The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-17
ARCH TREASURE TROVE
BULL STREET YIELDS Up ITS HID
DEN WEALTH.

City Laborers Unearth a Pile OF Old
Silver Half Dollars. and French and
Spanish Coins Near Jones Street
Lane-Supposed to Have Been
Buried More Than Half Century
Ago-A Lively Scramble for the
Coins.
Treasure-seekers will be upturning the
streets OF Savannah now for hidden
wealth. Three Of the city street hands are
richer by q number of dollars for q
recent find. While the city force was at
work on Bull street excavating
for sewer traps and laying sewers pre-
paratory to the asphalting Of Bull street to
the park party of workmen uncovered
pile Of silver which has been hidden, doubt
less, for more than half century.
The workmen were digging trench along
Bull street near Jones street lane, when
one Of them. William Dunn. turned up q
pile of silver half dollars and other silver
money with his spade.
WENT FOR THE SILVER.
Dunn dropped his spade at once and COM
menced to gather the silver into his hat.
George Blanden, a negro. who had just
shoveled over the same spot turned and
saw Dunn gathering up silver without limit,
IL seemed TO him. Blanden, too, dropped his
spade and went for the silver with both
hands. A white laborer named Scully
also reached the spot in time to get share
of the newly discovered wealth. The cache
was soon exhausted, and the men proceeded
20 examine their gains. Most of 1t was in
silver half dollars OF the dates from 1924 to
1886, with some Of an earlier date than 1924.
There were also number Of French and
Spanish pieces.
Dunn, who is an old man, refused to let
anybody count his money, and carried il of
without letting any one know the exact
amount. The others estimated his pile at
over $50, but he informed MORNING News
reporter that he had sold all of it
for SlS IS, its face value, 10 various parties.
Blanden said be got $40 and that Scully got
s. IS Blanden sold his to various parties for
a slight advance on its face value, and Scully
did the same. Ia Scully's pile was very old
5-franc piece.
SOME OF 1T OLD MONEY.
Mr.. J. III. Solomons, at Solomons e.
Co. g drug store, on Bull street, near where
the find was made, secured ten pieces of the
money from Blanden, nine silver half dol
lars and one Spanish piece, about the size Of
quarter, dated IT'S The
were 1924. 1928, 1880, 1882, 1884, and 1855
There were two each OF the 1924, 1884 and
1885 dates. The money was all bright and
new 10 appearance, with the exception Of
the Spanish piece and had evidently seen
but little use. j. Kuck, a Drayton
street grocer. secured fourteen OF the silver
half dollars from Dunn. They were Of the
coinage of 1919, 1929. 1881, 1888. 1884, 1885
and 1886.
There were three pieces Of the date Of 1886
and two of 1884. This money was all bright
and new looking. Other parties secured
small amounts Of the find.
The money had evidently been buried be-
fore lS40, as the latest date upon any OF the
pieces was 1886. and none Of the money
showed any signs of usage. It was found
about rs feet deep in the ground.
THEORIES AS TO THE FIND.
The general opinion is that it was stolen
by some slave from his master or mistress
and was hidden there for safe keeping
The slave either died, or was sold, or forgot
the hiding place.
The Villalonga house stands at the corner
of Bull and Taylor streets. The old left
house is the first remembered in that To-
calIty by the old citizens. MIR. left was
cashier of the old State Bank for
years. 1t is possible that this is
some OF the money once owned by him.
The silver half dollars are different from
those now in use, being larger and having
the head OF Liberty On the face instead OF
the full figure of a woman with the liberty
cap.
The city laborers will keep their eye
open for precious finds hereafter. There
has probably been great deal OF money
hidden around Savannah in the $50 odd
years of fte xiztanca