The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-09
Mr.. CAMPBHLL'S Find.
Discovery of a Bar Of Silver
on Palisade Avenue Excites
the Neighborhood- is It
Kidd'S Treasurer

ssHas the long sought treasure of the
buccaneer Captain Kidd been located at
last?" was the query passed from mouth
to mouth of the residents in the neigh
borhood of Palisade avenue and Bowers
street. when it was rumored that ]. H.
Campbell, an old and respected resident,
who conducts a hardware establishment
at No, 1873 Palisade avenue, had unearth-
ed a bar of silver while hoeing corn In
'the ward in the rear of his house yes
terday afternoon.
Stories of fabulous finds, which made
IT seem to the minds of the people that
somewhere near there the bold pirate
king must have hidden his treasure soon
spread, and a large crowd gathered and
viewed with open-eyed wonder and envy
a lump of the precious metal which was
the issue in the last Presidential cam
paign.
Mr.. Campbell, whose only fear was
that the publication of the story of his
find would soon cause his grounds to
be oyerrun with treasure seekers and his
corn crop ruined thereby, proudly ex-
hibited the piece of silver, which, from its
appearance, had evidently been in phe
ground for a number of years. He readi-
his corn. he noticed what he thought
was a peculiar looking stone and how
on picking it up he was astounded at its
weight; how he tested it with acid and
soon learned that he had struck min
iature Klondike of silver.
Mr.. Campbell has been resident OF
the neighborhood, where he now lives,
for the past forty odd years, and he
recalled to the reporter number OF
stories of the finding of ancient coins
and trinkets of more or less value IN
that immediate neighborhood. How ABOUT
three years ago number Oh men III
removing a large boulder from the
ground near where his house is located,
had discovered number OF ancient
Spanish coins, and how few years ago,
when a number of boys were digging
for worms with which to go fishing, un-
earthed an old earthen pot which, ON ex-
animation, was found to be filled with
old pennies of the Captain Kidd era
This find created profound sensation al
the time and for months thereafter men
and BOYS dug up the ground for yards
around in the hope of finding some ad-
ditional evidence to prove the lneory
that in this neighborhood the famous
treasure was hidden, and Incidentally to
obtain some of it if it was. The ma
ing of a few trinkets of trif1ing value
added zest to the search, but when moth
| ing more of account was found the SEARCH
dropped, the recollection Of it to DC
| revived by Mr.. Campbelfs find.
The piece of silver discovered yester:
day measures about Ia inches square ane
weighs in the neighborhood of pound
It has the appearance of having beer
cast in a mould. This fact led to the
suggestion of the theory that it was
probably the proceeds of some robbery
bv the lawless bands of robbers. whe
are said to have infested this section ol
tlhe county over half century ago, com
hitting their nightly depredations in the
neighboring metropolis and hiding theii
| booty in the thick woodland which Gov
cred the brow of the Hill at that time
| Others adhere to the belief that 1t is the
| hidden treasure of the buccaneer anc
| claim that their theory is corroboratet
| by the previous finds in that neighbor'
hood, and these freely express the be be
| lief that a thorough and careful searcf
| will reveal untold wealth in the corr
| field. ,a.t1,
| doubt that a further search will be MADE
| of the grounds to see if any additiona
| evidence in support of either Of the tneo
| ries can be found. The neighborhood i
| much excited and Mr. Campbell ha'
| grave fears for the welfare OF his corn
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