Photos from open sources
In the summer of 1974, the vastness of the USSR was shaken by the Western “Mackenne Gold.” The boys stood in line for hours to get the coveted ticket for a session, and then built in the courtyard of the Golden Canyon, played Macken and Colorado sang “birds are not people …” Perceiving the story about a canyon full of gold, like a Hollywood fairy tale, they don’t suspected that there were actually a canyon, and Macken, and the poor man Adams.
The Story of Old Adams
The moon came out from behind the clouds and illuminated with its pale radiance Arizona the mountains. Somewhere a coyote barked. People sitting around the fire were silent and looked at the gray-haired old man. They were waiting for his story. The old man took stick, put it in a fire, lit up coals and a sheaf of sparks hit night sky.
– All this has been retold a thousand times and I have nothing to add to said earlier. “But still, Mr. Adams, tell me.” – Well, well.
Then I was very young, that’s how you are now. I was delivering goods in Arizona. Occupation profitable, but dangerous. First relationship between the settlers and the Indians were quite friendly: we sold them weapons and gunpowder, and they give us buffalo skins. However when the indians saw that the cities on their lands grow like mushrooms and white going to go nowhere, the settlers became their enemies.
In August 1864, I was warned that roads in Arizona became completely unsafe. But I reasoned that together risk the cost of my services also increased, loaded a shotgun, loaded a van and set off from Los Angeles to Tucson. In addition to the goods I took one and a half a dozen horses that he intended to sell to the settlers.
When I got to Pima County, the Indians attacked me. I fought back, saved his scalp and horses, but lost the van with goods – the Indians burned him. I had nothing to do empty Tucson and I drove my horses to Zacaton. There I met Brewer, and he introduced me to the Crooked Ear Indian.
What the Native American told was like a fairy tale. He described canyon whose walls “cry with golden tears and every teardrop the size of an oak nut “and if white people want it, it will show the road. As a reward, Crooked Ear requested a horse, saddle, and weapon. The red man honestly warned that this place is located in the center of the earth apaches and the journey will be dangerous but willing to risk their lives were found quickly. John was their eldest Brewer.
A photo from open sources
Gold miners needed horses, many horses, and they had only one mule at all. I immediately realized that this is a chance that drops out only once in a lifetime. I did not take money for horses, but bargained for a place in the detachment and a share in the total production. Brewer agreed. August 20, we hit the road. We were 22 person.
How much we walked – I do not remember. I lost count of days, rivers, canyons. The Native American led us day and night, finding the way along some he knows only signs. He led us to a rock in which a narrow crack gaped. The passage was so narrow that it was a ride it was possible only one at a time. The horses rubbed their sides against the walls, and raising his hand, one could touch the ceiling. After passing the passage, we went out on the ledge and we took our breath away from what we saw.
Below lies a valley along which a stream flowed. And in splendor the setting sun sparkled gold. It was so much there that it’s difficult to believe. It shimmered in the sun, it was impossible to watch, it hurts was to the eyes. With shouts we spurred horses and along a narrow road went downstairs. Gold was everywhere there. Nuggets lay around like stones on the road, and the bottom of the stream was lined with golden sand. Behind In less than an hour, we collected ten thousand dollars worth of nuggets.
Crooked Ear got a horse, a saddle, a Winchester and left us, finally advising me to leave the valley as soon as possible. But does can I leave a place with so much gold? We started to smash camp, build a hut. The Indians appeared on the second day. There were 30, we are 22, we prepared for the battle, but the leader did not show to us hostility. He calmly said that we can get gold, how much we can carry, and then we must leave the valley and forever forget the way to it. Who will return will die. And again: we should not walk up the creek. We swore, but that night some of we were sent to a forbidden place and brought from there nuggets the size of egg.
Soon we had a lot of gold, but you can neither drink gold nor there is. Brewer took the five and went with them for food, promising to return soon. However, all the deadlines have passed, and our comrades all did not return. I and Davidson followed in their footsteps and soon found five. They lay right at the exit of the crevice and vultures pecking their bodies. Native American leader was not going to let anyone out valleys, he waited until the detachment was divided and now destroyed us piecemeal.
Caught in terror, we rushed back to the valley to warn the comrades about the danger, but seeing over our camp smoke, we realized that they were late. We turned the horses and galloped away from this damned place. We drove and drove the horses until they fell dead. The next two weeks were filled with fear. Day we they hid in caves, and at night they wandered and wandered, not knowing where, confusing traces. When the cavalry patrol found us, we were on the verge of insanity and did not understand where we are and where they came from.
We told the soldiers about the golden canyon, but they did not believe it. They decided that we, wandering through the valleys and canyons in fear for our scalps are just crazy. Sometimes I myself am ready to believe that gold the canyon dreamed about me in feverish delirium, if not for that.
The old man unclenched his palm, and in the light of the fire shone yellow nugget.
– It was in my pocket when the soldiers were ours. Many years I keep it as evidence that it was not a dream, that the canyon is and I saw him with my own eyes.
The old man hid the nugget in his pocket, fell silent, and again raised it in bonfire coals. – And then? Someone interrupted the silence. – Later… – the old man sighed. – Davidson died soon, the experience was not for him According to the forces, the Apaches dug up their tomahawks and the Indian war broke out. Only 10 years later, when they were defeated and resettled on a reservation, I returned to these parts. Over the years I have traveled all over Arizona and New Mexico, several times it seemed to me that I almost found a canyon, but every time I was wrong. I have not long left, however I keep looking. He who seeks gold cannot stop.
Gold Mackenna
Over the years, Adams has told his story to hundreds of people. IN in the mid-70s of the XIX century, a 20-year-old boy heard her. Inspired by legend, he decided to become a prospector and set to work. search for the golden canyon. The name of the young dreamer James Macken.
Mackenna searched the canyon for many years and did not find. About his searches, he wrote the book “Black Range Tales”, than to a large extent contributed to the spread of the legend. And in 1886 in El Paso (Texas) John Brewer showed up, the one whose Adams corpse with Davidson could not find.
Brewer survived the massacre organized by the Indians at the exit of the canyon, hiding in a mountain crevice. Like Adams and Davidson, in the afternoon he he hid from the Apaches, and at night went east until he was picked up Indians, from among those who have not yet dug up their tomahawks from the earth. Like Adams, Brewer had no idea which side the golden canyon, but unlike his friend, did not spend time on searches, and the donkey on earth and died an ordinary farmer in the 20s of XX centuries, telling the story of the Golden Canyon among friends.
They searched for the golden canyon for many more years. Were looking for single miners, private parties and even geological expeditions on behalf of the US government. Found some promising deposits, but not one of them closely resembled the lost the mines of Adams.
John Sniveley
For many years it was believed that Adams, Davidson and Brewer – the only ones who managed to get out of the canyon alive. Meticulous however reporters unearthed that in 1865 in Pinos Altos (New Mexico) John Sniveley showed up – the prospector among those remaining in the canyon. is he cashed gold nuggets for 13,000 dollars and disappeared. After several years Snivley showed up in Arizona, where he bought a rich ranch and healed for pleasure.
How he managed to stay alive, how he got out of the canyon – Snivli did not have time to tell anyone about his adventures, because in 1871 year was killed on his ranch by the Apaches. Researchers believe that in unlike his friends, Snivley managed to find the way back to canyon. For which he paid with his life.
Klim Podkova for the magazine “All the Mysteries of the World”
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