The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-12-28

1 >,
eagles and double eagles. sent from
ST. Louis seyenty-fve and 100 years
ago 10 pay the Sac and Fox Indians
for the lands which they had ceded
! TO the United States, millions upon
millions of acres, and 70 pay the
! United States troops under command
! OF Col. Zachary Taylor, subsequently
! President of the United States, at
! Fort McKay during the famous Black
| Hawk War
The belief that this golden treasure
! lies buried in various parts OF the
State OF Iowa has led hundreds OF
persons 10 dig industriously for more
than half a century. The discovery
within the last fortnight Of S45 900
in gold in one part OF the State and
map giving the whereabouts Of
$4,000 OF Black Hawks fortune in
another, SAYS the St. Louis Globe
Democrat, has set hundreds all over
the State TO searching the records
and digging the ground. After
lapse OF century the fortune, for
the first time, now seems about to
be discovered
That gold by the thousands OF dol
lars, aggregating far more than
500, 900, was sent from st. Louis TO
the Northern Indians, both before
and after the Black Hawk War in
1892, is undeniable.
In 1904, as a result OF the treaty
negotiated in st. Louis by William
Henry Harrison with i've Sac and
Fox chiefs, an annuity Of $1,000 was
granted TO the tribe, and was paid
for more than a quarter Of a century
In 1890 no less than $4,000 was
sent from st. Louis to Col Zachary
Taylor at Fort Mckay, Iowa, to pay
the regular soldiers whose presence
was necessary in the Territory of
Iowa because of Black Hawk and his
anticipated outbreak. That fortune
in gold was buried by Zachary Tay-
lor's command, and the men who
knew of its whereabouts were killed !
by the Indians.
In 1892, following the Black Hawk !
War, treaty was made with Keokuk !
and other Sac and Fox chiefs by Win |
field Scott and Gov. Reynolds OF H. |
lnois, by which the Indians were |
given a lump sum of $4,000 and |
an annuity OF $4,000 for thirty |
years. Aside from buying whisky |
and rifles. the Indians had no way
to spend the money.
A dozen other instances might be |
cited of money sent into Iowa Terri |
tory to pay red men and white that !
has mysteriously disappeared. Just |
within the last few days have the first !
traces been found Of il. Iowa has
gold mines which the plow OF the |
farmer may turn up any day, bring
ing fortune To the lucky man.
Frank Blint owns a farm in the
heart of what half a century or more
ago was the famous half-breed tract !
Deciding to deepen a cistcrn which !
had been on the promises for many
years he went industriously TO work |
with pick and shovel Hardly had
he turned up a dozen shovcltuls of
the long undisturbed earth when his
shovel rang on metal. \ few min
utes work disclosed an old iron pot.
Digging it loose and bringing it to
golden stream which poured folt tn
Exactly $4,000 in gold eagles and
double eagles was the fortune he had
unearthcd. 1t could have come from
no other source than some family OF
wealthy half-breeds, unable to spend
their generous patrimonv.
The same week in which this por-
Of hn W.
cred clues were found To another
portion undoubtedly buried not fifty
miles away near where Black Hawk
and his companions spent their last
days after the disastrous close of the
rebellion and their journey down
the Mississippi to Jefterso. barracks
and then, in charge of Jefferson
Davis, across 10 Washington and
New York.
Tearing down the old Bonnifield
log cabin, near Fairfield. one of the
oldest buildings in the oldest part of
! the State, the workers found an ink
horn and quill case. resembling much
! in appearance a razor case, and
musty old pocketbook which con-
tanned newspaper clipping bearing
the date June 25, 1928, and letter.
The last two were SO faded that a
magnifying glass was necessary TO
read them. and even then parts OF
the letter were beyond deciphering.
The paper is yellow and torn where
IL had been folded and the ink with
which the letter was written is badly
faded. AS nearly as il can be made
out the letter runs in this manner:
Frisco, June 21.-My Dear Will
li.m: wagon, had lots OF
time to think money which
Is buried near the old Bonnifeld
house. You know what | am, found
out from Black Hawk
over from Illinois | looked
but never thought until | nearly got