Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-05
BURIED TREASURE IN MEXICO.
The Finder of 1t PrOfted Little by His
Discovery.

From the Mexican Two Republics.
Il never told you about the buried treas
ure l found, did I?'' said an old resident
he leaned back in his chair reflectively.
1T long time ago. but 1 remember 1t
if it Were yesterday. ] was sitting in
my office afternoon about half asleep
when old Mexican interrupted my
thoughts with a servile Buenas tardes,
senior
Il looked around half expecting to a
seller of lottery tickets. hut was mistaken
The man before me was very ancient in
appearance Deep wrinkles We're in his
face and his hair was snowy white. His
clothing was neat and clean. and he seemed
to have the manner of an hascndado peon
And so ii proved
Upon my invitation he came in. sat
down, not. however, without a number of
profuse apologies. Then he told his story.
He remembered me. he said. on account of
visit l had made into the interior of OAK
AGA several years before. | had given him
a peso for guiding me a part of the way
through the mountains. He had never for
gotten how kind l had been 10 him. After
singing my praises for a time he got to the
pith of his tale. He knew where there was
a buried treasure. Yes. he remembered
that many, many years ago it had been
buried during the wars. He did not dare
touch it himself, as it was guarded by
spirits. but the senior could get it. he
thought. If so, the senior might be willing
to give him a part of it for the Informal
ton.
AT first I didn't take much stock in the
story but gradually. under the influence of
the old mans impressive and apparently
truthful statement. I began to get inter-
ested. His story was long and rambling
but the point insisted upon was that the
treasure was there beyond the shadow of
a doubt. AS | had business that necessi
tated my visiting that part Of the country
in which he said the treasure was located
] agreed finally to take the old man along
SO. few days later. l found myself on
horseback in OaXaca, with the Mexican as
my guide.
when we started out to find the treas
ure the old man suddenly got scared
streak on him and refused to give me 1uil
directions He would not lead me to the
spot, but hung behind and spoke seldom.
Senior will have to find it himself l do not
know where it is. but and he would hest
tate a moment, 1T might be in this direc-
ton. Then he would point in a certain
direction. l kept going in this direction for
some time. Finally I got discouraged and
had notion to turn back.
" Perhaps the senior might turn TO the
right and go over that hill the old man
then said. | turned and kept on until We
came to broad field. Here 1 stopped
The treasure might be in field near
again. No more would he say. l then rode
around the field. looking for stone.
soon found one near a big tree. The stone
was too heavy to move, so l called on the
Dll man 10 Help MOI d OIL Oh IT. - ne
senior can do as he pleases,' he said. I
soon found, however, that the stone, al
though very large. was balanced -on an
other, so that / could move it. A little
digging under one side soon brought to
light a box which. when broken open.
showed large amount of gold and silver
coins. Sure enough, the old man was right.
1 put them In sack. hoisted them on my
horse, ard camo back on foot to town.
NOW here Is where / made my mistake.
AS the coins were ancient, ! was afraid TO
dispose of them, as one-half of buried
treasure, you know, goes to the owner of
the land on which 1t Is found. 1 sounded
an old Mexican. who was sort of bank
for a small percentage. After he got the
money, though, he changed his mind and
kept about three-fourths, under the threat
of exposing me. The result was I got
about 81, 800 out of the deal, one-third of
which 1 gave to the old man.