The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-02-17

while on the edge Of the Atacama nitrate
desert, / heard of one Of them. The
buried treasure was located near 7Taena.
This racna treasure seems TO De fairly
well authenticated When l was there
the Chilean authorities had given per-
mission for two enterprlsing individuals
to locate II. 1t was said TO be the lost
wealth Of Senior Don Rafael Gavino de
Berries. He was a very rich landowner,
and at the time Of the war against Spain,
nearly century ago, was engaged IN
extensive operations which required large
sums In cash. He intrusted $4,000 in
gold. done up in bags, to a trustworthy
muleteer and a faithful slave. The land
transaction for some reason was not con-
summated. and the muleteer, returning
with the gold found that there was an
uprising, and that whichever side won it
would not be a good thing for SeO,OOO IN
gold to be lying around loose. 50 ne sent
the faithful slave forward on some pre-
text, and hid the gold in a deep gorge
about mile from Tacna, known as the
Devils canyon.
He reported to his employed what he
had done. When the disturbance was
ended they went to find the money. But
the muleteer had Become confused and
could not remember just where the SPOT
was. He was killed soon afterward in
one oflthe fresh disturbances. and Senor
Don Rafael Gavino de Berries never was
able to locate his gold. He was so very
rich that he did not miss it. but in one
form or another the story Of the loss
has been preserved. An American TO
whom / told the circumstances suggested
that 1t was a mistake to look in the
Devil IS canyon. The cemetery is not more
than a quarter Of mile away, and he
thought the chances were that the gold
bags were buried there. He announced
his purpose of making a quiet quest on
his own account, but / have not heard
that either he or the other treasure hunt
ers have been successful.
The Isle of Pines.
Coming nearer home, the coasts OF
Cuba TEEN with buried treasure, II the
location only could be found; for Morgan
and his pirates rendevouzed on both
sides et the island. The Isle of Pines
was a nest of pirates from the sixteenth
tions exist of the buried booty, but In
spite OF very systematic searches. no
great sums have been unearthed.
Two or three years ago Prof. Finley
of Princeton was taking photographs,
and was struck with the industry OF one
of the natives, who was digging jealous
~. Hard work of this sort is not the
rule in the Isle Of Pines, especially on
the part Of the natives. 1t may have
been on this account that Prof. Finley
was so anxious to get the photograph.
The native was equally anxious 10 es-
cape observation. It developed later that
he had found some buried Spanish gold.
The pieces were of the sixteenth century,
and would have been valuable far be-
yord their worth in bullion. But the ma
i've, III MS edBtiIltsSg lldu tllcAi. ihSiNSl
up and only obtained a, few hundred
dollars, where he might have had thou
sands. Though he did a. good deal OF
excavating there were no further finds.
Since then The Isle Of Pines has been
filled with Americans who have taken up
the quest, but they have got more out Of
tobacco and oranges than out Of gold
dug from the earth.
Along the north Of Cuba is ~the Cayo
Romano. or Roman Key. 1t was once
the spoil Of the pirates who came thith-
er from the Bahamas They were said
to have hidden much .of their wealth
there Cuban families fronirthe mainland
were also reported to haYe buried theiI
family treasures on this island reef in
periods 'of trouble with Spain. Among
this class were the ancestors Of Minister
Quesada who were not pirates. But the
mosquitoes are so bad on the key that
nobody ever had had persistence enough
to make a thorough search for, this hid
den wealth traditional, If not mythical
This prevalence of mosquitoes Is a draw.
back to. nearly all the treasure islands
The pirh ties apparently were Indifferent
I to. the personal comfort Of posterity.-
Charles M. Pepper in Washington Star,