The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-12-27

been coming here for generations before
the French traders established a post
Two generations Of Vincsnn,s settlers
had been regular visitors at French Lick
springs NJ the time Of the declaration Of
independence. and many Of their descend
ants. now in the fifth generation. stiIl
come here. The springs were shown on
the charts ~ the Frerch government.
published half 2 century before the coun-
try was acquired by the United states.
Al the time ~ tho acquisition the springs
were 50 we'll known that jefferson wrote
about them and congress made n reser.
walton OF the tract OF land containing
them.
when the United States acquired the
country a saline reservation was rnade Of
me trtct ~ land containing French Lick.
during the war Of Isle the government
Manufactured salt al the Lick. Many cid
Nisltnrs stun remember the evaporated
uo'ts mich remained ON the ground I'M
W is4" = few remember the old French
lott ana the apple trees which the traders
Lad planted.
n I'D cNi Sress ordered fhe sale of this
same reservation. and Dr. William 4
b"Wlcs- who ~ a member Of the le-,sla-
tNrc nad proc lred III. passage 81 n ioln,
resolution 70 congress requesting the sale
\, w reservation. purchased the tract
~ what now constitutes French 49,
and West Baden. The latter a., !
lost on execution sale years later IT,
purchaser later developed the IVES, ~
zen springs. DR.. EowlrS 7rectad So
ahu entertained guests from all over ,ha
eolnuv- lie leased tho hotel TO various
parties. '"fious
ahs MOTEL was a large. plain frame
building. standing AZ tho FOO, ~ ~ Nh,
on which had been erected tbe ola Era. -
Tort many wears before. II conf, a.,,.
y. reached ny stage from oriaa,g
Niltch"ll or Shoals. they being the noar-
est railroad stations
~ f'o"les resumed the Management NJ
- pia'r ana Y 1864 he rented IL 10 Or
samuel Ryan for fifteen years. ana M
der DIR. Rvan's management, ! ro-. ~
pulse was given to the business ara
hhch Improvement was made. A. ,ha
ehh of that time IL was manared ~ ~
DOVES estate for one year. and In reso
II. ,'san. = NJ Andrews and IT. T.. Wells
u.sn,Seu 'h- property. DIR. Ryan AFT
rr"ard selling his interests 10 tho o,b.r
.wo. The property IS now owned ~,
: homas Tagrart. w. ~. McDoel Jam.s
Crawford Fairbanks Hem,
lckman George T.. Dickinson OF Re1for1
md one or two Others. ~
ne Pr the traditions ~ this place Is
ne story OF the lost treasure a ,aga,1
hat has been handed down f,or 49,.
70 generation. and there are old mon 1
lsre now who repeat what their grand 4
sthers told them about II. las has baa, !
Iated. the Indians frequs3tiy attacked ,
~ french trading post. and once or !
vice the traders were drivtn awav ~ ,
Is the year or the Iepend ,ho :
ost was attacked and the traders started f.
> fast az possible toward yincennes !
with them their freasnrc-a !,
'rge barrel. hlled with gold and silver !
"a cart. to which they had /,
itched all the horses AZ their command !
loosely pressed In their rctreat. they :
AZ last compelled to abandon Tho /.
art. but they took time 10 hide fro !
ioney In the caverns that abound I'm the :,
Ills. The traders were overtaken by the !,
Indians before they reached Vinc.nnas y
nd all were killed. The hidden treas =
re has never been found. though IN The !
arly days. under the American govern n
lent. men spent their lives hunting for a
There are many old characters In tho
Ills who come to French Lick and try 10
INST some visitor In a search for tho
money. n
as the resort Of some of tho most noted !,
EN- Of Indiana and other states. An ola N
bears on its pages the names NJ =,
overnor Willard, Governor Whitcomb <,
overnor Morton. Governor Trendricks -
ovcrnor Williams. Governor ITovov !,
idge Gresham. Senator's voorhees,. Me- ~
onald. Turpie and many others. Carter ~
the elder mayor ~ ch,caya -
as a frequent visitor here. and since bia =.
nth Carter Harrison. the younger. aIso -,
or Chicago. has visited haro
here IL not a man OF prominence ~ !"
diana for the last seventy liz yoar. |"
Z. az some time. has been a CUES, \, ~
'ench Lick springs. Recently Richard ~
'oker and q large party " New York ~
'mmany hall leaders sought the hene- ~
81 the French Lick springs. senator ~
irpie, with but one exception. has been "
regular visitor for forty years. GA