Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-06-18
New Treasure Island.


Mark Brennan, a young, bright-ayed Ieish
boy, who cana from Cape Breton, Nova
Scotie, six months ago to take the RESPONSE
bic though not very lucrative place OF assist
ant porter in St. Johns Roman Catholic
College in Fordham, thinks he has brought
to this town the news of g lost treasure, and
he is naturally anxious to learn through the
!Su,. how the treasure may be recovered.
Marks story is curious one, and it would
be. perhaps, more interesting if be had in
his possession more explanatory connecting
links cf the e;ory than be hss. As the main
facts of the story concern his own family,
however, the reader is, of course, bound to
| trust the boy veracty.
Il is tale of wicked pirate, shreWd
suilormaG, treasure island, and chart.
Il seems that Marks fathers name is
Thomas. ard at the time Marx WAS born
Thomas Was hardware merchant at st.
Johns. Newfoundland. That Was eighteen
years ago. Marks mother died and his
| father married, few years afterwards. the
| widow of seii0rUaE who had died 81
ripe old sge many years before. To her
husband Marks stepOiother one day ted
the story of ihs treasure island.
There wss in the frst half of this ceatury,
Mrs Brennan snid, 8 wicked pirate named
Morgan, who belonged to band OF bold
buccaneers that sailed In and out of New
foundiand ports. SO bold and successful!
had they become that the English Govern
ment offered heavy reward for tho csptrre
of the pirates, alive or dead. Most OF them
we're taken snd hanged, cot Morgan vas
hefsiended by Mrs. Brernsn's sailor husband
whose name was John kes,ing. Morgan
oA in m n iainTf
search for him was over, beiog three months
of the time in Keatne's house, efter which
Heating secured for him c passage 70 Liver
pool on an east bound vessel that touched at
ST. Johns. The pirate said at parting
my friend, how can repay you You
have saved my life. have no money, bat
hare is 8 map Of an island Ia the Pacific
Ocsan, off the coast of California, on which
I and my mates have buried an immense
amount of treasure in gold. Study faithful.
lv the chart attached to the map and you
will see the way to find the spot where the
precious metal lies concealed. Farewell
shall never be pirate any more J"
Mark isn't sure these we're the very words
uttered by tie pirate, but he knows that
that was the meaning Of what the pirate
said. Morgan Wae never heard from again,
and Mark believes he died il his bed afer
spending peaceful old age, hacauee he nav
or heard of the British Government hanging
pirate named Morgan who came from
Newfoundland.
The first missing link IN Marks story Is
that he doesn't remember the name CT the
treasure island, in what direction 1t lay from
Sen Francisco, no yet bow far IL ia from that
port. His a;epmotbe. related, however,
that her first huSbaud o. securing the chart
OF the Island said never Wurd TO any one,
bat concealed il in his money belt when he
wsut 30 sea. A few yesr; aftorwnrd, sailing
in the peighborhood Of the treasure island,
Heating revealed the existence of fthe island
aud the treasure 10 the Captain of the yes
SAL The Captain eagerly absorbed the n-
formation and signifed his willingness to 20
halves in consideration of bis sailing out of
his course The ssiiorman eaid done" and
they proceeded to the island, aod, making
al excuse to The crew ihst they were going
after fresh water, went ashore in small
boat. They found 8 treasure, and the Cap
tain loaded himself down With 1t. Ii was
all in gold. Marks thinks it was in Jumps,
hut he was go very young when be heard the
story that he Isn't quite sure what vas it5
shape. He remembers, however, that
strange thing happened OH tina return OF the
two men to the vessel. Tie small boat was
capszsG in the breakers, and the captain.
who had filed his belt and his pockets
with gold, sank like lump Of lead, while
Heating, who had buried his SCARE IN the
sand, intending to return alone after it c!ung
to the boat and was rescued. Keating was
charged By the other sailors with numbering
the Captain, because the Captain was known
to be On excellent swimmer. OF course
Heating couldn't explain that 1t was the
gold il the Captains pockets shat caused
his death by sending him to DaVy Jones's
locker, end he was in dreadful pickle for
time. He Gnally managed to convince the
crew that ne had no object n numbering the
| Captain, snc that the Captain died ofcramps
in his legs. Going to the Island stealthily
one night he succeeded in unearthing the
treasure and getting back to the ship with 1t
unobserved. Gold Is heavy, and there
couldn't have been much of 1t as fortunes go
nowadays.
Heating returned to st. Johns, Newfound-
land, with bis booty, and lived 8 life OF ease
for some time, when, learning of ship that
was going to the Pacific islands in quest of
shells for purposes Of ornament, he be-
thought himself of his treasure island, on
whose shores we're the most dazzling shells
to be found anywhere. He went before the
mast to avoid observation, and directed the
Captain where to go for pretty shells. The
result vas be brought back more treasure
thsn before.
In his old age Heating repeatedly told his
wife that he had not made beginning OF a
hole In the pile of gold the pirates had left,
but be was too old to go after more himself
He bequeathed the chart to his wife, and a!-
ter he Joined the Silent majority the widos
came to New York and got some capitalists
interested in hunting for the treasure. They
were bad men. They got from the widow
the neme and situation of the treasure :e-
land and when she offered to sell them the
chart at 3 good round sum, with all the right
to the treasure, the bad men snapped their
fingers at her and said: "Go to, We don't
care snap for your chart. we will find
the treasure ourselves"
Rnt The had man didnik And nnW Mark