The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-30
H4L
KIDD'S TREASURE.
Senator Bradley Says Some
Is Buried Near Ocean
Grove.
TOO SUSCEPTIBLE PIRATE
Indian Maidens Bathing Moved
Him to Thoughts Of Repent
ance.
Senator Bradley in the Asbury Park
Shore Press.

Senator Bradley in the Asbury Pari
Shore Press.
In the latter part of Tune in the veal
1899 a small vessel of less than a hundred
tons named the San Antonio anchored
just off the shore between Shark River
and Duck Creek, now known as Sylvan
Lake. The vessel was commanded by
the pirate, Captain William Kidd, and
carried a crew of forty men.
Kidd was the son of a Scotch clergy
man, and had been carefully educated
but having a preference for the sea, hao
followed it from an early period of his
life. In the beginning of his career he
was a very reputable man, and was a
successful and skilIful shipmaster, sail
ing from New York.
Just before the time of which we are
writing Kidd had been given command
of vessels fitted out by the colony OF
New York for the purpose of preying up
on the m of the French, with
whom England was at war, and also to
suppress the pirates which at that period
infested the Atlanta Ocean ports in
North and South America.
Kidd was successful in his attacks up
Ol LIE cutliy, pul OSCdillc q pr dlC Lliii
self. Nh Governors of the several col
enies were instructed to apprehend him
if he should enter their ports, but he
carefully avoided. them and his pursuers,
and succeeded in securing a large
amount of booty. This booty. tradi-
ton says, he hid in various places along
the coast.
When his vessel anchored off Duck
Creek he had no thought of burying his
treasure, or ven a part of it. in the
sand dunes or woods that skirted the
shore.
The attention of the crew was attract
ed TO the shore by the immense number
of wild ducks tina harbored in Duck
Creek.
KIDD COMES ASHORE.
On the north side of the creek there
a stretch of marshy land which was
covered when the water was high in the
pond. When the waters receded. caused
by the ~'fbreaking out at the beach,
which was simply the breaking away
of the sand dam, the exposed weeds and
tall grass became a feeding ground for
the ducks. Vast numbers flocked there
in those early days that were seldom dis
turbed by the sportsman's gun.
Captain Kidd came ashore in a small
boat with two of his men, bringing
gun and ammunition. He : loaded the
long-barrelled fowling piece, in use in
able shot. One discharge brought down
a score of ducks. After the first fire he
waited a little time, partly concealed,
and when the flock of ducks recovered
from the panic of the first fire he dis
charged his gun a second time. There
was soon game enough for the crew of
the pirate ship, but before re-embarking
Kidd said he would walk over the beach
and great sand hills that stood in the
centre of what is now Bradley Beach.
These high sand hills, although some
what smaller than in Kidd's time. re-
manned until about ten years ago, on
the part of Bradley Beach now known as
the Brinley tract, of which a map is
published.
was astonished by hearing sounds of
laughter. He had seen no signs of hui
man habitation along the coast, nothing
to indicate in any manner the presence
moved on to the top of the hill, when a
scene greeted his vision that fixed him
to the spot.
Just northwest of the hills nestled a
an acre and a half, which had been
formed by SAN blowing from the shore
ana stopping a natural outf1ow.O On the
beach side it was a clear sandy shore,
on the side mex the woods was a
beautiful array of pond lilies, their white
blossoms, like stars, covering the sur
face of the water. Kidd saw bathing in
this miniature lake two lovely Indian
CAPTIVATING INDIAN MAIDS.
An Indian tribe whose home was in
the western part of New Jersey had been
camping on the seashore for a few days,
as they had been accustomed to do for
many years. They had gathered up
their traps and started through the woods
for home. Their path crossed the place
where is nowsthe Little sGhurchin Ia
Woods,"9 the Ocean Groysq electric plant
owe house, up, over the Hills, by
1.-THE Mount Prospect C. net past
Green Grove and along thaeI Hing West
ward to their home. 30
As the tribe started two INDIAN girls
decidedsgto have o~neJalorei5 bath .inI the
little lake. They had quickly ldiyested
Indian maidens wore ii those days, While
the rest of the tribe. moved slowly for
ward, and were having a fine, merry
tinfe. when the eyes f6ff h Young
were so move Kidd lnEost1thought
was dreaming. They splashed and
capered about, and one ran laughing
from her companion and sank down in
among the lilies.
Kidd had seen many a work of art.
Some he had pirated from French ships
were intended to adorn the homes
of the well-to-do C~olonists, but no such
ever enchanted his vision as the
one before him. The youthful, shapely
forms, the creamy brown Indian faces,
10WlnR sDIack ndlT anu DearIy teeth,
were beyond the depicting of any ar
list.
Kidd could discuss the nude in art
with those cultured like himself, but he
speeches. in the presence of nature
unconsciously exposed in perfect artistic
beauty. The maidens, the lilies, the
blue lake rejecting the summer sky, and
the sombre pines in the background
made a picture which he never forgot.
AS the girls came out of the water
their sport caused Kidd to laugh aloud.
The girls heard him, and, greatly fright
erred, hastily secured their garments and
through the woods like frightened
deer, soon o~vertaking the tribe. Kidd
ala not attempt to follow them because
to do so might imperil his safety, as he
knew nothing of the locality. Hetwalked
up the shore past where Bradley
Beach House is located, and stopped
at the foot of the2lake where L~illagore's
bath houses now stand. He looked up
the lake and saw the water, from about
Mrs. Kent's summer villa stands
to the upper bridge literally covered
with wild geese.
On old maps made a hundred years
subsequent to the time of our story the
by the Ocean Grove Association at the
of its purchase to the more euphoni-
Gus one of Fletcher Lake.
THE LILY POND.
Kidd strolled or and soon stood on the
sand hills that twenty-three years ago
oomed up Just where the association Of
fee and the Young Peoples Temple
were afterward erected. 1t may sur
the young people to know this
fact, but DR.. Stokes or Rev. H. B. Bee
gle can tell them OF the big barnlike