New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-08
THE SOL TREASURE.


THE SOL TREASURE.
Attempt to Find an Old Buccaneers Gold
had certain amount of appreciation TO
Adrien Graab. He was handsome youns
man. some ten years my junior. of Cheerful
disposition and winning manner. Oul
manager in the insurance office. ! think
! had singled him out for preferment. &c
when Adrien had slight attack of som.
pulmonary disease, Adrien was sent to the
| West Indies for the winter to look up the
business of ship which had been wrecked
| on one Of the islands.
On Adriens return noticed the man waf
changed. His personal appearance was i'm
proved, but he seemed to have lost his flow
OF spirits, and was moody at times. As in
his younger days l had been his mentor
and the recipient OF many of his bOyish
troubles, had no hesitation in asking hin,
| what was the matter. His name had often
taken liberties with, dropping the dou BILE a,
| and calling him plain Grab.
| ''Adrien Grab,' / said, what ais you!"
"Graab or Grab" he replied, lit is all the
same to me: We accept the name accord
| ing 20 the circumstances. When TIE family
! was needy. We were Grahs."
You have not" inquired, ''been brood.
| ing like an owl over the mysteries of your
Family tree of late, have you!"
Yes. have" he replied, though with a
smile. Il fancy you have laughed at me
many time about it. But you must listen
to it again, for l may want your advice. In
l742 De Graab came here to New York
from the West Indies, sailed here in bis own
ship, laden with tobacco, rum and sugar."
And were neither tailors, nor butchers,
nor curriers', but grand gentlemen. You
have often told me that before. Well, you,
Adrjen Graab. are fourth clerk in an insur-
ance office. That is positive. What then|
''They were De Graabs then. When /
was in Curacao last winter, attending to
eur business. l met an otfshoot of the fam
ily, or rather one Of the parent stock. He
was the master of many miles OF sugar cane.
acres OF pine apples and groves of cocoa
nuts and bananas. He had the family tree
uppermost twig. The departure Of Dor.
ton of the family from Curacao to Martin
ique had been noted. That was in I7O6:
but all traces Of this branch after that had
been lost to him. This planters name was
Ciaes van Graab, a1d he lie: me into the
secrets of the family. do not know if he
was proud of it, but. by George, am; for
I think it was the brightest plume. the
gaudiest feather that ever ornamented the
De Ggaab helmet"
"A sorry hat l have seen their represeu.
tative wear sometimes" interrupted.
Laugh as you please: We were free.
hooters. sir: buccaneers. flbusters in the
old time. The oldest known Graab-be
vas Claes Graab-was one OF Montbar's
men, and many a Spanish gslleon has my
ancestor helped to plumber. One Graab-
it seems he was the freebooter's son-went
back to Holland IN 1850 and founded a
family there. In Claes van Graabs house.
at Curacao, there is the copy OF a picture
OF him. the original Of which hangs in the
Hague. See here; do you notice this little
pendulcus apendage TO my carp
This is too absurd. You recall, Adrien.
the huckleberrv and my long los. brother"
l exclaimed, out Of patience.
"As live. that portrait showed, under a
stately ruff OF Mechlin lace, old Claes with
just such g family ear-mark. Aurelia saw
It,"
'Who is Aurelia!" mo uired.
"Claes van Grabs daughter. But no De
Graab ever cid into the infinite abyes of
nothing all of sudden. IL was hurricane
first that crippled the De Grabs Of New
ork, and devastated their plantation,
Then. in revolutionary times, they showed |
bad Judgment and sided with the King.
Next, the insurrection of the slaves in the !
french West Indies beggared them. Graab |
then, suppose, did sink into Grab. We
have been drifting ever since"
ihe man was getting melancholy. Now, |
mad heard Adrien tell me as much as this |
ftty times before, save the finding of a nos |
sibie relative in the West Indies. "Non-
sense, my good fellow. 1t is the old story. |
only instead of ending with laugh, as you
USED to do you now close your narrative
with a whine."
Il have never told you all. That old
Dutchman in Curacao gave me positive in
ormation Of treasure, which have fol
owed up"
This is pitiful stuff" exclaimed.
When Dumas died, all Monte Christie was
wallowed up, and the last gold bug buzzed
'ut OF existence with Edgar Poe"
1T Is not romance. When l was child.
7hen asking my father for things he could
lot afford to purchase. he would say, When
ur ship is found A sunken shin has been
ne of the family legends. Claes Won Graab
as the most authentic proofs that such a
reasure exists. In 1880 the Sol, from Car.
hagena to Lisbon, laden with ingots of
Old and silver and pieces Of eight was
aptured and taken in tow bv shin an
ncestor OF mine commanded. OFF the island |
Curacao the prize sank, with all her |
'easure. That such was the fact is evident,
ecause At the close Of the seventeenth CEN
Try William Phipps planned scheme for ,
1e finding of the Sol. In LAG, one
nndred and more years after the loss of !
le SOl, an attempt was made to rescue I
le treasure. Claes van Grabs great
rand -father was ruined in the endeayor .
ne family now in Curacao have kept I
very record. Claes van Graab told me 3
lat twenty years ago, when there was r
me mighty CONFUSION of the land aud | j
submarine eartbquake-the spot | h
here that ship, the Sol, ha0 been wrecked.
as exposed for an hour or more, and then
NIX again. As if to tempt us, there has
zen an upheaval just over the very spot. | e
'metlmes in the surf of the caribbean sea a
1ali fragments of coin-gold pieces, worn d
In and abraided-are washed on shore, b
ere is One," and Adrien drew a furnished a
OF metal FROM his pocket. "More than f
at Claes van Crab, at last assured that t.
I'm of his stock" G,
One moment" l interrupted, ''and the
ughter-wiu she acknowledge the kim b
she urge the recovery of his fan Il
stic treasure ?" n
'Yes-even more than her father have | ia
,eived letter from Curacao urging NV sf
ming to the island" in
will Claes van Graab furnish the u,
ans !" l inquired. "If there is q million 3,
liars there, even if not at any great b
Dth under water, it will cost million to b,
, it out" NJ
The ship sank in rocky bottom-not on q,
oral reef-there may be 9 wash of sand | or
u it." M
lie, then, this Curacao planter to drop -