The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-09-05
TREASURE IN RIVER WRECKS.
Gold and Whiskey Galore Somewhere IN
the Fed Of the Missouri.

the EGu Oh the u44SSSh44'
The fact that a party of Texas people
recently located anddug into a wrecked
steamer, reaping a rich harvest of gold
and whiskey, has caused a revival OF
talk of some old Missouri river wrecks.
There's millions in the bottom Of the
Missouri, or somewhere near it, but the
trouble is to find it. Some of it may be
found some time, but that some time is
very apt to be when the present genera
tions have passed away and the wrecks
and contents Of the steamers exist only
in tradition. Exploringcompanies have
been formed in the past, a number Of
them, but they have all been without
reward, nOneO Of them ever having found
even a trace Of the prizes sought. Other
companies are now talked of, and there
are a number Of St. Louisans who
stand ready to gamble a stake with
any one who takes the lead IN organic
ing. The whiskey buried in thes6and
and bars, if it is ever recovered, will
produces a period of the rarest kind Of
intoxicatiOn to the tablespoonful.
There could be no better process Of
curing it than by burying it in the
damp sand of the river bed or bars.
Then, too, the whiskey Of those days
was real whiskey, and had age and body
at the time it was lost, and if it was on
sale now it would have a market all its
own, and it wouldn't be at twenty cents
OF twenty five cents a drink either.
The chances would be, rather, hat it
would go into private cellars, to be
handed out only on rare occasions.
The Oldest wreck of which there is
now any knowledge, and it is as nearly
traditional as anything could be, is Of a
Spanish boat that was sunk at the
mouth of the River Des Peres, in South
st. Louis. The year in which il went
down, TIE character Of the boat, the
nature of the cargo, all is tradition.
But it is said among the oldest Of old
river men that a boat did go down
there Gin the early years." and that it
was laden with rich Spanish goods and
arms and gold Of immense value. The
exact spot at which she sank is not
known, but in a general way til known
to have been at the mouth of the tor
tuous little stream that now occasion
ally gets on q high and tears around
generally in the Forest park and South
| St. Louis regions. I'm the early years,
| also, it is said that efforts were made
to locate the wreck, but without sue
cess. 1t was attempted by the use Of
divining rods, by digging and by exca-
walton. But after all these efforts it
remained as great a mystery as the
buried treasures Of Capt. Kidd himself.
1t IS also said, by the way, that the
| Spanish vessel had on board a goodly
stock Of liquors. If this is So, and it
should ever be found, there would be
enough in g. small quantity for the
whole of Carondelet and still leave q
big supply for St. Louis proper. just
think how far a barrel of goods made
Gin the cay years" and thus preserved
would go in this time Of quickly-aged
whistles! Agood average drink would
fill a person with the idea that he
owned the town and everything IL i.
The Oldst wreck of which there is any
record or knowledge with people nov
living is that Of a government steamer
which sank in the early thirties at Ar
row Rock Island, near Boonville. It
was on its way up the river to pay eff
the soldiers, and had on board a large
amount Of gold and q. considerable
| quantity Of whiskey. When it went
down it was to stay. Efforts were made
at the time to ecove a portion Of the
cargo, but the condition Of the river
was such that this Was impossible. 1t
has been a fascinating hidden treasure
for the people Of Boonville and dozens
| of companies have been organized to
| search for it. So far as known, how
ever, none Of them has ever succeeded
in getting any trace Of it, though there
is a story that some Of the gold was
! found, but that the location Of the cargo
| could not be traced from it. The chan
mel Of the river and the banks, too,
have greatly changed since the steamer
went down, and it is probable that it
! is now under some farmers field. The
| search has not been given up, however,
and it is said that another company
will be formed this coming summer to
make further and more extensive ex-
plorations.
The Arabia is still another steamer
which went down and was broken up,
with a considerable amount of gold and
several hundred barrels of wbiskey on