The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-02-22
DISCOUNTS
ARABIAN
NIGHTS
Strange Story Told in
Salem
Enchanted Cavern and Untold
Wealth,
GriSly Bones and Diamond
Studded Crown.

thrilling creations OF the famed MUNICH
ausen, is now the topic of conversation
Of many people in stsid and conservative
Salem. Thrice repeated dreams, pirate
kings, untold store Of golden treasure,
grisly guardian skeletons, and golden
crown studded with diamonds of iabul
GUS value make fantastic melange
sufficient to turn the brain of a Poe or
Dante.
The tale is told by no less a person
than w. l.. Long, at present engaged in
perfecting and bringing into active
operation a new method of extracting
gold values from ores, and as no less than
twenty seven residents of Salem are Ii
rectly interested in the treasure trove
THE JOURNAL gives the remarkable story
as told by Long in its entirety and for
just what is worth.
A number of years ago, Long
claims he had vision in which it was
revealed to him that in certain place
in the state of Oregon a wonderful
treasure was concealed in cave where
it had lain unsupported and undlsturbed
fjr many long year. The treasure, so
he was informed, had been collected by
pirates during the course Of many wild
and bloodstaned years and, though for
what reason he was not informed, had
been buried in the described place
whence it could only be recovered by the
true descendants Of those from whom il
had been so wrongly flched. There
were, he gathered, at present ninety Of
these descendants living, and only by
the acquiescence of thirty of these per-
sons could the cave ever be entered, as
Immediately inside the door lay three
gigantic skeletons whose bones none
might pass.
The first and the second time this
peculiar dream came TO him, says Long,
he took no notice OF it, deeming it only
one Of the strange vagaries of our un-
concious hours but the third visitation
convinced his doubling mind that he
was in touch with one of the great
mysteries OF life. This was slightly over
two years ago and since that time he
has wandered by hill and dale, by
mountain and by plain in earnest search
Tor the cave OF his desire, cessing only
from his quest to provide the necs' saries
OF life for his wife and chill 'ren.
Many weary mile he traversed, and
many fancied resemblance to the spot
limned in his vi ion caused his heart TO
bound with the joy OF anticipated
triumph, only to sink again when a
closer examination convinced him that
once again he had been deceiveduntil
one autumn when in secluded corner
of Oregon he found the goal Of all his
hope.
There was the door Of stone, covered
now by olinRing moss and lichen, there
we're the four giant pines growing tall
md sturdy above the face Of the cliff,
ust as they had appeared in his dream.
md a sigh of relief burst from his breast
Is he realized that at last the goal was
Won.
With the assistance OF his faithful
wife, the companion Of all his wander
ngs, he prled back the rocky barrier to
lis entrance and discovered a tunnel.
ike opening into what would have
eemed to the casual observer the solid
ace OF the cliff. Rendered somewhat
autious as he was by the recollection Of
lis dream he hesitated to enter but
trained his eyes to discover the shapes
+ grisly horror which he well knew lay
nst beyond where light and darkness
oined.
His fears overcoming him and his wife,
lho steAdiastly maintains that she WAS
nth him, being unwilling for him 10 en-
Ounter the unknown perils Of the cave,
q secured a long pole to which he fact
ned lighted candle and inserted it
through the aperture. As the 4ickering
anne OF the candle steadied the first
hing he saw was the bones of three
liant men none OF whom could have been
Iben alive less than nine feet in height
ying oross.wise in the narrow passage.
tifling his terror, however, he looked
eyond a d saw a small cave filled with
sssels OF antique design each Of which
'as heaped high with bars Of massy gold
'ut the object which caught and held his
ager glance WAS beautiful seyen-pOiI .
ed crown Of the purest metal in which 1
vas embedded seven glorious diamonds
{ purest ray which sparkled in the sub
ued light like eyes Of living fire.
Then, says Long, his good resolutions
anished and he resolved that the treat
ire should bs his and his alone. With.
ut the delay Of a moment he endeAy-
red 70 enter, bat found that when be
anne 10 the dead mems bones he was
topped by an impossible but invisible
vail. lie tried and tried again TO pass
he grinning skulls which guarded the
TeasuIe, but his utmost efforts we're II
20 avail. Unwilling 20 leave any eEpe-
lent untried he fastened hook 10 his
,ole and attempted 10 pull out the
,roWn alone, but as soon as his instru-
ment touched the malic diadem the
light was eTtinguished aud the pole
iashed from bis eager hand.
For three days he psrseyered IN biz
attempts but could not pass the in