The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-07

soldier under the officers who had the
money in charge and who secreted 1t.
He had rough sketch showing, he
claimed. that the treasure was some
where on the banks of Shoal creek about
where Mrs, Pease's place is now. He
dug around there for some months, but
if he found any money he kept it to him
self.
Before and after the war aged Next
cans searched diligently for the money,
just south of the river not far east of
Fairview park, and the pits they dug
are seen there to this day. AS late as
1878 Mexican, very, old man, came
here, and dug several very large pits
and trenches just south of town, and an
old negro named John camped over there
and continued the digging for several
years. He was finally sent, to the
asylum.
A great deal of digging for this treas
ure was done just after the war by both
whites. Mexicans and negroes on the old
Bastrop road not far from Radam's gar.
den. 1t was kept up for years, the work
progressing day and night. A great
deal of digging has been done on Fort
Prairie, and some on Onion creek. One
story has it that the money was bur-
ried near Waller creek where it now
meanders through the Seventh ward.
Col. L. j. Dupre, who for many years
edited The Statesman, and who was n
great archaeologiist, had map and state
ment musty with age, he obtained from
some old Mexican showing that the Mex
lean army on its retreat buried the
money on the banks of the Brazos river
not far from the Nashville ford. A lot
of guns were buried with their muzzles
just outside the ground and certain
distance from these guns the money was
buried. Col. Dupre visited the locality
once. but inroads of the river had so
changed the locality that his charts were
useless. He had faith in the story of the
away with the soil by foods and over
flows in the Brazos. He had no faith
in the buried treasure about Austin
RECENT WORK.
Ever since the war, with certain inter-
walls, different persons have searched and
dug around Austin, hoping to find this
money, the amount of which is estimat-
ed all the way from $4,000 to over
work has been quite active and especial.
ly during the past year it's activity has
been unprecedented. Many men whom
you know have been engaged in it. And
some of them have invested considerable
money one way and the other.
The work has been remarkable active
during the past six months. and it is
being pushed today with unfagging in
terest. Within few weeks some we'll
known gentlemen have been digging at
the dead hours of night on the Pease
property. Two colored men, Seben Will
son and Wesley Russell, progress with
their work day and night on Fort
Prairie. Their names are given because
they work in the day time and do not
conceal their object.
Within the last few nights shafts have
been sunk on certain lots in the Seventh
ward, and ON the Pease property.
Men have recently applied to Mr..
Charles Stone for permission to dig his
farm. and Mr.. Jim Smith informed a
Statesman reporter yesterday that re-
Gently parties have been digging big
holes at night on his farm not far from
Onion creek, and altogether the, work
goes merrily on with the Bobs. Toms,
Jims and ferries, all confident of finding
the treasure.
In the city the work is very secretive
No doubt, however, but what DAD
Jernigan knew of it, He must have
known some of the men engaged in the
work and their standing and intelligence
fortified him for believing the stories of
jim Bridgers.
Queer world. Queer people. This
,, you'll admit.
Yesterdays DEVELOPMENTS.
| 1t is mentioned above that dad" Jer-
nigan possibly knew from other sources
than Jim Bridgers that search was being
made for hidden treasures around Aus
tin. He first approached Andrew George,
as stated in The Statesman yesterday,
but as Andrew had been warned to
watch Dad" he fatty refused to talk
to him about hidden money. A second
time he approached Andrew George,
and was again refused information. AT
n third meeting he took Andrew George
into his confidence, told him he was
short in his accounts and asked George
to help him. He told George at that
time if exposure came he would certainly
kill himself.
Andrew George, being an old friend of
Dads, promised to try and save him
and the two, having implicit confidence
in the story of the hidden wealth, as
Jim Bridgers had told it, it was resolved
to advance money and help out Bridgers.
With that end in view George worked
faithfully and wrote letters to Col.
Smith, one of Bridger's characters, urg-
ing him to repay money he, George, had
advanced. He also wrote the letter to
Garker, printed III Inc statesman yes
terday morning. These letters he sent
by Jim Bridgers who sometimes report.
ed them delivered, and sometimes return
ed them.
Bridgers told both Dad" and George
often that the money was in sight, and
that he vonld bring u in. Failure 10 re
turn with the money as promised, eight
sacks Of it, one morning dad" with an
officer went out to his house that night.
The officer merely went along to show
dad" where Jim lived, and never n
word did he breathe what business he
had with Jim. He merely said: "He
has lied to me and it is Of Importance
that ] see him."
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The county commissioners yesterday
selected Mr.. Sam McCulloch and o.. III.
Millican to 20 over the books in the
treasurer's office.
Last afternoon they counted the cash
in the office and found $236.35, which
about corresponds with the books.
The election Of a county treasurer was
postponed until Monday afternoon at 2
o'clock.
AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
County Judge A. s. Walker, Jr., yester-
day afternoon gave out the following
statement as an authoritative expression
on the part of the county commissioners
court on the present condition of the
county finances and MS to the circum-