[Roswell Chihuahua District Folk Tales]

Redfield, Georgia B., Wilson, Gorgonio

Roswell, New Mexico, United States

1936-01-06

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Document text

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Redfield, Georgia 3. 1/6/36-cl- Pd words
ROSWELL CHIHUAHUA DISTRICT FOLK -TALES
BURIED Th7ASURE
Interest in New Lexie° traditions of buried treasure
has been greatly revived in the past few months, especially
so in the southeast part of the state since the death of
a very old 24exican woman of the Chihuahua Spanish Amer-
ican settlement in the city of Roswell. It was gener-
ally known in that district, that the woman was in pos-
session of a secret of fabulous riches buried by her an-
cestors during the Indian uprisings and stealings. .There
was excitement and hurrying of many neighbors to the bed-
side of the old woman who finally died without divulging
her secret to any of the eager ones waiting around her,
only a few words came at the last with her frantic point-
ing toward the mountains, west "Gold!" she said, with
her last struggling breath, "much gold, jewels, olives!"
That was all but onouch to renew frantic searching for
the treasure.
Of all legends of the Spanish American people of
this district the ones of buried treasure will always be
the most thtilling. It ill said some of these stories,
have resulted in hunting and digging to such an extent
that many rich fertile fields of the lazy ones, which
have long lain waste have been well prepared for planting
by constant spading and are now truly yielding treasure

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in golden grain, hay, and garden foods.
However there is no doubt about there being buried
treasure, in various localaties in the state of New Mex-
ico. Some of these will never be found. money gold and
silver was often buried in the early days, during the
establishment of cattle -camps and ranches in this state.
There were no banks in those early days, no strong -holds,
not even locks on flimsy doors of tdobe huts or dugout
camps, on the barren prairies. Life was always uncertain,
with
ends
some
marauding Indians everywhere,
handed down through the years
by the "Tale -Face" and others
and so there are leg
of vast treasures buried,
by the
The Comanches end Apaches spent days
"fled -Skin".
and weeks trail-
ing and watching herds of cattle brought over the waterless
dry plains by the first cattle -trail blazers. When the
herds were sold they were ready to pounce down end take
the hard earned gold the stock -men had broken their nerves,
their health and lost their lives in the end to gain.
Scouts were sent ahead of herds, always, and they often
rode back to report Indian raiders waiting on the trail.
There was then a mad scramble to bury all valuables, even
food and water, and the cow -men rode on to meet death in
combats, and those treasures still lie safely hidden, use-
less through long lean years of hardships, depressions,
and even famine among the Indians who still hunt treasure
buried by their people after looting in New Lexico.

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"There is buried treasure in Cabello Mountains (Horse
Mountains) thirty-five miles northwest of Las Cruces", said
Gorgonio Wilson,"I know this most certainly, for have I not
the map on paper, and the directions all written down,
where to go to find the place? There are more gold bars,
and heaped up silver, and jewels than can be carted out
by truck loalids," he said.
"The treasure was buried by a spring under the big
rocks of Cabal° Canyon. It was brought there at differ-
ent times, by the looting Indians, on loaded mules and
horses on many, many trips, after their murdering raids."
Gorgonio's mother was a Mexicen woman from Mexico,
his father an American from Vest Point, 1.issouri, the two
met and married in Albuquerque immediately after the Civil
War. Gorgonio their son, is truthful. He has inherited
this good trait of character from both pRrente. he has
lived a good :nci useful life and flow in us late years he
is firm in the belief of reward for the last days of his
life. Reward with those riches of buried treasure, which
will give him and one he loves, comfprts to use in sickness
and during helpless old age.
"I am going to find that treasure if the Lord pleases,"
said Gorgonio, "and He will let me, for I now have only
three dollars to live on every month, foi. rr.y old age pen-
sion, and I need it for my brother's girl, Enis Garcia,
Since her little muchacho Oadiet she is not right, she wan-

41114111,
dere in her mind. 8h* stand* at her window and gases out
all the time, but she never harms anybodyl She is good
and kind. She now has three sets of twins, and, God help
her I need the buried treasure bad for her."
"The map came to me honest. There will always be
lying and stealing and murdering to get secrets of treasures
buried in different places* in New Mexico and all over the
world. It was stealing that got this secret to me* but it
is clean now. I got it honest from a Spanish lady. A Mei-
leen man from New Mexico stayed at her house in old Mexico.
He told to her the *sore% of the buried treasure and show-
ed her the map and the writing which told sll about where
to find this treasure in New Mexico. He displeased her
one day, she was bitter with him, and she stole his map
and his writing and his instrument made to find the treas-
ure, and she fled with it one night and made her way to
New Mexico. She was helpless and didn't know what to do
to find her treasure after she was here. I found her in
Carrizozo. She seemed to be lost and was a good friend
to her. She said to ae 'the secret brings to me only
bad luck' (that was bosoms° she stole it) so she gave it
to me. A thief crept to my house and stole part of my in-
strument* but he didn't find the map, so it can do him no
good. When I have the money and can have my instrument
fixed up and can go to Cabello Mountain then everything
will be all right and the poor lids, who wanders in her

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mind will have new dresses and good fires to warm herself
by, and good food to make her strong.
"When we find that treasure," said Gorgonio, "we
will do much good for everytody whenever we can."
SUURUBS UP INFURUATION
Alderman Louis E. Fay 1000 E. Bland, Roswell, N. Mex.
Story of Treasure in Cabello kountain given by
Gorgonio ilaon, 113 S. Montana Ave., Roswell, N. Mex.