TWENTIETH CENTURY...THE LURE CONTINUES
It is interesting to note the careers of John O. Meusebach’s progeny. His son Ernst was a mining engineer in Mexico. His second son, Jago, also became a mining engineer. Another firstf ounder of Friedrichsburg of royal rank, Wilhelm Marschall von Bieberstein of Hahnstaetten in the Taunus Forest near Frankfurt-am-Main, whose family was in charge of the militia of the Duke of Saxony (according to Prince Hans von Sachsen), broke all precedent and advice and bought land near the Llano river in what became the western most part of present-day Llano County. Cattle and land became his business in Texas. But the cheap price of the land, ore, and legends of this area may very well have been in the back of his mind causing him to leave the “civilization and culture” of Friedrichsburg. Meusebach’s daughter, Antonie, married Wilhelm Marschal von Bieberstein’s son Otto in 1850.
In 1917 into this lineage was born the great-grandson of John O. Meusebach and Wilhelm
Marschall von Bieberstein, Herbert William “Bill” Marschall Jr. (von Bieberstein). Bill Marschall and
his wife Modena, from their beautiful vantage point on Windcrest Hill overlooking Fredericksburg
enjoy their retirement by sitting on their veranda talking about their life’s endeavor in geology, oil
and gas developing, and land speculating. It all fits hand and glove into this royal family’s long
heritage, experience and expertise in evaluating land, water (especially flowing springs), and
precious metals. (1 MS I. I-m)
Another collector of Texas history, Ira Kennedy, born near the town of San Saba, published
several intriguing stories about the San Saba mines. The newspaper, The San Saba News,
reported on June 24, 1887, that a Mr. A. Fitzgerald of Mexico with many years of first hand
experience in developing and mining for gold and silver paid Mr. Rufe Hoover of Hoover’s Valley
$10,000 for 640 acres of land about 14 miles southwest of Burnet in Burnet County. Fitzgerald
learned of the ore from old records of the Spanish and Mexican government. The details of the
records were so accurate he was able to come to Burnet County and locate the old San Saba
Mines easily. Fitzgerald was 73 years of age and has had many years of experience in successful
mining of mineral deposits. There is no further news of Fitzgerald achieving any success.
A Mr. John Haas of the Bowser community told The San Saba News on November 10, 1899,
that a Dr. Kelso was on his property convinced that the treasure of $6 million was buried there
when Maximillan invaded Mexico in the 17th Century. Kelso had located treasure from a chart he
obtained in Mexico. Haas remarked that if no gold is found he will at least have one of the finest
water tanks in the country. (1 MS I. I-n)
This author’s grandparents had a farm and ranch in the Fly Gap community between Pontotoc
and Fredonia in Mason County about 10 miles north of the Llano River. Within a mile or two of the
ranch on the side of an imposing granite-laden mountain was a foreboding and forbidden place:
the Spiller Mine. There was talk that gold and silver had been mined there in earlier years. My
brother and I were absolutely forbidden to venture near the mine. We were told it had deep and
treacherous holes and ponds in it from which we would never return. If the pitfalls wouldn’t get us
the panthers and the rattlesnakes surely would! One day I sneaked away by myself determined to
at least take a peek inside the mine shaft. But as I came near it I thought I heard the warning of a
rattlesnake. In a flash I turned around and ran all the way back to the ranch house as fast as I
could. I have never returned.
Even to this day persons are still trying to buy or lease lands in the Hill Country mineral belt
with the hope of striking it rich. Fact is, H. W. “Bill” Marschall (von Bieberstein) himself, a few years
ago (2000), went with one property owner, Frosty Miller of Pontotoc, to look at various shafts of
former gold mines in that area. Bill just could not resist joining an investment group in the
processing of metals or ore in the Hickory Sand formations there. The ore is presently being
mined and sent to more sophisticated processing plants for the further refining. The result is a
long list of valuable minerals though probably not enough gold worthy of mentioning.
The tributaries of creeks in eastern Mason and western Llano counties that flow into the Llano
River near Pontotoc still attract the attention of mining interests. Of course throughout the area are
granite or batholith outcroppings that indicate ages-old natural smelting and uplifting that signals
good omen for gold, silver, palladium, uranium, etc. The descendants of Douglas Bauman have
long been active in leasing their lands for such mining near the Pontotoc community between the
towns of Mason and Llano.

THE PACKSADDLE SCHIST....
Marschall talks with much fascination about the Packsaddle Schist near Kingland at the
confluence of the Colorado River and the Llano River. There is a monument there marking the
spot of the apex of the Fisher-Miller Land Grant where the black ore of the Packsaddle Schist is
located. Webster’s Dictionary says a schist is “a metamorphic crystalline rock having a closely
foliated structure and admitting of division along approximately parallel lines.” Marschall says that
many contend that where there is black ore, gold would not be far away. So far, no one has
located much gold. Nevertheless, according to Marschall, the Packsaddle Schist serves to excite
the property owners and the gold prospectors alike.
Off Highway 71, Packsaddle Mountain allows the ancient sandstone to be exposed in
horizontal layers as well as layers of schist in Honey Creek (Llano and Burnet Counties) where
traces of gold, silver, and other minerals in the sands of the creek have been reported through the
years. (1 MS I. I-o)
______
Notes:
(1 MS I. 1-a) Palfrey, Dale Hoyte; Mexico Connect--History & Timeline; email:
daledale@laguna.com.mx
(1 MS I. 1-b) Braun, Alois; “Biographical Sketch of Rev. P. Alto S. Hoermann” translated by
Braun into English in1932 from the German in Hoermann’s historical novel, Die Tochter Tehuan’s
(The Daughter of Tehuan), Benziger Brothers Publishers, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1866; pp.5-6. In July of
1859 Rev. Hoermann accompanied by other Benedictine missionaries from St. Vincent Priory,
LaTrobe, Pennsylvania, arrived at Mission San Jose where they would begin their ministry with
special attention to the German speaking immigrants in San Antonio and the Hill Country. Braun
resided in San Antonio.
(1 MS I. 1-c) Von-Maszewski, Wolfram M.; Voyage to North America 1844-45, Prince Carl of
Solm’sTexas Diary, German Texan Heritage Society, University of North Texas Press, Denton TX,
2000, p. 33.
(1 MS I. 1-d) Denney, Richard.; “San Saba Presidio and Mission...Legends”; Internet, 2003;
711 Waterline Rd., Austin TX 78731. email: rdenney@sbc-global.net, tel: 1-512-431-2446
(1 MS I. 1-e) Prince Johannes (Hans) von Sachsen-Altenburg, “German Interest in Precious
Metals of the New World” May, 2003, Fredericksburg, Texas, lecture sponsored by Texas Tech
University- Fredericksburg, German Heritage Foundation, and the Nimitz Museum of
Fredericksburg.
(1 MS I. 1-f) Mancon, Robert; Plugging Up Texas, Republic of Texas Press-Woodware
Publishing, Plano Texas, 2002, p.111
(1 MS I. 1-g) Biesele, Rudolph Leopold; The History of the German Settlements in Texas,
German Texan Heritage Society Publisher, Austin TX, 1930 & 1987, p. 28.
(1 MS I. 1-h) Prince Johannes (Hans) von Sachsen-Altenburg, ibid.
(1 MS I. 1-i) Von-Maszewski; Ibid, pp. 203-225
(1 MS I. 1-j) Von Sachsen-Altenburg, Hans; Dyer, Robert L.; Duke Paul of Wuerttemberg on
the Missouri Frontier: 1823, 1830 and 1851; Walsworth Publishing Co., Marceline MO, 1998, pp.
238-239
(1 MS I. 1-k) Marschall (von Bieberstein), H. W. “Bill”; Personal interview, May 13, 2002, at his
home in Fredericksburg and his reference to a book in his library: The Runge Chronicles, by Henry
20
J. Hauschild, self-published 1990, 210 E. Forest, Victoria TX 77901
(1 MS I. 1-l) Roemer, Dr. Ferdinand; Texas 1845 to 1847, German Texan Heritage Society,
Eaken Press, Austin Texas, 1983, pp. 258-259
(1 MS I. 1-m) Knopp, Kenn; oral history interview with H. W. Marschall (von Bieberstein) at his
home in Fredericksburg in May, 2003.
(1 MS I. 1-n) Kennedy, Ira; “The Lost San Saba Mines” Internet: http://www.texfiles.com/texas
history/San_Saba_mines.htm; San Marcos TX 78666, 1999, pp. 1-8
(1 MS I. 1-o) Lone Star Internet, email: biz@lone-star.net; copyright 2000:
http://www.Instar.com/mall/txtrails/kingsland.htm

By Kenn Knopp

 Knopp, Kenn  http://www.kennknopp.com/
  Since 1956 this is a synergistic journalism and  public relations collective midrash of families, genealogy, and actual history encompassing Germany, Texas, and United States experiences.. It was begun at the University of Texas at Austin, M.A. degree program in strategic public relations in 1958 under the tutelage of Dr. Alan Scott of precious memory and has been ongoing ever since. Entitled: Protecting & Enchancing the German Heritage of Fredericksburg, Texas. The research has been bequeathed to the Special Collections Archives of Texas Tech University at Fredericksburg for the benefit and the use of all researchers. 
   This series of stories will become a regular feature of www.Texas-Hill-Country.com Online magazine with permission and all rights from Kenn Knopp, from the beginnings of the research to the end, check back regularly for the "rest of the story".

ger Manuskripte
Volume III
self-published,
Director- www.germanheritagefoundation.com
(Public Relations and Communications industry)
September 1982 — Present

Research about the Germans of the Texas Hill Country, their origins and
homeplaces, their life, times, and contribution to the United States.
Research and collections primarily at Texas Tech University at
Fredericksburg and at the author's home office at 407 Cora Street,
Fredericksburg TX 78624. email: alterstolz@gmail.com


Kenn Knopp’s Education
The University of Texas at Austin
1952 — 1956

Additional Information
Kenn Knopp’s Websites:
My Website http://www.kennknopp.com/
Kenn Knopp’s Interests:
German heritage, music and history, genealogy, spiritual retreats,
culinaria adventures, Stammtisch discussions, meditation, etc..

Kenn Knopp’s Groups:
Fredericksburg German Singers, Democratic Party, Catholic Permanent
Deacons of San Antonio Archdiocese, Old German Bakery/Restaurant Stammtisch