The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-25
A RELIC OF FORTY-N NINE.
Real Life That was More Strange thar
Fiction.
From az PhtladeIphia Record.

49,
climbed up the steps OF the mint at about
10 o'clock yesterday morning and presented
himself to the doorkeeper with the remark:
81 deposited s., 900 in this place number
of years ago, and now I'd like to draw it
OUT
The doorkeeper simply ordered him away.
Dozens of cranks call at the mint every
week for the purpose of claiming wealth
which they imagine is awiting them there
and the little old man was supposed to be
one of these. He walked slowly out, but
returned several times in the course of the
morning with no better success. Finally
he came back about / O'Clock, and going up
to Doorkeeper George Brown, he reached
into his pocket and pulled out a certificate
of deposit issued by the San Francisco
mint for gold bullion amounting to Sl3O.
the deposit having been made last October.
ONE OF THE OLD FoRTY-NINERS.
Doorkeeper Brown opened his eyes at
this, and began to think that there might
b. something in the old mans claims, so he
sent him to Henry S. Cochran, the receiv-
ing clerk, with the request that he be given
a hearing. The stranger then unfolded
most remarkable tale. He said that his
name was Alexander Squfres. He claimed
to be past 70 years of age, though he does
not look it, and says he was born in Rich
mond, Va, having left there in 1887. He
went to California in the great rush Of '49,
and accumulated about $4,000 in washings
for gold. Then he came in 1855 to Phila-
delphia, which at that time had the only
mint in the country and deposited the gold
at the Institution. the sum amounting to
$2,20l. He says that the date of the de-
post was June II, 1855, and he can even
remember that the day upon which he
placed the gold in the mint was Monday.
FLOODING AWAY IN THE MINES.
He returned Immediately to California
and resumed mining, and says that he has
been laboring ever since in a gold mine
located near Mokelumne Hill, in Calaveras
county, California. He was finally stricken
with paralysis, and, being obliged to stop
work, he began to think, after twenty-three
years, of the gold which he had left at the
Philadelphia mint. About a month ago he
threw down his pick for the last time and
took a steamer from San Francisco to the
Isthmus of Panama. Crossing the isthmus
by railroad he took another steamer for
New York, arriving there last Saturday
and reaching this city on Monday.
CAREFULLY TREASURED HIS PAPERS.
At the conclusion of his story the old man
unbuttoned his vest, and revealed a dirty
leather belt tightly fastened around his
waist beneath his clothes Cutting open
sewed pouch attached to the belt he took
from it a time-stained yellow paper, which
on being opened out proved to be a certifi-
cate of deposit, such as the mint has always
issued to depositors. The printed part, in
red ink, remained intact and could be easily
read, but the blank spaces, which are
usually filled in, seemed as blank as though
there never had been any writing there.
Mr.. Squires said that throughout the many
years since he first received the paper he
has worn it continuously sewed up in the
belt, and the superstition is that perspira-
ton acting upon the ink has faded it out
DR.. David K. futile, the melter and re-
finer OF the mint, took the paper and ap-
piled chemicals to the blank spaces, and
after long treatment he was at last able to
bring out family the figures $50 following
the ''16" after the date. The initial letters
"A. S" were also family discerned on the
line where the name should be. Mr.. Squires
says that the entry was made in the name
of IA. Squires."
RECORDS CONFIRM THE STORY.
On examining the old records Receiver
Cochran found, under the date of June H.
1855, exactly such an entry as the old man
describes, the name being A. Squires, and
the amount $2,201 in gold washing Not
only this, but consulting an old almanac for
tue year 1855 it was found that June IL did
actually fall on Monday, as the old man
states In spite of this contirmatory evidence
Director Fox stated that it was his duty to
protect the government, and he could not
pay the money to the claimant until the
latter should prove his identity. In view
of the peculiar nature of the case it will be
I necessary for Mr.. SquireS to bring some
proof that he is the same "a. Squires" set
forth in the record; of the mint He says
that he had an old schoolmate living in
Wheeling, Va. whose name was Henry
Jackson Wade, and he will write to the
postmaster at Wheeling to find out whether
Wade is still living. He has not seen him
for over fifty years.
THE OLD MAN HAS OTHER TREASURES.
He has other money, and his mining ven
lures would appear to have been profitable
While talking to Receiver Cochran he drew
from the leg of one of his boots several
bank books on San Francisco banks with
entries aggregating between $4,000 and
So, 900. He says that he has always consid-
cred the money in the Philadelphia mint to
be perfectly safe, and even during the late
war he says he felt that if Uncle Sam lost
money In the defense of the government it
was all right that his money should go too
in such cause. He left the mint about
half past o'clock yesterday afterno IN first
putting the folded certificate carefully
away in an inside pocket, and promised to
return in about ten days.
His visit to the mint produced an indie
scribable sensation in that usually quiet in
stitution. His romantic story soon trav-
eled through the building, and the female
employees flocked about the room in which
he was, trying to get a good look at him.
Young ladies with visions of matrimony
smiled sweety upon the little old man, who
received all their attentions with the same
unchanged, almost vacant expression that
characterized his face. A young lady
named Miss johnson, who happened to be
in the buildl & taking some pictures with
an instantaneous camera, turned the instru-
ment upon Mr.. Squires and caught a very
good photograph of him before he knew it.
When told of it he sniled family and re-
marked that it was the first time in his life
that he had ever had his picture taken.
GRosTEsoUE-LooKING CHARACTER.
He is curious looking figure, and it is
no wonder that his appearance excited sus-
picion when he first applied to the door
keepers. He is about feet high, with
a stoop acquired through years of toll with
pick and washing pan, his face Drowned by
the California suns, and the lower part COW
cred with a short gray beared, and his hair
the same color He was attired in a time
worn suit Of clothes, his pant-legs drawn
down over a pair Of heavy cowhide
boots and his head surmounted with
small, old, rusty Derby. He
trembIes continuously from the paralysis
which affects him and is very quiet and re-
served in his manner He is apparently
fairly we'll educated and uses good grammar