Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-14

letter is like the letter itself, yellow
and faded with age. AS far as it is
traceable 1t presents the diagram de.
scribed as follows: From the locaF
shown of the house, line is re-
sented as running 400 feet to the SOUTH
east diagonal to the house. Another
line is represented as running due
east From stump north of this li1ie,
a line runs due south to tree. At the
crossing of the north and south and
east and west lines is the letter A. Be,
tween the three lines mentioned tri-
angle is formed, and it is evidently the
opinion of the writer that the money
is buried at a point marked x, being
the center Of this triangle, while the
previous attempts at locating the
treasure had been made at the inte.'
section of the lines marked in the
map A.
Has Long Been Rumored.
The existence of buried treasure
near Glendale has long been rumored
among the older residents of that part
of the county.
A few years ago a man named ]. K.
Pierce made many attempts to locate
such treasure trove upon large
farm, known as the Millspaugh farm,
about four or five miles northeast Of
the Bonnifield cabin. The part of the
farm which he prospected was that ly-t
ing along the side of Skunk river
The tradition is weird one, but
well bears out the language of the let
ter. 1t is said that Blackhawk sold a
large amount of land to the govern
ment, and that returning with the mon
ey gave it to three Indians to bury
| Soon after this great tribal battle oc-
Cured in which all three of the In
dams were killed. With them was
supposed to have died the secret Of
the location of the treasure trove. But
from the letter it appears that at least
one Indian was not killed, to whom,
approximately at least, the location
was known
Remembers Case.
w. B. Bonniield, when questioned
concerning the matter, stated that he
had no doubt but that the letter was
addressed to his brother William, and
that while he did not recall any def
nitet memory of the treasure matter,
he had a vague recollection of some
thing concerning it. A case for two
quill pens and an ink we'll also found
in the ruins he remembered we'll as
having belonged to his father, Rhod-
ham Bonnif1eld, the pioneer.
The clipping in the purse was from
the philadelphia Souvenir dated
June %, 1928. The receipt was for old
settler bitters.
Was Notable Event.
Even aside from the finding of the
purse the moving of the cabin was
notable event Twelve loads of the
logs and material were taken to Fair
field. The men named below were the
ones who attended to the moving of
the house The first load to be taken
was hauled by a team Of oxen, "Rock"
and Paddy" driven by William Coop,
4 the first white child born in Jefferson
county, whose picture with that of his
oxen, appears in connection with this
article.
Following this came eleven teams.
Those who off1ciated in the moving
were: Eli Blough, X Nady. Alex
Daub, Perry Hickenbottom, Charles
Cummings, George Cummings, George
Gibson, William King, F. L. Liblin,
Nell Blough, Clarence Blough, Charles
Lamson, Paul Lamson, Robert R. Mill
house, Hiram Heaton, Clarence Brady,
Charles Gage, Joe Warner, William
. Coop, Erastus Shaefer and R. w. LAM
son.
Those who assisted in the disman-
ting of the building were: Oscar Lar
son, Andrew Johnson, ]. R. Riggs,
George Parsons, Hiram Heaton, Dan
; GRADER and others. E
The cabin will be set up temporariS
on the Chautauqua grounds previous
it's erection in the permanent p.
which is to be provided for it.