Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-11-20
MINING STEEL RAILS.
TREASURE BURIED in RIVER BED
FOR YEARS RECOVERED.
Were Bought in England Before the
War and Intended for Southern
Road - Fortune for Lucky
Finder of Property.

Liberty, Tex.-Mining for steel
rails is a new industry, but 1T is be-
ing carried on profitably at Liberty.
Forty-six years ago 10000 tons OF
steel rails wer purchased in England
by syndicate of wealthy planters OF
this section and number of New
Workers associated with them in
railroad proposition up the valley OF
the Trinity river.
The rails were paid for and brought
TO Galveston by water and shipped
UP the Trinity river by barges. They
we're unloaded Just below the town
and piled on the low bank of the
river. The civil war came on and the
project was abandoned. The members
of the company were either killed In
the war or lost their property or were
scattered until not one of them has
been heard of for more than quarter
of century.
A big flood in the river occurred q
few months after the rails had been
piled upon its banks and were covered
with heavy deposit Of sand. The
fact that the rails existed finally be-
came dim memory in the minds OF
the older residents of Liberty and OF
late years the story Of the disastrous
project has been mere legend.
The river shifted several hundred
yards during the years and more than
80 feet of sand and soil had been de-
posted upon the rails, leaving no
trace whatever OF them.
It was left to T. e. Nichols, OF Hous-
ton, to bring these rails to the light
of day Several months ago he was
In Liberty on business visit when he
CHANGED to meet an old negro who
was a slave when the valuable cargo
was brought over and who was en-
ployed In unloading the barges He
told Mr.. Nichols the story of the
abandoned railroad and said that the
rails were buried under many feet
Of sand, but he believed he knew the
spot where they could be found.
Nichols made q quiet investigation
and found that the story of the lost
rails was true. He could find no
claimants to the property and he
made proposition to the town Of
Liberty that If they would grant him
the franchise to recover the rails he
would give the town one dollar from
every $40 he mined and sold. His
proposition was eagerly accepted. No
one thought he would be able to locate
the rails.
Under the guidance Of the old ne
gro Mr.. Nichols began prospecting for
the hidden wealth. He used ground
augers in boring test holes. He bored
81 of these holes before he found the
rails. They lay IS feet beneath the
surface and the same distance from
the present channel of the river.
The discovery of the rails was but
the beginning of the labor of recover.
ing them. The sand was difficult to
handle, and when the excavation had
reached point near the rails the
water from the river broke through
and pumps had to be employed to
clear the hole.
The piles of rails have finally been
uncovered and they are now being
taken out at rapid rate. The rails
arc "a feet in length and Of quality
of steel superior to that now used,
1t is claimed. AS an evidence of this
Mr.. Nichols has accepted a bid of
33S ton for the rails from a big
American steel plant.
At this price the rails will bring
Mr.. Nichols fortune of $380,00O, less
about $4,000 which he will have ex-
pended in locating the property and
removing them and an additional $10,-
900 to be paid to the town Of Liberty.
The purchasers will bear all cost of
loading and shipping the rails, which
experts say are in fine condition and
evidence no injurious effect from the
long burial.
GIRL TO STUDY APE IN CONGO,