The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-07-20
IAFITTE'S HIDDEN TREASURES
A Popular Delusi0n NIaterialixed for
the Benefit of the Cre(lulOlls.
New Orleans Democrat.1


About this time Of the year on the
threshold of the summer soltice, there
are always two characteristics aud ten
denotes manifested by certain classes cf
our very peculiar population. One is
the homicidal and combative tendency,
which produces duels, affrays and hot
controversies, aud lead sometimes to
tragic results. This season has not
been exempt from these emotional dis
plays and efects Of sudden heat. Dur
ing this week there have been several
deadly encounters. and q very ardent
controversial spirit touching the merits
OF the railroad tax. There has been q
consequent great demand for and con-
sumption Of ice.
And again. we have the periodical ex-
citement about the hidden treasure
which. it has always been q profound
and mystic belief of many people. was
buried on some OF the sand slips or
islands in the adjacent bays and lakes,
by that renowned pirate, Jean Laftte.
1t is customary every summer for some
poor deluded fellow to fit out a small
smack and embark on an expedition to
search for this long-concealed wealth.
He is one of q large number who have
been innoculated at some period Of his
life with the Lafitte fever. Some old
castaway, broken.down sailor has built
dozed him for q drink, with q yarn about
an old sailor who had led q very myste-
rious early life and became q legatee Of
valuable secret indicating the exact
spot on isle des pOis, the Chandeleurs,
or in Barataria Bay. where he had
helped Lafitte to dig deep grave in
which was deposited many thousand
doubloons. Warmed up by repeated
drams and other testimonies Of affection,
the mysterious stranger finally seals his
profession of friendship to his new friend
by transferring the legacy to him, and
placing in his possession an ancient and
tarry paper whereon is drawn q rough
draft of the place in which this valuable
deposit has been made. This transferee
of this invaluable secret takes it home
with him, thinks and dreams Of it, talks
about it to his friends, elicits their
sympathy and excites their avarice, and
then they all set to work to lay by small
stipends to detray the expenses Of ex-
petitions to search for this treasure.
Thus these periodical visitations to the
desolate islands and the furtive move-
ments Of the individuals engaged in
them. their careful avoidance of all OBJ
scrvations of prying and suspicious per-
sous, their nightly digging in the soft
sand, and their large imbibation Of
whisky and deep slumbers in the day.
After q few weeks of this sort Of work
and enjoyment, the whisky and salt
pork having given out. the expedition
conclude to return home. n little dis
couraged but not hopeless. and agree to
renew their search next summer; any
how they had refreshed their minda and
bodies. and could afford to wait year
| more to realize their golden joys. The
last of these expeditions " as made to
| the Temple, q shell mound in Barataria,
| where it had been most conclusively
proved that the secretive pirate had
turied his doubloons Four or five am
/ bilious young men proceeded in boat
to q certain spot, and set to work with
picks and spades. and dug away for
days and weeks in pursuit Of the afore-
| said doubloons. They did an amount
of work which would have produced q
| crop of potatoes enough to feed them all
dened their sight. They went away in
! disgust, leaving q deep hole in the
| mound, which will no doubt set the i'm
agination of future generations to work
to invent some wild romance aa to ite
origin and purpose.
Poor John Newell, an infatuated VIC
tim of this Latitte delusion, brought his
| annual expeditions, prosecuted alone for
| many successive summers, in pursuit OF
Lafitte's treasure, to q sad and melan-
choly close three or four years ago.
John was hard-working printer, a
silent, mysterious man, who seemed
| always burdened with somc weighty
| and grave secret. He worked all the
winter through with wonderful diligence.
saving and laying by of his weekly earn
ings a small sum, with which, at the
beginning of the summer-May or June
he would proceed to equip his smack.
and laying up provisions and tools
would silently and nnbeknown to all of
his frienda. slip out of the New canal,
| and giving his sail to the wind would
glide over the smooth surface of Lake
Pontchartrain, heading toward the Rigo-
let's, and threading that strait would
launch boldly on the rougher bosom of
Lake Borgne-whicb, by the way, is no
lake at all, but simply an inlet of the
gulC-and pointing toward a little sand
island would sail therefor and arriving
70 an anchor would wade ashore and re-
sume the digging which he had aban-
doned the year before. and had silently
pursued for many years. in strict con-
formity to q very exact chart which had
been given to him by grateful old fell
low pirate and trusted friend Of Lafitte
to whom Johns father had given sheite,
| and food for many yaara nrecediDcy hi