The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-25
i 4
COINS AND KEYS
ARE UNEAR[T HE'D.
Discovered by Workmen in the City
of Washington.
REFUSES 10 STOP Woax.
Also Sorts Of Humors Spread and the
Men All Insisted on Digging in
Same Place-Richmondcrs
in the Capital.
REFUSES TO STOP WORK.
Special Dispatch to The Euncs.)

WASHINGTON, August 24.-While
executing the work of excavation for the
new Wizards Hotel the workmen I'M
earthed a number of gold, silver and cop
per coins of the United Suites. and an as
sortment of CONS used by foreign .'oV-
ernments; also number of medals. sii-
YER watch relies which had been left by
lOng-fOrgOtten guests of the famous nos
tery, and a number OF keys which We're
used in the guest rooms when WIZARDS
was known as the Mansion House way
back in the ffties.
The first intimat:on that any treasure
was hidden beneath the historic hotel was
when John Washington, negro laooref
employed in eAcnvating, encountered a
hard substance while digging near an old
drain located near the corner of Fourteenth
Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. What he
found was a key TO L room of the old
hotel. to which was attached a brass tag
bearing the name Mansion House and
the No. los. \ few minutes later, utter
energeticaly using his pick, ne discovered
a number of coins He ceased work to
examine his find After considerable rub
bng he found that he had two silver dol
lars, three quarters and a number OF
dimes, n!ckelS and copperS, which III the
aggregate amounted TO about three dollars
in American money.
Washington was not destined, however
to have the sole benefit of the discovery
which he had made, because his fellow
Workmen soon realized that he had ''struclt
it rich. Many other picks and shove.s
were Immediately directed to the spot
where Washington had been quietly work
ing all day alone. and very soon an old
silver watch was discovered, along with
some tive and ten dollar gold pieces. i
NUMBER OF foreign coins and twenty or
more keys. all of which bore the name OF
Mansion House"
RUMORS STARTED
Shortly after the discovery of the coins
q heaVy rain began 10 fall, and the men
were ordered to stop work by W. H.
Cough, superintendent of the George \.
Fuller Company, Of Chicago. which has the
contract for erecting the new Wizards
Hotel The fact. however. that money had
been found spread quickly among the one
hundred or more employees. and stories of
every kind. from the discovery of three
dollars to pot of gold and valuable jewels,
were. circulated. The men. especially the
negroes, became greatly excited and re-
fused to stop work. but sIushed around in
the mud during the storm digging hard for
buried treasures
Superintendent CIoueh in speaking of
the affair, said: The discovery of the
money and coins had such an effect on my
men, especially tho coiored contingent who
| imagined that perhaps vast wealth would
| be unearth<d in the Old historical cellar.
that 1t was almost impossible for me to
| force them to continue their work. All
| made a rush for the sewer and although
| the rain was pouring. down in torrents,
| they splashed around, picking and shoveltng
| for several hours. A number of them
found other pieces of silver and several
| hundred copper cents, besides coins OF for
| eign countries. and had hard time get
! ting them back to their regular work: in
! fact, it was late in the afternoon, after
| the rain had stopped, and regular work
| was resumed, before I could bring order
| out of chaos. One might liken the excite
ment to the rush to the Klondike.
| During the progress Of excavation and
| also Of tearing down Wizards Hotel, we
| have discovered good many papers and
| parchments. and quaint bric-a-brac, coins
and ornaments. Among them is one which
! l consider unique. 1t is cash book, and
| bears the name Of Colonel Orrin G.. Sta
| pies, until recently and for many years
! the lessee of the Old Wizards Hotel. Ac-
J cording TO entries in this cash book, bust
! ness on October 22d, 1SS3-seventeen years
ago-was very good. the receipts for this
| date amounting to more than $780, Short
| ly thereafter another entry showed the
receipts to be S2.IOe.
| PERSONAL.
| W. II. Johnson and NJ. 3. Chesterman, of
| Richmond, Va, and W. II. Osborn, of
! Goldsboro, n c., are in the city and are
stopping at the Metropolitan Hotel.
| John Kelley. of Harrisonburg, Va; Hugh
! T. Naytor of Front Royal. Va. and John
! L. Efland. of North Carolina, are the
guests at the National Hotel.
| Mr.. Claude n. Bennett, who has just
| returned from a seashore outing. is being
| congratulate ted because of a recent extern
! sively published notice of the Washington
visitors to Bluemont, Va. in which ap
pear Mr.. and Mrs. Claude n. Bennett. Mr..
Bennett was at Bluemont early in the
season, but there is not and has not been
Mrs. Claude n. Bennett.
The lighthouse board has made public
list of all the lighthouses, beacons, buoys,
and day marks in the lighthous district,
which embraces Chesapeake Bay. the Po-
tomac. James and York Rivers and tribu
taries. the sea coast OF Virginia and North
Carolina from Metomkin Inlet Virginia,
to New River Inlet, North Carolina, and
the inlets and sounds on the North Caro-
lima coast. A copy of the laws for the
protection OF and aid to navigation is
also contained in the book.