Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-01-21
TREASURE In THE PIT.

PICKING season. Ihe crop WAS large aud
the planters were driving ahead to gather
IL before any misfortune befell II.
The members OF the Order of the Chosen
Sons OF Identity had an entertainment AT
the Bush Arbor meeting house. The soci
ETY. was wealthy, for the members got from
fifty cents TO 81 day picking cotton-a
large sum In the country. In giving their
entertainment the Chosen Sous of Identity
were assisted by the Daughters nf the Gold
Ell Reaper A large crowd attended, as IL
was Saturday night and they had all day
Sunday Ia which TO rest
The entertainment was a great success
owing. to the good management OF Silas
the chief grand sachcm Cor lambkin, as he
called III of the order. Merriment and jol
lity regned when old Juba entered the
house aud applied for membership into the
order
Old Juba was q strange negro tramp
whom Mr.. Sam Rodgers had hired In the
great dearth Of cotton pickers, and whom
the regular plantation hands viewed with
suspicion and distrust, and his claims for
membership were secuted by Sias, chief
grand lambkin.
You wanter be Chosen Son oh Iden
tityf How you gwinter gis iny identified.
tion. Id like ter kao'f No. no, you identify
cotton: dats all de identification you kin
dor said the chief grand lambkin, super
ciliously
The crowd roared with laughter but the
mirth OF the company ceased when old
Juba, unmoved by their jeers, began to tell
them that spirit had appeared to him
and directed him To 20 la search OF buried
gold, and he wished their aid.
tAfla aptrft lad 81, 4
man, "frum fur place He say tnh me,
Go Juba,' and | 20, Go hunt fer branch
dat run norf and souf. lie spring OF which
rises outer tupeler gum foller de branch
till you git tub tree poplars. den foller till
you come tub clump oh sweetgums on
de fur side. halt an dig"
Old Juha's manner hal altered, his head
was tdrown back, his eyes fixed. aud his
voice assumed a sing song tone like kind
OF rude intoning The supercilions grin
vanished from the face OF the chief grand
iambkin. and the crowd listened in speech
less awe to this revelation.
"Ehi my Lands mnttered they, ~ he
ceased speaking. "dat's Marse Sam
Rodgers spring branch" II knows de
tree poplars.n An, de clump oh sweet
gums" cried one and another of the com
pauy. The entertainment broke up, and
the negroes followed old Jnba as he went
out 70 cut witch hazel diyining rod by
the Hight of the moon.
sunday morning long procession of su-
perstitions negroes accompanied Juba till
he halted az the elump OF sweet gums and
began to try TO locate the spot where the
gold lay buried. Shutting his eyes, the
old man whiried round and round with the
diyining rod held at arms length, till at
last IL bent little and seemed To indicate
particular spot. The crowd eagerly noti-
fed him OF the fact, and Juba, opening his
eyes, proceeded to measure off the ground
for about twenty feet. This was all they
could do Sunday. 80 they returned TO the
Bush Arbor meeting house and profitably
spent the day preaching about the find
ings of the spirit"
Early Monday morning they nil marched
up to the planters house and asked per
mission TO dig for gold. Mr. Rodgers was
greatly surprised at the request for he
thought they were all out In the field pick.
ing cotton.
dig for gold down by the sweetgnm
trees. No, indeedi Take yourselves off to
the cotton field: that's the place TO gather
gold"
"Dere's seventeen an half bushels
buried dere," cried old Juba. IAN, Is will
In, sub, tub vide wild you. wen we git H. .
81 expect you are. but there is no gold
there
"It wnz buried dere TO hundud years
ago. 10 de sperit says"
WELL the spirit lies. This country
wasn't settled 100 years ago. But there Ia
millions of gold in the cotton Held: 40 back
aud pick IL out. =
But the excited negroes refused TO bulge,
and at last Mr.. Rodgers was forced TO com
promise. They might dig for a week; at
the end of that time. IL they found no gold,
they must stop and 40 back TO picking cot.
ton. They left him fuming and fretting.
but as misery loves company he was con
soied by the fact that the negro hands OF
his neighbors struck work also 10 take part
In the digging for gold. large sum being
offered them II they found it
Accompanied by his followers Juba pro.
ceeded 10 lay off the spot where the hole
was 10 be dug, II must be done with suita
BILE ceremonies "or, = said he de ebil spirits
will 'sturb us" lie accordingly drew a
line around space some twenty feet square
for excavation.
..Now | want" said he. de black tail oh
n red rooster"
Silas had become 80 impressed with the
great sum OF seventeen aud half bushels
of gold that he forsook for the time being
the greatness of the Office of chief grand
lambkin, and Was now q most earnest gold
seeker
"Run. Titua," said he TO his son. AM
pull out Marse Sans ga'nscock tail"
Titus departed, not very willingly, for the
cock was fierce and hard 10 catch
Now said old Juba, '.nobaudy mns'
say wnd vile | lay OF de lines"
The crowd watched him breathlessly a.
he, with great dignity and a garden pick,
proceeded 10 mark of the spot.
ale got dat line crooked - mnttered a
straight eyed bystander.
Old Juha stopped. Who dat spokefn
Profound silence
"Ef knowd who dat spoke I'd chop ,em
down wild dIshar pickr'
The crowd looked reproaehfully - the
speaker, who skunk away.
Now" said Jnba way dem feddersfp
They were probably on the rooster. bun
no one spoke. A runner was dispatched
to tell Titus to hurry up. The messenger
found Titus sknlking about Mr.. Rodgers'
horse lot. trying to drive the rooster bafors
him.
eDey say come quick wid dem fedders."
said the TunneF.
..TlaY b@atar snma Kit 'en asmselveA& dan