The Meeker herald., 1892-04-23
THERE'S MILLIONS IN 1T
THE FAMOUS TREASURE HOUSE
81. IN MOROCCO.
HosrdIng Gold ani silver Und.r Ground
with Thrs, Hon irsi Coior.d
Soldiers to Goa II 1.-The
threwd Satan.

large part of the Sulian's nccumula-
iions from the heavy taxes imposed on
his people. There arc at present
three sub-treasur.cs whore "a consider.
able par, OF tho countrys royeIgs Is
kept The chief repository, however.
and the only one which !, well known
is n, Mlknas. on tho road between lez
and the city o. Morocco.
In the course OF time nm immense
amount OF money has been kept In
that strongly guarded receptacle The
treasure /, In tho form OF gold and
silver. II good deal OF IL coined and
great deal Of 1t In tho form o. bar
metal
Morocco Is not very extensive
government 10 carry on although the
people Hra burlened with heavy
i taxes Tho sIltan- QUITO il chiefly
| for the q pcnses of this court for tho
payment OF his pension roll which
amounts 10 IL considerable sum. for
theological schools for tho ontor;nln-
men, OF his guests and for his army.
~hIch. however l. not u heavy drain
on the treasury.
| The officers OF tho state cost tho
government comparatively little ne
cOrd.ns to the New York sun for
,hay are expected In ihoir Own pro,
sinccs To bleed tho people for their
personal advantage nnd they live
/ right up - thor prls il-gcA Very
little 10 expended ior streets roads
briiscN prisons and other things
which cost mos, govern neat, great
/ deal OF monry. m" sIlinI hoard,
large part Of tho SUN, La receives
from taxes to add 10 hI, personal for.
iHno aud TO pay Tho q peusrs OF war
should d, b. - unlUcky 49, u ~, ONO
Involved In trouble with lis European
, friends. Tho debt 10 uWrs Spaiu GA
account Of ihu unplrasAninc,s bot Econ
that couniry aud his uWH year. ago h
/ not paid yet although tho rum /, DO.
Ing dimInIshcd rapidly. ~ Spain takes
ono.ha!! Of tho customs duI.e, col.
loc,.d nj Moroccan ports
Nobody knows how eroai tho -um
Of money II that Is held Il treasure
boxes OF Morocco but II j, supp1-cd
Ia b. enormous Morocco has pop.
ulaiioa Of about : 900 900 pcopic and
although mos, Of ihom Arr tory poor.
tho tAN ga,hoFur, cuntrlyp To squ8oEa
a good deal OF money gu, Of thrm.
Mlsnas has bcun ilir royal treasury
for some centuries Tho treasury
buildln. Is u .hor, distance ou'.ldo oi
tho city. II, stone wall, urc very
high aud thick. 10 &c, in.iir these
walls ono has to pass through three
;rca, Iron doors. II thieves could ru;
inside all these door. they y-; might
no; bo nblo To-, secure tho ircas.
ur-. Tho Interior ., long. narrow
ball n dark m pit h which 10 tho
passnrc~ay To tho irua trap door
sbundaa,ly supplied with iocs, which
I. 10, lat. the stone ilouring and lend.
10 an underground apartment whore
, tho treasure i, scp, Ia n Iarr. room
called tn. treasure chamhur Tho
building l. guarded constantly 10y 500
negro slaves who aru par, OF the
sultan. army and nrc never permitted
To i-av. the ncighborhool-
Tho treasure house I, opened only
once year \, that ,ln1 tho sultan
either comes In person or sends ono OF
his mos, trusted officials The pur.
pose. usually IL no, to take nny treas.
uro away. but To add 10 tho hoard. be.
cause the sultan retains frDm the taxes
n sufficient sum 10 mrr, all tho OK.
p-nsos of his court and government.
A. n rule. therefore unir.. tho sultan
has had mn unusually unpleasant timo
with the BcrbcrS who Aro Ia rebellion
often. and determined apparently to
make tho sultIn's li'H "a burden to
him. til, accumulation. IN ,hu treasury
AFRO no, diminished.
The sub treasures which have OK.
is,cd within tho past few years only
arr n, fcs the city of Morocco and in
tho oasis OF Taalnlot south OF Atlas
mountains among tho fiinii people
tn, shrcwd sultan ia hiding "a part
Of his revenue In the Desert oi sahara
Is providing undoubtedly for tho
possibility ihnt he may be compelled
to leave his throne aud sock safety In
ligh, some day. lio proposes II tina;
unhappy event occurs TO hnyn money
enough for rainy day in region
that il not accessible easily.
1t is said that the treasure kept In
tho oasis Is very much larger than the
amount deposited In tho other sub.
treasures and that tho sultan has
been considering seriously tho advlsa-
bili'y of car,ing oil most OF tho money
hc keeps at Miknas and TuHlalct.
Miknas is on tho road 10 tho city of
Morocco and .hould tho sultan DO in.
volvcd In war with nm invading
European power II l. likely that one
OF its frat enterprises would DO 10 got
possession OF the treasure house Mt
Mikuas. The soldier slaves who guard
the house arc called tho blnck guard.