Customer Reviews

The Sterling Legend: The Facts Behind the Lost Dutchman Mine

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This is a well organized collection of many of the clues that can be founed in several other sources. The author offers little new insight with the exception of a cave that she discovered. It is a good book for beginners who would like an introduction to the clues pertaining to the lost dutchman's mine.

Conatser wrote this short book (94 pages) in the 1970s, but inasmuch as no convincing proof of the discovery (or existence) of the Lost Dutchman Mine has emerged since then, it is still a fairly timely book to read on the subject.

Conatser's approach is to summarize a number of the most prominent or least unbelieveable theories/myths/legends about the mine, its discovery, the people involved over the years, etc, and present these to the reader. She acknowledges openly that most (or perhaps all) of them are simply legendary, unproveable and probably false, but lets the reader make up his own mind. This is especially true about the mine's discovery, whether in fact it is even a mine at all (or just a cache for gold mined elsewhere), and whether gold deposits are even likely or possible given the specific composition of the Superstitions. This works for interesting background.

Better is her discussion of the various clues, helpful and otherwise, left by others, including 3 stone tablets which appear to have a map or directions or clues on them; and maps held, owned, traced, and/or stolen or murdered for. Going logically through the terrain, canyon by canyon and stream by stream, its an arduous process of elimination that, if followed fsithfully, eliminates all available options.

Conatser writes very well and has her own very definite opinions, which she weaves subtly into the narrative. The book makes for thoughtful reading. It could have been improved by using photos in lieu of the sketches and drawings; and by doubling its length and giving us far more detail about the terrain and the various failed expeditions into the mountains.