The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-04-21
A BURIED BOX OF GOLD.
The Treasure that was too Securely
Hidden on the Banks Of the Ar
rOya.
[From the Los Angeles (cal.l Herald.I

Hidden ON the Banks Of the Ar
rOya.
From the Los Angeles (Cal.) Herald
Tiburcio Tapie was a Spanish Don
who had arisen To considerable afllnence
in those times, and, besides, being the
proprietor Of the Cucamnnga ranch, con-
ducted a small store somewhere above
the Catholic Church, in what is now
called Sonora. The golden ounces. as
they accumulated in the hands Of the
old Don, were all carefully husbanded.
Not that there were money banks in
those days with ponderous vaults and de-
faulting cashiers; oh, no! but Don Ii
burcio deposited his golden coin in the
bank Of mother earth, where he knew
that his sight drafts would always be
hunored. 1t WAS his custom when he
wished to secnre his money in this way
to take his son Ramon with him, and
hide il under ground in some secluded
spot. Thus 1t happened that when Cas-
tro was securing the State with his ma
rauding band, and threatening an attack
upon Los Angele-, Don Tibnrcio was
overcome with solicitude concerning his
wealth in money and goods, and taking
his son with him one dark night, he went
mp the banks of the Arrnyo Seco, and
there the two dug hole in the sand, and
within it they concealed the treasure.
They were two wooden boxes iron bound.
and filled with Spanish doubloons, each
piece weighing an ounce and valued at
S16-S50.000 in his two IRON bonn hbox-
es, which he placed in the sand and COW
cred carefully over. And Don Tiburcio
back again in time of safety and reclaim
hir deposit. Near by he planted little
cross in such way that il would be con-
cPaled from a strangers view, but easily
recognizable by his son or himself. One
arm of the cross pointed to the buried
treasure. Then the two led their horses
several times across the spot TO obliter-
ate the marks Of their work, and depart
ed.
Don Tiburci0 next busted himself in
securing the goods of his store. These he
carefully packed in boxes preparatory to
sending them away, but he first resorted
to a stratagem worthy of a shrewd old
Spanish stock lie said to his ron: "Ra-
mon. will place quantity of lead in
the bottom Of these boxes. ard when
they are filled with goods, 90 you and
call in some Of the neighboring rancho
the carts They will perceive the great
weight Of the boxes, and will say that
Don Tibnrcio has sent away al Eis mon
ey by OK teams"
So the goods were dispatched To Don
Tibnrcio'z Cucamonga ranch under the
charge of his son Ramon, and the inha b.
itants of the town whispered it about
that the Don had sent away all Of his
gold.
Now, while the steady going OK tea ms
are slowly toiling up the valley of San
Jose, bearing their freIghiage Of goods
20 a place Of security, Don Tibureio
rests himself at home, in the full belief
that he has outwiued the rascal Castro
and his band. But alas, what an uncer
tain thing is human lifel Ramon has
been gone only three days with the team
when Don TiburciO Is stricken with par
alysis and laid at the door Of death. A
messenger is despatched in haste for the
absent son. As soon as the distance can
be overcome by the Heeteet horse. Ra
mon returns. but only in time to witness
the dying breath Of his father. There
were few 10 mourn the death Of Don
Tiburcio, and when comparative safety
is again assured to the town, Ramon re-
pairs to the banKs of the Arroyo Seco to
unearth the fathers gold. The cross is
there with its arm pointing to the hid
den treasure, hut when the sand il tuTn
ed up there are no iron bound boxes.
The gold has been taken away. When
Ramon dug up the cross be found be-
meath it three ounces which had drop
ped unnoticed INTO the hole on that
eventful night; but this was all he re-
covered. Then the truth flashed upon
the son. His father had removed the
boxes to secrete more money in them or
to take some out for his use. A it was
never his custom to secrete his treasures
the second time in one place, he had bu-
ried them elsewhere. But where? The
secret had died on Don Tiburcio's lips.
The inhabitants of the town searched up
and down the stream. ploHghing many a
furrow in its banks in hopes to discover
the secreted fortune. But their efforts
were bootless, and to this day the iron.
bound money boxes of Don Tiburcio
with $4,000 in Spanish doubloons, lie
securely hidden somewhere on the banks
of the Arroyo Seco.