The last thing I do when prospecting for gold is to transfer my flake into a carrying case. Such is the habit of a prospector by the name of Adams in the great state of New Mexico in 1836 upon leaving the mine. He transferred to a bag and then, Indians attacked him, wounding him. Proceeding to Pinos Altos, he sought help for his wounds there.
Pinos Altos was a mining town. Gold was found in the nearby hills. And that is where Adams was prospecting. A stream near the mine yielded 27 pounds of gold (as the story goes). Its worth was $7000 at the time, about $704,587 U.S. dollars as of publication of this story, today.
On his death bed, he related a story of his discovery. He said that the stream he found the gold in was near a red hill. Not long after, Adams expired. And not long after that his nuggets were discovered. Many learned of his story.
Converging on the hill, lots of eager prospectors descended to the area. Unfortunately for them, the red hill was not revealed. Then, in the 1920's, the site was found when the town of Red Hill was being constructed. Red Hill was located between the towns of Springerville and Quemado New Mexico. The nearby hill created by lava flowing from a volcano was nearby dammed for the collection of rainwater. In the reservoirs were discovered small nuggets. In a euphoria, the town folks reminisced of the discovery of 100 years earlier. However, soon the reservoirs were emptied of their gold content.
Of course, the 1920's discovery and its extinguishment is dependent on the true location of the "Red Hill!"
For more details, see https://www.legendsofamerica.com/red-hill-treasure/
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