Hidden Splendor History

[Iceaxe]

I have a small amount of history on the Hidden Splendor Mine located on my Knotted Rope webpage.

http://climb-utah.com/SRS/knotted.htm

Anyhoo..... I recieved this email and thought I would share it with you. It's pretty interesting if you enjoy knowing the history of this stuff. Sorry about the all caps. This is how it was sent to me.

WE LIVED IN THE MUDDY RIVER FOR 3 YEARS, OUR DAD BUD CAIRNS WORKED THE HIDDEN SPLENDOR MINES AS A MECHANIC, AND MY SISTERS HUSBAND ELMER WILLIAMS(SPARKY) THE MINES ELECTRICIAN FOR PECK /PICK? THERE WAS EIGHT OF US KIDS AND THEY USED TO FLY IN A SCHOOL TEACHER EVERY MONDAY FOR US KID AND FLY HER BACK TO LOA, UTAH ON FRI. HER NAKE WAS BERYL OKERLUND AND THERE WAS A COOK AT THE MAIN CAMP BY THE NAME OF ANGIE. THIS WAS 1952/53/54. THERE WAS AN OLD INDIAN THERE WHO WORE LOTS OF TURQUOISE AND SILVER JEWELERY. AND CAUGHT WILD HORSES IN SNARES. I WAS 13 AND MY BROTHER 12, AND WE HAD SOME WILD EXPERIENCES THERE. RIDING 12 BY 4 PLANKS DOWN THE RIVER WHEN EVER THERE WAS A FLASH FLOOD. I WILL NEVER FORGET MY YEARS AT THE MUDDY RIVER

THANKS FOR THIS SITE
TERRY PUCCINI

[Sponsored Link]

[stefan]

RIDING 12 BY 4 PLANKS DOWN THE RIVER WHEN EVER THERE WAS A FLASH FLOOD. I WILL NEVER FORGET MY YEARS AT THE MUDDY RIVER

Where do i sign up?!


btw thanks for the info

[Reedus]

Hmmm... I guess this stunt classifies me as a Candy Ass

[Iceaxe]

I've asked for some old pictures or any other info..... If anything else shows up worth while I'll post it here.

[Iceaxe]

This info is golden........

HELLO SHANE

WELL, I DON’T BELIEVE MY MOM HAD A CAMERA BACK THEN, OR I WOULD SEND YOU PICTURES

I DO HAVE STORIES THOUGH.

I WAS 13 AND MY BROTHER EDDY WAS 12, BACK TO THE FLASH FLOODS. WE LIVED AT LOWER CAMP, AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL DAY, AND SOMEONE AT THE UPPER CAMP WOULD CALL AND YELL "FLASH FLOOD".

EDDY AND I WOULD CARRY OUR 4 BY 12 PLANK AND SET IT IN THE RIVER BED (VERY DRY RIVER BED) AND WE WOULD SET ON IT UNTIL THE WATER CAME RUSHING DOWN THE GORGE AND CARRIED US FOR QUITE A WAYS. WHY WE WERE NEVER HURT OR KILLED, I DON’T KNOW. THEN MY DAD WOULD GET OFF WORK AT THE MINE IN THE EVENING AND HE WOULD DRIVE THE JEEP DOWN THE RIVER WHICH WAS BY THEN DRY AGAIN AND PICK US AND OUR BOARD UP AND BRING US BACK TO THE CAMP, TO AWAIT THE NEXT FLASH FLOOD.

EDDY AND I ALSO WERE GREAT EXPLORERS, WE CAUGHT A PORCUPINE ONE TIME AND BUILT A CAGE FOR IT. I MEAN, WE COULDN’T TOUCH IT, BUT IT WAS FUN JUST TO TELL THE MINERS AT THE UPPER CAMP, THAT WE HAD A PET PORCUPINE,. ONE DAY THE PORCUPINE GOT LOOSE, WE RETURNED FROM SCHOOL AT THE UPPER CAMP AND SAW HIM GONE. WITH HIS TAIL DRAGGING IN THE SAND, HE WAS PRETTY EASY TO FOLLOW. WE HAD TAKEN A PAIR OF DADS GLOVES JUST INCASE WE DID FIND HIM, SO WE COULD DRAG HIM HOME.

WELL, THERE WAS A BIG CREVICE IN THE ROCKS, WHICH MY DAD CALLED WINGATES ?? WE CRAWLED INTO THE CREVICE, AND AFTER CRAWLING ABOUT 10 FEET MAYBE, WE COULD STAND UP. DUE TO THE LIGHT COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE WINGATES, WE COULD SEE PRETTY GOOD. THERE WAS ALL SORTS OF THESE STRANGE LOOKING LIKE BOWLS AND THERE WAS WRITING ON THE WALLS SORT OF LIKE PICTURES. WE COULDN’T FIND OUR PORCUPINE, SO WE TOOK A BOWL WITH US.

WHEN MY DAD GOT HOME, WE SHOWED HIM AND HE TOLD US THAT WAS STEALING AND SAID TOMORROW, TAKE IT BACK AND STAY OUT OF THERE, BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE AN INDIAN BURIAL PLACE.

WE DID AS DAD SAID AND NEVER WENT BACK IN THERE. I ALWAYS HOPED THAT SOME DAY I MIGHT GET THE CHANCE TO SEE IF I COULD FIND IT AGAIN.

THERE USED TO BE THESE LADDERS WHERE YOU COULD CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE WINGATES. EDDY AND I USED TO DO THIS AND COME HOME WITH SEA SHELLS AND FOSSILS AND TELL MOM, THE WATER MUST HAVE COVERED THE WINGATES MANY YEARS AGO, IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE SHELLS UP THAT HIGH.

ANOTHER TIME, MY MOM AND DAD ASK THE INDIANS TO CATCH A WILD HORSE FOR US. HE WOULD SET SNARES AND GET HORSES. WE PICKED OUT THE WILD HORSE WE WANTED, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PAINT, THAT HIS MAINE AND TAIL NEARLY DRUG THE GROUND. AND WE COULD NEVER CATCH AND HE SAID HE WOULD CATCH IT FOR US, NOW, THIS INDIAN WAS DRUNK MOST OF THE TIME ACCORDING TO DAD. ANYWAY, HE SET THE SNARE, CAUGHT OUR HORSE, AND WAS POINTING A GUN AT HIM,. EDDY AND I FREAKED, WE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO KILL OUR HORSE. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE WOULD MERELY NICK IT ON THE TOP OF HIS HEAD TO STUN IT, AND THEN WE COULD GET A ROPE ON IT. WELL, BEINGS HE WAS SORT OF DRUNK I GUESS, IT SHOT TO LOW AND KILLED OUR HORSE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. TALK ABOUT 2 DEVASTATED KIDS.

I BELIEVER I MENTIONED THE CAMP COOK ANGIE (ANGELINE) ONE DAY WHEN WE GOT TO SCHOOL, SHE ASK ME TO DO A FAVOR FOR HER, AND SHE WOULD PAY ME A NICKEL. WOW, I WOULD DO WHAT EVER SHE WANTED.

ANGIE WAS A DEVOUT MORMON (DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS AT THAT TIME OF COARSE) AND IN THE MESS HALL, THE MINERS HAD ALL THESE CALENDARS WITH NAKED WOMEN ON THEM. SHE OFFERED ME THE NICKEL TO GO TO THE MESS HALL AFTER THE MINERS LEFT FOR WORK AND TAKE CRAYONS AND DRAW CLOTHES ON THE CALENDARS

SO I DID. THE MINERS WERE MAD, MY DAD MADE ME GIVE BACK THE NICKEL. END OF STORY

THEN THERE WAS THE TIME WE USED TO CATCH WILD CATS, WE HEARD MEWING UNDER THE HOUSE ONE DAY AND DECIDED WE WOULD CATCH ONE OF THE KITTENS. I LAID ON THE GROUND AND PUT MY ARE AS FAR BACK UNDER THE PORCH AS I COULD, AND WE WAITED. THEN, A KITTEN STARTED CRAWLING ONTO MY HAND, I CALLED EDDY AND HE SAID PULL MY ARM OUT REALLY SLOW, SO THE KITTEN DOESN’T FALL OFF. I PULLED IT OUT AND OF COARSE THE OTHER KIDS YELLED AT MOM, THAT I HAD CAUGHT A WILD KITTEN

AS SOON AS MY HAND CLEARED THE PORCH, WE COULD SEE IT WANT A KITTEN, IT WAS A LARGE SCORPION. MY MOM STARTED YELLING FOR DAD AND SPARKY THE CAMPS ELECTRICIAN(LMER WILLIAMS
WHO WOULD LATER MARRY MY SISTER VICKI) SPARKY CAME A RUNNING AND KNOCKED THE SCORPION OFF MY HAND AND OF COARSE WE GOT THE LECTURE ABOUT SCORPIONS.

MY MOM AND DAD HAVE PASSED AWAY, BUT SPARKY STILL LIVES. HE IS 75 NOW, AND WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT MUDDY RIVER. AND HOW DANGEROUS SOME OF THE THINGS EDDY AND I DID AND LIVED TO TELL ABOUT IT.

WE WOULD LIKE TO VISIT THERE AGAIN SOME DAY, THE DIRECTIONS SPARKY GAVE US WERE TAKE THE HANKSVILLE ROAD SOUTH TURN OFF AT 40 MILE CORNERS. I SEEM TO REMEMBER IT WAS ABOUT 95 MILE FROM THE NEAREST TOWN.

IM 63 NOW, AND MY BROTHER EDDY WAS KILLED IN A HUNTING ACCIDENT IN 1992

I STILL BELIEVE OUR YEARS ON THE MUDDY RIVER WERE THE BEST YEARS OF A KIDS LIFE. WISH EVERY KID COULD HAVE DONE THE THINGS WE DID (AND LIVED TO TELL ABOUT IT)

THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE OUR GOOD TIMES WITH YOU
IT WAS GREAT THINKING ABOUT ALL THIS AGAIN. IT SURE BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES

TERRY PUCCINI

[James_B_Wads2000]

That's an awesome email, thanks for sharing Shane. I couldn't think of a cooler place to grow up as a kid, I am jealous. Did she say where she lives now? You should take her back there and show her around and have her tell you more stories.

James

[Scott Card]

Shane, that is great stuff. If you do as James suggests and line something up to get her out here I would be happy to come cook up a feast so long as you color clothing on all your nudie pics. seriously, I would love to here more and I would cook. My uncle was a big prospector and made good money on the uranium boom but I never heard many stories about it cause he passed away several years ago from cancer.... I wonder if there was a link... uranium....cancer hummmmm. Ya think?

[Sombeech]

Wow, those are some great stories.

[Iceaxe]

For those who have asked.... If I understand this correctly Terry Puccini was the daughter of Bud Cairns who worked at the Hidden Splendor in the early 50's.

I have also invited Elmer Williams who was the camp electrician to join this thread. apparently he was known as Kilowatt's around the camp.

Here is hoping that Elmer will join us and that Terry will continue to entertain us with tales of the old mine and San Rafael Swell.

[Ryebrye]

Some film student should do a documentary on these guys. A few interviews + lots of background work (photos... etc) and a trip with those guys down to the swell to get some amera time on the actual area would be quite interesting.

Maybe you could even get into sundance if you had the right spin on it... but I guess that spin would probably involve lots of strange sex acts.

[Iceaxe]

Yeah, I agree it would be nice to have some type of Hidden Splendor record, which is kind of why I have been posting this stuff here. At least it is somewhere. I have looked for Hidden Splendor history in the past and it is pretty thin.

Anyhoo.... here is some more info for your reading pleasure....

Shane; I was the mine elect from 1955 till the Mine closed then was transfered to the Far West mine at Moab"La Sall" for a few more years. When you go down from the old river cabins there is a fresh water spring that comes into the muddy from the south side. it is the only good water in the area that I know of. The spring runs year round. Hope some day to come back and see a rainstorm form a waterfall over the windgate again.

Regards Elmer" Kilowatts" Williams

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