San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-01-04
Rare Old Coins.

rrankiih' up III Nenango county, has
sensation just now which is indssS.
sensation. Columbus Brown. ~.
lives in the first ward, in FmrtEs0
one day this week discovered a bo.s
of old French gold amounting to s01
900. For many years past there h..
been a belief that during the occun,
ton of this part of the country 4,
the French, large amount Of tre,
sure was secreted in Franklin, ns,,
where the old fort stood. Columhs
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 n,
subject, but the most important one
was on last Friday night. Then he
dreamed, as usual, that he was count
ing and handling chest of gold, and
that he had found it buried in the
earth at the foot of q tree in an open
field. So excited was he that he
awoke, only to find it all dream,
as usual. He arose, walked to tn.
window, and there, before him, in the
field, stood the Identical tree which
he had seen in his dream. But he
put it resolutely aside as dream, as
most sensible man 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
in some manner, he cannot tell how,
but by a man with foreign accent,
and in a military uniform with a
sword and sash, that if he would mea.
sure certain distance from the cen.
ter of a rock in 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
in his dreams. Early on Saturday
morning he arose, and, procuring
tape line, went and measured as he
had been directed inhis 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 any
one abouthis dream, nor of the result
but during the day he went to Colo
mel 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 16, commenced digging at the root
of the tree, and at a depth of some
thing over six feet, about p. M,
struck something almost under the
center of the tree which gave forth
metallic sound. A further clearing
away of the gravel and stones disclosed
the side or end Of an iron box or
chest. Wild with excitement, they
continued to dig until they had I'M
earthed the chest or box, which was
thirty-one inches long, twenty inches
wide and twenty-four inches deep, OF
about the Dimensions of an ordinary
trunk. Their united efforts could
only turn it over, but could not lit II
from the excavation. The young
man was sent for hammer and cola
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
thirds filled with gold and silver
coin, furnished and covered with Sana
and mould, but nevertheless gold
The coins are mostly French, but a
number of English, German "a ana
Spanish are among the lot. Ihey
bear dates 1929, 1742, 1851 and yarl-
Gus other dates, the latest of when
is 1854, which is the same year for'
Macnault was completed. On brass
ruler found in the chest the name
"Joncoire" is plainly stamped. IL Is
a well known fact that this was the
name of the officer in command Oh
the French troops. A careful estlm-
ate of the coins makes total value
of about $4,000. The coins were
placed on exhibition at the banks;
The fortunate owner has been offered
ten times their value for a single COLL