Were sort at stalemate on whether Jacob deliberately lied to Julia
There is another distinct possibility

Perhaps Julia self-promoted Jacob Waltz’s internment with her?
Maybe she was even an opportunist?

Waltz likely rambled on about his life & gold prospecting days.
He knew this was his last stand,
And Ol’ Waltz must have had lots of stories to impart!
Plus he had sympathetic ears in Julia & Rhiny.
Greenhorns. They must have been enthralled!

Perhaps Julia even mentioned that she wanted to do some prospecting?
Maybe she even asked for advice?
Maybe nothing specific was ever related?
Yet enough to entice a newbie from an original pioneer.

Then Julia & Rhiny found out how hard prospecting actually is.
But the investment had been made.
So perhaps Julia confabulated the tales told?
For her own personal reasons?
Maybe in her head it took on life of its own.

I may not subscribe to this theory
but it is another possibility.
roc

Hi Roc,

Be careful that you don’t make too many assumptions. For myself - I reckon that every assumption I make cuts the probability of accuracy in half…. But that’s just me.

While Julia had the (financial) MOTIVE to self-promote the tale of the LDM, her actions showed that she was just plain lost. You pays your money and you takes your pick. For me, I think it was probably a little of both – that’s with a 50/50 probability

Best,
Ashton

I agree I’m assuming quite a lot if my intentions are
to make Julia & Co. some sort of masterminds behind the legend.

The very fact that they embarked on their
“Queer Quest’ into the Supers in August,
the hottest most brutal time of year,
implies a certain bungling naivety.

Yet, in the 6 months of Waltz’s internment with Julia
the conversation couldn’t have been just one sided?
Many question & inquiries must have been asked?
But obviously the question of when is it the best time
to go prospecting wasn’t asked. Ha Ha

O this darn legend! I keep trying to ferret out the soft historical facts
and they are as difficult to discover as the mine itself.
Search on
roc

Although I post quite frequently about the LDM

I AM NO DUTCH HUNTER !
I’ve never gotten off the Apache Trail ! Ha Ha

I think most of you realize that
but new folks might not

But I do like to think I’m a
Amateur DUTCH HISTORIAN

Now growing up in Phoenix
I’d always ask the boys
why don’t we march up into those Supers and get that mine?!

They were not interested because they assume it’s just a legend.

After joining DUSA and getting educated
I’m a bit more persistence now.
But were all getting old.
So even if I could prove something
getting anyone to go with me would take a big nugget.

roc

still the question of why Julia & Co would embark in August of their 'quest'
bothers me.
Were they really that naive?
Were they so sure of themselves
that they had direct specific directions?
There later accounts seem to be confused.
Or did they know something we still haven't mined?
roc

Roc
The only logical explaination the way I see it is that Julia must have known the same information as did Herman Petrasch.
the mine is in a wash near water.
Julia must have figured that they could just drive right up and get it.
Her financial situation may have pushed her for an "early" attempt.
But not realizing how rugged the terrain was would shurley cause some confusion and then all the other clues which she had picked up along the way, before Waltz death , began to cloud her thinking.
Alan

Your analysis is probably closest to correct Alan
And Herman’s later divulging information may explain it.

Nonetheless it seems a bit uncanny
Being that out of the box thinking might be necessary
maybe the August moon as something to do with the location ?
Or some other seasonal anomaly?


You know its interesting
but I suppose I could look at astrological historical chart
and see what phase the moon was in for that year & month

roc