The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-07
KIDD'S MONEY,
GuiIeIess Jerseymen Digging for IL Day
and Night.
Atlantic.

Letter to the Philadelphia Times.l
in the UNEMPLOYED little world east OF the
Delaware river is the province Of New Jer-
Sey; in the eastern boundary of this province
is the county of Monmouth; in the
eastern part Of Monmouth is the
township of Ocean; through Ocean
township flows Shark river, and on the
south shOure of Shark river stands Money
Hill. Money Hill is a great heap Of sand
1t Is tall flor New Jersey and broad and
steep. Standing on its summit, and looking
east the ocean may be seen, all its pillows
smoothed down by the distance into one
beautiful sheet of blue. On the west the
vast forest of stunted Jersey pines, knOtted
and gnarled, soughing in the wind, of
no earthly use but to shelter
rabbits and pheaSants. North and south,
the broad river and other salt water ponds
and beyond them, either way, nothing but
amending stretches of bleak sands. Shark
Island is another name that has been given
to Monsey Hill, and Coffin Island is still
another. Shark Island, the natives say, be-
cause there are no sharks there Coffin
Island, perhaps because there are no collins
there, and island" without doubt, because
it is not an island at all, but little prOmon-
tory jutting out of the main land.
In the sands of Money Hill are buried the
countless treasures Of Captain Kidd-so sew
erai hundreds of guileleSs Jerseymen think
and scores of men are burrowing into the
sides of she hill in the hope of unearthing
the cash. They have been doing this, peri
odically for years. till all the outer surface
has been turned over and over scores of
times without any profitable results.
There are two things that make it abSo-
lutely certain Tin the minds of the New Jer-
seymen) that Captin Kidd's treasures are
buried in Money Hill. Some hunters one
day saw something shining at their feet.
They picked it up; it was Spanish coin.
Searching further they found several more
like it, but all in different places For many
years these coins were shown to incredu-
lOus strangers, but at length their material
value proved too great FOR the strength of the
tradition, and they went the way OF all coin
hereabouts-for cheese and applejack Years
after this, but still many years ago. South
Carolinian wandered up into eastern Jersey.
He was luxurious in his tastes, and break
tasted every morning on clans fresh dug from
the beach. One morning his host, Jimmy
Allen, the owner of Money Hill, said to
him. Let US go up the hill this morning and
eat our CLAIMS where we can see the vessels
sailing by" So they went up. The grass
was green and the sand was soft, and they
enjoyed nature and the CLAIMS together.
Presently the sOutherner asked, What is
the name of this hill?' Money Hill, said
Jimmy Allen. why" said the southerner.
''that's curious; that's the very name of a
hill that clairvOyant in Charleston told me
Captain Kidd's treasures are buried in; and,
by the way, this is Just the hill she described
to me- Then he told the story the clair
voyant had told him, and before the clans
were digested it was arranged that the south
erner should dig in the hill, and give Allen
ten per cent of all that was found. A few
days afterward he went TO digging
One night the South Carolinian dissaD-
peared. The hill was furrowed and bur-
rowed and bore the marks of many a hard
Ilt,%r
pearance the excitement died away, and for
many long day nothing mere was thought
about poor Kids money A long time
afterward, however, the southerner reap
peared- He went away in homespun and
cowhide; he came back in broadcloth and
patent leather, on his fingers were sparkling
Jewels. in his pocket costly watch "a
large fortune had Unexpectedly been left
him." he said but nobody believed this
and everybody jumped at the conclusion
that he had dug his fortune out of Money
Hill
Then the excitement began again. When
ever Monmouth county farmer gets the
gold fever he goes to digging in Money Hill.
So they attacked the hill again. Again they
found nothing, and again in few weeks the
excitement began to subside. The southener
went south again and the farmers went to
hoeing potatoes. But few weeks ago the
author of all their misery came back again.
still wearing his broadcloth and diamonds.
He looked about the county for few days,
selected piece OF ground, bought it and be-
gan to build house. The fine clothes came
off and old blouse went on; he set out to do
the building himself.
Don't you see what that's for2' the Jer-
seymen say. Hes going TO have secret
places in the house to store his gold away.
and he don't want anybody else TO know
about them. That's plain enough. He
knows there's more money in the bill, and
he's going to dig it out"
This the Jerseymen couldn't stand. They
had been digging for that gold all their