Customer Reviews

Out of the Dust: Utah's Lost Mines and Treasures

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Stephen B. Shaffer is an amazing man on an amazing quest for knowledge. If you've read his previous works, and have an open mind, then you know what I'm talking about. I really enjoyed this book. Many tales of adventure and treasure, both lost and found. This book, though definately entertaining enough, does not shed a whole lot of new light on old gold. For the casual treasure hunter, it does offer some direction, but for the technical fanatic, you will find that Stephen stops short of disclosing the details.

This book is well-written, and gives a bit more information about some of the great legends of Utah treasure history, but it doesn't go into enough detail. This would be fine for the casual, armchair treasure hunter, but for someone who wants to hit the trail and find these places, it is seriously lacking. It makes me wonder if the real way to make money from lost treasure in Utah is by writing books about it.

This book is not worth your time or money. I wanted to return it within minutes of receiving it. The author is not a critical thinker, and some of his stories are dubious at best. His archaeology "degree" is from an online diploma mill, and much of what he says is nonsense. I'm concerned that he may even be encouraging "pot hunting" and the destruction of possible historic sites.

A lot of what has be written by Shaffer, is rehashing of the works by George A Thompson, and Gail Rhoades, among others. There are many that put the books down, thinking that the author(s) should publish maps with all the trails and way points, to the point of allowing the reader to drive right up to the entrance, get out the hoverchair, and glide right up to treasure.
Any treasure tale, utah or otherwise, may require a lifetime of effort to locate the specific thresholds that actually point to treasure sites; true of the Uintahs, Pinto Ranch, Hamblin Valley, Goldstrike, Kimberly, Blanding, or any other place where gold has been found, then lost again.
In the ways of the Old Spanish miners, it wasn't a picnic of excursion lasting a couple of months, but an exercise in priesthood, slaves, animals, and foraging for sustenance that covered years, or decades. Once amassing the fortunes, and a decision made to return to Mexico or Spain, some closure was necessary, along with a map on a hide.
Chances were that the posterity wouldn't find out about the map for years afterwards, and once finding one, would not find the wayposts or marks leading to the family treasure, because they weren't there, and wouldn't be able to recognize familiar places. Plus, they had to fight the indians, and cover 1000 miles or so on foot or horseback.
I have been one to look myself, and the Uintahs is a mysterious, spooky place (A lot of places in UT, AZ, CO and NV are too). I have found my own evidence of possibility with truths, but desecration of native american shrines and religious areas isn't one of my actions.
Of course, there are myriad locations throughout the West, territories once belonging to Spain and Mexico, where antiguas (old mines) are to be found- some not far from Las Vegas, Needles, Albuquerque, or Zion Park. Again, the quest can take years of searching.

Here, the author is planting a seed that may or may not take root in the brain of the reader. The god of the Spanish was gold, and human life was worth less than horse dung. If you locate treasure, think about the cost to those enslaved and tortured to recover it. Follow your conscience- maybe it has your name on it, maybe not. the search is always the adventure.

I'm surprised to find an account I wrote about Brandt Child for Range Magazine reprinted in this book. The author claims it came from the L.A. Times, which is also surprising because the L.A. Times never asked if they could reprint it. Yes, it is indeed "copyrighted material" and I'm the one who happens to own the copyright. So how come the author never asked my permission to reprint it? - Richard Menzies

Excellent stories on the old Sapnish gold mines and the people have spent a life time searching for it!!

This is an interesting addition to my collection of books on the old mines of Utah. It rehashes many previously told stories but with a different angle on some. It helped me find a couple of trails I hadn't pinned down so I found it useful. Good writing.