The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-01-28
WORK OF ,.BEAcA coMBERs. "
Digging in the Sands for Lost Money and
VaIuabIes.

Digging in the Sands for Lost Money and
VaIuables.
\ A storm is Just as good as fire,
though. When the beach combers
sec one coming across the waters they
md forth they sally. The first wind
lpicks up the light dry sand and blows it
away in little swirls. That takes of
one layer. The ''comber" hurrics
around after the swirls and picks up
whatever is exposed to sight. Layer
after layer of sand is removed, uncover
| ing more and more coins and trinkets
| for the scavengers of the seashore. On
! the day of the last great storm one man
| picked up $32, which is the best days
work remembered by any of the men
talked with. This storm chasing is
pretty hard labor. The men have to
run around from place to place after
! the elbows of sand," and the wind soon
1 begins to lift and throw in big waves.
which, with the tide, pour in shore and
cover the beach. So profitable is it,
however, that the combers search ill
! the water is over their boot tops.
The most profitable work of all is The
hardest. That is digging around the
base OF the piles of the iron pier. The
pier in summer is a promenade as well
as waiting-room. From it all sorts of
things drop, and, sinking in the water,
are given up by the owner as lost. The
-, lber ltHews ntherv'is" ~ has
llcsfned that the ebb and how OF the tide
washes little eddy holes around every
pile, and that everything that comes
anywhere near these holes is deposited
iii them. He is aware, moreover, that
c' ell heavy objects are borne backward
and forward by the waves, and that
consequently the chances are in favor
of the pile hole receiving. on some III
and out flow of the tide. all things worth
recovering. So when the beaches are
left by the summer crowds and the
nucksters, the cOmbers go out with
their big shovels and sleeves and dig up
the sand in the holes. They say that
the finds are of good value and very mis-
cellaneous. Most numerous are the
pickings from the surface of the hard
pan" from two or three feet down
through the surface sand. Upon this
hard floor the coins stand on edge in a
position to penetrate to the safe regions
below. But the comber, understanding
this, shovelS down three or four feet
further, and though it is heavy work
and eXhausting afterward when tht
sieve has to bc used to release the sand
| r,lo III J..
has reaped the summer harvest before
he leaves off his task.
There are two rich places which have
not been explored. One is defended by
n man and his wife who own the ground
1t is a line of poles set up for the BATH
ing patrons. Four years ago young
man went into the water there with two
$2G gold pieces around his neck. He
was about to be married and was saving
up the money for the event. 1t was toe
precious to be left in the bathhousy
keepers safe, so he kept it in the little
leather bag at his neck. When he came
out of the water the bag and the gOlC
were gone. He wept and cursed ans
made such noise about his loss thai
everybody ION Coney" knew of it. Th,
cOmbers were not alone in the search
for it, but it was not found during the
season and in the fall the winter mer
prepared to dig around the life-lin,
poles. Gebbard was afraid they woult
dig up the poles or loosen them and he
foI babe them to work three. The police
assisted him when they We're within
Fall, but whenever they and Gebbar,
were away down swooped the comber:
to search for the gold. The owner
found il necessary to leave his wife tt
watch while he was away and the com
bers have been kept off ever since. BUt
they mean to have those Gouble eagle
yet; they know they are in the pol,
holes and Dave Stewart, the negro
comber, said recently:
Use goin' to have them goldbugs i
il takes till Gabriel blows"
The other untouched spots are alsC
lifeline poles, those that once carrlet
line from the pier to the Scenic rail
road. When the bathing houses Their,
were torn down the poles were left ap(
the combers are welcome to delve be
side them. But every year they haN
been passed over because there were
enough other places equally rich to last
through the winter, and now the tide
and the sand drift are gradually risiN
over the tops of the poles. They viii
soon be buried and their location vii
be forgotten unless some energeti il
comber attacks them.-N. Y. Post
Much in Little.
One of the most important industries