The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-26
DIGGING BY MOONLIGHT.

AN EPISODE FROM LIFE ON STATEN ISLAND
ENCHANTING FOR TREASURE AT HUGUENor
Hr1GHTs-A SCENE FROM MELoDRAMA.
From New York to Staten Island. short as the jour-
ncy is rs like passing from world TO another, In
habitcd by people bristling with angles aud eccen'
trices and ono thing that particularly heightens the
Illusion is that the transition Is effected by water-a
broad and tossing styx that lies between. Perhaps
TOO the picturesque aspect OF Governors Island and o.
low lying Bedoc by the way may have some influence
IN increasing oRes senstvcness 10 impressions par
taxing of the legendary and mysterious at lcast by
tho tme lands at Clifton he is prepared TO acccp
any tales OF buried treasure that may happen to
up and 10 JOIN any party digging for gold, coin OF
sverware on the word Of any person who asserts the
existence Of such things any specified locality.
POSSIBLE the low lying. washed landscape that
viewed from tae terryboat seems to rest like mar
row and motion cloud tho restless surface OF th'
bay may exercised peculiar fascination over The
mind OF Captain Kidd, who Is reported TO have
buried his treasures at this point and that point
by way. perhaps, OF playing grim practical joke OF
future generations. The locality where these tradt
lions are abundant lies about Princess Bay which
was one OF Kidd's most frcqucnted lurking places
From Clifton TO Tottcnvile ny rail Is journey OF M
teen miles, with country seats, lager beer saloons, VII
trccs waltzng across the hed OF vision Az Totem
vlle the very centre OF Kidd literature young meu
and old tell tales OF buried and Of experiences
In digging for them which be discounted seventy
five per cent for deliberate invention and At least az
per cent for uncertainty 10 commence with. The
blue hills OF New Jersey lie just across the strait and
they are ground rife with revolutionary legend Three
miles this way IRON rottonville sleepy little village
styled Auguenot lies basking in the sunshine, aga na
a background OF his-the Huguenot Heights OF Revo
iutonary literature. This bleak range is fairly honey
combcd with excavations for buried treasures and II
may DO said, perhaps, that here, within district Of
two and half miles IN width by thrcc In length, not
less than hty singular night scenes have been wit
nesscd within the last hity years Some OF those
reputed to have been buried by Captain
Kidd, others by wealthy Jorseymen during the Revo-
lutonary war; others by predatory bands ofJorsey BAN
di, who ROBBED friend and Toe ndiscriminately and
their transactions.
THE SEARCH FOR TREASURE
report having been circulated that q recen -
tempt had been made TO cxhumo quantity Of gold.
sivcrware and CONS, supposed TO have beeu buried
the HERALD aisn.ed rom The train at Husucnot YES
erday morning, and proceeded to make thorough IN
vestigaton On the heights behind the village Tor
merly stood old house, familiar that section az
Harry Burton's IL has recently been replaced with
modern structure When the new proprietor of the
premises TO tear down the old building several
pots found securely hidden in the collar
wall. The legend Is that during the Revolutionary
struggle the old house the resort OF and
organization OF the Jersey BANDITS that
they frequently disposed OF their booty and about
Husucnot Heights. On the Wolfe Iarm a quarter OF
milo from the village dozen excavations may be
cousted Most OF them are from ten to fifteen years
old, and their walls have been covered, more or less,
the levelng action Of RAM snow, thaw and frost
An gentleman, resident in the village states that nc
knows OF tnrtyhve different excavations Tor treasure
within miles and half OF Hugucnot but that very
few Of them have taken place during the last ten
years was recently created IN the neigh.
borhood by some buried coins which wcrc ploughcd
up by q farmer near Rossville. On examination these
proved 10 be Spanish, and reinforced the waning
faitn OF tho old inhabitants OF Husuenot that IRON
bound boxes filed with gold and diamonds are lying
under their very fect If they could only hnd them.
These midnight adventures tor treasure have been
conducted In very desuitory manner by parties sus.
picous OF each other each working In the interest Of
some distorted tradition handed down from father IA
son as certain tasman to some Aladdin cavern, 50
many PAGES from some particular rock or trec In such
AMI such direction.
"lve doubt IN my mind" said the oldest inhabi
tant Of HuguenoL yesterday, 'that large amounts Of
treasure buried about here, II they could only be
found" The old man smoked his Pipe placdy as he
unburdened himself Of the legends his grandmother
told him when he boy about certain men who
AZ work ono dark night during tho Rcvolu.
repealed the intimation that the boxes might have
been collins with indignation that verified his SIM
ccrity and his adherence Of collins in single sem
tence
The driver Of the Rossve STAGE sort oil local jour.
nal IN that ncighborhood turned to iounger named
Moses and remarked that they two mad dug together
several about the heights but that the
latest excavations had taken place the further slope
OF the range near Rossvie On pressing Moses lit
tie he confessed that they did not dig very deep and
that they exhumcd no treasure
After a great deal OF wandering ind Inquiring the
fact that very recent excavations hsc taken pace
at last stumbled upon On the KossviIIe slope,
about fifty rods from the road three pits lew iest
from each other. Very near this spot, athou-h inc
exact location cannot DO aimed, New Jersey
royalst OF great wealth supposed have ouricd
large quantity oisverware anu othrr v"iuanlcs whiie
that part the State the battle ground OF the
armies Numerous attempts have been madc 10 dis.
cover this treasure tho existence OF which rests 90
New Jersey mot ON Staten 'sl"ndl tradition. The
wealthy royal,st went 10 England whie tho WAX
progress, intending ~ strrn 'Jtcr the rebellion had
been put down and rear, possosslcn of his estate IA
mother earth The sale deposit company that
existed in those days accompanied by single faithful
scrvtor, tho ancient PATRON rowrc across 10 The
Staten Island night and buried large box,
CONTAINING inc family pjnlc ana cons deraDle amount
in coin. There are no means 81 identifying tho spot,
OF verifying the act except traditions handed
down the family Of this servtor, and altogether
pendent Oh his vcracity.
THE MYSTERIOUS DIcGERs
The Staten Islander having passed his lifc amid
local legends oyster beds is not however, iutec-
ted with the prevalent sceptcism OF the nineteenth
century. Ho can still smoke the West cigars obtain.
able, without the slightest iiea that they not
ported and still enjoys mis- experiences in digging by
moonlight for Kdd's mythical boxes, by way, per.
haps, OF enhancing the value oil roai estate.
The three fresh excavations look commonplace
enough, but at OF them weird midnight scene
enacted. Local gossip states that they were tho
wreck OF party consisting OF FIVE mysterious person
ages, armed with picks and spades who landed from
dark lantern bathcd the STOPPING figures yellow
radiance MS Trey toilcd on from midnight until tho
small hours common, cd TO drop In by tbrccs and
iours and warned that tho sun would presently lift
his round yellow from the ocean beyond them Thrice
has the been repeated and thrice have the figures
stolen Of INTO the night, like many gnomes In q
German mining legend only The gnomcs usual Garry
treasure away with them, while the Jersey explorers
went as empty handed as they came each with
dusky doubt Of the CORE Ctncss Of the ancient servi-
tors story.
THE ICE HARVEST