Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-03-23
HID UNDER A TREE.
An Aged Georgia Negroes Tale Of BIG
Enrtuur.


Fortune.
There Is said to be mine OF wealth
buried under the trunk of % t.en in
the Big Hurricane Creek in this coun-
| ty, says Waycross, Ga, special to
| the Savannah News. The exact loca-
ton of the treasure is unknown, ex-
cept to an old negro, who is blind.
This old negro has told the story to
hundreds of people, and they say he
firmly believes in his story. Old
Uncle Ike Williams. the negro re-
ferred to, is a cripple and has not
walked for many years The story is
familiar TO the farmers of the upper
part of Ware county. Many efforts
have been made to explore the region
of the treasure without avail. 1T Is
believed by some people that Uncle
Ike knows whore the place is and will
not tell them, but is waiting to get
well of his rhuematism so he can go
there and secure it all for himself.
The following is the storr briefly told
by the old negro.
''Befo de war my old massa died,
and den his son John be's my massa.
When de war sot in Massa John seq
to me, seq he: Ike, come erlong wild
me ter de Big Herricanc. and fotch
dis heah box 1t was none or my
bizness what was in der box, so des
walk erlong wild dc box kinder tucked
erway under my arm, and we sailed
inter dc Big Herricano dat night er
bout pitch. Den massa sez, seq he,
Ike, des grabble er hole under dat
dar gum tree and dig it deep er nutf
to bury all dc Yankees l grabbed
er way wild my hands and wild sticks
till he said to stop. Den massa seq,
he, Open dc box, Ike When
opened ub it ! was scairt. DE box
was full ub shinin' yaller gold. Den
massa tole me ter nail it up or gin,
and put it in de hole. | kivered it
up and den takes CT good look CT
round me and sees how dc place looks
and put my ole clay pipe what had or
long stem in de dirt on top er der box
wild dc stem stickin' out er der
ground. Den Massa John sot out ter
fight de Yankees. wos taken wild
de rheumatic and cooden walk er
step, den | gifts kinder bin and arter
while gifts sho huff blin'.'
''Massa John was kilt in de war and
] nebber see him er gin. wants ter
90 ter dat spot or gin and git er peep
at my ole pipe stem and den will git
de money, 'kase its right under de
pipe stem. / nebber was ter dat place
erfo' and as | Is bin coodcn find dc
way dar eff | Good walk. De gum tree
is near de run ub de creek and dar
amt a nudder SIGH a gum tree in dc
state. Use been offered CT heap ub
money by de white folks ter sho' 'em
de way ter de gum tree, but cooden
see de route dat night. Massa John
scZ erfo' he went ter de war dat ole
massa had cr heap ub gold, and dat
dar was thousands ub dollars in de
box. alters wanted ter git er hold
Gb dat money.
ut wood make er man outer me ter
git sich er rich pile ub money as dat.
1t is dc rheumatic, and my eyes is
done gone blin'; dat's what keeps dc
gold outer my pockets. If | Good tell
yer whar it is wi'dout or doubt | wood
do it, if Good git half ub it. Some
body tolc me ter go wild 'em dc way
and dey wood pay me. Anudder white
Teller whispered ter me dat when dem
fellers found de gold dey wood kill
me and take all ub de gold and run
erway wild it. OATS de reason ub de
gold lynn dar widout bein' doin' ub
some good. III Ibis ter git ter walk
erg'in | will find my way dar wild er
cane | can't see or wink"