The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-01
Sixteen Kegs OF Gold.


presence in this town Of a foreigner with
the French accent, courtly bearing, and
strange 1nuuisitiveness after details CT
local history, has brought up the Captain
Kidd story Of the Delaware coast ms
foreigner, who registers as Henry Mach
eret GOT liveryman to 6rive hlm over
to the Polk farm last evening. Inc Nv
ervman SAWS that Monsieur Macheret
walked for an hour about the premises
,aced up from the Delaware Bay shore
four or five times, stopping at dlferent
snot at the end of each trial, and then
cave orders that he should be shown the
mouth of Mispillion Creek. At e'gnt
o'clock this morning Monsieur Macneret
houoht a ticket for Philadelphia, ana
took the train north.
Uoon the Polk farm thus mys1er1'
ously visited there is said to De ourleo
-oyal treasure of sixteen kegs OF solo:
The farm is situated few miles east Oh
this place, in what is known as Ceoar
Neck, swampy place between the MIS-
million and Cedar Greeks and the Day.
It is now owned by Peter Torbert. Ac:
cor,iinc to the local tradition-threaded
into narrative by Mr.. Torbert-a, french
4,icate WAS chased in past Cape Henlo'
pen, in the Revolution, by an Engllsh
man-ot war, both pursued and pursuer
moving along by Lewes soon after sun
set on cold December day. The trigate
kept her course up the bay, hugging the
shore until she reached the mouth Of the
M1spil,on, fifteen miles above Le"es
At the creeks mouth the frigate cast an
Choir. and under cover OF the darkness
her officers rowed ashore IN smatt poats.
It is recorded 10 the diary OF Ezra FOLK
that on the evening OF the goth OF Decem,
Der, 1880, lights danced about his helo
for TWO hours or more. Then the hgnts
disappeared, and the frigate weighed an
Choir. Next day the man-ot- war took the
4risate into Lewes as pure Old Ezra 8
Giayv docs not mention or even hint at
buried treasure. 1t refers to traces OF
fresh earth. and intimates the gallant
Frenchman had probably buried dead
officer there. -,
Time PASSED, the war ended, and the
year 1913 came. Then Milford was VS.
tied by two French officers, from whose
act .ons the notion Of trea>urc-tro7e was
first SUGGESTED. These officers lived IN
house near the Milford mills, and spent
month leisurelv traversing the Polk TAR n
foot BY foot They emplOyed negroes 10
dig IN several spots, 70 which lhey na0
seemingly been directed BY measure
ments made from the mouth of the creek.
Thrt or four times the officers drove
over to the place straight, but it was
not noticed that they brought any thing
with them to The nils. In the early
part Of J January, 1914, the two men went
away from Milford as light hearted and
TO al, appearances. as light in pocket
as when thew began the search. 6oys
have been accustomed to look upon the
Polk farm as the abiding place OF some
bonanza. and more than once parties
have used the spade in the OLD fields.
Whether the mysterious visits or the
old French officers and the French gen
tleman of this latter day may mean any
thing or not. it is matter OF history, a.
Alderman Vincent, now City Treasure
OF Wilmington, historian OF delaware
memb,r of the London Golden Club. PRO
prieror of the Anglo American un1oi
scheme. &C., tells one that there wa
such g thing as chased French irigat
and a chasing English man-of-war. Il
ia authority for the statement that durin
the revolution and John Halls Captainc
ov, the garrison at Lswes a r'ehc
frigate came looming into the haroo
The breakwater was not then lnexlseence
but the tligate found good anchoras
and the officers were enterta1ned tf
several days by Captain Hal ana n
Delaware command-at that time reg
ment. The frigate had been pr'vatee
ing down the coast. and was bouno II
Wilmington with several valuable prize
The treasure was landed. and the ere"
the vessel marched with it clear up II
State road to Wilmington, Captain ia
and his troops acting as convey. At w
minwton the French went IN
Quarters. The officers were house
in building which was to
merly On the site where the building
CUPID by w. S. McCauly in Mark
street, above S xth, now stands. II
jmmense Treasure was buried III the ce
lar of the building and constantly guar
ed. One night, 81 verat weeks after t
arrival, the treasure was broken IN up
and partly taken away, this robbery {
inc so bold and altogether myster'o
that the Frenchmen could never ma
he,d.r fail OF it. The thieves were Z
caught. French street, no" one Oh I
main tboroughlares ct Wilmington,
given it's name by this occurrence. y
Of the French officers, upon his return
Paris, published book about the II
throu Oh Delaware, and the only copy
the book 10 this country, at the Mere:
tile Library in Philadelphia, would SCI
to bear out the story of the treasure ste
ing. = ,z
The .sPolk Farms kegs of gold
round million of Spanish dollars are,
the belief of the Milford people, 8
being sought for; and the Lewes folks
occasionally led to think that cert
strangers are about to make a raid on
coast down below Cape Henlor
About eighty years ago the De Brock Brock
large English man-ot.war. command
nv James Drew. was capsized and 81