The Silver Madonna and Other Tales of America's Greatest Lost Treasures (3 page)

Additionally, at a location some sixty miles upstream from where Iturbe entered, the river had broken through a section of its bank and spilled out of its channel into the low-lying area to the west and created a large inland sea. Although the river was shallow, it carried just enough water to accommodate the heavily laden ship. Days later, Iturbe’s vessel left the river and sailed into the inland sea. Still obsessed with finding pearls, Iturbe and de Rosales instructed the divers to search for more oyster beds.

For two weeks, the Spaniards sailed around this sea before it dawned on them that it was only a shallow accumulation outflow from the river and would hold no oyster beds. Iturbe issued the order to return to the channel and thence back to the waters of the Gulf of California. As they neared the channel, however, they discovered that as a result of a drop in the water level, a low ridge of land separated the sea from the river. The Spaniards were horrified to realize they were now landlocked with no chance of returning to the gulf.

Hopeful that he might be able to locate another route to the open sea, Iturbe sailed once again around the shallow sea only to return to the same location days later. He realized that not only was the ship trapped with no hope of escaping this watery realm, but the intense evaporation generated by the high temperatures was causing the level to lower at a rapid rate. While pursuing yet another search for a route to the gulf, the Spanish vessel came to rest on the sandy bottom of the lake. As days passed and the water continued to recede, the ship began listing to one side.

As the hopelessness of the situation was realized, the two captains, the crew, the divers, and the soldiers gathered up what provisions they could carry, abandoned the stranded ship, and struck out across the drying lake bed toward the Gulf of Mexico. As they traveled southward, Iturbe and de Rosales cast glances back toward the vessel, each one thinking about the fortune in black pearls stored in casks and strapped into the hold.

Four months later, the survivors reached a location along the western coast of Mexico near the present-day city of Guaymas, where they were spotted by a lookout on a Spanish galleon. They were rescued and transported to Acapulco, and thence to Mexico City. Less than half of those who had set out from the stranded vessel survived the journey. The rest succumbed to thirst, starvation, exposure, Indian attacks, and snakebite.

As the members of the pearl gathering expedition were being carried back to Acapulco, Iturbe’s ship came to rest at a forty-five degree angle on the now dry floor of the desert. By this time, the relentless winds had rendered the canvas sail to tatters and piled the drifting sands deep along the windward side of the vessel, accumulating nearly to the gunwales. Deep within the hold, an uncountable fortune in pearls reposed in several wooden casks and two clay pots, all covered with an accumulating layer of dust. For more than two centuries, the treasure-filled vessel lay thus before it was looked upon by another human being. Sometimes it was hidden by the ever-shifting sands, other times it lay partially exposed.

In time, the survivors of the disastrous pearl hunting expedition were returned to Mexico City where Captain Iturbe submitted a report of what had transpired. The document was examined by an official or two, and then filed away. It was determined that the shortage of manpower and the expense of mounting a recovery expedition were too great to consider.

It was over two centuries later that the remarkable story of the stranded Spanish ship with its cargo of pearls lost somewhere in the desert of Southern California became known. As a result, dozens of expeditions entered the arid and forbidding region between the Colorado River and the Vallecito Mountains in search of the vessel. In spite of the numerous quests, several of them well-funded, the ship could not be found. On returning, some claimed that the ship was more than likely buried under several feet of drifting sand. Others advanced the notion that it never existed.

During the years following the Civil War, hundreds of migrants desirous of finding a short route to the California coast, attempted the trek across the arid expanse of the Colorado Desert. Dozens lost their lives. Like the travelers before them, some who managed to reach Los Angeles or San Diego told of having spotted the remains of an old and weathered sailing ship out in the middle of this vast arid region.

During the 1880s, lured by the chance of finding gold and other precious metals, prospectors entered this desert to search for signs of ore in the rock outcrops that dotted the environment. On returning to nearby settlements for supplies, some of these prospectors reported spotting the remains of a ship half-buried in the sand at some remote location. Most were unaware of the cargo contained within the ship’s hold. Others told of running low on water or food and were unable to investigate the ship further.

One long-time prospector told of spending most of a year in the area searching for signs of ore in the nearby exposed granite and camping in the lee of the old vessel. He described the weathered and rotted wood of the ship, some of which he used for his campfires. When told the story of the ship’s cargo of pearls, he determined to return to the location and retrieve it. In spite of repeated attempts, he was never able to find the ship again.

In 1882, a group of prospectors were on their way to examine some outcrops near Superstition Mountain, located in present-day Imperial County and thirty miles northwest of the border town of Calexico and just south of the Salton Sea. Along the way, they encountered a long pole lying partially buried in the desert sand. One of the members of the party identified the object as the mast of a ship. Another recalled the tale of the lost treasure ship allegedly stranded somewhere in this desert. For the next several days, the prospectors searched the region for the ship but found nothing. They finally determined it was buried under one of the high dunes in the area.

In 1915, an old man, a Yuma Indian, walked into the desert town of Indio. After entering a small grocery store and selecting some items, he attempted to pay for them with a handful of small, round, black stones. As he was discussing the exchange, the proprietor of the store realized the stones were, in fact, pearls. On inquiring about the source of the stones, the Indian told of becoming lost as he was traveling across the desert and seeking shelter in what he described as a large “wooden house” almost entirely covered in sand. Inside this house, he explained, he encountered several wooden barrels, each filled to the top with the stones.

Before the day was over, the story told by the Indian was being related all over town. A group of men approached the Indian and offered him two hundred dollars in cash if he would lead them to the “wooden house.” The Indian agreed and was paid the money and given a place to spend the night. In the morning, however, he could not be found and was never seen again.

As recently as 2004, hikers, trail bikers, and some rock hounds and meteorite hunters have returned from the deep interior of California’s Colorado Desert with reports of encountering the bow or stern of an old ship partially buried in the sand. None were aware of the story of Captain Iturbe’s lost treasure ship. On learning the story, some attempted to relocate the vessel but were never successful.

Given the continuous shifting of the desert sands as a result of the strong and constant winds found here, it remains likely that the lost Spanish treasure ship is alternately covered and exposed. Some day when a portion of the vessel is exposed, some hiker or trail biker may chance upon it and discover the fortune outlined in black pearls lying within.

From time to time, a satellite image encountered on the Google Earth Internet site shows promise. In 2009, one such image depicted what appeared to be the outline of a portion of what looks similar to that of a sailing ship at a location not far from Superstition Mountain. Months later when a small expedition arrived at the site, nothing was found save for an expanse of rippling dunes. The leader of the expedition suspected the object of their search had been covered over by the blowing sand.

The quest to find the lost treasure-laden Spanish ship in the Colorado Desert continues.

3

The Goat Herder’s Lost Treasure

One of the most fascinating and compelling lost treasures in America is one that was found by a simple, uncomplicated man who was frightened by it. After informing others of his discovery, he feared the consequences and fled, never to return. For more than half a century, this treasure has attracted dozens of searchers. It has been found on two occasions, and then lost again both times.

The Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas are notable for a number of reasons. For one, the range houses Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,751 feet. For another, the mountains were the last stronghold for the Mescalero Apaches. For yet another, the Guadalupe Mountains may be the site for more lost mines and buried treasures than any other geographic location in America.

One such tale involves an amazing discovery of chests filled with gold and silver coins that were found in a remote cave by a goat herder. The discovery was to change his life, and the search for this fortune continues.

Before white settlers arrived in the region of the Guadalupe Mountains, the grasses native to the area were plentiful and rich in nutrients. Because of this, the newcomers saw great potential in the region for grazing livestock. Before long, several cattle, sheep, and goat raising enterprises were operating on and along the flanks of these mountains.

During the early part of the twentieth century, a man named J. C. Hunter envisioned the front range of the Guadalupe Mountains as having great potential for raising Angora goats. At the time, the demand for mohair, the yarn made from the silky hair of this goat, was great and those who could keep the eastern markets supplied with it were making good profits. Hunter was convinced he could make a fortune with a successful Angora ranching operation in the range. History proved him correct.

Before much time passed, Hunter moved large herds of Angora goats onto his property on which he also grazed cattle and sheep. Hunter employed a number of cowhands and goat and sheep herders. One of his goat herders was a young man named Jesse Duran.

Duran, along with his parents, had migrated from the interior of Mexico and crossed the Rio Grande into Texas, coming north in search of work on one of the prosperous ranches. A skilled herder in his native Mexico, Duran soon found employment on the Hunter Ranch and was placed in charge of a large herd of goats that grazed the eastern limits of the ranch along the slopes and foothills.

Jesse Duran was a simple, uncomplicated young man. He never owned anything of value during his lifetime. With his job on the Hunter Ranch, his basic needs for food and shelter were met. He longed for little else. Though he received a small salary, Duran had little need for money, and sent his earnings to his parents, who chose to live and work in Laredo.

Duran was with his herd one misty spring morning in 1930 when he noticed his canteen was empty. The goats were grazing contentedly among the sparse vegetation atop Rader Ridge, a low, narrow limestone crest that extends out from the southeastern escarpment of the Guadalupe Mountains and extends toward the El Paso–Carlsbad road two miles away. It had been raining for two days, a cold rain accompanied by a brisk wind. Duran, wrapped in a worn woolen poncho, watched the goats from the shelter of a madrone tree. Presently, he decided to walk over to nearby Juniper Spring to fill his canteen.

Juniper Spring lay a mile to the southwest and downhill from where Duran sat. He turned into the wind and struck out for the spring. After a few minutes of hiking the narrow goat trail, Duran attempted a shortcut across a gently sloping limestone outcrop. The route would shorten his walk, but it proved to be considerably rougher than the trail. Large slabs of weathered rock lay everywhere, and Duran walked around on top of many of them. Once, as he stepped onto a rain-slicked slab of stone it gave way under him and slid downslope, spilling the goat herder to the ground. When Duran rose and wiped the mud and desert debris from his pants and poncho, he noticed a small opening in the outcrop where the large flat stone had earlier rested.

In the dim light of the cloudy morning, Duran peered into a low, shallow cave. As his eyes became accustomed to the dark interior, Duran recoiled from what he saw. Just inside the opening and propped up against one wall of the cave were three skeletons with what was left of their clothes hanging loosely from their bones. Leaning against the opposite wall of the cave were at least three rifles.

Then Duran saw something else. Lying on the floor of the cavern just beyond the skeletons were three strongboxes of the type used by Wells Fargo and the Butterfield Overland Mail to transport money and gold. One of the boxes was open, and it was filled with gold and silver coins. Duran touched nothing in the cave. He refused to enter or even extend his head in beyond the opening. Frightened, he replaced the stone slab over the opening. He continued on to Juniper Spring to fill his canteen and pondered what to do with his discovery.

Later that afternoon, Duran decided to tell the ranch foreman what he found. Making certain that his goats were secure, he walked several miles to the home of Frank Stogden, arriving at his house one hour past sundown. After knocking on the back door, Duran was greeted by Stogden’s wife. She invited him in out of the rain and offered him some coffee. She told Duran that her husband and three neighboring ranchers were playing cards in another room and that he would see him as soon as they were finished.

An hour later, Stogden called Duran into the room. He and the other men listened to the goat herder’s description of his amazing discovery. Stogden and his friends told Duran they would be ready to ride out at first light and recover the treasure, but the herder was hesitant. He explained to the men that he feared the spirits of the dead that he believed inhabited the cave and watched over all that was inside it. Duran was a devout Catholic with a strong belief in the power of departed souls. He explained that any treasure found with skeletons was destined to remain where it was, and that any who disturbed the site would bring bad luck and hardship, perhaps even death, to themselves and their families. Duran said he believed nothing but evil could come from desecrating the treasure cave.

The ranchers laughed at Duran’s fear and said that spirits did not intimidate them. Then they pressed Duran for directions to the cave. Their eagerness made Duran cautious, and as he grew more nervous, the ranchers backed off of their insistence, not wanting to risk continued refusal. The men told Duran they would turn in for the night and continue discussion of the treasure cave in the morning, then ride out to Rader Ridge and examine it. The next morning, however, Duran was gone. He was never seen in the vicinity of the Guadalupe Mountains again.

In the morning, Stogden and the three other men saddled their horses and rode to Rader Ridge, arriving at Juniper Spring just before noon. The continuing rain had obliterated any sign of Duran’s presence in the area. The men dismounted, hitched their horses to bushes, and began searching the rugged area on foot.

According to Duran’s story, as it was recounted by these same men years later, the young goat herder found the small cave while making his way downslope from the top of Rader Ridge. Leaving the narrow trail, Duran walked several more yards along a limestone outcrop before slipping on the flat rock. Jesse had told the men that as he stood at the opening of the treasure cave he was about one-quarter mile northeast of Juniper Spring.

The four ranchers searched until sundown but found nothing. On several occasions they encountered large flat slabs of rock, but when they shifted them aside there was no cave beneath any of them. For several months, the four men returned to the area to search for the cave when their responsibilities permitted, but having no luck they eventually gave up the search.

As time passed, others heard the story of Jesse Duran’s treasure cave, and soon the hills between Rader Ridge and Juniper Spring were covered with treasure hunters. In spite of all efforts to locate the treasure, however, the mysterious cave still remains hidden somewhere on the rocky slope of the mountain.

Continued research into the story told by Jesse Duran supports the notion that the treasure cave does indeed exist and in all probability contains a fortune in gold and silver coins as well as skeletons and rifles.

The Guadalupe Mountains are a massive limestone reef transecting the Texas–New Mexico border and extending for nearly two hundred miles. The range is pockmarked with hundreds of caves, large and small. A half-hour drive toward the northeast along State Highway 62-180 would bring one to Carlsbad Caverns. Lechuguilla Cave, regarded as the largest cave system in the world, is also located in this mountain range. Within a half-mile of Juniper Spring are several small caves similar to the one described by Duran.

The Butterfield stage line passed less than one mile from Juniper Spring, and the Pinery, a stage stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail, had been constructed at the top of the pass. The rock building and its associated corrals was a location where horses, weary from the long pull up the mountain, were exchanged for fresh ones and where passengers could enjoy a meal and a bed. During its brief existence, the Butterfield Overland Mail transported money, supplies, and passengers from the east to the newly settled land and associated business opportunities in the west. From Arizona, California, and New Mexico, the line transported shipments of gold and money from the mines there to the eastern banks.

It is also a fact that bandits hid out in the deep and forbidding canyons of the Guadalupe Mountains. Outlaws preyed on the stagecoaches as the horses labored up the steep grades toward the Pinery Station. Records show that stages were halted, passengers robbed, and strongboxes and chests containing gold, money, and ore were taken on several occasions.

Given these facts, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the cave Jesse Duran found was a cache for goods taken from the stage line. More difficult to explain is the presence of the three skeletons in the cave. Perhaps they were victims of the robbers. Or maybe there was a falling out among the bandits and three of their number were slain and left in the cave.

Elsewhere in the Guadalupe range other strongboxes and chests have been found and documented. In some cases it has been suggested that the principals involved in the robberies were captured or killed by pursuing lawmen and never had an opportunity to return to retrieve their booty.

Duran himself is a fundamental element pertinent to the credibility of this tale of lost treasure. Old-timers in the region who knew Duran claimed that he was an honest, sincere, trustworthy, practical, and hardworking young man not given to exaggeration or making up stories. Duran was well liked and had the respect of all who knew him.

In researching Duran, it was learned that, following his visit with Stogden and his neighbors, the goat herder fled on foot that same night to Carlsbad, New Mexico, some seventy-five miles to the northeast. He went directly to the home of a sister where he related his experience. Duran remained hidden at the sister’s place for three months, rarely leaving the house during daylight hours.

Duran’s fear of the spirits of the dead was so strong that he continued to believe his accidental discovery of the treasure and the skeletons might bring bad luck to his family. So greatly did he fear the situation that he decided to leave his sister’s home and travel to California. There, Duran worked as a farm laborer until the day he died sometime in the early 1970s.