[and “The Lost Treasure of 108 Mile House.”]

The “Motif Index for Lost Mines and Treasures” was created by Byrd Howell Granger to fill a gap in, and to be used with Stith Thompson’s Motif Index. Where applicable Thompson’s numbers are still used beside Dr. Granger’s system. However, to avoid confusion between the two systems, Granger applied lower case letters to her Motif Index.

Granger’s indexing system is primarily based on accounts of lost mines and treasures in and around the State of Arizona and is divided into four categories; the Spanish Period, the Early American Period, the Lost Dutchman, and the Modern Period, q.v. p.10.

Notwithstanding Granger’s reasoning, because of international, national, and regional historic considerations, where a Spanish Period might more appropriately be designated as, for instance, a French Period, a Dutch Period, or a British Period, it might be more appropriate to call the first two periods the Discovery Period and the Early Settlement Period respectively. But even this is not completely satisfactory and suggestions and comments on this, or any other concerns would be welcome and appreciated.

Based on this suggestion, the story of Agnus MacVee and the tale of the lost treasure of 108 Mile House, here in British Columbia, would fall into the Early Settlement Period.

The version given here is from the secondary source Lost Treasure in British Columbia. Treasure Book #3 by Laurence Lazeo, published by the author in 1973, and is precised from his first story “108” Hotel of Murder.

Agnus MacVee (c 3.2.1), a Scottish (c 5.6.6) immigrant (c 2.12.2), kept (c 2.13) an hotel (a 10.2.11) at 108 Mile on the Cariboo Wagon Road. She was assisted by her husband (c 3.1.1) and her son-in-law (c 3.5.1) Al Riley (c 2.21). The hotel had seven fireplaces. Besides providing food, liquor, and lodging, the hotel also dealt in the use and sale of young women (c 2.15.1); most commonly runaways held against their will. Agnus MacVee was reputed (f 1.6) to be a harsh and domineering woman. According to legend (f 2) girls who did not cooperate with her were thrown into a fireplace (S100- S199 [S112]). Between 1875 and 1885 it is said (f 1.6) that the bodies of more than fifty-nine prospective buyers of young women, murdered by the MacVees and Riley, were found in small lakes in the area. In 1885, following a dispute over the murder of a gambler (c 2.28) named MacDonald, Agnus MacVee poisoned her husband (S111). MacDonald had bought a young woman for $4,000 and, after leaving the hotel, had been followed and killed by Jim MacVee (c 4.1). During the murder the young woman escaped to freedom and subsequently the authorities (c 2.27) went to the hotel to investigate. Eight young women were found chained and half-starved in the hotel, and the remains of human bones were found in the ashes sifted from the fireplaces. Agnus and Riley were arrested but Agnus poisoned herself before being brought to trial. Riley was hanged. According to various estimates (f 2) it is thought that between $100,000 and $150,000, in gold nuggets (d 1.1.1§) and gold coins (d 1.3), stolen from the murder victims (d 4.1) was buried (b 1.5) in several caches (a 6§) near the hotel. The building was torn down (k 2.4.3) in 1892 and replaced with a new building. In 1924 a farmer unearthed (n 1.2) a cache worth $2,500. Later a second cache worth $6,000 was discovered near by, during the construction (n 1.5.3§) of an airstrip.

Review of motifs:

• Motif a: Topographic and cultural features associated with place of concealment.

a 6§, unspecified terrain.
a 10.2.1, inn.

• Motif b: Causes or motives for concealing mine or treasure.

b 1, to safeguard against being taken by others.
b 1.5, by forces of law and order.

• Motif c: Agents instrumental in concealment, loss, or failure to relocate item.

c 2, members of specific occupations.
c 2.12.1, pioneer, pioneer settler.
c 2.12.2, emigrant.
c 2.13, innkeeper.
c 2.15.1, slave
c 2.21, labourer/hired hand etc., [barman].
c 2.27, marshall/policeman/detective [law enforcement authority].
c 2.28, gambler.
c 3, familial relationships.
c 3.1.1, husband.
c 3.2.1, wife/widow/woman.
c 3.5.1, son-in-law.
c 4, lawless elements.
c 4.1, highwayman.

• Motif d: Nature of objects concealed or lost.

d 1, metals.
d 1.1, gold.
d 1.1.1§, nuggets.
d 1.1.2§, gold dust.
d 1.1.3§, bars/ingots.
d 1.3, coins/other monies.

• Motif f: Mode of tale transmission.

f 1, documents.
f 1.6, journalistic account or modern book 9non-fiction).
f 2, word of mouth.

• Motif k: Reasons why location of concealed or lost object not found or recovered.

k 2, unable to relocate or rediscover location; searcher usually not original finder or owner.
k 2.4.3, building/other structures altered or removed.

• Motif n: Special circumstances associated with discovery.

n 1, item discovered by accident.
n 1.2, while farming.
n 1.5.3§, while digging during construction.

• S100-S199 (T) Revolting murders or mutilations.

S111, Murder by poisoning. (T)
S112, Burning to death. (T)

Numbers are Granger except (T) Thompson and (§) suggested additions to Dr. Granger’s Motif Index.

The following Granger numbers have appeared in various issues of B.C.FOLKLORE.
Note: (4:8) means issue No.4, page 8.

• Further suggested additions to GRANGER numbers:

b 8.4§, to avoid avarice.
c 2.15.2§, hostage.
c 5.1.2§, Metis.
c 5.2.10§, Northwest First Nations Peoples [Cowichan; Tse-Shaht].
k 1.3.1§, death by fever prevents return.
n 5§, planned recovery/discovery (deception).
k 5.1§, by slating mining claim.

REFERENCES:

GRANGER, Byrd Howell. 1977 A Motif Index for lost mines and treasures applied to redaction of Arizona legends, and to lost mine and treasure legends exterior to Arizona. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press.

LAZEO, Laurence Andrew. 1973 Lost Treasure in British Columbia. Treasure Book #3. A History of Lost Mines & Buried or Sunken Treasure located in British Columbia. The author.

THOMPSON Stith. 1955-58 Motif-Index of Folk Literature etc. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.