The morning call., 1894-03-06

large earthen jar and Immediately began
10 pry into 1t. A handful of 10-eent
pieces was the reward for his first effort
As Bonnie is q yOungster scarcely five
years old the sudden acquisition of wealth
rather stunned him, and, accompanied by
the other children, he started on run for
home.
Now, John Meyer and Martin Oberhouss
are hard.working. poor men, and when
their children burst in Oh them loaded
down with 10-cent pieces and full of the
story of their fnd the effect can be easily
imagined.
The two men Immediately donned their
coats and hats and, guided by their pro-
genv, started for the scene OF their dis
cOvery. Arriving there the pile of rocks
was thrown to one side and the earthen
Jar removed Then the dirt was scraped
away and several pieces of zinc pipe. a
cake or two of sealing-waX and Tin box
were brought forth. Investigation showed
that the pipe and box also contained coin.
I'VE are rich" exclaimed Oberhouse.
"Hurrahw shouted Meyer. And then the
men conveyed their find to the Oberhouse
home.
When the different packages we're opened
half dollars, dimes and Mexican dollars
rolled out until pile OF almost $1,000 was
stacked up.
1t was then that the families became
happy.
''PiI build new house." said Meyer.
land buy cow so the baby can have pure
milk"
And Pill" but Oberhause was not
given an opportunity of telling what he
would do. His wife cut him short by say
ing: Never mind what you will do by
and-by. Martin, just give Bennie dollar
and let him go and get something nice Tor
supper"
The dollar was handed over and Bonnie
was sent forth after oysters. In few
minutes he came hurrying back without the
oysters and with tears streaming down his
cheeks
1.-The man wouldn't take the money" he
blurted out. "he says lt's bad"
Bad! shouted the youngsters father.
"BadP' echoed John Meyer, and then the
two men proceeded 10 look further into
the matter.
Taking a few of the coins they wen t
into the backyard and began to operate
upon them with an AK. A light blow
cracked dollar into four pieces, second
tap dismembered the goddess who adorns
one side of a half-dUllar, while The dime
was broken without the aid of the AK.
Then operations ceased, for the men be-
came convinced that the grocer was about
right.
Every piece Of coin that had been found
was bogus and the children had unearthed
nothing more or less than a counterfeiters'
layout.
Guess / won't build that new house"
remarked Meyer. when he became con-
WINGED of the true condition of affairs.
And I'm glad my expectations did not
go beyond fresh oysters for supper"
added Mrs. Obernouse. Then the fortune
hunters went down to the Ocean View
police station and notified the police of
what bad happened. Later on Special
Agent Harris also received notice. and
yesterday he took possession or the outfit.
Ii consisted of 797 Mexican dollars-S19s
IN half-Gollar pieces and S23 80 in dimes.
The dates the coin bear range from 1850
20 1860. and they have every appearance
of being many years old. This is also the
case with several molds and dies which
were found with the coin.
The dies were found in the cakes OF
sealing-waX ana are of the sort which
were In use several decades ago. when
money was Stamped instead of nodded.
Several small steel flies, which were PROB
ably used to rim The coins, were found
with the dies, as was also small quantity
of bell metal. which is generally used by
counterfeitere to give spurious money the
proper ring.
= Special Agent Harris is not inclined Il
believe that the money was recently buried
in the foothills. and in discussing the mat
ter Yesterday afternoon said:
II am of the opinion that this stuff was
cached no less than twenty years ago, and
hardly think it worth my while to en-.
deavor to run down the persons who man.
ufactured 1t. In support of my opinion
let me tell you q thing or two about the
money. To begin with. 1t is principally in
Mexican dollars. Now, there are very few
Mexican dollars in circulation to-day, and
ii is quite difficult TO induce person t.
accept genuine one. A good many years
ago 1t was different. Then the Mexican
dollar was in general circulation, and we
all took them. Then there are the dies
No sane person would try to pass coiu
made in one of those dies to-day. ThaI
style of die passed out of use so long age
that almost every one has forgotten the
styIe of coin made in them, and beside:
men do not like to take a piece of money
which seems the least bit peculiar. Their
here is another reason: Ii coins of tht