The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-26
FOOLS GOLD.
The Search for Captain Kldd's
Buried Wealth.
A Party of Men Digging in Connecticut
Cave-PIoughing up New Jersey
Ground in the Fruitless Search.
From the Rochester Union. June is.

From the Rochester Union, June is.
News comes that party OF men have Or
ganized to dig for gold in q small cave near
Greenfield, Conn. 1t is not known there Is any
gold in the cave. Some years ago, report
was started that gold was hidden in the cave
probably part of the mysterious wealth that
Captain Kidd buried-and on several occasions
spades and pickaxes have been brought into
play the work generally being done in the
night time. A year or so ago number OF men
visited this cave night after night, excavating
dirt, which they drew up in baskets and threw
out of the mouth of the cave They finally
withdrew, leaving their tools behind them, bat
whether they carried away any treasure is not
known. The members Of the party Just formed,
evidently think their predecessors did not take
itall.
Over in New Jersey there is a rise Of ground
called Money hill, on the bank of the Shark
river. Money hill got its name from an early
belief that Captain Kidd made it bank Of
deposit In fact, it is quite certain that he
did. A good many people have dug into
Money hill a few years ago two sailors came
there, dug hole, and went saway again. at
issaid'' they left q rusty iron box by the side
Of the hole, and that some ancient coins were
found near the water side, where they re-enter-
ed their boat. That was fever flesh and
blood could not resist The entire neighbor-
hood was aroused and Money hill and the
whole north bank of the Shark river was
prodded with SPADES. But no more iron boxes
filed with ancient coins was found. But did
that settle the matter? Not at all. Last
month the disease broke out again, as Yirulent
as ever, and a number Of men went to work to
unearth treasure from the sides Of Money hill
Ii they discovered any chests OF Spanish dol.
lars they kept the matter secret.
A search is now going on for an innle nse lot
of private treasure buried on Turne1fe Gays,
o4EV T. ot,. boil ,Ar
journalist Of Washington, is the man who leads
in the enterprise. A few years ago he came
into possession of information that pointed to
the sinking Of a small pirate vessel, just filled
with gold, on Turneffe, which is 81 coral key
Peck obtained concession to dig fOr the mil
lions, agreeing to pay the government 10 per
cent OF all the treasure he found. Since then
he has made two expeditions to the spot, on
one of which his ship was wrecked, and on the
other he broke his tools and returned to this
country for more. He hes succeeded in getting
people to put up money for the expenses of
these adventures, they to be repaid out Of the
buried gold-when it is got. This Peck left
New York for the trip early last month.
Two years ago q resident of Nantucket was
digging in his cellar for water, but he missed
that, as did Dow of DOw's Flat, and struck
gold instead, OF said that he did. 1t was an
iron chest filed with Spanish doubloons. The
entire island was in blaze of excitement, and
many, II not all, the cellars in the place were
dug over, though nc more iron chests were up
heayed, nor did any mere Spanish doubloons
clink on the laborers' steel blades. About the
same time digger was industrously upheav-
ing the soil on a point of Mount Desert in the
belief that Captain Kidd had strayed that far
north to hide the vast accumulation OF gold
and silver that he had taken from the treasure
ships of all nations-that is, all nations that
had treasure ships.
This bloody old piratical Englshman, who
was finally legally put to death for his crimes,
has led many men on FOOLS errands. For q
hundred years people have been digging at
different points between Delaware bay and
Rhode Island, in search Of buried treasure.
The labor expended in this direction would at
dollar q day buy all the gold and silver and
goods and ships that Captain Kidd ever stole.
Ii IS a mere superstition that he ever buried
anything. The $4,000 in gold and silver he
carried into Boston was probably all he could
command, for the hangman's moose was al
ready dangling Just above his head, aud h9
would naturally do whatever he oopld to pro
pitiate the governmont-tho English apth0ri-
ties in those days net being ayeIse ITO taking
money from any source.