Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-26
THE TALE OF A WRECKER.

Indiana and secured lodgings for the
night. He was sailor, he said, ana was
on his way to the town twenty-five miles
distant, where he had relatives. He was &
stout-huilt, rugged-loOking fellow, but
next morning he was found dead In his
bed. The above facts were clearly estab-
Hshed, bat a certain other fact could only
DE surmised. Word was sent to the dead
mans relatives, the coroner took charge of
the remains, and all personal effects were
turned over with the remains. The de-
ceased had a few dollars in money and a
few trinkets, but the relatives at once
claimed that he had been robbed of val
liable papers.
The proprietor of the inn was VERT
able Yankee, including a hawk-bill nose
and the legendary tw8ng, and his wife
was his counterpart. He was known to
be sharper than steel in horse trade, and
he never put out dollar that he did not
get big interest; but no one believed he
had rihed the dead mans baggage, When
the relatives we're asked about the nature
of the alleged valuable papers, they re-
fused to answer, and this evasion threw
doubts on their allegation. In a few
weeks the affair blew over, and in about
three months the landlord and wife began
to feel lonesome for the hills of New
Hampshire. This was an excuse for of
fering all their property for sale, and six
months after the death of the stranger
in the hotel the place passed into other
hands.
The next scene opened in New Orleans.
| was then employed by Blank d Blank,
Wreckers, as general manager of the bust
naes Va had +brap uaccaIS cEaoro opyo
divers, and ali other necessary appara-
tUs. L was called into the private Office
one day, and there found Jonas Stebbins,
the hook-nosed Yankee who had sold out
his hotel in Indiana. He had something
to say, but he hesitated to say it. 1t was
half an hour before we could bind him
to the point, and then only after the three
of Us had placed our hands on small
Bible, which Stebbins had thoughtfully
provided for, and sworn never to reveal
his secret. Then he brought forth two
letters and map, and we saw that an
other buried-treasure crank had struck
the city. Such incidents were not Uncom-
mon. In the FIVE years l had been man
ager we had encountered a full dozen of
these cranks, and on tive occasions the
firm had lost heavily by entering into
soon as Mr.. Stebbins unfOlded himself he
got the cold shoulder, but he would not
not take it that way.
"Look here" he said, as he tilted his
chair back, 'dO you take me for fOol?''
"Well, partly"
"Dc you think | want a partne rship in
it?"
"Don't your"
mot by jugful. want to hire a
schooner and crew with divers by the week
for so many weeks. All are to be under
my orders, and | am TO have all that's
fouad. Partnership! No, Stree! WHAT'S
your lowest figure?"
He had shown US a roughly drawn map
of the Bahama islands, one executed with
pen and ink by some sailor. He wanted
schooner to proceed to one of the
islands. All the apparatus he wanted was
grapnels and divers. He might want Us
three weeks, but probably not over two.
It was finally agreed that he should hire
By the day. He beat US down So on the
figure just named, and an iron clad agree
ment was drawn up and signed, and he
counted out $1,000 in gold. A sum suffi-
cient to pay US three weeks was deposited
with a banker, and we at once began prep
arations fer the trip. 1t had beer st1pu-
lated that Mrs. Stebbins was 80 go along,
and We had a state room fitted up for
her.
This was the first time any treasure
hunter had put down his own money for
an expedition, and we could not doubt
that Mr.. Stebbins had what seemed to him
a straight clue. 1t was not our business
to throw cold water on his plans, even
though we were firmly convinced that he
would return empty handed. The firm
decided that l should go out in charge of
operations, and a couple of days after the
contract was signed we were off for the
gulf. l expected the Stebbinses to be
nervous and illustrated, but there was not
a sign Of it. They were as cool as if go
ing on r visit to a relative. As we were
going down the river said to him:
Now that the contract is signed and we
are under way, suppose you had as soon
tell me about your treasure"
"WalI, neo," he drawled. "You might
leave the schooner somewhere and try to
cut in ahead of me, or we may be wreck
honest and straight, but I can't give you
the exact location"
mo, indeed, we can't added MIS-. Steb-
bins.
you see, it has taken every dollar we
could rake aud scrape, and if we don't
get that treasure We'll be busted.
"But you seem to be certain of getting
it.
ooh, yes" they replied in chorus.
'Is the amount larger"
They looked at each other a moment
and then Mrs. Stebbins replied:
"Jonas, think it safe TO tell him some
few things, for he seems to wish US we'll
"Yes, guess So"
SWELL, then, we expect to get about
Sl5O,oOo, more or less, III gold and silver
"Yes, that's about the figger, added
Stebbins, "an6 as we are both getting
along in years it will come in handy. II
you had that much money, Mr.. Martin
would you buy = farm or move into 6
oity?"
They seemed SO firmly convinced in
the existance of the treasure that I felt i
my duty to warn them of possible disap
pointment.
''Yes, we might possibly fail, but tain't
at all likely" he replied. We amt the
sort of people to put up our last dollar
on an uncertainty"
mo, Jonas, we amt" added the wife.
''Was this treasure deposited years
ago?" | asked.
''Yes, good many years ago."
son landf"
They looked from me to each other
and smiled in knowing way. Because,
l continued, ''there can't be rod of an,
OF the Bahamas, nor a bay, no
cove on the shores, but what has beer
explored over and over"
Exactly" replied Stebbins, as he aros
TO spit over the rail. "If anybody ha
found the treasure then we shan't get it..
"of course we shan't," replied the wifi
and that closed the conversation.
Neither one of them had been to Sc,