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

we ran around to the south side and
| dropped anchor about a mile from the
! beach. It was Just at shutdown when we
came to anchor, and that evening the
captain gave them the use of the cabin
for couple Of hours to look over their
papers. This island with all indications,
as well as the shores, reefs and depth of
! the water, was pictured on our chart, and
they compared their pen-and ink sketch
with this, and consulted another paper
which none of US had before seen, until
! they came to a decision. I was looking
down upon them through the open sky
light from the corner of my eye, and 1
saw Stebbins strike the table with his fist,
and heard him whisper:
| "We've got it, sure as shOoting!'
"Hush!" she admonished. "Of course
we've got it. Wa hain't nobody's fools,
Jonas Stebbins. Do you suppose I'd
have consented to put all our money in
to this venture if there was a chance to
! lose it?
"By gum! but we'll be rich!'
EOf course we Will"
Richest folks in the hull county,"
eyes; but don't get excited"
| They sat on deck for an hour or two,
! Stebbins smoking and his wife knitting,
and as they were about to retire for the
night felt bound to observe:
"Well, Mr.. Stebbins, here we are in
| good shape, and now, as 1 was sent TO
manage your business, you'd better ex-
plain matters pretty clearly. I may want
to make some preparations for tO-mOr-
row."
"How long will it take you to get a
diver ready to go DOWN." he asked.
"Not over half an hour"
"WeH, that's all the preparations need
ed.'
"What is the driver to go down after %
''Suthin' that won't run away before
morning." answered Mrs. Stebbins, and
with that both went below.
It was only natural that all of US should
! be curious about the ex pediGion, but every
attempt to find out anything had thus far
| been cleverly frustrated. The captain
| and l talked it over again for the TWEEN
tieth time, end we came to the same old
cOnclusion-that Stebbins had come on a
Wild goose chase after some ola wreck.
In our pique at his refusal to furnish
particulars we almost hoped he wouldn't
find it. Stebbins was on deck at daylight
next morning, and his wife half an hour
later, and after breakfast, when the cap
|
to fill his pipe before replying:
81 guess we'l jog westward about five
miles" The schooner was got under way,
and when she had accomplished the dis
| lance named she was about a mile off
shore, in fifty feet of water, and midway
between her and the beach was reef
covered with not more than ten or twelve
feet of water at low tide. AS the anchor
/
directly toward the land, and Stebbins
and his wife appeared to make out some
landmarks, which brought smiles
ing, with only a slight breeze blowing,
and as the anchor went down Stebbins
came to me and said:
"We shall have to go into the reef in a
small boat, suppose. Can a diver work
! from herr"
| assured him that it could be done, and
we got down the boat, put in the pun p
and dress, and we're shortly ready to pull
off. Stebbins and his wife were both to
go, making a party of six of us. We
pulled almost straight for the reef, ported
a little after crossing it, and then, as we
anchored in three fathoms of water [
looked about and discovered that we were
in what ight be called basin, althoug h
it was open to the east.
"Yes, this is the spot" said Stebbins, as
he stood up and looked around.
| I'D almost know it at midnight" add
ed his wife.
"What am to look for ?" ask ed the div
er as he donned his dress.
"Some boxes about the size of them
that axes come in" replied the Yankee.
1 L.
They are iron-bound and purity hefty, but
you hook on and Well do the hauling"
The diver winked at me to express his
incredulity, and then his helpers screwed
on his helmet and got him over the side
on the rope ladder. The water was won
derfully clear and we could follow him to
the very bottom and see him move about
He headed north and crossed the basin
thence east to its mouth; then around to
the north, and after being down twenty
! five minutes he came up with shell, and
said, as soon as clear of his head piece:
Nothing but shells down there, sir.
The bottom is hard sand, and could have
seen a dime down there"
"Didn's see no boxes?" gasped Steb
bins.
''No, sir"
'Now, Jonas, don't get excited" eau,
toned his wife. "Them boxes is lying
alongside O. that wall (reef) to the west
The waves coming in from the east would
shunt 'em over there"
"That's So" replied Stebbins, and when
the diver had rested he was directed to
search in that direction, and the anchor
was lifted that We might hover over him
as near as possible. He had not been
down three minutes when he signailed Us
20 haul away on the line attached to the
tongs, aud up came one of the boxes
the Yankee and his wife were
searching after. In five minutes we had
another, and inside of an hour we had ten
We we're an excited lot-all but Stebbins
and his better half. They seemed to take
the thing as matter of course, and after
the diver had sent up the tenth box and
came up to rest, the Yankee said:
There might have been an eleventh
| box. My bill calls for ten, but there may
be an extra one. And, say, when you are
! down there kinder lock around for any
J loose coin or other stuff"
Nothing further was found, however
, and that afternoon we stood away for
New Orleans. When aboard the schooner
Stebbins informed Us that there were
$4,000 in Spanish coin in each box, ard