Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-01-09
CAUGHT WITH GOLD.
BUT THE MAN EATING SHARK TOOK
$4,000 OF THE GAIT.
The Ex-Divsrs story Of IN Adventure In
tho "Great Days"-silence smenred Itself
All Over the veranda ut the Completion
OF the Yarn.

Of Winchester, Mass, who was sitting
ON the hotel veranda, THAT had the
honor Of killing the most valuable fish
that ever swan the seas. did 1t single
handed too. aver that this fish was
worth more at the time Of its death than
the finest sperm whale that was ever
harpooned, although we should really
leave whales out OF the question when
speaking Of fish. 1t was 80 years ago,
and was young and foolish enough to
DO deep sea diver. Our diving schooner
and crew had been sent to Cuba to try
to recover some stuff from a Spanish
boat that had foundered off the coast OF
Cuba, just where don't now recollect.
II was quite long trip for us, and as
the employment Of diving outfit was
an expensive thing in those days the
boys knew that there must be something
pretty valuable in tho hold Of tho wreck.
/ was quite close to our skipper, and he
told me that there were several boxes OF
gold coin in the wreck. On our arrival
at tho port near where tho wreck lay III
80 fest Of water the agent Of the owners
Of the sunken schooner told us some
thing more surprising. 1t was that the
gold had not been slowed in boxes in
the cabin, az was usual, but for some
reason had been bagged and placed in
the hold, being billed AZ copper washers
This was probably scheme to avoid
any chance Of the spirit Of cupidity aris-
ing in tho crew, for the treasure was
very great
"As tho confidential man, / was &C.
lccted to go down first and find tho mon
ey bags, attach lines to them and have
them taken out before tho other divers
should proceed with tho work of taking
out tho other freight that the water had
not harmed was soon in the hold and
was surprised to find that the bags were
only u little distance from the holo in
the side that had caused tho schooner to
founder. | had boon told that thoro
wonld he IL bags, but l could lay my
hands on but | OF them. Finally l
spied torn bag lying near tho hole in
tho hull, and on picking 1t up discover
cd that it contained few gold coins. l
decided that tho heavy triple sacking
had been torn open in some way or 9th
or whom tho schooner sank. fastened
lines about tho II bags that were intact,
and had them hoistcd, afterward going
up for mir, for our apparatus was not
very good.
'In fow minutes | returned to the
hold to search for tho scattered coins.
Very few Of them were in sight. 1t oc-
CURED to mo that they might have boon
washed outside tho boat, judging from
tho position of tho wreck and tho fact
that the hold was far down toward tho
ships bottom. was about to crawl out
Of tho holo when | remembered that it
might hazard tho air pipe, SO | was
pulled up and let down again over tho
vessels side ] wns disappointed not to
find amy indication Of the gold near tho
holo in tho schooner, but sot to work
digging rcsolutoly in the sand. had
Como but foot down when struck tho
gold pieces all in II lump. picked out
n great handful and turned tho light on
them, for was u lover of gold then,
oven though it did not belong to me.
'Just then ] saw something that
made tho rubber holmet rise from my
head, 1t was II man eating shark l
hadn't Thought Of ono in no long that l
had neglected to bring my knife. II was
rushing ut me, Tho stupid creature
never stopped to consider that with
rubber and lead dressing diver makes
u poor lunch. | was knoeling beside the
gold AT tho shark Is onslaught natural
ly hung to the handful of gold MS though
to uso it M II weapon. He turned on his
side, opening his horrible mouth. A
feeling of grim humor had como over
mo, Tho cruel goldbugs had sont mo
down hero to be devoured, after saving
thousands Of dollars for them | would
bo IL spondthrft ut tho last, So with all
my force l flung tho heavy handful Of
coin into tho yawning mouth,
"The shark must have thought it was
part of mo, for no snapped his jaws
over tho golden morsol. am satisfied
that he broke SOME toeth. He swan
back II little, and then rushed ut mo
again had no weapon but the gold.
so again flung into tho hidcous nav
enough to buy mo II home in New Eng
land, | saw him snap and swallow it.
Again and again was the attack repeat
ed, and as often did | hurl gold into tho
sharks throat. Pretty soon he became
dizzy, ny it wero, for tho gold had I'M
balanced him, settling in the forward
part of his body, Then he .writhod in
agony. and had to keep lodging his
furry. Then, with ono terrible shudder.
ho sank to tho bottom, weighted down
by tho gold, tied n line about him and
then gave tho signal to be pulled up,
Then helped hoist the shark. We cut
him open. Gentlemen, you must take
the word Of an ex-divcr that there WAS
$4b, 0o0 in Him. Gold had killed him. "
Silence smearod itsolf NIL over tho
veranda, The pale moon slid behind
cloud The amphitheater organ slowly
wovo u weird chunk Of melody. Tho
chimes began Ia ring. "Those were
great days" said Mr. Gaulin sadly. -
Buffalo Express.