Evening journal., 1888-06-14
SITTING OCEAN SAND.
THE OLD MAN WHO DIGS TIE
BEACH FOR GOLD.

4ha A3nA gray N4ireu ana long whit
bearded old man thus addressed straightene,
up as much as back bent with the weigh
Of three score years and ten would permit
lie raped the large coarse sieve in his lear
and sun burned hand against one Of th'
hundreds OF piles that support the batl
houses and other structures on the fine
smooth beach. Out fgll pieces Of clam shells
and oyster shells, rusty nail, md a large
handful Of coarse gravel, which the old man
moment before had been turning over care.
fully with his fingers and looking at intently
through his silver bowed spedtacles. He
looked up at his questioner, rolled tho quid
Of tobacco bulging out one Of his cheeks into
the other, threw down the sieve on tho pile
Of sifted sand took the shovel leaning against
the pile, and prepared to thrust 10 into the
hole half full Of water that he had dug on
the seaward side Of the pile. Then, and not
till then, did be deign 10 reply.
"Siftin' sand, came from the lips. and the
tobacco juice that triclzled gently down on
his old shiny waistcoat the wind blow
ing upon his ragged coat exposed to view
$50 sec but what are you sitting forg
'Little NV ey'rything,n wds the laconic and
unonlightening reply.
''Do you find muchfr
piles has been dug 20 death. Thar mint
man in Atlantic City with an hour hanrin,
on his hands but what comes down here ana
digs round these ere piles. It's a mighty
lucky feller that finds much OF ANYTHING
nowadays. i've been diggin here about ali
the forenoon, and / hn'n't found a durn
thing that's wuth keeping 'ceptin' this ere-I
don't know what It's. / never seed one
afore 1t looks like some kind NV a coin.
Prhaps you can tell.n
He drew forth with solemn deliberation a
calfskin pocketbook, black with dirt and use.
and pulled out piece Of brown paper care
fully folded up. He unwrapped it and held
out in his trembling hand small, round
copper coiored coin about the size Of a silver
three cent piece, only a little thicker. / took
IT in my fingers and read on one side: s2
pfennigsn
"Oh, that's a small German coin. 1t isn't
worth much, but it's quite interesting.
| handed it to one of a group Of several
Indies that had been attracted to us. The
coin passed through the dainty eloved fingers
OF each Of the ladies' Their enthusiastic ex-
clamatons and endless questions DELIGHTED
the old man. 1t made his eyes glitter. the
saliva to run faster and his tongue more
agile.
as this what you find by digging hereg,
'Not all l find / told you that we find
everything, and so we do-coins. chinn
dolls, nails, spectacles, eyeglasses, gold and
silver chains, gold rings and brass rings
lndn-
At this point the old man. who had taken
lis shovel in hand again and had set it deem
n the hole, was stopped in his sentence hy
nv fsf4
hovel, held down by the suction Of the
water and its burden Of sand. lie did not
esumo his sentence. He turned his whole
ttention and strength TO the work before
lim. He finally got the shovel out Of the
water and emptied its contents into the sieve.
iepeutions Of the operation soon filed the
ieve, which be liftTd up and began 10 sbaka
With what strength a long life OF hard work
nd disappointment had left him. The fine
and fell out and left refuse such as had be-
ore noticed. Placing one side Of the sieve
n the little pile Of sand, he ran his fingers
through it carefully, picking up between his
humb and foretinger any particle that pfoln-
sed to be something Of value and bringing it
loser TO his eyes, to make sure that he wns
ot throwing away anything fhat he should
eep. just as be was about to give up the
earch end empty the sieve, his fingers
matched quickly at a glittering piece OF aold 4
hat lay half buried among the baser mate /
ials.
"And watch charms,n exclaimed tho old /
ran with glee, holding up a round piece Of /
swelry, - the center Of which was a small /
ompass. /
"Wel', that isn't so bad, he added, stoop-
ng over to wash the sand on in the water.
That ought to be worth 80, and 1t isn't every
Id codger like me as can make 50 ia two
ours II this were new it would bring - !,
r 80, but seein' it's been worn and lost. [ 4
out expect to get as much for it as would I
it had come out Of the jewelry store bran' /
ew.n
You're not having such bad luck, after
In
"No, not today But l tell you, Young
nan, since this business was taken up by I
ycrybody that could handle a shovel, it (
int what it used 10 be, he said, with q sigh. I
When first cum here and begun digging I
had great luck. l didn't havi ter Go much 4
4 anything else to set ivin' I've found I
good MANY pieces Of money, silver aud /
old, no continued, taking Off his old.slouch /
lat, which let the wind blow his white locks (
yer his wrinlsled forehead. He turned up I
ne leather band and drew ont a piece 81 4
rcasy brown paper He unfolded it. as
hcugh IL were Of priceless value, and laying 4
{ out ia the palm Of bis hand placed tho /
watch charm in II, and folding it as neatly I
IS his palsied fingers would permit, he drew I
orth his calfskin pockctbook and put his 1
atest find ia with the two pfcnning piece. I
rhe departure Of tho good ola times seemed /
% have made the old digger doubly careful Of /
bis treasures, and he guarded them against /
oss with q vigilance that increased with /
heir insigniacancc.
tive found more gold and silver dollars |
han any other coin; some Of them have
oeen pocket pieces, I suppose But Two
'ound a good many old eagles and half
iagles. Once ] found q leather strap filed
With Spanish gold coins. l think it must
nave belonged to sone Spanish sailor. or
somebody else who had been shipwrecked.
You know we have shipwreclss of the coast
here sometimes Tho sand bars hereabo,its
are dangerous IN bad weather, and you can't
alters sec the lighthouse over thar he said.
pointing 60 the Absecom light not far away.
I've never heard Of the wreck Of any Span-
ish vessel, but l suppose there must have
been one cr else this belt full Of coins would
never come ashore here. 10 had been ia the
water for some time, for tie leather wus rotten
and would harssy hang together There were
a good many Of them; l took 'ea over toe
and sold 'em. How much did Il
git fur 'emi Five hundred dollars That's
good deal Of money, and ort to have bought
five Of them cie lots here. ] coud have
bought two Of them then for the $500 To
day they'd be worth $1,000 But / didn't
buy them, and ha'nt got the money now.
Its al cnne. and mo md my Ola r-.,..n..