The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-03-03
JERRY'S FORTUNE.
The Secret Out After Nearly Half Gen.
tury-ons Hundred and Seven Pounds of
Gold Buried ON the Coast OF Maine--Aftsr
Perlions Adventures Jerry Is Rich.

Gold Buried on the Coast OF Maine--Afts
Periious Adventures Jerry Is Rich.
II requires diplomatic use of ianguag
and vast power Of persuasion to induc
old Jerry Haven Of Sullivan Ferry to dis
close how he went TO California in 1850
failed to earn money, borrowed cash q
take himself homo, and then made for
tune when within two days journey o
New York. This Is not because Jerry love,
money overmuch-for no spent nearly al
no made before he steadied down-but fol
the better reason that no fears the origina
owners of his wealth may yet larry thi.
side of the grave and come down east tc
Slain their own. Therefore Jerry Is wary
when approached on the subject and liza
bio TO flush and fly away long before any
truth seeker gets within range.
The old man Is short, stout and florid.
His breath goes and comes In little gusts,
like a tanning mill that has lost every
other cog, and when excited his heart nut-
tiers inside his ribs like wild bird In a
cage; but In spite of these physical defects
and In spite Of the II years that no has seen
born and buried, he works every day In
u
rent on IA summer cottages which he has
put up since 1885. Residents who know
him, and have known him for decades,
say he Is worth $780, which sum Is
probably so per cent larger than his actual
assets and nearly 100 per cent greater than
tho valuation Jerry can be induced to
place on his real estate when assessors are
around. Rich or poor, he never ceases to
ha ~ ~ h. 4 n.
coming home from Panama, and never
divulges how much property he owns to-
day, lest no should DO brought to account
Tor the audaoious speculation that first
made him rich.
Though Jerry was not one of the lS4o
"ArgoDauts, he went to the Pacific coast
sarly In 1880, taking all the money no had
in the world with him. First he went into
the mines expecting to get In a week all
the gold he could lug home, and failing in
this he washed sand In tho San Joaquin
valley until his money was all gone, when
he tried 20 hire out so he might at least
earn his grub. With flour selling at 5000
. barrel and sugar SO a pound he could
Ind nobody willing TO board him for what
he could do, so, borrowing enough money
rom an acquaintance to pay his fare homo,
DO started back for the isthmus, with a
poor opinion OF California and q worse
opinion of himself. Except that two or
three failures like himself tried TO rob
him and were made sad when they learned
ne had nothing worth stealing, the home
ward trip was as dull rs minority party's
,aucus, until the steamer drifted into a
hurricane of Cape Hatteras. Jerry, who
has been to sea considerably since then
md has also acted as moderator In a meet.
ng OF two warning church factions--to
Jay nothing OF having once been chosen
stakeholder In sprintlng match-Jerry
'ays this was the most tangled and intri. |
'ato windstorm he ever passed through |
Tho first thing the sea did was to smash |
very boat on the steamer, and then it be- |
'an TO pound upon the matches and COM |
'anionway like the alarm ut tho inner gate |
n n Good Templars' lodge BY this time |
he returning gold hunters were thinking /
bout the vanity OF riches In general and /
he great weight OF coin In particular, and |
egan TO unbuckle and throw away their
7ealth laden belts. While other passengers
'ere dividing their time between profani.
and prayer Jerry was recklessly collect
1g the treasures of this earth which his
ompanions hurled mt his feet, carrying
hem all TO the engineer, who CHANGED to
o a friend OF his, and was willing to di.
ide tho net earnings of the venture. For
D hours the sea danced to the flddling OF
10 winds, and the passengers repaired
heir morals as best they could, and then
40 sun came out just as they wore off the
ersey coast, allowing the weary steamer
} reach New York In safety.
Though nearly all the passengers were
udying the chart of the hereafter, there
ere still few who did not neglect the
resent, and among them were two or
rec who had seen Jerry collecting the
Its, and who came to him when danger
I'd passed demanding their wealth. The
Il man says tho .hat he told the COM
ainants was not a lie, but he admits
at it had similar effect, and in spite Of
lis assurance that he did not have their
I'D they treated him so rudely and |
atched him so closely that he was fain TO |
nd to the New York police for official
cort through that city. service they
ndered for pay. In a little hotel down by
owling Green Jerry and the engineer di.
ded their gains and found that each one
I'd just 1872 pounds of gold. On the boat
route Tor Boston Jerry was assailed by
for his wealth, so he had to pay
avily for protection. From Boston he
He'd for the Penobscot river on n coaster,
linking 1t safer than to go by steamboat,
~ on arriving opposite Bucksport no
as set ashore to find two men waiting at
0 hotel to kidnap him. But no lodged
en- oil by hiring every horse and yigor-
8 man In the village for an escort. and I
us protected went on to Sullivan, where
buried lO7 pounds of gold In clump
bushes back from the shore. For five
ars he did not dare to look at his treas
0. Finally he dug It up little at n
ne, and put all he had into vessel prop.
", which was paying well ut the time.
ter the war the shipping business de- q
ned SO that he could not make his prop
" pay running expenses, and the panic
1873 left him with but a small fortune. .
he had bought Bar Harbor real estate.
would have been a millionaire now. As
was, he purchased shore property In
llivan, and now owns small village.
III bet q plug Of tobacco as good as {
over smoked" says Jerry, that there :,
l't another man In tho world who went
California and back In 10 weeks and
lde eco, 900 while he was away"
Those who hear the offer never dispute
II, hoping TO hear more about that peril. u
; voyage from Hatteras to New York.
Is needless to say that all strangers who
iulge In such hopes are sure to go away
appointed. Jerry is modest rs well as
h.-SuDivan Harbor (Me.) Cor. New r
rk Sun.
Electric Bttters.