Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-06-23

Hidden wealth-A Scrap OF History
There were many old men in Bedford
| county, twenty years ago, who were famil
lar with the story We propose to relate
and who took strang~ delight in dwelling
| upon the facts connected with l..
It is known that near Big Island. OF
James river, eighteen miles above thi
city, there is silver mine which, In th'
time of the Indians, yielded immeDs 81
Jumps of that metal, and that some of thu
white settlers were familiar with its loca-
ton and paid frequent clandestine visits tt
it. Thee settlers, one by one, were called
upon to liquidate the debt of nature, until
about sixty years since, there was only On'
man in the wide world who possessed the
secret.
This man was poor. obscure laborer
with large and helpless family to sup
port, and though he had the power t. Sc
cure as much of the shining metal as the
most graspipg heart could Wish. be
strangely enough refrained from doing so
But it afterwards transpired that he was
actuated by fear of bodily harm at the
hands of the owner of the valuable trea-
SIRE, who bad already devoted many
months of toll aud "vexatiOn of spirit" tC
vain search for it.
The proprietor, whom wo cali H., had
been frequently solicited by the laborel
to pay small sum of ready money for the
posse sion of the secret. but he had stead.
lily refused to do 81, believing that he would
be able to find it without assistance, FL
nally, however, he became discouraged,
and visited the laborer's cabin. In the con-
versation that ensued, he proposed to pay
the informer a thousand dollars and al in
terest in the profits of the mine, if he would
then and there give the coveted informa-
ton. The offer was gladly accepte1, and
the laborer was elated with bright hopes
of a comfortable home aud some of the
enjoyment of life. He described the loca-
tiOn Of the nine so wildly, it's exact dis
tance from this, thas. aud the other we'll
known object that II. would have sworn
he could lind it in the night. He knew
tt at his informant had acted il good
faith ; that he had told the whole truth
and that he was jgnorsnt and timid as he
was honest and unsuspecting.
Now" said H.. Il have all the infor-
nation I want, and il ou dare to divulge
this secret to living being. or hint tha
pay ment of the money promised you. l
from enjoying my property. will secure
you home i'll the peniten larry for steal
ing my silver"
The dream of comfort which had for a
moment tantalized the laborer vanished
into thin air, for he bel i5ved I'll q FL. had
power to prosecute Linn. but this dream
was supercele led by Immortal hate Ind
study of revenge" He arose from the
broken chair on which he had been sitting,
and said:
81 have told yoa the trcth; the mines
where said it was, but swear it never
shall do you or your children any good,
and ycu needn't look for it. You'll never
have any luck. for trying to fool poor
man like me. The mine shan't be found.
II. chuckled over the success of his ex-
pedition and quietly took leave. For
months and even years he neglected all
else in his vain search for the shining
cave. Tie Iaborer had given a beautiful
description of the interior, which he de-
clared looked like solid sheet Of pure
silver. Large numbers of Indian arrow
heads, several tomahawks, an old bellows,
a pck, ccowbar, tin bucket. ham mer and
several small Jumps of the precious metal
were found during the next two or three
years, but that was oil.
Finally II. decided upon a different
plan of operation. The If borer had emi-
grated to point on the Ohio river, and
Il dispatched q man to see him, with in
structions to represent himself as the own
er of the mine, and bitterly denoucnce 81.
es a swindler. Ihe agent obeyei orders to
the letter. He tod the laborer that he had
been well-nigh ruined by H., who attempt
ed to make way with all his property to
avoid the payment of large debt due him
that be had forced the sale of HIS effects
by legal process; that he had bought
the property at public sale, and would
make him he laoorer) an equal partner
in the silver mine if he would tell where
it was.
The laborer believed the story and gave
the desired Information, for which he re-
ceived hundred dollars; and SO minutely
did he describe the thicket in which the
treasure was located that the messen-
ger would have staked his existence
that he could find it. The thicket
was cleared, every shrub was removed,
and the ground dug and plowed over; but
to this day the secret of the silver mine
has never been revealed. Re-
publican.