The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-29
FORTUNE In A GRAVE
.ONG SEAECH FOR THE FORTUNE
LEFT BY JACQUES DUPONT.


Woods OF Maine and Her Body Covered
with Gold and Gems - How Jerry Harper
Got One OF tho Diamonds.
y Everybody who has worked In the Maire
logging camps has heard the story OF
jacques Dupont and the great bag of gilt
tering diamonds which he hid away In his
daughters grave somewhere along the
headwaters of tho Aroostook river Though
few people of the present generation take
much stock in the narrative, at least one
diamond of the hoard has been found
within 20 years. 1t was taken to Boston
jeweler, who offered $500 for the gem, but
Jerry Harper, the man Who found 1t, sus-
pected the stone was worth more and car
ried it until he had taken few more
glasses of LIQUOR and then loft 1t in Ire
mont street barroom as security for drinks.
When he called later to recover his prop
erty, the bartender had gone and taken the
diamond with him.
According to all accounts-and they
agroe remarkably well-Jacques Dupont
was a gem merchant of Paris who went
| TO Quebec about 1850 to sell diamonds and
other precious stones to the French army
| officers of the garrison. He sold q large
number of diamonds, taking his pay in
gold and beaver skins, which were just as
good Later his daughter Lucy came
| across, bringing more gems and bearti'
full face, which latter set oil the officers
half wild with admiration.
After the fall of Quebec Dupont took hls
daughter and his diamonds and struch
south through the wilderness, hoping to
reach the Acadian settlements at Grana
Falls and dispose OF tho balance OF h's
stock Though tho woods were full ol
painted and warlilSe Indians at the time
they were all friendly to the French. &c
the party travelled the whole way under ~
escort of admiring savagcs
All went well until they reached id
mundston, where Mile Lucy was tatai
with smallpox. Thcreupon every rcdsk II
turned upon tho old man and his dau-h
fer. drove then out of the settlement, fore
inp them into the unexplored woods sloni
Aroostouk river six months lator Dup,'b
came out to Grand Falls alone, saying ira
Lucy had died from exposure and that b.
had buried her in stone tomb near wa
| terfal and had covered her body with Rolt
/ coins. diamonds and beaver skins. Sool
inter this he returned to France. where h
! died
BY this time the Maine woods were iui
of logging camps, which were occupied D.
men of all nations. Among these the toi
spread rapidly Men with money caugh
| the craze for Dupont's wealth and sen
| we'll equipped parties to all portions O
! northern Name Still no diamonds wer
! found until Jerry Harper came here fror
/ New Brunswick.
II Harpcr's story can be credited. b
found the diamonds by accident in the IA
! of 1885. He met a man in Houlton VIII
lbired him to go into the woods, telling hir
. to be ut the old log bridge In Masardis o
4 o'clock in the afternoon four days late
{ Instead of finding a whole crew, rs he hn
expected, nobody hut Harpcr's employs
;, showed mp He looked Harper over, INK
, toned for him to fall in behind and star
: cd off at brisk walk for the woods. III
man paid no attention to logging roads
8 natural paths but went due northwest
compass for two days, making no stop e.
t cept to eat and sleep. Near the close
Q the third day he ordered Harper TO ste
!. and put up q, lem TO camp, as, they ia
: reached the end Of the journey.
Long after supper the strange man ngh
cd a dark lantern. and producing Tor
ropo told Harper to follow him. Th'
| Walk6O u UT i1oio osf0 $500 y, - ~-'S
r. ledgy hill which they assembled. On t'
of the Hill wnsa rS!nd knob Of ledge abo
!. four rods In diameter. Though the led
- was OF limestone tho capstone was cl,
slate, indicating that 1t bad boon broug
,. thither at a, later date. The man cut
ID stout thorn beam stick and used It to p
n up this stonc while Harper chinked 10
ID place by smaller stones. When It was M
way up. the two men took. hold OF u WI
"a their hands and stood 1t on edge. Tho
- .rnoval Of the stone revealed a scam In =
ledge 10 feet long and to feet wit
W The strange man then turned to Harp
and said: ffH
1T "Tie this line about you and take
re lantern and I'll lower you down"
r Tho hole proved to be not more ti''
al four fcot deep, so that no line was needt
which lcd Harper to believe that his co..
panion had mover seen tho place beierc
~ "Now," said the man, "psck up al {
IL bright pieces OF glass and stono which y
re see and pass Thorn out TO me.
Q, Harpct turned the light Of the lanee
ON to the bottom cf the cave and saw :.