The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-25
HIDDEN GOLD,
THE SEARCH FOR CAPTAIN
KIDD'S BURIED WEALTH.
A Party of Men Digging in a Con-
necticut Cave-Ploughing up
New jersey Ground in the
Frultless Search.

A party of men have been digging for
gold in 3 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 pick
axes 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, ex.
cavating dirt, which they drew up in
baskets and threw out of the mouth of
the cave. They finally withdrew, leav-
Ing their tools behind them, but whether
they carried away any treasure is not
known. The members of the party just
formed evidently think their predeces-
.ors did not take it all.
Over in New Jersey there is rise of
ground called Money Hill, on the bank
IF the Shark river. Money Hill got its
tame from an early belief that Captain
Kidd made it a bank of deposit. In
act, it is quite certain that he did. A
rood many people have dug into Money
Hill; a few years ago two sailors came
there, dug a hole, and went away again.
ut is said" they left rusty iron box by
the side Of the hole, and that some
ancient coins were found near the water
tide, where they re-entered their boat.
That was fever flesh and blood could
not resist. The entire neighborhood was
aroused, and Money Hill aud the whole
oorth bank of the Shark river was prod
aed with spades. But no more iron
boxes filled with ancient coin were
found. But did that settle the matter2
Not at all. Last month the disease
broke out again, as virulent as ever, and
q number of men went to work to un-
earth treasure from the side of Money
Hill. If they discovered any chests of
Spanish dollars they kept the matter
secret.
A search is now going on for an i'm
mense lot of private treasure buried on
Turneffe Gays, off British Honduras.
John B. Peck, former 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 small pirate vessel,
Just filled with gold, on Turnetfe, which
is a coral key. Peck obtained conces-
sion to dig for the millions, agreeing to
pay the government ten 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 re-
turned to this country for more. He
has succeeded in getting people to put
up money for the expenses of these ad-
ventures, they to be repaid out of the
buried gold-when 1t is got. This Peck
left New York for the trip early last
month.
Two years ago q resident of Nam
tucket was digging in his cellar for
water, but he missed that, as did Dow of
Dow's Flat, and struck gold instead, or
said that he did. It was an iron chest
filed with Spanish doubloons. The en-. :
tire island was IN blaze of
excitement, and many, if not all
the cellars in the place were
dug over, though no more iron chests
were upheaved, nor did any more Span.
ish doubloons clink on the laborers' steel
blades. About the same time q digger
was industriously upheaving the soil
on a point off 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 ls,
all nations that had treasure ships.
This bloody old piratical Englishman,
who was finally legally put to death for
his crimes, has led many men on a fools
errand. For a hundred years people
have been digging at different points be-
tween Delaware Bay and Rhode Island,
in search of buried treasure. The labor
expended in this direction would, at a
dollar day, buy all the gold and silver
and goods and ships that Captain Kidd
ever stole. 1t is mere superstition that
he ever buried anything. The $50, 600
gold and silver he carried into Boston
was probably all he could command, for
the hangman's moose was already dang
ling just above his head, and he would
naturally do whatever he could to pro-
pitiate the Government-the English
authorities in those days not being averse
to taking money from any source.-R0ch-
ester (N. ~ Union.