Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-08-30
Mt PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1901.
THE IRooUoIs SILVER.
Ingot Found at Bristol May be Indian
Hidden Treasure.

F1luuen treasure
While locating ginseng beds at the
base of South Mountain in Bristol a
few days ago Randolph Mead, a Bos-
ton root hunter, came across an oddly
shaped ingot of metal, having the APP
pearance of tin, says a writer to the
New York World. He took it to a
jeweler who tested the bar and found
it to be silver, very fine. 1t weighed
seventeen ounces. When it was learn
ed that Mead had found the ingot
about a hundred yards south of
Money Diggers' Caves" public inter-
est was instantly aroused, and it seems
likely that the lost treasure fever"
that struck that section of the state
IS years ago may break out again.
Mead's find, which seems to be bono
fide brings up once more Vermont's
oldest and most remarkable Indian
tradition and adds another chapter to
a mystery of buried wealth that has
never been solved The story is that
at the time the Algonquin Indians
were driven from the valley of otter
Creek by the Iroquois they deserted
their treasure vault wherein was con-
cealed tons of precious metal, and es-
capped to the Connecticut Valley, never
to return.
The Algonquins were known to own
considerable silver, as they brought
rough bars to the village of Boston to
trade for beads and ribbons. A Span
ish pioneer named De Graw and his
12-year-old son, believing that the
metal must be exceedingly plentiful
in the Algonquins' hunting grounds,
set out to find it just at the time the
Iroquois were preparing to invade the
valley. What followed was told years
later by the son when, bent with
years, he returned to renew his quest
While no one here had ever heard of
the treasure until the Spaniard relat-
ed the tale, certain historical facts
have since borne out parts fthe nara
tive. SO firmly was the story believed
at one time that an incorporated COM
pany sunk several shafts and upwards
of 100000 in a vain search for the
treasure vault.
1t was nearly one hundred years ago
when Bristol was called Pocock and
bears and wolves roamed in the noun
tains round the village that De Graw
put in an appearance. He hobbled
across the common one day and enter
provisions. He got away before the
Yankee storekeeper could ascertain
his business. Several months later
Squire Elijah Jenkins heard that the
old man was digging among the rocks
and caves at the foot of the South
Mountain on his own timber land and
he determined to investigate.
. Accompanied by the entire male popu-
lation of Pocock, the Squire started out
after the Spaniard. The old man was
found pegging away at the entrance to
one of the caves and labyrinth of pas
sageways that led into the base of the
mountain at the foot of high preci-
pice. The Spaniard had built a cabin
at the mouth of the main cave and had
barricaded the other openings with
logs. After giving his name as De
Graw the Spaniard said that at the
breaking out of the Irroquois-Algon-
quin war he and his father were en-
camped at what is now New Haven
four miles due west of the caves.
Their first intimation of hostilities was
obtained from the fleeing Algonquins,
who told the adventures that at that
moment the Iroquois were but a
nights sleep from their camp.
Al daylight father ana son, DelleV-
ing that the Indians would be likely to
keep to the valley, turned east toward
the mountains. They had proceeded
less than two miles when the war
hoops of the Iroquois scouts warned
them their trail had been discovered
Flight was their only hope and, taking
advantage of a small brook that came
from the direction of the caves, both
jumped in and waded as fast as they
could in an endeavor to throw the In
dams off the trail. They had reached
the boulders at the foot of the preci-
pice when the Indians came up to the
point where they had taken to the
water and began circling.
The fugitives had about given up
hope when the elder De Graw slipped
on the wet stones and fell headlong on
the bank. Lying half stunned with
his head close to the top of fallen
spruce tree, he discerned under the
brush a well-like opening large enough
to admit mans body. A second look
convinced him that the bottom was
not far below, and he dropped down.
His son followed him and De Graw
saw that a passageway led from the
base of the well toward the mountain.