New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-15
XxcUIMS1f m HoNreoMSHY co.
ao,d Hupters Out Bright and Barly.
, FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE.
o,,,mopderee OF the N. 4 rr.baue.

lOvff
AMSTERDAM, N. Y, Tuesday, May 10, 1856.
Having little leisure, AMI being much interested in
,utiect. have concluded TO communicate, through
your columns concerning the high state of excitement
al presept existing in this placesn excitement full Of
facipsiion and golden dreams, and which would be de-
cidedly romantic were It not that violence and crime
are growing out Of il. The facts, az far as know
them personally, are these:
1t seem, that last night party of school-chidren
from the Academy, some FIVE in number, among whom
was my son. lad Of nine years of age were out for
stroll over the fields north of the village to sort of
cave or assure in the rocks above the Reservoir, on
the premises of Jonathan Buger. This cavern is some
ten feet long santng into the earth at an angle of 49,
stopped up with dirt at the bottom and back part.
Ten men might 60 into it abreast, STOPPING. While
the children in there, they found, by scratching
the bottom, what they called diamonds My boy
brought home a specimen, and ss soon as saw 1t
discovered it to be aurferous quartz learned all
about il as quickly possible The boy said
the children had all taken home some of
il. l raid nothing, but started early this morn
ing for the cave. On arriving there, / discovered
that two Of my neighbOrs were ahead Of me. We
soon came to an understanding, and agreed to ente
the cave together and be equal partners in whatever
we might find. One of my friends had crowbar, and
striking this into the bottom of the cave he turned up
a lump of quartz, which on examination exhibited
grains of gold varying from the size of pins head to
the size of kernel Of corn. have one piece as large
as small walnut. Apparently the care is that part
of issure in these rocks not filed up by quartz AL
around in the bottom the solid aurerous quartz pro-
trudes on removing the loose EARTH We were full of
excitement, and were just about concertng measures
to keep the matter secret when to our nexpressble
modification whole party Of villagers some dozen or
more came upon US before we could conceal what we
had found or recover sufficiently to give any plausible
account of ourselves. They "smelled the rat" and
were not to be put off. They began crowdng into the
cave, and crowding US out. Violence soon COM
menced--we were elected. Then the party soon
got into fight with themselves for precedence.
Those who got in could not get out. And those
behind seemed determined to crush them inside,
rather than allow them to carry off the precious
stuff. / concluded to leave with what had in
my pockets. Before left, however, stout man,
named Jennings succeeded in getting out, by crawling
under foot His hand was smashed and his head badly
cut He had lump of quartz as big as his two fists
that looked as though it bad pound of gold in it.
All day the crowd has been asing and there has
been some desperate fighting. One man Is injured
past recovery For nifty yards around inc entrance
the field is black with ranks of excited people. have
Just returned from there. party of boatmen were
layirg on the crowd with stretcher and the fanting
and exhauted men the cave are getting trodden
undefoot. One piece of pure gold or apparently pure
weighing 10 or. has been brought down to the village.
Old Californians here think there must be immense
quantities OF the ore there.
What else occurs will inform you.
-. HIRAM T. STEEL.
p. ST. open this TO say that another lump weigh
ing over Ii or has been got out and the excitement
is fercer than ever. This is great country! have
probably got all the gold shall ever get from that
source.
The above letter reached by mall yesterday IL reads
verv much like hoax accordingly advise NOBODY 70 Sc
81 lar The Fldo,sdo Amsterdam until further ndyices ha
ore all doubt from the tremendous story Of Mr.. Steel