Helena weekly herald., 1882-07-06
Helena, Montana Thursday, July 6, 1882.
IN A CAVE.

Four Hundred Thousand Dollars il
Specie and Jewellery Found in the
Secret Rendezvous of the James
Brothers.
St. Louis Republican.
J. Il. Crutchtield a trusted correspondent
writing to the Republican from Gallatin
Tenn, says: "Mr. d. X. Spillers, prominen
merchant of Gallatin, and Major w. S. Nun
day, while exploring the cave recently dis
covered on the farm of Col. James Alexande
which for the past five years has been the
rendezvous of the James brothers gang o
of outlaws, discovered large fat rock in ON,
Of the chambers, and thinking that some OF
the secrets of the gang might be hidder
away under it, removed it with great diff
Guilty, when, to their utter astonishment, {
large cast iron sugar kettle, filled will
specie and jewellery of various kinds, met
their view. They could hardly believe thei
senses, but finally managed to examine the
treasure and found that there was over $4OO,
600 in specie, besides numerous gold watches
rings and diamonds and other jewellery OF
great value. Major Munday guarded the
great treasure while Mr.. Spillers hastened tt
Gallatin, and securing his horse and wagor
returned as soon as possible to the cave
They placed the kettle and it's conteets in
the wagon and drove rapidly to Gallatin
and at once deposited their treasure in the
vaults Of the Sumner Deposit Company. The
greatest excitement prevails, and the Sumner
Guards have been ordered to the cave to pre-.
vent hungry horde of curiosity hunters
and treasure seekers from completely ran.
sacking it.
This is the second lot of valuables found
in the cave since the death of Jesse James.
Thousands Of visitors have been denied ad
mission by Col. Alexander and it is only by
strenuous efforts that any portion of its con-
tents is spared from seekers of mementoes of
the great bandits.
A considerable portion of the jewelry is in
the original boxes as they left the jewelers.
throughout the West and also few in the
East. A watch bears the inscription of Mr.
Grover, Natchez, Miss, and pair of brace
lets are marked Mrs. w. J. Johnson, Natchez
Miss. Many others are marked in full and
will be returned to the owners provided they
can be found and can prove their property
Colonel Alexander has already sent great
many of the former lot to several parties in
various portions of the United States Fur
ther exploration will be made at once, as it
is thought other valuables may still be hid
den in the cave.
Growth Ofthe OPIUM Habit.
The temperance workers are beginning to
give some attention to the opium habit in
the United States, which has been many
times reported to be alarmingly on the in
crease, and the reports as many times treated
with unconcern if not with incredulity. Al
ohn1 io ic
Just the reverse. It's use is so secret and its
habit so quiet that it is entirely unsuspected,
except by druggists who sell it, and neither
abuse confidence nor iniur their business.
They are pledged to keep faith, and trade
works by its own laws, so the facts of opium
eating are hard to reach.
Recently the religious society of Friends
who were pioneers in the Temperance cause,
has taken the opium habit in hand. A year
ago the yearly meeting of Friends in New
England appointed committee to investi-
gate and report on the inroad of opium. The
report was made at the yearly meeting just
held at Providence, r. l., and was ordered to
be printed in pamphlet form for general dis
tribution. The authors of the report find
that in 1869, 90,997 pounds Of opium, of a
gold value of S525,eO2, were imported into
the United States. In 1876 the amount I'M
ported was 228,742 pounds, and in 1880 the
amount was increased 140 per cent. The re-
port estimates the number of opium-eaters
in the United States at 100000, but owing to
the secret conditions of the habit, this is
guess work only. The annual consumption
of opium by opium-eaters in the United
States is set down at 100000 grains, which
is doubtless not an exaggeration. The in
vestigation as set forth in the pamphlet also
developed the fact that in the country towns
of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and
other sections of the country, from three to
six out of every hundred inhabitants are
opium eaters. A movement against opium is
beginning.