Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-04
A POT OF GOLD
Containing Nearly S3OOO Dug Up on the Premises of the StonewaII
 Ice Company

Mobile Register.
 By lucky find the Stonewal Ice com pany are now near $3000 better off than they were last Tuesday morning. While several negroes were engaged in digging a foundation for a coal bin in the rear of the ice factory on Madison street be- tween Royal and St Emanuel streets. Tuesday afternoon, about o'clock, one of the negroes, named James Mitchell, dug up an iron pot about foot from the surface and turned it with ShoVelful of earth into a wheelbarrow
 MT. w. H. French, the president of the ice company, was experimenting the work, and upon making an examination of the iron pot, discovered that 1t con- tained large amount of gold coin. The soil had hardened around the top and the pot had been badly eaten by rust, show ing that it had been buried many years.
 The pot is about 1 foot in diameter. with three legs, and is an old-fashioned cooking pot. It was taken into the of flee of the company and the contents were examined. The total amount con- tained in the pot is $2900. .63, consisting, in the main, of five $1O American gold pieces, one 10 franc gold piece antra num- Der of American Scent pieces. There are also number of 25 and 50 cent pieces of California gold, made in octagon shape. The coin is well preserved and bears uate rom 1S42 to 1854.
 reporter called at the office of the Stonewall Ice company yesterday after noon and was shown the pot and severa. pieces of the coin. President French confirmed the story of the find, but seem- ed reluctant about discussing the matter. He said that several people had called to inquire about the finding of the money and he had repeatedly denied it. but that since it had become public property he saw no reason to keep the ma tier a secret He did not propose to have any trouble about it, as the property on which the gold had been found belonged to his company, and therefore they are the rightful owners of the money.
 Mr. French was very busy, so the pot and location where the find was made were shown the reporter by his son, MT. George French who seemed more dis posed to talk of the matter. He said that his father had sent the bulk of the money to his home, and that negotiations were pending for the sale of the entire amount to New Orleans coin dealer. and that it would probably be shipped to- day Mir French said that the date of the coin made it worth more than it's face value. The property, he said, was purchased by the Stonewall Ice company in September, 1894, from MT. w. T. Sims. and their company did not feel that they would be given any trouble about re- taining the money any more than if coal or metal mine had been discovered on their property
 An old resident and prominent citizen said yesterday afternoon that the whole block on which the Stonewall Ice com pany is now located was owned num- Der of years ago by Moses Waring, and that he had built house near the pres ent location of the factory for an old man named Martin Hanlin. Moses War ing and G. N. Stewart owned some prop erty together, and it was his opinion that the ice factory property was ac- quired from Waring by Stewart and left by him as a part of his estate. T. w. Sims married daughter of G. N. Stew art, and it was in this manner that he acquired possession of the property, which was sold to the Stonewall Ice com pany