First Post and new to site

[Mitchell_78613]

Hey guys, great site. Been reading on and off for a while about the LDM. Just trying to get an understanding of this story a little better. I have never fisted the superstition mountains. I live in Texas.

I firmly believe that no way could Waltz at 80 do a massive cover up to the entrance to the mine. I think however he covered it up, it was something simple.

I personally think a rockslide or mountain slide covered up the entrance.

I am trying to understand the sheer size of the superstition Mountains of the possible area it is.

If it was a peralta mine that jacob found, is there any stories in Mexico about there Wealth?

[djui5]

Welcome.

[Oroblanco]

Mitchell wrote

Hey guys, great site. Been reading on and off for a while about the LDM. Just trying to get an understanding of this story a little better. I have never fisted the superstition mountains. I live in Texas.

I firmly believe that no way could Waltz at 80 do a massive cover up to the entrance to the mine. I think however he covered it up, it was something simple.

I personally think a rockslide or mountain slide covered up the entrance.

I am trying to understand the sheer size of the superstition Mountains of the possible area it is.

If it was a peralta mine that jacob found, is there any stories in Mexico about there Wealth?

WELCOME TO LDGM Forum Mitchell!
There is a great 'brain trust' pool of knowledge and experience here in the members, I am sure that many can address your questions. I would only address one,

<Mitchell wrote>

I firmly believe that no way could Waltz at 80 do a massive cover up to the entrance to the mine. I think however he covered it up, it was something simple.

I agree on Waltz not covering up the mine at the age of 80; in fact based on what evidence and testimony we do have, indicates that he covered the mine probably in the 1870s not 1890, and rarely visited the mine at all in his old age. I am firmly convinced that he went to some lengths to conceal the mine, so much so that he bragged that, "You could lead an Army pack train over the mine and never see it" and once while trying to explain to his friend young Reiney (Reinhard) Petrasch, quote

"Reiney you better listen! That mine is hard to find, even when you know where it is!"

I can't think that he would be so concerned about Reiney failing to pay attention if the mine were not so well concealed that you had to really know what you are looking for. But your point about him cutting and packing dozens of logs, moving rocks and earth etc at the age of 80 is indeed extremely unlikely. I won't say impossible because I know a few 'oldsters' that are pretty physically fit.

Good luck and good hunting Mitchell, welcome again and we look forward to your posts!
Oroblanco

[Cubfan64]

Hello Mitchell and welcome.

For what it's worth, what is impressive is not the sheer size of the Superstition Wilderness, it's the ruggedness! One visit exploring off the trails is enough to convince a person that if Waltz (or anyone for that matter) did even a reasonable job covering up a mine shaft, it could quite easily be almost impossible to find.

[jalidi]

I've never been to the Superstitions myself, either. Like you, I'll probably never realize how rugged and difficult it can be until I actually see it for myself. But judging from the accounts of people who have been there, descriptions of the climate and various wildlife as well as the topography, it's surely no small cup of tea.

Like you, I do think the mine is buried... though as to the cause, that's open to speculation. Waltz may well have done it himself. I personally don't think so because he was terrified to be in scalping country. To embark upon a construction project in the middle of Apache wilderness involving sawing and hammering would've been an act of madness. It would've made noise, and required enormous effort which would've been better served pulling as much gold ore out of the vein and into the caches as quickly as possible.

More likely the Apache themselves did it, since they did discover Waltz's partner, and thus knew where the mine was. They had a vested interest in preventing the White Man from trespassing in their sacred mountains in search of gold. I'm not sure when it would've happened. Probably after Waltz removed the second small cache, which he lived on for the rest of his life.

I believe in Sims Ely's book he mentions that Jim Bark visited Mexico on a couple occasions, trying to find out the origins of the Peraltas. Turns out that about 1783 King Charles the III of Spain signed what I believe was a church grant to a certain Peralta who was living in Sonora, Mexico, giving him ownership of a particular mine in Arizona, which was Mexican territory at the time when it got independence from Spain. The Peraltas mined it for like three generations, supposedly digging it down 75 feet in a funnel shape to roughly 1864 when the Apache Indians massacred them. They'd only make one more trip after that when the last Peralta sold the mine to Waltz in return for the entire proceeds, sometime around 1871. After that the Peraltas drop from history, seemingly even Waltz went looking and never found him.

Welcome to the board.