The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-28
FINDING OF FORTUNES.
Some That Have Been Discovered
in Old Furniture,

A few years ago, says the Manchester
Times, gentleman bought cabinet at a
salesroom for five shilings. The piece of
furniture was put on one side unexamned
for some time After the lapse of about
two years the owner agreed 10 sell it TO a
purchaser-anxiou to buy cabinet of the
kind-for just double the sum he paid for it.
With this intention he took it out of the
corner where it had been standing in order
to dust it. He pulled out drawer and dis
covered that it was shorter than the hole
into which it fitted, and there was a bundle
of what ut first looked like ej notes inside
On taking them out he found there were
two bundles, one containing fourteen 600
notes and the other twenty-SiX notes, also Of
e1C0 apiece. They proved to have been
lost twenty years ago by gentleman in
London, to whose representative the money
was restored and the finder rewarded.
1t is not so satisfactory to the discoverer of
hidden wealth when he has to refund his
suddenly acquired treasure to the rightful
owner, as happened also in the next case
A carpenter, not long since, in Vienna. re-
eeived from the wife of tailor an old chest
of drawers to be repaired. On examining
the back he discovered secret drawer, in
which were several rolls of paper. These
proved to be various bonds and shares, all
with their coupons attached The finder at
once honestly deposited these valuable pa
peared that the former owner had died sud-
denly, and, as he Was parsimoniouS man,
his relatives were not little surprised to
find that he had only left small amount of
property. He kept his savings in secret
drawer. which he had not mentioned to any
one. As he died without making will
nothing was known of this hidden treasure,
the value of which amounted to over 10, 600
iorins. The chest of drawers passed to the
next of kin.
Another interesting discovery is said to
have been made by the executors of the late
hereditary Princess Caroline of Denmark.
An. old chest, which, like the oaken one in
the mourning ballad, g had long been hid"
was found among The miscellaneous curios-
tiles of lumber room. Not even the Oldest
servant remembered ever having seen il
opened, and as no keys were found which
fitted the lock, the lid was forced, when, to
the surprise of every one, the box WAS found
to contain a collection of rich furs, loose
brililants, pearl and diamond necklaces, vel
vets, pieces of richly embroidered satin,
canes and riding-whipS with handles of
beautifully chiseled gold or silver, inlaid
with precious stones. gold cups-in short, a
quantity OF yaluabeS worth many thousands
OF pounds. Apparently the existence of
this treasure had been entirely forgotten by
the late Princess. Doubtless the secrets
revealed by such bureaus would be consid-
ered OF much greater importance by most
ilbders than any diyulged by political cab
ipetS.
An old oak chest, which was bought for
four shillings in Derbyshire, turned out to
be worth a great deal more money, even
from its appearance, for it was very old,
clumsy and nicely carved The purchaser
was still better pleased with his bargain
when he found secret drawer in the bot
tom of the chest and forty spade guineas n
the secret drawer. With the gold was
memorandum written in faded ink 1t was
to this effect: When my uncle Brown
gave me, fifty .guineas at Christmas as a
present for waiting on him during his i'll
ness. ANNIE L.. 1885," OF this reward
for the lady's attention to her kinsman she
had spent but ten guineas. The rest lay for
slXty-hve years untouched in her desk, while
the world so strangely altered from the slow
old days to the hustle and hurry of modern
times. On the old lady's death the husband
OF her niece became the possessor of her
goods, and it appears that he sold the
chest AS the chest had been out of the
original owners keeping for nine years, it
was legally decided that the guineas be-
longed to the gentleman who bought them
ana the chest for four shllings