BMc

Darn! It seems like the photos are coming through selectively, here and there. If I'm doing something wrong or could try something different to make it consistent, somebody please let me know and I'll give it a try. The pics loaded fine on my end and properties show a straight JPEG extension. Do I need to use a different extension?

They say nobody gets it all, and that's true enough for sure. Sometimes it's the easiest ones that get left behind. The pile to the left looked like it had been kicked and raked down, no telling how many times. The nugget had been moved around no doubt, but why it had been overlooked, Quien Sabe? Out of sight to the right of the photo was a shallow, narrow stream full of reeds etc. with sparse water flow. The remains of a couple of old wooden Long Tom's, probably from the 1930s lay mostly submerged in the mud. A few rusty bolts and washers came out of the back pile but no gold. I wish I'd had time to get into it with a pick and shovel but I was just passing through . . . maybe someday.

You would think Rembrandt would pose with a prettier looking Poodle . . . .

Lets not forget Los Indios. I posted these again in a larger format in the event that a critic or other remote viewer might wish to accept my proposal: I will pledge $1000.00 to set up an escrow account toward the retention of a jointly agreed upon Forensic Scientist or other appropriate expert to examine the accessible rock formations and to conduct an investigation, including the obtaining of forensic macrophrographic evidence to determine the following : 1) Whether there is evidence of a human element or agency involved in the cutting, shaping or other modification of the formations. 2) age and origin of the formations, geological archaeology, etc. and request for proof sufficient for admissibility in a court of law. If no evidence is found to support and confirm the hypothesis (not fantasy) of human agency, I will pay the experts and laboratory fees in their entirety. If the hypothesis is shown to have merit, the challenger(s) will be responsible for all payment. The below photograph shows what Kenworthy repeatedly points out in his book. When I climbed to the top of the formation, I got a close up view of the rock that has been secured by mortar to an adjacent rock in a leaning manner. An open hole (and sky) can be seen through the small rocks at the very top which he alleges was the way the Spanish made sure any one seeing the light of the sky through the hole in the rock would be assured that the formation was a marker and not just a natural rock formation.

Mr Homefire Sir, Thank you for the, "History of the Poodle" link. I was unable to find anything on the site indicating that the breed did not exist in the 18th century. It seems that you may have reached that conclusion because your source material only provides commentary relating to the breed as far back as the 1800's? If that is the case, I would refer you to Wikipedia; "The Poodle was the principal pet dog of the late 18th century in Spain, as shown by the paintings of the Spanish artist Francisco Goya. France had toy poodles as pampered favorites during the reign of Louis XVI at about the same period" " One of the most famous earlier poodle paintings is a baroque style oil painting by Rembrandt dated 1631. The painting is a self portrait of Rembrandt with a brown and white poodle."

Mysteries abound. Recorded history seems to have resolved many of them. I have no quarrel with history, (as a rule) I'm just not so sure it's been captured and codified in a manner that satisfactorily explains all that has been discovered. In short, It is what it is; and it ain't what it ain't. Take one of many examples: "The Los Lunas, (NM), Decalogue Stone: A slab of basalt which appears to have the Ten Commandments written on it in Paleo-Hebrew script. Paleo-Hebrew is an early form of the Hebrew alphabet and is similar to the Phoenician alphabet."The Los Lunas Decalogue stone was discovered by the archaeologist Frank Hibben, who said that he was brought to the site by a guide who discovered the stone in the 1880s. In 1985, George Morehouse, a mineralogist and a member of the Epigraphic Society, examined the stone and said it was 500-2000 years old." The Southwest in particular, and the U.S in general has been the location of many such findings of unexplained artifacts. There seems to be scant evidence to explain where these objects came from, or why. Can they all be fakes, contrived by frauds? There are just too many of them, for that to be a satisfactory explanation (in my opinion) Is it possible that there is more to this stuff than written history reveals? Even something as bizarre a theory that Aliens, (I assume he was referring to E.T.'s and not undocumented workers), may have carved stone monuments as Mr. Bedrock seemed to suggest? Mysteries do indeed abound.

Gentlemen, . . . Really? Methinks Thou Do Protest Too Much! I merely tried to present the author's material and to render my opinon that his descriptions and correlations made sense to me, based on the information in his writings, and on my observation of the rock formations themselves. That's all. Any statements I made were supported by the book. I never said it was gospel and I wasn't trying to convince anyone of an exclusive viewpoint or disuade opposing opinions. My intention was to simply point out that figures similar to the ones in Kenworthy's book do exist and where they were located if anyone wanted to check it out for themselves. Plus, the area is excellent gold country as many are aware. In the deserts and mountains of the Southwest, there have been numerous documented reports of sightings of rock formations that appear to have been deliberately modified to resemble the shape of animate objects. Up to the time of the Kenworthy publication, I hadn't read anything that purported to explain the reason for their existence. I haven't seen anything in the historical records that explains, acknowledges, or even refers to these objects in any manner either. Maybe it's there somewhere, I just haven't seen it. In regards to fantasy and mining etc. (from my experience), I have found that I am like most friendly easy going sort of folks who tend to enjoy a bit of fantasy mixed with their mining. When out there swinging a coil, or digging a good sounding target, or pursuing their dream in whatever fashion that makes people happy, it's only natural and kind of fun to engage in a little bit of fantasy about finding gold.

Very nice!

I'm pretty sure that most of the Soap Creek area of Black Canyon City is under claim by now, but if anyone happens to be in that area and takes the jeep trail North after ascending the access road up the hill (I haven't been there in about 15 years), the " Spanish mine trail monuments" should be visible after passing Soap Creek. The "Indian Heads" are on the left and the "Poodles" are beyond the commercial? fenced off mining area straight ahead. The area may be accessible by jeep trails from the North as well. In '90's, during my first trip, the "Poodle" area had an open mine audit and a very deep, open vertical mine shaft with a small mine dump containing heavily stained/oxidized vuggy quartz. A nugget shooter using an SD200d was working a small drainage adjacent and down slope from the shaft. He introduced himself by his moniker as, "The Piano Man". He climbed out of the little gully he was in and showed me a few small nuggets he had pulled out in a couple of hours of detecting, and said he had to get home because his wife didn't like him being late for dinner! He paused for a moment and said, "There's still one or two down there if you want to give it a try. I can hear them but I don't have time dig them up" He then jumped on his ATV and left. In another half hour it was almost dark. I drove off with two dinks in my pocket rolled up in a bandanna, thinking about the courtesy and friendly gesture of, "The Piano Man" No, it wasn't Billy Joel.

Fair Dinkum Terry. I base my convictions mainly on what I considered his being able to connect the dots in his book on mine monuments and trail markers. His photographs and narratives of rock formations in various shapes, sizes, and purposes, along with his descriptive methods as to how the Spanish positioned the figures, the eye catchers they used, the "open hole" and mortared foundation and support systems they used to stabilize the rock formations, (and to confirm that the structures were man made and not natural features), all made sense to me. The objects in his book are real. Someone made them for some reason. Of that, I am convinced. According to sources, you may be familiar with, Kenworthy amassed a great deal of Spanish archival journals, logs and materials relating to the subject. And of course, he had some pretty distinguishing people as business partners and investors in his projects who believed in him. I also read Treasure signs, symbols etc and thought it useful, but outside of what I believe to be credible evidence of the mine trail markers that I have seen up close and personal, I don't have an opinion about the veracity or validity of his work. I avoided his book on Death Traps and I didn't watch the continuing saga of Indiana Jones after the original movie either.

I believe the feedback and discussion has been interesting and stimulating. The topic is controversial, just as the subject of Spanish signs and symbols, lost mines etc has always been, I suppose: Much debated with diverse opinions and interpretations. Many books written on the subject, lots of conflicting viewpoints, even by "experts" in the field. On the subject of civil engineering, I expect there is more than a dozen reasons that the great pyramids of Egypt should not exist too, but I can't imagine the modification of rock formations like those in question would present that much of an issue to skilled craftsmen. I'm left wondering what my professors at NMSU would have had to say about the matter, or what my old boss, Robert E. Donahue CE. who was the City Engineer of Las Cruces, NM when I worked for him in the engineering department, would say. Probably something like, keep an open mind. No offense taken, Mr. Bedrock.

LipCa: The Kenworthy book is available on line, but I would expect that it may also be found in some local libraries. I plan to bring my copy to the outing in Nov. if anyone happens to be interested in taking a look at it.

LipCa, Now you've gone and done it! Stop while you still can. They might think the craziness is catching. Yep, looks like a pack mule monument all right. Have you researched Kenworthy's material at all? I would hope before the skeptics write us off as total wacko's, that they would review a copy of Kenworthy's book and at least examine the basis for our reasoning.

I get the drift, and the point would be well taken if it were about Indian slave labor. History doesn't appear to have restricted the Spanish to an approach quite that simplistic. They did have highly skilled tradesmen, including carpenters, masons and the like and it was the King who was the authority behind the practices and procedures involving the issue of trail markers, mine monuments and so on. I agree that the Indios would most likely have been relegated to the mines, climbing chicken ladders down into the pozos etc. But there were also mexican miners and laborers, well diggers, cooks, wranglers and no doubt, armed security as needed. So I think we may be selling the Spanish a bit short if we under estimate their past efforts and accomplishments. After the Spanish period ended in the Southwest, the Mexican miners did revert to the practice of natural markers and landmarks, such as cairns, stacked rocks, slash marks on cactus and trees etc .According to Kenworthy, the Spanish had been ordered to create permanent markers and monuments, unlike natural terrain features that tended to be misidentified or change over time. But the main reason, and the literature is clear, that the trail markers were not created for navigation by, "Anyone who had lived and worked in the Bradshaw's, Superstitions, or any other mountain range in Arizona . . ." They were made for those who had never been there before and were large enough that you couldn't miss them!

Hey ArticDave, Just F.Y.I if it might be a little easier for you . . . when I get in a hurry to store up some more long green, like say toward the end of the season before it starts turning red on us, you might try rinsing off a few pods, then lay them flat in a gal plastic bag and nuke them for a couple of minutes of so and then turn the bag over and repeat. Another way is to moisten paper towels and layer the pods between them, then microwave as above. That way your bag won't wilt on you . . . Once they blanch, you can bag and freeze them, and they turn out very good. Nothing beats flame roasted green Chile to eat straight, but the microwave method before freezing, if you're using it for cooking and salsa etc. is still hard to beat.

Perceptions and opinions may vary (for differing reasons), of course. That's what makes a horse race, or so they tell me. My observation of the rock structures in the field, even though they are crumbling somewhat, and the resemblance of the figures to those as described by Kenworthy, along with his voluminous pages of research results, leads me to a similar conclusion as he has postulated. My view is that these rock structures I observed were worked by hand, and up close you can see tool marks, cuts, grooves and striations in the stone similar by example, as what is most noticeable when examining an arrowhead or other artifact that has been chipped and shaped. There is, in my opinion, a noted similarity between an actual "Poodle" (especially the head), and the profile of one of the figures shown in the photographs attached to my original post. Most notably, even in the photographs, you should be able to see the large cut out area of the mouth. It angles in, like cut facets of a gemstone. The eyes and nose are cut and formed and the slab sides of the rock are cut, chiseled, and smoothed. The purpose of the Poodle monuments, according to Kenworthy, was to identify to travelers, the '' Royal", outbound trail from the mines. The idea was for any personnel replacements, mine inspectors, etc. to be able to locate the trails and ultimately, the mines which were concealed during certain periods. The Indian Head monuments were directional images as well, but also to denote danger and as a warning to be alert and on constant guard in this area. In his book, Kenworthy shows photographs of an actual concealed mine that his expedition discovered, while following Spanish markers and monuments, and includes photographs and considerable detail on "Paraje's" or rest stops for travelers. Kenworthy was interested in unidentified reststops and discusses the importance of the Prajes and ways to identify them as a possible place where valuable caches may have been left behind and never recovered. The following is from Spanish Monuments and Trailmarkers to Treasure in the United States by Charles Kenworthy. (Photo book of Spanish mine markers on treasure trails in the US) From the Author: "A HEART IS THE SIGN/SYMBOL FOR "GOLD" both on written, coded and drawn maps as well as TRAILMARKERS AND MONUMENTS. The origin of this symbols meaning did not come from the Bible, as most did. This meaning came from an old Spanish adage: "A SPANIARD'S SOUL MAY YEARN FOR GOD, BUT HIS HEART FOREVER YEARNS FOR GOLD." This relationship of heart and gold was reinforced in symbolism by the historians who wrote about Cortez' response to Montezuma when Montezuma asked Cortez the question: "-WHY DO YOU SO MUCH DESIRE GOLD?" and Cortez answered "-BECAUSE WE SPANIARDS HAVE A DISEASE OF THE HEART WHICH CAN BE CURED ONLY BY GOLD." - So look more than twice when you see a heart carved on a large rock in the desert or on a mountain side, if it was made by the Spanish there is a gold mine or golden treasure nearby. The King of Spain ORDERED all treasure/mine trails to be monumented according to Spain's drawings of markers/monuments. The Palace of Governors in Mexico City and Santa Fe (New Mexico) INSTRUCTED the exploration groups, haciendas, mining/explorers etc. in the basics of both monument meanings and map codes. Both Mexico City and Santa Fe regulated and enforced the King's rule, received the King's 15% to 20% fee from the haciendas/miners etc., required the trail monuments to be built so that if they wanted to "inspect/check" the operations without notice, they could easily find and follow the monumented trail into desolate mountainous terrain. Also, if all miners were to meet with some great disaster, the King of Spain could again locate and re-establish the mine - or retrieve the hidden treasure by following the monumented trail. Therefore, the trail markers to and from were required as well as treasure/mine maps. Note: All treasure/mine maps symbols/signs etc. were also identical in use and meaning throughout this New World. Also, a standard or special list of "measurements were used on treasure/mine maps because Spain could not operate with hundreds of different codes, measurement and different monument/marker meanings when they were dealing with so many mines in the New World. If we think about it for a minute, it becomes very clear that Spain was extremely wise in requiring "special and specific" codes, measurements, markers and monuments on treasure trails and maps in the New World. Spain had literally thousands of mines (gold, silver, emeralds, amethysts, mercury, etc.) in Mexico, Columbia, Cuba, The United States, Peru, Guatemala etc. with many of them in desolate, distant and dangerous areas of the world. With such a number of mines they could not afford to have separate or different meanings in codes, symbols, maps and treasure/mine trail markers and monuments. Therefore, for example, even though each province/state in Spain did have a different "vara length" and the length of a league may have changed three (3) times in 300 years, but TREASURE TRAIL MONUMENTS, CODES AND MEASUREMENTS NEVER CHANGED. The kings of Spain required "road signs" monuments and trailmarkers to be constructed about every 1,200 feet both to and from the treasure/mine. Spot just any one of these while fishing, hunting, hiking or treasure seeking and follow the trail--to a prize bigger than the lottery." This book has over 100 actual photos of classic Spanish markers & monuments (in the field) as well as their meanings and instructions. The below photographs illustrate the author's method and manner of identification of a Royal Poodle monument as referenced in the accompanying text.

Has anyone noticed these Spanish Mine Monuments, (in the heart of gold country), in the Bradshaw Mts? I first ran across these huge stone figures in the 1990's while out nugget hunting, and went back a few years later to take some photographs. I was 4-wheeling along a jeep trail, crossing one creek and hill after another, and as I topped a rise and started down toward the next creek, the Indian Head Monument (my profile photo), jumped out at me. It looked amazingly real and detailed and was near the trail so you couldn't miss it. I got out and examined it close up to confirm that it had been carved, shaped, and painstakingly worked by human hands. Interestingly, I had just finished the book, "Spanish Monuments and Trail Markers to Treasure in the United States", which gives a historical overview of the subject from the research and perspective of author, Charles A. Kenworthy. The attached photographs of rock monument figures are similar to those shown in Kenworthy's publication and depict what are purported to be trail guides that were hand carved by Spanish stone masons. Kenworthy's research indicates that they were created sometime between 1560 and 1760 when the Spanish explorers were combing the western states in their search for gold. These monuments reportedly served as directional reference points and guide posts during the ingress and egress of miners and travelers who were involved in the mining and administration of concealed Spanish gold mines. I would venture a guess that many gold hunters who passed through this area may have seen one or more of these stone figures, perhaps not knowing what they were, or understanding their potential significance. To generate possible interest in the subject, I thought I would post a few photographs and pose the following questions: Where in the Bradshaw Mts. are they located? Could there possibly be any Spanish gold mines in the Bradshaws that may yet remain concealed? Is there any way to find out? Any one interested in additional information, with regards to author Kenworthy's notes and comments, please send me a pm. If the locations of the monuments are not identified and disclosed by a forum member following a short initial response period, I will post an update with general directional detail. Mac (BMc)

According to documented news accounts, (and treasure story lore), the Butterfield Stage Station, located several miles N/W of Stein's Ghost town on I-10, was the site of numerous attack(s) by Apaches, as were the stagecoaches themselves, as they passed through "Doubtful Canyon" shown in the distance (photo attached), at the base of the Peloncillo Mts. near the AZ/NM border. The Lordsburg, NM "Western Liberal" newspaper referenced a $200,000 missing army payroll that had been destined for Fort San Simon, a few miles to the West of the stage stop. I was able to access the private property in the late 1990's when I obtained the photograph, and detected the area around the ruins. Interesting artifacts; such as the usual misc. mystery metal, parts and pieces of horseshoe nails, etc. A few buttons, but no coins in the immediate vicinity. Lots of Quail and several Javelina, with young piglets. Remote and beautiful, cool and peaceful in the fall when I visited. Mac (BMc)

Confirming attendance. Acknowledgement for terms and conditions.

Aye Aye Sir! Attendee Sgt. Mac USMC type 1 (0ne) ea. OD in color reporting as ordered.