(Gold bars composed a large part of the Victorio Peak treasure.)
Understand Two Things
I want you all to know that in this series of posts my main intent is not to challenge what others accept as fact, but simply to give voice to my own thoughts and musings regarding the Victorio Peak treasure legend. So, whether you're a "true believer" or a complete cynic, if I say something here that doesn't fit in with your own world views, please understand two things:
1) I am not attacking your perceptions, research, credibility, or beliefs.
2) Nor am I rushing headlong to join the ranks of the die-hard skeptics out there.
OK, got it? I'm not here to tear down any "holy temples" or try to shoot holes in your most beloved theories. (Geeeeze...some of these Victorio Peak folks are touchy, touchy, touchy...)
Who Was Doc Noss?
This is an excellent question really. Milton "Doc" Noss was the finder of the Victorio Peak treasure and, depending on your perspective or who you talk to, he remains an intriguing character. For some he was a complete charlatan, a phony foot doctor and former prison inmate with a knack for conning "innocents" and then relieving them of their coin purses.
Treasure Hunting
Others believe that we all have certain character flaws and Doc was on the up and up. After all, the Depression-era 1930s were difficult times and you can't blame folks for using their imagination and gift of gab to turn a dime here and there.
Nothing is Black or White
I tend to think that Doc fell somewhere between these two poles. On one hand I firmly believe he found gold bars and silver coins inside Victorio Peak and on the other, I don't think Doc was above running an occasional "con" here and there if he thought he could profit from it.
(Many secrets of Victorio Peak died with Doc Noss the day he was shot.)
Nothing is truly black or white in this transitory world of ours, no matter how much we want to believe the opposite. In my opinion, Doc Noss has been judged too harshly by some and not harshly enough by others.
Some Just Get Lucky
In the final analysis Doc was either a very complex guy...or not complex at all. Take your pick. Either way he managed to hit it big in New Mexico's Hembrillo Basin.
Some folks just get lucky while the rest of us grind our desperate way through dissatisfying jobs and the demands and banalities of daily life. But as Doc and many others have learned over the years and the decades and the centuries:
Gold can get you killed...
Good hunting.
If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Don'ts for Novice Treasure Hunters (Part 1)"
(c) Jim Rocha 2012
Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com
