Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-09-18
A FRUITLESS SEARCH.
A Long and UnavaiIing Hunt for
Hidden Treasure.

A queer character known as "Old
John" Eberhardt was found dead re-
Gently on the ferry road, near the
cemetery, in Camden, n. J. He had
spent his life in searching for money.
which he alarmed had been hiddea
somewhere by his mother. His story.
told in The Philadelphia Times. is as
follows:
For some weeks after his mothers
death Eberhardt said nothing about
his fortune, but appeared uneasy and
drank heavily. One morning, about
two months after her death. he was
seen close Y examining the ground of
the garden in front of the Linden
Street house where he and his mother
had lived. The lease ran out shortly
afterward, and the landlord found to
his surprise, that it could not be re-
newed, as his tenants could not pay
the rent. Soon afterward in his cups
he told his story, which has since
been common property in Camden:
Mother had queer notions" he
ssid, about money. Although she
had plenty, which was left her by my
father, who kept general store IN
Herkimer, N. Y. She was always
afraid of becoming poor. On this ac-
count she kept a little piece of land in
the outskirts of Oriskany until near
the year of her death. 1t was wholly
unproductive and the taxes were an
annual drain, but she said that if we
lost everything besides we could 90
there and raise enough from the soil
to live on.
FINALLY the year before she died
she lost all faith IN investments and
securities of all kinds, and, as [ believe
converted all she had, amounting to
about 1858, 900, into cash. She hid that
somewhere and drew from it for our
household expenses and what money
| wanted, but where she did hide it [
never knew, although she tried to tell
me when she died-she was taken very
suddenly with apoplexy and never
spoke-I believe I never will know.
Of course, [ looked all through the
house, in every closet and desk and
cupboard, not only for the money but
for any paper that might give clew
to its investment if it were not hid
den about the house, but it was gone"
Eberhardt's story was so naturally
and forcibly told that at first many
people believed it. The owner of the
house, Geo. Q. Sears, permitted the
digging up Of the garden flower beds,
gravel walks, grass plats, and all in
the search for the buried treasure.
The new tenants of the place also let a
long haired seventh son with divin-
ing-rOd loose over the place at Eber-
hardt'S request. It was no use. the
hazel rod wouldn't turn down. Some
one else lent him the $40 necessary for
the diviningrod experiment.
After this, which was half a year
after bis mother's death, the man
seemed to loose his mental hold on
the great belief of his life. His search
was extended from the garden into
the street, and once it is said. though
it is SO long ago that no one vouches
positively for the story, he was arrest
ed and Ice ed up, after weeks feeble
excavation with stick, for digging a
hole IN which a butchers horse had
broken his knee, His small means,
his scant credit and most of the charity
called forth by his story, were ex-
uduSLGu LII year time, anu since
then he has been regarded, generally
in Camden, as q pauper idiot.
That there has been much light on
his mind, clouded by his great mis-
fortune or hallucination, no o2e who
has seen him of late years could be-
iieve. He was ragged and stopped,
viii a frowsy gray beard, and went
about on continual poke with knot
ted stick, that forever Scratched in
dust, mud, or snow, for the buried
treasure. His research had led him
as far out Of town as Riverside. How
or where he has lived of late no one
seems clearly to know