The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-10-18
How Georgia Barber Talked
Himself into Trouble.


There is a barber in Washington,
Wilkes County, who has talked himself
into scrape. The other day he leaned
affectiOnately over a customer, whose
face he was lathering, and asked him
what bar of gold was worth.
"Why do you want to know?" asked
the customer, sitting upright and BEAM
ing severely through his lather upon the
tonsorial questioner.
81 merely wanted to know" repeated
the barber evasively.
"Have you any to sell?" came eager
ly through the lathered lips.
81 might have few of EN-" replied
the barber mysteriously.
At which the customer wiped the
lather from his face and rushed from the
shop.
The startled manner in which the gen
tleman left the shop may be explained
as follows: There is tradition about
Washington that when JEFF. Davis and
the Confederate treasure train was push
ing through Georgia, in hasty flight, a
vast amount of specie and bars of gold
were buried somewhere in that neigh
borhood. 1t is pretty well accredited
fact that considerable treasure was
tucked under the soil somewhere in
Georgia or Alabama during that troub-
lous time. A well known civil en-
gineer connected with Mr.. Davis's per-
sonal staff went to Northern Alabama
some years ago and astonished the ma
tives by searching day after day with
surveyors chains and theodoliteS for a
spot where, he alleged, large treasure
was buried.
There is a gentleman now living in
Atlanta who asserts soberly and posi-
lively that a considerable amount of
gold was buried near Washington, in
this State, and he has frequently talked
of going and looking for it. Be this as
it may, there are many people in Wash
linton who believe that such a treasure
was deposited in or near that town.
Hence, when Evans, the barber, began
to inquire about the sales of bars of gold,
the suspicion that he had discovered the
buried treasure at once seized the pub
! lie mind.
1t need not be said that for a while
Evans's life was happy one. He was
treated, petted andpumped. He was
for short time ga bigger man than old
Grant" His shop was infested from
morning till night, and he was
invested with sudden but tremendous
Importance. At length, however, when
it was discovered that he couldn't be
begged out of his secret, other means
were taken, and an attempt was made
to force him to tell. Now the probable
tiles are that he knew nothing about it.
But under the pressure he was forced to
do something, so he named the spot that
first occurred to him, as one likely in
which gold might be had. He was re-
leased and his catechisers went off to
dig. OF course they found nothing.
And now comes strange part of the
story. A few days ago negro named
Booker Hill was sitting in the yard of
the Central Hotel at Augusta, in that
pensive attitude peculiar to the manu-
mitted person in the summer time. His
head was clasped fondly between his
knees, and he was asleep. Suddenly he
felt himself seized roughly, lifted from
his seat, and carried in the arms of three
strange men. Not understanding this
proceeding, he howled most Justify, and
the populace hurried to his rescue.
Finding that they could not get away
with their victim the kidnapers drop
ped him, bounded over the fence, and
leaping into a carriage drove off at full
speed.
The Chronicle explains this wonderful
attempt to kidnap grown personin the
day time in the heart of a city, by say
inc that Booker had been to Washing
ton, where he had been seen in conf
Dental converse with Evans, the barber.
These men, believing that he had ac-
quired the precious secret, attempted to
carry him off to secret spot where
they could gouge it out of him at their
convenience. If people who talk to
Evans are.subject to abduction he will
find himself very soon as unpopular as
he has been popular, and all parties who
love their liberty will be careful to shun
his gilded presence.
We shall watch the course of this new
argonautic expedition, under the lead of
II colored Jason, and when it captures
the golden fleece we will notify the pub
lic.-Atldnta Constitution.