The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-30
Prairie Treasure
=. Hunters =.

yer. The disease is of more OF
less periodic occurrence but the attack
this season has been aggravated by
the finding, reported or otherwise, Of
several small lots Of treasure in un-
suspected places.
Whole communities have gone treas
uTe mad and are going about the busi-
ness of recovering the lost fortunes in
systematic manner. A number OF
men viii form themselves into CONF
pany, agreeing To share the sp0iis. and
VIII then divide the suspected territory
into lands, and assign day and night
shifts of diggers. This Is kept up UNI
iii the treasure Is found or the enthu-
siasm AND muscle of the digsers is eX-
haHzted.
Kansas and Oklahoma have stories
OF buried riches that rival the tales of
the wealth of Captain Kidd. some Of
the stories. it Dis asserted, have their
origin in Aztec legends. while more of
them are based ou the alleged iufOr-
nation given by dying fOrty-uiners
who 10 save their wealth from pursu-
ing Indians hid it in the ground. hop
ing at some future time to return and
recover &C..
1t is said. too. that train robbers
when hard pressed by their pursuers
often buried their booty, expecting to
return in time and divide it. For
years the Dalton boys, the most IA
NOUS of Kansas train robbers. made
points in the Indian Territory their
rendezvous. Those points are the cen
ter of one phase of the treasure hunt
ing industry.
Nothing has C-sr been found near
them and Emmett Dalton. the survivor
of the gang, now in the Kansas state
penitenttary, denies that anything was
sIf
The searchers continue TO soar while
their spades 90 deep into the prairie.
The most sought after treasure of
Kansas is the so-called Indian gold
which. il is said was buried I'm 1886 by
party OF freiEhters bound from the
gold mines of Mexico 20 the trading
post at Fort LeaVenWOrth. The treas
ure amounted to $4,000 in Spanish gold.
Before leaving New Mexico IL was
discovered that a small party of In
dams was following the wagon train.
One July night when the train was
passing along the banks of the Big
Arkansas river, through what is now
hearney county IL was seen that the
Indians were preparing 90 attack. The
wagons were immediately packed and
q council of war held.
The camp was midway between
where the towns of Lakin and Hart
west Of Garden City. On the north
rose the peak OF the Indian Mound, a
curious formation of the river bIuffs,
which isl often asserted 20 be a relic
of the Mound Builders. Equally ris-
taut on the south Was the Arkansas
river.
Within the Ou-intrenched camp
was the leafless trunk of "Old Cotton
wood, a huge tree, the only one with
HH- b
but which sim served as a landmark
FOR every one who passed along the
santa Fe trail. The moon was almost
fun and by its light incredibly brilliant
on the western plains the Indians could
be seen making their preparations. At
midnight. just where the shadow of the
old tree fell, the treasure was buried.
For some reason the Indians failed
20 attack that night and the next day
the train moved forward with its
dogged pursuers just visible. Three
days later when Pawuee Rock was
reached, the attack was made.
only one man survived it, Weeks
later. raVing with the horrors he had
undergone, he staggered into Fort
LeaveuW0Tth I'm the intervals of his
dGlirium before he died he told his
story
The next year am effort was made to
had finished its work and not even
stump remained of ''OId Cottonwood. %
The buffalo grass was thick over the
place The treasure was never found
unless the Indians, returning. uncOV-
cred it and took 10 away with them.
The entire country between the In
dian Mound and the river for miles i'm
either direction has been ddug over re-
peatedly- The land has changed hans
ways lnsisJe uDOn that q certain pro-
portion OF the treasure. il il is recov-
cred, shall revert 10 the original holder.
Eastern Kansas has a buried treas
ure that is even more euticiug than
the Indian gold of the west. for while
IL is not so large, yet its origin is so
recent and SO certain that success in
finding IL seems almost assured
Two miles siuth of East Atchlson is I
the Hutson farm of 200 acres. Tt was
owned by Isaac HulSOn who died In
1879. He was in "a long time but ex-
pected TO recover.
When he realized that death was
Inevitable be called his family around
him and told them of having buried
$50 eco in gold i'm am iron kettle with a
marble slab from the top of a wash
stand as a cover lie did not tell ex-
sctly where the money was buried, but
said that whoever ploughed deepest +
would find it
The land passed Iuto the hands of his
brother. Peter Hutson. Who would new
Pr allow a search to be made for the
money. AT his death, short time ago, .
the farm went to his son. VIII Huts0n. /
but he. too has never attempted TO
find the treasure He says that he can
locate DO within q zone Of forty acres +
and that some day he VIII recover il. 4
The buried treasure of Northern kan
sas has with Dc q eTuesoule touch that .
not even am Indian massacre can .
equal III is related that a party of
gold seekers were crossing
.he plains OF Northern Kansas. each .
man with his dust safely slowed away
r "a belt around his body. when one
lf the number was attacked with small I
loE and died almost immediately Too f
fearful of the disease To- touch the body (
Ions enough 20 remove the treasure /
belt the remaining men hurriedlv 7.
scooHed out a deep grave on the prairie /
ana with long poles pushed their com (
1anIou's body into 10 ana. nuiug 10
lr. hastened on without leaving a sim
gle thing 90 mark the spot.
Since that time many persons. their f
eupldlty overcoming their fear Of in- +
lection, have endeaFOred TO locate the /
unmarked grave. but their efforts have
been fruiuess and the dead miners +
precious dust is stiH his own
okiahoma's interest Gan buried treas I
IRE received a tremendous impetus this
spring by the reported end OF $4,000
near the town of kildare and bv the
further alleged discovery Of 500 600 by
B Mexican near Musk0gee. j. r.. be-
uaan -aWHE and Ela-rars -H--.-L.-