The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1873-03-06

II In 3 passion
| Oh. dear. oh, dear. oh. dear oh, dear!
Alas! and L alasi andi
Have no accepted lover:
Don't SIX ne Why, don't SIX ne Why.
BLAcKBBABDs-fnR PIRATE.
Trs.s.r. PrsIebiy Dsse.vsrsa.
The Savannah (Ga.) Adr~ti.e-, get. up the fol.
lowing readable story, which may be true, and
| then again, it may not have much basis in fact
However, il is pleasant reading:
Several weeks ago four persons, two Of them
well known in this vicinity, are said to have left
| Savannah to prospect for the countless buried
treasures of Blackboard, the pirate. These gen.
tlenen were provided with blankets, provisions,
q tent, an abundance Of ammunition, number
of magnets, couple Of sounding rods, also picks,
shovels, axes, and hatchets They also took with
them o time bedusted document, found, il is said
near an old house near Ocracock Inlet, N. c., du-
ring the late WAT, and which purpOrted to be
handwriting of Blackboard, giving nearly the
exact location on the Georgia coast of an i'm
mense amount Of buried coins. Tho party who
| first found the document is said to have been
private in the Union army, and that, in search
ing for rebel spoons, perhaps, he came across this
| paper of Blackbeard's in small box, slowed
away in tall and hollow stump near the above
| mentioned old house, on the Portsmouth side of
| the inlet above named. The box had not been
in the tree long, that was evident, he thought,
| for it did not appear much weather beaten, and
he, naturally enough, concluded that the person
or persons who deserted the house but q few
weeks before he came with detachment from
| the army, must have concealed it with the hope
that some day they could reclaim it, and on some
favorable opportunity visit the locality where
Blackbesrd's gold and silver has lain for about
one hundred and fifty four years. But the SOL
der soon as he got possession of the document
procured two pieces of leather, about the size of
his hand and folding the parchment between
them, sewed the edges tightly together on all
sides, replaced the document in the box, and bur-
led it about half mile from the original hiding
place.
The war brought many changes to the soldier,
who was several times wounded, and finally died
N hospital near Baltimore, leaving a sealed
litter addressed to young lady Of Virginia,
with direction that when the war should he over
she should be found and the note delivered to her.
1t is unnecessary to follow the letter in its
resting places and journeyng, or to relate how,
finally, the person to whom it was addressed re-
ceved it in this city, during the year inst passed.
1t is unnecessary to give the soldiers motive for
addressing the young lady referred to, bnt, suf-
fee to say, when it was read it gave the place Of
concealment of the piece of parchment.
Such is the story far as it, goes, and the per-
sons interested in sscertainng the precise local.
ity Of the pirates gold and silver, and giving
the above narrative, promised to keep us posted
relative to the developments. That was several
weeks ago-before the County election. 1t is
said that their craft came within few miles of
the city the other day, in charge of a couple of
coored men, who were sent either for ammuni-
tion or provisions or both. The cOlored men, it
seems, have never left the slOop down the coast
except to 60 but few rods down the water.
though the white men are gone two or three days
at time, and appear tn be in good health and
humor. 1t is inferred that, message was
sent to the city, the party have reason to keep
their own counsel.
The readers of the advertiser have probably
heard of the excursions made by other parties in
search of the above named treasure within the
past few years, but none of them exhibited the
same degree of canton and perseverance which
this is manifesting in face of many pooh poohs Of
those who have some idea of the object Of the
excursion.
That Blackboard must have come in possession
of many valuables il probable. His vessels
secured the whole Atlantic coast. and carried
terror into the West Indies, even in San Domin-
go, often attacking large merchantmen bound
from that island and Jamaica to Europe. At
one time he had as many as fifteen hundred men,
sailing under his black flag and friends even in
the private Office of the provincial Governor Of
North Carolina.
Blackbeard's true name was Edward Teach,
and he was born in Bristol England, and for
considerable time before he became pirate, was
engaged in privateering, from the island Of
Jamaica He was . private sailor until 17l7,
when Capt. Hornigold, notorious pirate, gave
him the command Of a sloop which he had made
prize Of In l7I7, among other of Blackbeara's
operations, was the capture of vessel from
="
pal feat of that year was the numbering of ship
from MADEIRA to South Carolina. Thence he
lowered off the coast If Virginia, and returned
subsequently to the gnf, making prize Of very
l7ie, he robbed several English vessels in this
Bermudas, and later couple of French vessels
laden with sugar and The prizes were
taken into North Carolina, where Gov Ellen and
the pirates divided the booty. The Governor re-
ceived sixty hogsheads of sugar his Secretary,
r KNIGHT onA and the Collector of the proyince
twenty.
1t was here that the pirate married for the
fourteenth time. The bride was q beautiful girl
of sixteen, and the Governor performed the cere
mony. .s4
Teach derived his name Of Blackboard from
the extraordinary quantity Of hair with which
his head and face were covered. He tall,
erect, it and grew entirely MP to his eyes, and at
times he was in the habit Of twisting it with rib
hons into small tails and turning them up abouf
his ears. In time of action he wore sling over
his shoulders with three brsres Of pistols hang
ging in holsters His disposition corresPon,let
and reckless wretch having rarely graced the an
halls Of piracy. He appeared DESTROYS to impress
his followers with the belief that he WAS devil
incarnate, and many stories are handed down to
MS Of his tricks, some Of them exceedingly hui
morous well ~ hateful, to further the impress
sion. The inlet he selected a. an anchorage for
his vessel, when on the Georgia coast, was ex-
ceedingiy well adapted to his purpose, either for
offensive or defensive operations and is place
of interest tn the traveller, not only from its his
tory, but on account of the beauty of the lsnding
on the island which bean his name.
1t is probable that the party engaged in seek
ing the buried treasures is operating in that
neighborhood. The initial letters of two of the
persons, are J. B., and N. D., respectively.
EXTINCT FANIIEs.-Mr. Robert Stephenson
leaves family behind him. His wife died
many years sga and he remained a widower, ~
that the direct line from George Stephenson, the
eminent English engineer, has died out. James
Watt, the noted British inventor, left no descen-
dants. 1t appears that the men noted for mocha
nical genius, like many of those famous in litera-
ture, science and government in Great Britain.
leave no children to perpetuate their names.
Shakespeare, Milton, Bacon, Newton. Harvey,
Pope, Mansfield, Pitt, Fox. Gray, Cowper Col
lins, Thomson, Goldsmith, Gay. Cougreve, Hume.
Bishop Butler. Locke, Hobbs, Adam Smith, Bent