Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-28
A Dream of Treasure.

Froin lns ph Sitv BilIZard.
The ordinarily quiet little town of Franklin.
up in Eenango county, has sensation lust now
which Is indeed a sensation. Columbus Brown.
who lives in the first ward. in Franklin. one
Gay this week discovered hoard of old French
gold amounting to $4,000. For many years
past there has been belief that during the oc-
cupation of this part of the country by the
French large amount of treasure was secreted
! in Franklin. near where the old fort stood
Columbus Brown has mania in regard TO this
treasure. and for years the thought of becoming
possessed OF riches in this way has haunted him
Mr.. Brown had many dreams about the subject
but the most important one was on last Friday
night. Then he dreamed. usual. that he was
counting and handling chest of gold and that
he had found if buried in the earth at the foot
of a tree. in an open field. So excited was he
that he awoke, only to find it all dream as
usual. lie arose. walked TO the window and
there. before him in the field stood the identi-
cal tree. which he had seen in his dream. But
he put it reSoiutely aside as a dream as most
sensible men would have done. and retired TO
bed and to Sleep He had scarcely closed his
eyes till he was again in the field and digging
at the root OF the tree He was Informed i'm
some manner. he cannot tell how, but by a man
with foreign accent. and i'm military uniform
with sword and sash. that il he would measure
certain distance from the center of a rock i'm
the run. due north, and then measure thirty
three feet due west from that point he would
| find the treasure he had so often seen i'm his
dreams. Early on Saturday morning he arose.
and. procuring a tape line went and measured
as he had been directed in his dream. What
was his surprise TO find that each and every
measurement brought him to the foot OF the
chestnut tree in the open field. Brown did not
tell anyone about his dream, nor of the result.
out during the day he went to Colonel Breakley.
who owns the ground. and asked and obtained
permission, on some preteXt, to dig near the
chestnut tree.
He and his son. lad of sixteen. commenced
digging at the root of the tree, and at a depth
OF something over six feet. about D. m struck
something almost under the center of the tree.
which gave forth a metallic sound. A further
clearing away of the gravel and stones dis
closed the sides or end of an iron box or chest
Wild with excitement they continued to dig
until they had unearthed the chest or box
which was thirty-One inches long, twenty
inches wide and twenty-f0ur inches deep, or
about the dimensions of an ordinary trunk
Their united efforts could only turn it over. but
could not lift it from the excavation. The
young man was sent for hammer and cold
chisel. and the lid was soon removed. The
sight which met their gaze was enough to turn
the head of almost any man. The box was
nearly twO-thrds filled with gold and silver
coin, tarIshed and covered with sand and
mould, but nevertheless gold. The coins are
mostly French, but a number of English Ger
man and Spanish are among the lot. They bear
dates 1929, 174. 175i. and various other dates.
the latest of which is 1854, which is the same
year Fort Macnault was completed. On brass
ruler found in the chest the name "Joncare" is
plainly stamped. 1t is a well-known fact that
this was the name of the officer in command OF
the French troops. A careful estimate of the
coins makes total value of about S21. 600. The
coins were placed on exhibition at the banks
The fortunate owner has been offered ten times
their value for a SINGLE coin