The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-11-13
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S!ssSSzsE9ggS den treasure, says
%11sNS the New York Her
aid. But it is there-cOld, yellow,
glittering coin, buried for years be-
meath the dirt and mold of Mexico,
and traced by the tireless patience of
the man who is soon to get out on his
voyage to return with this fortune.
There will be no dangers to overcome,
such as a Struggle with cold and famine,
but very quietly and pleasantly he will
dig up the boxes in which lie the riches
that will make him wealthy man for
life.
The authority for this statement is
Capt. Alfred May, who is at present
in this city. Capt. May asserted that
he has located the place where the
treasure was buried, and that as soon
as he can leave business he will set out
and procure the wealth which will be
the result of many months of patient
search. The captain is a German, a
sea captain, and was one of the old
forty-niners.
According to Capt May, the way he
came to get on the track of the money
was this: He met here in 1893 an old
man from Illinois, Hiram Pennoyer,
who told him that his son was married
to the daughter of an old veteran of
the Mexican war, living in Chicago.
This veteran told Pennoyer that while
ne was on campaign in Mexico in
l847 he was present when money
boxes belonging to the government
were thrown out of the wagon by the
breaking of the wheel, and that the
coin had been buried by companion
, of his This companion, a sergeant,
was killed in fight few days after
burying the money, and the old vet
eran said nothing about it to his SUI
perior officers, the breaking down of
the wagon while crossing the river in
u storm being sufficient excuse for the
loss.
After the war closed the veteran
went to California, where he was paid
on, and then returned to his wife in
Chicago. On account of his broken
health the woman would not let him
return, so the man waited for a son to
grow large enough to go after the gold.
On the sons attaining manhood the old
man fitted him out and sent him on
the journey, but the lad went astrav
and, spending all the money, turned
into loafers On the marriage of the
daughter of the veteran with the son
of Pennoyer, the veteran told Penno-
yer the whole history of the affair and
gave him plan of the spot where the
gold was buried, as well as full direc-
lions how to locate the place.
When Pennoyer told MAY the story
May offered to go and get the money
for share in the result. So, euuipped
with map and full history of the
event, he reached Vera Cruz, and set
out on his journey toward the direc-
ton of Jalapa. He found that the de-
scription given by Pennoyer was cor
rect in the main, but there was a slight
error in bearings that at first puzzled
him greatly. Pennoyer had made a
mistake in the placing of a landmark.
but the general idea was right and
knowing the Spanish tongue perfectly,
May began to CLEAN information from
the Mexicans who lived at the place.
He found one old man who had lived
in the same adobe hut for years. and
who remembered distinctly the time
that the American troops had crossed
the stream. He gave an accurate de-
scription of the event. spoke of tbe
breaking down Of the wagons, and said
that the Americans had lost some
stores, though none of the Mexicans
understanding English, none was
aware that two boxes of gold were
among the things spilled, nor would
they ever have known of their being
buried there by the sergeant, even had
they known the money tumbIed ont
From this old man May got such an
accurate account that, by putting II
with the one given him by Pennover
he was able to locate a spot whose de-
tailed in every respect with
The story given by the veteran as the
place where the coin lay.
He learned that the troops had loft |
vera Cruz for march north and on
eaching the banks of the Guadelune
liver the infantry had crossed over an
ncient stone bridge while the calvary
md wagons went down one side n
ross by ford On the left hand of
he bridge on the south bank was a
ort and on the right hand on the other
ank was another fort, while at a short
istance stood hill. Pennoyer had
aid the wagons holding the money had
rossed the bridge and in this lay his |
rror The truth was that the horses
ad been taken down about Quarter