It is a classic tale of lost riches, and death for the greedy.

   But for Steve Malnar of Duchesne, and some other Uinta Basin residents, the legacy of the gold mines is a spiritual one. It links teachings in The Book of Mormon to the beliefs of the Ute Tribe, long the protector of the mines and their secrets. But when the time is right, the mines' locations will become known ``and Joseph Smith´s story of finding golden plates could be reality.´´

   That belief provided the incentive for Mr. Malnar to publish The Lost Gold of the Uintahs: The Rest of the Story by the late Gale Rhoades, a descendant of the only Mormon-era white men who supposedly visited the gold mines.

   In his 1971 book Footprints in the Wilderness, Mr. Rhoades described how Ute Chief Walker made an agreement in the 1850s with Brigham Young that allowed Thomas and Caleb Rhoades to go into the mountains and collect the gold for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

   On The Book of Mormon, the Rhoades swore they would not reveal the source of the gold, and carried their promise to the grave. But Caleb did leave a few hints about the location, along with numerous crude maps that have enticed treasure hunters to comb the cliffs above Rock Creek, Moon Lake and the Duchesne River headwaters for the lost mines.

   In the new book, excerpts of which were printed in the June and July issues of Treasure magazine, Mr. Rhoades tells the rest of the story. He reveals those maps and scores of others sure to tantalize treasure hunters.

   The Rhoades Mines story, said Treasure magazine executive editor Jim Williams, ``is up there as one of the more believable ones. We were contacted by one of Rhoades´ partners who didn´t want this material in print.´´

   Most Uinta Basin residents believe the bulk of the story, which has many variations, said John Barton, a Roosevelt-based Utah State University historian who is writing the state centennial history of Duchesne County.

   ``I´ve heard those stories since I was a kid. I´ve known of people who spent their whole summers poking around up there hoping to find it,´´ he said. ``Unlike a lot of folk tales, everyone believes them to varying degrees. They´re believed with reverence.´´

   Brigham Young University historian Ronald Walker is skeptical. ``I have read all of the early Brigham Young correspondence, the minutes of the meetings he had, everything. There is nothing to suggest any of that is true. My hunch is that it´s hogwash. But you never know.´´

   That unknown quality has spurred considerable interest.    For years, Salt Lake City resident Matthew Ure has devoured the tales of death and disappearance that have befallen those who sought the Rhoades riches, which he believes came from a cache of gold mined by Spanish explorers long before Mormons arrived in Utah.

SLC Tribune, 7/27/92