Camp notes from the 1940's Victorio Peak excavation released in the Gold House Trilogy
Las Cruces, New Mexico (PRWEB) January 27, 2014 -- New Mexico historians typically regard the Victorio Peak treasure a myth or legend. However, it has been the subject of much debate, curiosity and over the years conflicts that led to death and legal proceedings. This of course culminated in the 1990's excavation in the White Sands Missile Range where the treasure allegedly rested until government removal.
What sets the Gold House Trilogy aside from other books about the subject is the number of source documents about the first dig. According to the authors, John Clarence and Tom Whittle, Doc Noss discovered the treasure and blew up the shaft going down to the treasure room with the intention of later reopening it. This project is documented by a camp member named Merle Hormann. Entries in her camp log deal with exploration as much as daily life in the camp. In one entry, regarding her study of the area, she wrote:
"In the past few months, I have had on occasion to examine a locality in which there are a few caves from which old Indian pottery had been removed." (T he Discovery, page 191)
The most interesting entries here also support of the author's main argument's that Doc Noss, the discoverer of the treasure, was murdered by parties close to him. These new camp notes, never before published, give the reader an insight into camp life as much as the conflict for the gold and the actions taken by Doc Noss to secure it.
Alex Alonso, Soledad Publishing Company, LLC., http://www.victoriopeak.com, 310-863-5981, [email protected]
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