The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-26

reacn tne top OF the ciin, Whefe we
found ourselves on a grassy level OF
perhaps an acre in area II was
beautiful spot. covered with treeo and
singularly free from undergrowth. The
surface sloped gently away from the
ledge, finally forming the floor Of the
dense forest in the rear.
Gibbons had told MS OF an Indian
trader named Groom who had dwelt
there in an early day and whose house
was favorite resort of Indians, trap
pers. and overland travellers for the
far west When lad, Gibbons had
often seen the great log cabin full of
strangers At last the Indians were
removed to other lands, the overland
route gradually changed to better
paths, and Groom was deserted by his
old customers One day he was found
dead, He was buried beneath his
hearthstone, and then the locality
slowly drlfted back to its primitive
condition. All that remained of the
house was tall stone chimney, near
the edge of the preclpire. BY this old
ruin stood the trunk OF what had once
been a great sugar tree.
Nothing about the place, however,
seemed to have any possible connec.
tion with the gold. The history OF
the spot gave no explanation of the
presence of coins at the base of the
ledge 80 years later. Bowen and /
examined the chimney, but found
naught save the ragged stones. The
stubby old sugar tree by II creaked
in the breeze. This forsaken acre fur.
nished no trace. at all, and we de,
scended. We did little else for sew,
eral days, except to fruitlessly investi.
gate and theorize. Strangely too, we
found no more coins, though we
watched persistently.
At the end of the week, according to
promise, Gibbons arrived. He heard
our experience with interest on only
one point, the fact that the phenom.
enon should recur after years of cessa.
ton. To our conjectures he paid llt.
tie attention.
mo use tryin'," said he skeptically
I've Investigated every nook and
Granny. Spent ten years watchin' and
pryin', OFF and on, round this old head
land, crackin' my brain over the
cause. Have sat all night and all day
more times than I'm years old, tryin
to discover the secret, and all ever
learned was TO hear the sudden jingle
OF the metal when it struck the cliff
In time Of storm and ratified down
1t wasn't thrown from the top, for
I've heard It while sitting at the foot
OF the chimney up there in broad day
light. You may study 1t till you're old
and that's all you'll ever know"
As we discussed the matter gale
began blowing. 1t grew stronger rap
Idly and was accompanied by the
rumbings Of distant thunder Huge
black clouds approached with fright
ful velocity In our location under the
| precipice, protected from the gather
ing storm, we could watch the trees
lash each other like whips
SuGdealy, as II by magic, two golC
eagles dropped straight from the
clouds overhead and rang resonantly
|
time for mistaken senses, as three o
us witnessed their descent. They
| came from the stormladen sky, M
doubt at all about IT, Then came an
other and another and following then
a shower OF coins. II seemed dozeI
or more were jingling around us,
fearful peal of thunder heralded
fresh burst of the angry elements ant
The wind ragged with the fury o
demons We heard a deafening crasl
overhead and the old chimney cam,
tumbllng In heap TO the foot of thu
cliff, the sugar tree with IT, Then tn,
velocity OF the wind began to slaekeI
the sound of crashing timber ceased
and the storm gradually subsided
When our fears We're somewhat al
layed we began to reconnoiter. Nea
the heap made by the fallen chime,
we found a distorted tube, resembling
the cutters and conductors placed a
the caves of houses. II was battered
rusty and rotten with age and con
tanned several heaping handfuls o
coins and number OF musty parct
ments and papers. On examining tn
wreckage OF the chimney we foun
that the tube had been CAREFUL
placed In chamber specially al
ranged for its reception. Two slit
had rusted in the sides OF the tin, on
few inches from the bottom and tn
other higher up II was evident tina
the heavy winds, shaking the suga
tree and the chimney. had made q
the tube nickelIn-the-slot machine
by forcing coins through the narro'
apertures. After the coins ha
worked down to the level of the higf
er slot It was eight years before tn
second and lower one rusted through
thus causing the dropping to resume
As the tube. by the weathering OF tn
chimney, lay inclined. 1t formed
sort OF shute, A coin, once slippin
through, slid along the spouting for
few inches and finally shot over tn
precipice, having the appearance G
coming from skyward.
We found papers recording the hoI
orable discharge of Malachi Groom a