, Guest! Please login or register HERE - It is FREE and easy.
Only registered users can post and view images on our message boards.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with email, password and session length
Or Login Using Social Network Account
2
News:
Pages:  1 2 3 4   Go Down
Print
Share this topic on FacebookShare this topic on Del.icio.usShare this topic on DiggShare this topic on RedditShare this topic on Twitter
Tags:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Offline seldomTopic starter
Wrecking Crew
Platin Member
*

Wrecking Crew
Join Date: Jan, 2009
Thank you19

Activity
0%
Male
United States
Posts: 7361
Referrals: 0

20755.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards
« on: October 11, 2011, 06:30:05 pm »
Go Up Go Down

This has always been one of my favorite legends . True who knows but it has ties to many other treasure legends. Think we can have some fun with this one.

Stationed at Chihuaha, New Mexico in 1797 during the last years of the Spanish occupation, was a priest named LaRue.  Father LaRue, while sitting with an old dying soldier, listened while the soldier told him of a rich gold-bearing load in the mountains north of El Paso del Norte .

 The soldier explained to LaRue that the mother lode could be found by traveling one day north of El Paso until three small peaks could be seen.  When the peaks came into view, the journey would turn east across the desert to the mountains.  In the first mountain range, there would be a basin with a spring at the foot of a solitary peak.  Upon this mountain was to be found a rich vein of gold.

Shortly after the soldier died, Chihuaha settlement was devastated by drought and famine.  The Padre called the villagers together asking if they would follow him north to a better climate and more water.  They agreed and the party migrated to the north.  After crossing El Paso del Norte, they followed the course of the Rio Grande to the small village of La Mesilla near Las Cruces, New Mexico. North of there, they sighted the three peaks and turned east across the dreaded Jornada del Muerto desert, finally arriving in the San Andreas Mountains. After a couple of days of exploration, they located a basin in which there was a spring at the base of a solitary peak, just as the old man had said.  Settling the new colony at Spirit Springs in Dona Ana County, Larue sent the men out to search for the gold.  On one side of the peak, they located a rich vein in a deep canyon southwest of the springs.  They tunneled into the mountain and followed the vein downward.  The deeper they went, the richer the ore became.  The priest assigned dozens of monks and Indians to mine the gold, form it into ingots and stack it along one wall of a natural cavern inside the mountain.  For two years LaRue extracted the gold from the mountain, stockpiling it.

Word leaked into Mexico that LaRue had set up his own little empire and he was extracting large quantities of gold.  The Spaniards wasted no time in rounding up an expedition to send north.

When a small group was in La Mesilla purchasing supplies they learned the Mexican Army was on the horizon. Hurrying to camp, they spread the alarm. It was one thing for Padre La Rue to leave his post without permission of church officials in Mexico City, but it was quite another not to deliver the Royal Fifth (or Quinta) of the gold for shipment to Spain.

Father La Rue immediately set about concealing all traces of the mine. Working day and night, knowing the soldiers were drawing ever closer, he had his little group labor to seal the entrance to the mine.  When the soldiers finally arrived and demanded to know where the gold came from which was used to purchase the supplies in La Mesilla, Padre La Rue refused to answer. He died under torture, as did many of his followers.   The soldiers searched the entire area, but finding no clues, they returned to Mexico empty-handed.

Although the historical facts suggest LaRue was in the Organ Mountains between present day Las Cruces and Alamogordo, his mining operation was deep in the San Andres Mountains north of Las Cruces.  It was here, according to legend that the treasure was concealed.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg197620.html#msg197620




Logged

If you believe everything you read you are reading to much.
Treasure is a Harsh  Mistress

Offline ArfieBoy
Knight
Gold Member
*

Join Date: Apr, 2011
Thank you293

Activity
2%
Male
United States
Posts: 3426
Referrals: 0

16031.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards

Compass X-70; Compass X-200; Compass Coin Scanner Pro II; Whites Coinmaster 2/DB Series 2
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2011, 06:47:07 pm »
Go Up Go Down

Thanks for this intriguing short version, Seldom.  It is an interesting story.  Thanks for the reminders of one of the "Big Ones!"    Great    Detecting

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg197626.html#msg197626


ArfieBoy


Logged

Government can not give anything to anyone...  without first taking it from someone else!

Offline BitburgAggie_7377
Klugheit und Verstandnis
Platin Member
*

Define Treasure
Klugheit und Verstandnis
Join Date: Jul, 2009
Thank you116

Activity
73%

United States
Posts: 9235
Referrals: 0

26045.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards

Fisher Impulse , Tesoro Lobo SuperTraq, Tesoro Vaquero, Tesoro Compadre, Garrett AT Max, Whites Sierra Super Trac
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2011, 06:04:36 pm »
Go Up Go Down

I've always liked that one.  It is one "lost Spanish mine" story that I give some credence to, although I think a lot of exaggeratin' has gone on over the centuries of the tellin'

BA

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg197730.html#msg197730




Logged
Offline shortribs
Bronze Member
*

Join Date: Feb, 2009
Thank you7

Activity
0%

United States
Posts: 257
Referrals: 0

1445.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards

Fisher-Whites-Garrett
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2011, 06:19:13 pm »
Go Up Go Down

Wonder if the Indians went back and got the gold or maybe thought it was better to leave it alone. But if there were any americans that were helping maybe they helped themselves ??  Also wonder how many indians were killed to find out where it was by the spanish.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg197731.html#msg197731




Logged
Offline seldomTopic starter
Wrecking Crew
Platin Member
*

Wrecking Crew
Join Date: Jan, 2009
Thank you19

Activity
0%
Male
United States
Posts: 7361
Referrals: 0

20755.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2011, 08:00:01 am »
Go Up Go Down

Well shortribs there are 2 dozen versions of this legend out there and they all have some facts and lots of fiction involved.   

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg197769.html#msg197769




Logged

If you believe everything you read you are reading to much.
Treasure is a Harsh  Mistress

Offline goldnboy
Silver Member
*

Join Date: Apr, 2010
Thank you3

Activity
0%

Australia
Posts: 1225
Referrals: 0

6165.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards

gold stinger
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2011, 08:20:44 pm »
Go Up Go Down

 Thanks for the post Seldom, I know of the legend but had never known anything about it.
 Sounds like a good one, Any members ever had a look around for this lost / hidden mine

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg197917.html#msg197917




Logged
Offline seldomTopic starter
Wrecking Crew
Platin Member
*

Wrecking Crew
Join Date: Jan, 2009
Thank you19

Activity
0%
Male
United States
Posts: 7361
Referrals: 0

20755.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2011, 09:02:19 pm »
Go Up Go Down

I hate to admit it Goldnboy but I have done no real research on this one. I have read several books about it and many articles but like the Lost Dutchman I am not going after it so have not done any fact checking.

We do know La Rue was a real and interesting guy. If memory serves me right La Rue came from a wealthy family but walked away from it and joined the priesthood. He was a pain in the butt so was sent to the new world where he proved to be a pain in the butt.

Many historians think that the  Noss treasure at Victorio Peak was the La Rue cache.
   

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg197921.html#msg197921




Logged

If you believe everything you read you are reading to much.
Treasure is a Harsh  Mistress

Offline shortribs
Bronze Member
*

Join Date: Feb, 2009
Thank you7

Activity
0%

United States
Posts: 257
Referrals: 0

1445.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards

Fisher-Whites-Garrett
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2011, 11:53:34 am »
Go Up Go Down

It must have took years to fill that victorio peak cave,I cant believe there was ever that much gold found and stored in just a few years,unless a lot of people used it at the same time.  shortribs

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg198093.html#msg198093




Logged
Offline goldnboy
Silver Member
*

Join Date: Apr, 2010
Thank you3

Activity
0%

Australia
Posts: 1225
Referrals: 0

6165.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards

gold stinger
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2011, 08:00:33 pm »
Go Up Go Down

 I got the feeling that Victorio peak and the lost Padre mine aren't the same.
Victorio peak was full of all kinds of treasures. More likely from some other legends!
 I think with Victorio there must have been quite a few people involved if there rearly was ton's
 of treasure.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg198114.html#msg198114




Logged
Offline onafetsid
Pull Tab
*

Join Date: Oct, 2011
Thank you0

Activity
0%
Male
United States
Posts: 19
Referrals: 0

110.00 Gold
View Inventory

Awards

Bounty Hunter Tracker IV
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2011, 06:26:48 pm »
Go Up Go Down

You wouldn't happen to wear a fedora, Seldom?   Grin Grin

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,27891.msg198285.html#msg198285




Logged
Print
Pages:  1 2 3 4   Go Up
Jump to:  

Powered by SMF 1.1.19 | SMF © 2005, Simple Machines | Sitemap
Copyright THunting.com