The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-10-30
AFTER KIDD's MILLIONS.
STORY OF THE "M ONEY HoLE''
ON THE kENNEBEC.
For Generations People Have Been Dig cling There
for Gold-But They Have Not Found II
More Than $4,000 Spent by
II ".. the Treasure Seekers.

eastward for Il quarter OF q mile. Here
also years ago was u creek of consid-
erahle depth. in which the tide ebbed
and flowed and several tributary brooks
emptied; time has nearly obiterated
the brooks, and the creek is now but a
small affair. Here to the southwark
OF one Of these brooks. and about fifty
rods from the river. men for nearly a
century have been periodically digging
for buried treasures, and the place has
long been known as the Money Hole"
and the operators as money Diggers."
Lcarniug that they were lately at work
there. your correspondent visited the
place in sea rch of an ''item,' only to
find the work men gone; but from reli
able residents in the immediate vicin-
ity the following particulars were
Cleaned:
The early accounts Of the men and
their reasons for selecting this spot
are somewhat obscure. but it appears
from traditions handed down to the
present proprietors Of the premises,
and from recollections of the oldest
persons near the locality, that about the
latter part of the seventeenth century
81 party of treasure-seekers appeared
on the scene, directed by fortune
tellers, and also by written dire ctions
received from some mysterious source.
who were able to locate lot contain
ing about three acres, within the
boundary OF which Kidd's treasures in
fabulous amounts were buried without
TO them-the least shadow Of q
doubt.
Their tradition also is that in kidd's
time part of the bay, which has since
been filled up by a landslip. made in
here. and their location is near its
former hunks. Up opposite this piece
Kidd WIS wont to SAIL and with
picked crew, under cover of midnight
darkness, to row ashore and deposit
under ground their ill-gotten gains
On Kidd's last visit he lost his anchor
Just below the 'Sands," and parties
several years after ti5hed it up aud
sent it to the Boston museum. After
hiring the privilege of digging on very
favorable terms-t the owner search
was at once commenced and has been
continued with more or less regularity
ever since.
The most extensive operations we're
made under the lead of Henry Butter
field, Of Wilton, Me-, from 1910 to
1850. Mr.. Butterfield personally spent
over $4,000. One hole was then dug to
depth of eighty feet, and which, to
prevent caving in, they were obliged
to timber up as they went, nearly to
the bottom. "
The Butterfelds were the leading
spirits for thirty or forty years prey
ious to about 1870, and were ready to
employ any assistance of super
ii atural character, or accept rs gospel
truth any marvellous stories in supp ort
OF their theories. One noted character,
possessed Of more shrewdness than
piety, who is now numbered with his
fathers. but who then received quite
an annual revenue from various sup
plies furnished the 'smoney-diggers,"
greatly encouraged them at times by
marvelous stories OF mysterious lights
rising from the ground near the mid :
night hour. and other visions On
one occasion they brought with them
j very repulsive looking negro, with
marvellous powers OF reading the
future, locating hidden or lost treas
ure, etc. His mode of procedure in
answering inquiries was q peculiar
way Of manipulating and cutting cards
This fellow was kept secreted in IL
tent by himself, and but very few, and
perhaps none, but a few boys. were
able to get Il sight Of him.
AT another time they secured the
valuable (?) services, for a sffiucien1
compensation, of a woman named
Smith, from New Hampshire, who, to
use their own language. was born with
~ veil over her face, and who wastiu
possession OF what she called u philos-
Opher's stone, it being rOundish OBJ
Bong in shape with hole through one
end and the other end nicely finished
ne lived in cabin alone, and at nigh
could go into sort OF trance-likt
8 sleep. apparently, and in the morning
allowing only one person at q time t,
come near her, read to them the reve
lations Of the stone, which were usu.
ally of immense rusty bars which or
rubbing proved to be solid gold, head
less men and other wonderful thing
v very acceptable to her hearers.
They were liberal patrons Of forum
teilers, whose prophetic revelation
were Invariably OF an encouragin
nature Being strictly honest then,
selves, they were easily victimized b,
unscrupulous parties, as the followin.
will show: One owner OF the land
not now living, managed to have a
apparent stranger to all, but in rea!it
"a confederate, meet him where hol
was being dug. who, after goin
through with a prearraneed convers;
ton. IN 4de the owner of the lot;,n o ffe
fr, 4