Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-06-02
TAKEN FOR THIEVES.
The Misadventures Of Two I'm
lucky Relic Hunters.

erals shells, plants Indian relics and
diverse other articles of more or less
Importance. While these pursuits are
for the most part commendable and
show a cultivated taste. even the best
of them may be diverted into a wrong
full channel.
good example of this fact-and a
warning to enthusiastic collectors-will
be found in the unpleasant experience
which befell Andy sutton and myself a
few years ago.
Eighteen miles up the Susquehanna
river, on the bank of which we lived.
lay Eagle island, so called from a pair
of eagles which had long had their nest
in a bunch of lofty pine trees on the
upper point.
The island was of considerable extent
Indian graves.
AS far back as can remember Andy
and / had longed 10 open one of these.
and resurrect the treasures which we
knew it must contain.
For long time we regarded this as
hopeless ambition. Close to the indian
mounds stood an old stone house for
merly occupied by Squire McMasters,
the owner of the island.
Though the squire had moved to the
mainland many years since he still
kept sharp watch on his property.
This he could easily do. since his pres
ent home was on the bank of the river
directly opposite the island.
Andy and / were not the only ones
who had designs on the Indian graves.
Several attempts were made To open
them by unknown parties, and this re-
suited in a closer watch than ever being
kept on the island.
Squire McMasters was a genial, kind
hearted man. but he had very rigid no
tons of propriety, and would have re-
garded the opening of one of the In
dian graves as an act of sacrilege.
The Dissertation of the neighboriDg
village graveyard could hardly have
seemed worse in his eyes
He would have laughed to scorn the
suggestion that digging up these relics
of the dead could in any way benefit
the living.
So for year after year he kept con-
slant vigil over the island, and the
mounds of the redmen remained undis-
turbed.
Frequent broodipg over the matter
only served to strengthen the hope that
Andy and had so long cherished. The
temptation waxed stronger and finally
banished our scruples. We decided to
visit Eagle island and open one of the
mounds.
In view of Squire McMaster's watch
fulness we took extra precautions to
outwit him.
We started from home at daybreak
on bright. clear June morning, bound
-ostensibly on a fishing expedition. Our
rods, landing net and bait pail were
openly exposed in the boat, but under
the stern seat, partially covered by our
lunch baskets, lay spade, pick, and
a small bull's-eye lantern with a nova
BILE slide
A five-mile pull up the river brought
rs to Rockville. Here we carried our
boat into the canal, and made such
speed through the sluggish water that
it was only one o'clock when we en-
tered the river again at Clark's ferry
dam.
Eagle island was three miles distant,
and an hour later we sighted it. We did
not venture near, but crossed to the
left-hand shore of the river-Squire Nc
Masters lived on the opposite side-and
began to fish very uneoncernedly in the
deep holes at the foot Of the mountain.
The water was in prime condition,
and the bass bit so freely that we soon
got the original object of the expedi-
ton.
The hours flew by rapidly. and we
were quite surprised when the sun
slipped out of sight.
Looking diagonally up and across the
river, we could see Squire McMasters'
big white house, q nd fearing lest his
telescope was trained upon us from
some unseen point we thought it wise
to disarm suspicion by pulling down
the river little way.
When the twilight deepened to pur-
pie mist we headed the boat around
and rowed slowly up stream until we
were abreast of the island. For fully
an hour we rested in sheltered little
cove, and then pulled eagerly toward
the tall bunch OF pines which were
stamped family against the horizon.
We landed about twenty yards from
the upper end of the island and crept
up through the trees. Andy with the
lantern and spade. I with pick. Every
little sound caused us to start and trem-
ble-a sure sign of guilty conscience.
Emerging from the fringe of trees we
found ourselves in an open field. We
7skirted the edge of this until we came
to the deserted stone house and barn.
The former was in bad repair-not
even fit for n tenant to occupy. We
circled timidly around it and gained the
orchard.
Here were the Indian mounds. scat
tered among the gnarled old apple trees.
There was Just enough light to reveal
their location.
Lets try this big one" whispered
ANDY, designating a circular hillock
that lay within a dozen yards of the
house. 1T ought to have more in it
than the others.
This was unanswerable logic, and
after listening a moment to make sure
that no one was about. we began work
on the big mound. i tore up the clods
with the pick and Andy threw them out
of the way with the spade We worked
hard for half an hour, needless of bis
tered hands and perspiring faces.
When we had excavated a hole about
three feet square and a foot and half
in depth, Andy stopped operations to
light the lantern.
1T won't d. to work in the dark any
louger.- he said. 1--WE might dig up ar
rowheads and things of that sort with
out seeing them.
The lantern was placed in such po-