, 1870-04-20
Crent Discovery Of Gold and Silver
Com OH staten Island

fTpfn fAk ~Ntte 1 AfEH k9~
No little excitement wAs occasiOned last Sun
day, in the quiet little village Of hosssille, |
staten Island, BY the discovery Of large sum
Of money, hidden many generations ago, when
tie village Was on the greet line Of travel be- !
tween Philadelphia and New York The d1oHAy
hamlet, sleeping through the w4rm sabbath day,
awakened from its dreamy state. opcned it.
eyes with startled and wild stare, stretched
its hmbs, md in = moment wAs huzrying
~ il by Common impulse 10 = common dcsti-
nation, which happened to be the 1lcw and
stately residence Of Sheriff Ahram WInAntst OF
the WSpAnts family, who have lived theteabouta
since their ancestors landed in Manhattan Bay,
in the times Of the good old Amsterdxmmers
and other piouB men from *AtcFy Holland.
Dame Rumor, who goeaips with thousand
ai1y tongues znong the dNelers upon the
banks Of the stormy Staten 1alAnd Sound
thAt broad swecp OF water that separates tho
peaceful and easy inhabitantsof tho eouth side
from The apple-jlck dpplers and clay ~diggers Of
Jerrey-had finally got hold OF 4 large atom Of
ruth to build one Of her stirring structures
upon. There was really Jingle Of old coin
about the Winants' mAnaion. An almost forgot
ten music to most OF the e1ger eyes AID open
cared Eaze1B On the heap OF rieees in gold,
silver, and copper that aluost filed peck
| measure upon the kitchen table. But The clink
I was not clear Of silvey. The eotroding TN
gers OF time had blurred and 1usted their fsir
| sides; aud tho element. through succession
I Observation-Disclosures busily engaged in adding
| to them layer upon layer u rust and eatth
nnJ o5ltcsating dates and eating away tLc
fa:cs OF roSu and imperial rulers, that Cleaned
brightly enough hundreds Of years ago, before
America itself perhaps was discovered These
curious aud unique memorials Of former times
were veil handled and weighed; and learnedlT
| discussed by the 1unislnAGclAns who conSre-
gated In Sheriff Winans rooms, and the Sherid
told the following story to fresh audiences =
hundred time. during Tic day, until the
| SSffoDine4 Jrfupf1,>.3 of CHOtle
rye would no longer allaT tho hoarscness OF
walking out this morning." said the
Sheriff, "to enjoy the brilliant spring sun
Light I'D sof balmy at had 1sasnea ins
the lu3urics and rapid growth of so1no early
fowezs, when my eye caught tho g(ean Of
Boue nc talic substance, Us thought, among
The grass. gave it push with the too ct nj
boot, when, much to my surprise, ! tutnee
On being examined, proved to be copper COIN
greatly corrodei by rust Ono or two OF then
vet exhibited fragments Of dates Aut
legends. pursued my. Investigation viii
the MD Of 4 hoe, and was startled L
turning up g1eas numbers q e9ln Of yai;ou Y
search had found 562 pieces Of gold, silver
and copper, most Of them 80 rusty as to b.
undeciphcrahle. hAd evidently como hcros
. hidden deposit Of money hid away year
and seazs sgo, beyond the memory o. a me-
shout the size OF 4 quarter Of uollas, bu
thinner. bearing OIL ons side the date 1o5a
i antl on the other legend cannot translate
Many Of the copper coins borc tho date OF II
and fhereahouts, and we're clearly o. Eug!ih
= | origin. How they came there, gentlemen. s
, question you can explain as readily as l.
know nothing about it.
That il the sheriff 3 story, aud Sun II
! porter baa seen some Of the coins. he IN
t rlaccd = majority Of them in dye 10 clea
them up. md ve shall doubtless BOON be Abl
to secertain the nature Of the coins. Six 6
: the unknown oncs have been sent 70 to
Smithsonian Institution 1t Washington to OF
Q tain tho opinion OF experte upon their cha
: acter. They are evidently not Enghsh, b1
arc doubtless OF Spanish Ct South Anes1ea
mintage. Altogether they are reruarkAb
y addition to our nnmismatic collections, n
u Amateurs and societies will doubtless bc ab
s to obtain specimens they spply early,
>. The discovery has awakened An e1traotd
j nary ind glowing spirit Of research among u
ancient stories OF buried treasures. IN whif
10 Captain Kidd figures with due pEominenc
y All the venerable colored residents have fo
: gotten the Fifteenth Amendment, and =
u now indulging in dreams, In which The ghos
- Of bold freebooters appear, and lead tue Sc
u they point out the places OF burned spo
c, taken from stately Spanish galleons on t
ia Main. There aTe also many signs voucaaai
by these gallant pirates, by which the beliuvl,
-, mag find untold wcatl, hastily put away III
's' early Days Of the province. The believers
hs many, il we arc to judge from tho rel'oFts
travellers in those parts WHO have seen
n. occasional lash Of lantern, Ike the Giean
NJ the wilI-o,-thc-viEr, ut night, On Tho sole.
'.e chores CT the Staten IslAnd Sound, where
10 gold seckers arc stealthi]y pushing their
searches. II Captain kitlls buried tseasu!
ct could be found. III Staten Island would -
n, its fingers Ut the clay.digGers and aTple,1'
at Inst found the secret hidinS-plkce, and
- moustrated forever tue fsct that the late 81
lot per kidd did gather together much money.
NO ''Aa he sailed, 2s he aAlcd!T
a.. thereby adding historical verify to t7adlto
-. stories OF the past