New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-14
A, SUNKEN TREASURE.
SOMEWHERE BENEATH THE WATERS
OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

SOMEWHERE BENEATH THE WATERS
OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.
WATERFOWL n. Y, Sept lS,-somewhele 49, ~
tho mouth Of Chippewa Creek. hidden oenealh Tue
le,;,c bl,e Of the River St. Lawrence there ie9'
several kegs of gold and silver Right III 'iie -
of the portion of the majestic river "heIe ' -
MGR visitors colonize. the buried treasure ia"
for fourscore and ten years. undisturpeo pei maps
for the reason that those who were acquf1i
-. ..o+s have hoped to the ones 10 secure INC
fortune without the necessity OF a olEiSioii, W "a
efforts have so far been unsuccessful anu ''ie s.
rests where 1t was dropped overheard ps 'iie ~
can natriot Samuel Patterson In 'he wa
1872 The incidents surrounding the deposit Oh .La
.arure there constitute of the most eAcllliis
naees of the history of the river WHICH, ual NV,
che earlv DAYS of the country, was most Ploliti "
stirring events and the tale here given Is as nos
been handed down to the descendants Oh 'iie pii
c;nal actor the little tragedy. 49,
some time before the War Of lsl2 Samuel Fat'er
con an American of the old English STOCK NOV
across the ST. Lawrence River and settieo WIN "9
wife and three children upon farm near kingston,
Ontario Here for number OF years tneS ~
so-+.b1, and happily Mt. Patterson. being an
energetic and industrious man. soon acquired "Ha'
was in those days considered Hloaeia'e i
When the second with Great Britain pioAe 80
NJ Pattersons sympathy was with ms nai,
UNITY hut his location and care OF MS laiiiiis
-I,5 hin, 70 remain silent. Then the f1nsHsi
authorities began enlisting the canaolahs anu IN
isns and upon being approached fa"e % -.
Lived 40 ioin them An effort 10 conlpel lam
n+o- the ranks OF the British army leo 10 ti,o
a;rco,,ery mat he an American c1tHei' anu ~
o-.,- was promptly conhscated- taxing NE
family Patterson fed from his home Jus. III IN,
escape being impressed into service g.
-, s,oont he embarked with his wife and chill
5-en and after q long and perilous NoSese "
ho,,eb+ them into Chippewa Bay, where on the
80 ~ a small creek he built rude house lor
their habitaton. ,..,oa
eo-,;,- under what he deemed TO be ln1ustce
and oppression. Patterson resolved 10
.,tb the British and for that purpose ne organ
80 small hand Of free lances as brave anu
daring as himself and from time to TIME ny
-,ade ouick sallies across the rlFel' 'eOui
horses supplies and whatever they coulo laS ~
honde on that belonged the British army lhese
-,o-,. we're a great annoyance to the CANADIAN
o,+nosts and In order to check them the govern
mont offered a reward for patterson
dsad or alive This did not daunt the ua't.9
notr,ot for ne met the hunters who were on ms
+-.i, with 2 cunning greater than could De ploue'
.i-s- hin, often TO their discontinue, ana 10 tiie
Indians who stalked him through the ioreSt ~
showed a knowledge Of woodcrait equai u .
80 md escaped every time. Often when Mrs,
Patterson sat alone in her home she was s'a W.
= +ba annearance of a hideous painted lace at
the window but the price was on her huSoaiiu 60
she was not molested Patterson colitiiiNeu '
.Xnedirions as before. but observed NIUE iloi'
/ After
from behind trees his friends tried TO persu@ue
hin, ~ forego his daring for a while ana at
length won from him the promise that ai.ei o
more expedition. which he said would De MS 'aS''
he would go hiding for the sake OF ms lamp
Accordingly plans were laid, and one crisp du-
SUNNI night a party consisting OF Patterson, mis-
brother Ned" and two others, started OUT OF lie
bay in skif They pulled around the thipPe"h
Point where they landed and built a llre' lite"1
ing TO wait there until the moon should go down
.,,ri,ac ton neg
the fire had died out the other men lay down
TO get few hours sleep. while Patterson s'afleu
through the trees toward the other side OF the
point 10 reconnoitre. He had lain in the bushes
near the shore only short time when he hearu the
cautious dip of an oar and peering out he dis
covered a boat containing three men creeping up
along the shore. His first thought was that they
were British soldiers who had detected their nre
and were looking UP their camp. He WlthdTe"
little further into the brush and awaited develop
uents. The men rowed along until they alsc fh
bow Of their boat Drawing it up they carefully
! concealed 1t with the overhangng limbs ana ana
up short distance until they were hidden III
ciumP Of trees when they halted a aRa them
selves By creeping near; Patterson was ape 10
little surprised to learn that they were bank rob
bers. who were even then escaping with large
city of kingston. To think was to act with Pat,
and he edged n s~ Goat from Re ehe f. he
found, carefully covered in the bottom. several
ET See got tim in and drted out OF eashot when
he took up the oars and pulled tor the mouth or
the creek. He found a place suited 10 ms needs
sunk and then roWed back,
beached his boat and went to AWAKEN MS com
rades They then embarked in their sklf and
started for the Canadian shore patterson lfslsted
on rowing, although urged by MS companions. 10
lie down in the boat and not incur needless FISK:
The other three Law in bottom of the boat, and
while their leader tugged away al !le oars ne
BIZ saying: Boys. when get back tonight III
show you where / put the stuff and Wen whack
up" x,,. f. 49,
The night was particularly favorable for their
venture: the had gone down ana the SKY ana
river were black and impenetrable Patterson
knew every foot of the river, however. ana they
were feeling particularly safe and oVlai over their
fayorfng fortune and prospects. 1hey nad passed
the centre of the river ard Patterson was pulling
vigorously the with perhaps less care IMAM
stiffness and the oarsnan fell back with bullet
through his heart That one lone rife shot In the
dead of the night was all that they heard or the
enemy hut that one shot had done Its Work, ana
Samuel Patterson's last raid had. lnoeeo peen
made His COMPANIONS lay still in the boat until
81 had drifted out of danger: when Ihey InanneG
the oars and started back home lhey reachea
Chippewa Raw about daylight bringing the body OF
their leader home to his family; ms deatl Was
kept as secret as possible. ana ne was DuIieu
hurriedly. that no one "ouiu o'0ot '--0 N' ~
claim the reward
His companions then began to search Tor tne mo-
den gold and for many a day they aug In the
banks OF the creek dredged the river potion ana
explored the bay. without success anu II oin lidt
day TO this n is not known to have been found a
stock COMPANY was formed at one time 20 MAKE a
systematic search but they succeeded Only IN SINK
ing little more treasure into the black ooZe OF
the bottom of the bay. Many theories are edvahceo
as 10 tbe nossible hiding places which Patterson
rloi-,c