The Portland daily press., 1866-12-29
srs Trove Extraordinary.
&c zion OF TIE NEW YORK SEWERS.

correspondence of the Erie Despatch.l
ears ago little German Jew,
6warfz believing that in the sewers
FORK might be found many articles Of
,hich had been lost, eiiteEeu tnem, anu
zee days wandered through the lapy rinln.
gas very successful picking up some Szli
00ASworth of jewellery, spoons, forks, &c. ;;Nput
having lost his way the first day, he believed
that he might have found much more could
he have carried out the original plan, which
was to have visited Fifth and Madison avenues,
Broadway and the wealthy portions OF the
city. So great, however, were the difhculties
and dangers which he encountered, that moth
as e0d nSuSs him as aa for
time created quite little sensation, but there
were none venturous enough to attempt a Sec
ond, until Wednesday of last week, when an
adventurous party OF three entered the sewer
of Houston street, at the ferry on East River,
intending to remain for one week, during
which time they proposed visiting every por-
ton Of the city where there seemed to be any
chance of finding treasure trove. The party
Of eighteen, her brother James, aged sixteen,
and Michael Grady, an old man of about fifty.
The project originated with Miss Walker,
and the show" of it is in this wise: Some two
years ago james Walker, Jr., was merchant,
doing good business at SO IL Bowery. He
was getting rich fast, but in an evil hour he
was prevailed upon by friends (?) to use some
of his money which had been "salted down."
in specializing in gold. The result was easy to
be foreseen. He lost. To recover he took
money from his business. Again he lost. His
business became embarrassed; in despair he
committed suicide, and Miss Walker and her
brother found themselves six months ago the
inhabitants of room on the upper floor of
double tenement, 2O9 Sixth street. Miss
Walker, some months ago in an old paper,
wrapped around a parcel which she was taking
home from "slop-shop" saw an account of
Schwartzs undertaking, and resolved to imi-
tafp If Mana 0hfoiYlad mr. fha oit Ind.
led carefully. Each days work for herself, her
brother and Grady, who was formerly in her
fathers employ, was carefully marked out
Every preparation which limited knowledge
could prepare for was made, and the adventur-
ers started.
Iwish that might have room to tell the
story of the week they passed, but my manu-
script warns me that must oondense. Each
day they rendezvoused several times in the
chambers at the street corners. On Sunday
they had filled all the bags they had taken
with them, some fifteen in number, and Miss
Walker returned. James Walker and Grady
continued their search, emptying six of their
bags at the corner of Twenty second street and
Fifth avenue. On Wednesday morning at
very early hour, and before people were STIR
ring, Miss Walker was at the place with
WAGON On removing the iron plate, which at
each street corner leads into a small chamber
connecting with the sewer, she found her
brother, but not Grady. He had started Off
on another trip, although the six bags had
been hlled i'll Madison avenue The loose
treasure was placed in extra bags and the
whole driven to a Broadway jewellers. The
rest were taken from the places on Thursday
morning. A watch was set for Grady, but up
to this time Of writing nothing has been heard
from him, and it is feared that he has persisted
The result Of the weeks search is roughly
estimated at one million five hundred thous-
and dollars. We saw the treasures yesterday
piled in three heaps upon the floor, and the
ieweller informed me that it must have cost
over $3,000,000 but in consequence of the old
fashioned style of setting, its bruised, battered
and corroded condition, its value was reduced
about one-half. A little over a bushel (how
queer it sounds tc talk of jewelry by the bush
el) has been sorted. and among it has been
found one diamond ring valued at $4,000, two
more valued at $1,000, and half a dozen valued
at $4,000 and upwards. The most curious is a
plain gold ring, inscribed on the inside in
Dutch, Peter Stuyvesant to wife," 1t is an
heirloom OF the Stuyvesants, and was stolen,
with other jewelry, last March, by burglars
How it came in the sewer is problem for phi
losophers to speculate about. Miss Walker
and her brother, who find themselves thus lift
cd suddenly from penury to great wealth, i'm
tend TO proceed to England, where they have
relatives. This adventure is talked of every
where, and already there are others preparing
to follow in their footsteps.