The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1896-01-01
CAPTAIN kIDD'S HOUSE.
Still Standing Near Alenwood. N. J., and
an Object Of Interest.


still Standing Near Allenwood. N. j., and
an Object Of Interest.
Between the quaint little hamlet
Of Allenwood, N. j., and the village
of Sea Girt, made famous through
the annual enoan1pmen Of the New
Jersey state militia, stands an old
fashioned shingle house which ante
dates the recollection of even the
! oldest resident and has become the
show place of the country. Not
only does the great ago of the old
house make it interesting to visit
ors, but also the story that tho body
of the late la1nented Captain Kidd,
whose treasure is buried somewhere
along the coast and has been search
ed for from Florida to Maine, lies
uneasy in it's gravo and makes peri
odical visits to the house once oocu-
pied by that wealthy but somewhat
erratic gentleman.
The house is q two story structure,
conspicuous chiefly 1o1 the fact that
instead Of having only shinglo
roof, as was customary in tho days
when the house was built, it is CON
struoted altogether Of shingles and
presents the appearance of having
boon built with the idea to repel an
attack should any such emergency
ooour The old mon of Allenwood
say that tho house was built years
before Washington assumed tho
office of president of the United
States, and that ono of the early set
tiers in that part of the country,
Morris by name, cut each and every
shingle by hand and with only tho
assistance given by strong pocket
knife.
Tho house is at the junction of
three roads, ono leading to Allen
wood, ono to Sea Girt and ono to
Briello, another small town four
miles away. A mile or two from
the house the Manasquan river flows
steadily on it's tortuous route to
mother ocean, and several times in
tho memory of the present inhabit-
ants the banks of the river have
been searched for relics of Captain
Kidd, while many persons have
gained permission from tho farmers
and armed with charts and maps
have dug for miles around for tho
missing buried treasure. Even now
party is hard at work on the Toms
river, but ten miles from the house,
diligently working on the old claim
and believing that each new day
will see discoveries which will make
work for the treasure hunters un
necessary in the future. And still
the glittering prospect Is hold as n
bait before their eyes. and whom tho
patience Of one party of searchers
gives out another is ready and wait
ing to take up the pick and shovel
and keep up the good work.
The old Morris house, as it is still
called. is now on tho Tilton farm,
old Grandfather Tiltcn having pur-
chased the farm from the Morrises
many years ago. Tho farmhouse of
the Tilton family is but a stones
throw from the old house, which is
tenanted by several Of the farm
helpers during the busy season. The
room in which it is alleged that
Kidd's ghost walks is at the top of
the house, and it is said that when
travelling through that part of the
country he would always stop at
tho Morris house, where he was sure
of welcome and a bed. could
find nobody during a recent visit to
that part Of Monmouth county who
would confess to having seen the
ghost, but it is fable which has
been handed down from father to
son that on stated occasions he
would be heard moving about in his
room until early in. tho morning, as
he was wont to do in the early days
of the settling of New Jersey when
visiting at the old house.
The house was built with but few
and although several have
been added recently there arc only
eight, and two doors on the front,
while the sides have one each. Cap
tain Kidd's room was under the
caves of the roof, and only ono win
dow furnished him with light and
air when he slept in it, Tho window
opened out on the rear of tho house,
and it is said that even now on
stormy nights tho captains head is
often thrust out, as though survey
ing tho heavens and figuring upon
the kind of weather a day would
bring forth. New York Herald
Ch1nAEA md Fnn1feh