Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-08-16
TREASURE FOUND.
A Strange Discovery In the Oregon
Wild rness--Who Made the De-
posit in That Bank?

Wild rness--Who Made the De-
pesit in That Bank?
From Oregon there comes Il tale
of treasurc-trove. Leaving Portland
in the above named State, not long
ago, to trace the line Of new
branch railway, certain surveyors
entered, one day, small, rocky
glen, near the line Of the old mill
tary road between the small towns
of Cornelius and Astoria. Looking
about therein for a suitable point
of Sight for his theodolite, the chief
of the party Glanced to select an
odd-looking pyramidal stone, thickly
covered with lichens and denscly
grown about by the immemorial
underbrush of the region. IN striv-
ing to tear some of the latter away,
and bracing foot against the stone
in vigorous execution of that pur-
pose, an assistant accidentally
scrapcd from the rocky surface so
much of the encrus.ing moss that
large section was laid quite bare.
Upon the spot thus denuded Of its
covering Of ages the surveyors were
surprised to discover certain deeply
craven marks, which, upon closer
inspection, proved to be II legiblc
inscription Of the letters and num-
erals an. l. G. Il. .. r." Instantly
all thoughts of railroading were
suspended and every energy direc-
ted to the Interpretation of this
enigma of the wilderness. For Il
time all sorts of gucsses were
hazarded; but it struck one of the
pundits that the letters and figures
might be memoranda in the dialect
of their own landgauging profession.
Say, for instance, that they meant
'North, chain; east, 2 perchcs."
The idea was an inspiration not to
be disregarded. Measuring north
and east, as prescribed, the party
found another curious moss-grown
stone, pyramidal in shape like the
first. Not doubling that this bore
further directions, they eagerly
cleared enough of it's face to discern
a large figure 81" cut in it. Only
that and nothing more. This second
stone evidently had continuity of
inscription with the first, and was
promptly thrown from it's place by
levers; but only the bare, hard
earth appeared beneath, and gave
no 81 On Of further revelation. "What
if the figure should mean seven feet
down?" was the question evolved
from the ensuing fcverish consulta-
ton. A suspicion Of hidden treas
ure was now uppermost in every
mind, and when spades were
brought and digging began the ex-
citement waxed intense. Deeper
and deeper delved the anxious
shovelers until the clink of some
metal responded to the blows of the
excavators. 1t took but a minute
more to reveal rusted iron ring
attached to the rotting cover Of a
wooden box or chest, iron-bound;
and in three minutes that ancient
casket was lifted and hauled from
its tomb by as many hands and
shovels as could fix hold upon it.
Up it came, under the grasp and
stare of men painting with indescrib-
able expectation, and ceremony was
not regarded in the summary pro-
cess Of forcing the lid. Within the
decaying strongbox, and protected
by its lining of copper, were found
old Spanish, Mexican, and South
American silver coins, to the value
of nearly $4,000, together with sew
eral pieces of quaint jewelry. There
were several golden Spanish doub-
looms, and a silver breastpin in the
shape of a leaf, set with thirty-one
rose-cut diamonds. The whole
treasure was black with age, and
must have been under ground for a
long terms of year; but, as shown
by the above valuation, it richly
repaid'its delighted finders, who,
dividing it equally among them
selves, and returning with it to the
city, became straightway as famous
for their strange adventure as they
had been in it's coined reward.