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Ely, Sims.
The Lost Dutchman Mine... 1953.
The most important work in the Lost Dutchman genre. This is not because it is more true, rather it is because of Ely, who he was, how well it is written, and the place it assumes in the canon. Ely was a seeker but not single-minded, nor was he a promoter. He was a successful man who, at the close of his life, put down on paper what he knew about the tale - and he knew a lot. This unique work represents what Ely and his contemporaries took to be the facts and their proper interpretation. One can poke holes in it of course, (see Blair), but it is told in a totally believable fashion - Ely earns the reader's trust and respect. It was a big seller in the 1950's. TB: "...without question is the standard work for serious Lost Dutchman aficionados." CM: "Probably the best book ever written concerning the Lost Dutchman Mine enigma. The author spent over fifty years in search of this legendary mine and presents much credible information."
Ely wrote it while in the hospital, basing it in part on his old friend Jim Bark's notes. Unfortunately, when he wrote it he changed some things at the request of the Bark family, presumably to protect their interest in finding the mine themselves. To make matters worse, Bark himself had been rather cagey in his notes on his interviews with Julia Thomas, the Petraschs, and Holmes etc. (GD). Still, we are lucky Ely finally wrote down what he did. Perhaps the best thing about Ely's book is that he wrote it in memory of his old companion Jim Bark and their friendship.
There is a nice map on the endpapers and a great dust jacket (which I make use of in this web site) by Irwin Shope. There is a British hardcover edition with the same dust jacket, though the overall dimensions of the book are a little smaller.
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British paperback edition