The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-01-05
weebauken's Hidden Gold.
MYSTERIOUS WEALTH TOLD BY An ANCIENT |
FISHERMAN.


MYSTERIOUS WEALTH TOLD BY An ANCIENT
FISHERMAN.
In . picturesque little cottage that stands
on the hill above Weehawken Cove dwelis
"Pop" Ludlow, as he is Familiarity styled.
Captain John is the title given him by the
more sedate. The Captain was born on
the old Baird place at Weehawken in 1911,
and, like his father and grandfather before
him, is a fisherman. He may be called
the father OF, American oarsmen, for he
was captain Of the first crew that rowed a
race in this country. The distance was
two miles, and the race was between the
captain and three men from Weehawken
and an Indian crew, consisting OF sqdaw
and five bucks, for purse Of 800. The
white crew used oars and the Indians pad
dies. and OF course the white men won.
After that he pulled in races at Boston and
Baltimore and the Battery. I'm all he has
rOwed in 175 races. "The TACT is, sald
the Cautain, 81 belong TO 4 breed OF row.
ers, and the daughters can row as well as
the men. But you want TO hear Of the old
times when the Indians and pirates were
here. Well, Wchawken was an old Indian
settlement long before any white men came
up this side OF the river. 1t took lis
name from Wiohawk, the chief Of neigh
boring tribe. They were quarrelsome
chaps, and fought great deal with each
other. Why, have dug up enough bones
on the Baird place to make a small army OF
men. After awhile Captain Kidd and
'Black' Baird came up the river with their
piratical crew. They had some pretty
tough scrimmages with the redskins, but
at last drove them out of Weehaw ken and
built little village there. After they became
settled the Indians used TO poster them
good deal. One night the pirates gathered
a number OF Indians, got them half drunk,
and then showed them what they
called the Thunder Devil, which was
really cannon. Then they gave them
rope to pull and told them that that would
drive away the devil. So the Indians
crowded around and began to pull. All OF
a sudden the cannon went of, killing three
dozen of them, while the rest ran off 10 the
mountains and never bothered the pirates
again. Well, old BLACK Baird built
house there, and he and his sons, Blue
Baird, the colonel, and Dick Baird dwelt
i'm il. All the Bairds were pirates, and had
piles OF money. That house was the one
i'm which was born, and the foundations
are standing yet, though it must have
been built about two hundred years
ago or more. The pirates used to
90 of on long cruises, staying away for
months at time aud leaving their wives
and children at Weehawken. When they
returned laden with booty there were great
times. NY grandfather and my father have
always told me that the pirates used to bury
their treasure in stone mugs and pots. No
paper rubbish. but all solid gold and sill
YER Mexican dollars and doubloons most
". Finally, the pirates were all killed or
CAPTURED while off OIL their cruises, leaving
all their treasures hidden under ground.
There i no doubt in my mind that plenty
OF money has already been found there,
but those who have found it have
kept it pretty dark, though some
news has leaked out now and then
that has settled my opinion. There was
an old ScOtchman named Stokey who lived
opposite the Baird place and kept a laun-
dry about forty years ago. He became
suddenly rich, gave up his business, and
removed TO New York. Many Of his
neighbOrs suspected that he had struck
mine somewhere, but he would never own
up TO it. Years ago his SON admitted that
his father had found large number Of
Mexican dollars and doublOons in stone
pots in corner Of the back yard. Then
there was an old woman who used to dig
clans along the shore here, and she often
found stone mugs full OF Mexican dollars.
Weehawken used TO be darncd spOoky
hole. | aint superStitious, but | have seen
things that would make your hair stand on
end. One night | was coming down hill
on horseback, and big ball OF fire fell
right in front of the horse. He threw me,
and ran all the way to lIoboken. Often
stones would fall from the mountain all
night long, and no one could ever learn
the cause. Another night, while | was
lifting shad-nets from the river, / saw red
and blue flames shooting out from the noun
tainS. The people around here used TO
think il came from gold and silver-mnes
i'm the mountains when the ghosts OF the
departed pirates were at work. But |
never believed that, though l swear saw
The flames"
The Erie Railway Company has recently
purchased The Baird estate and intends
erecting sheds there on the banks of the
river. "Pop" Ludlow expects great re-
suits from the digging that will be neces-
sary.-Ae,o TOrh World.