The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-24
sY RICHARD sPlLLANE.

NO story or buried treasure the
world ever has had has appealed more !
held first place more securely h that
of the plumber OF Captain Kidd. For
more than two centuries the search for
the gold and the Jewels the pirate sent
ashore when he felt that his career
on sea was nearly ended has been going
on. Hardly q bit OF land, from the
Virginia capes to the st. Lawrence's
mouth. that Kidd'e name has been con-
nected with but has been gon over.
How many expeditions Gardner's island
has had is hard to say, but for 100
Years neve a year went by without
visiting there. Block island, Narragan-
sett bay points, the Delaware bay coun-
try n Chesapeake districts have been
ripped and torn by pick n spade at
various times by men h nave be-
lieved they were about to solve the
immensely rich. Staid Boston and Cen
tral park, New York, nave been torn
up in various places at various times
by treasure seekers.
A Treasure Find.
Strange how this buried treasure
belief holds sway. On an island in
Long Island ound a few years ago
some boys from the New Haven Y. NJ.
e. a. had a summer camp. One day
the lads found an old, weather stained,
badly faded chart, which, with much
difficulty, they deciphered. 1t bore the
name of William Kidd and a date way
back in the seventeenth century. BY
this chart 1t was plain that the pirates
treasure was buried on the very island
upon which the boys were camped. The
lines on the char were faint, and the
writing was queer indeed, but the boys
somehow made out that by measuring
SO many fathoms from such a point
and so many fathoms from another and
so many fathoms from still another
point they would n the spot wherein
to start to dig.
Never did boys search for treasure
more earnestly than did those New
Haven lads. Perhaps their ideas were
centered on pirates and pirates gold
Just then, for there had been much talk
had been established. Never wa there
a boy who was worth a continental
who not only llad a sneaking admira-
tlon for pirates bold, but longed to
have a chance at the game himself.
Just what boy found that Captain
Ma chart on that Y. NJ. c. A.. island
or What other youngster uncovered the
great chest In Which a lot Of treasure
was discovered Is not important to this
story. Nearly all of the 100 or more in
me summer camp took par in the
digging n the excitement was intense.
mere We're pounds and pounds of met
81. OF gold, SOM one who had
done a lot OF reading, pronounced
them. There were bushels Of glitterinp
gems. These in themselves represented
a kings ransom. Some OF the Jewels
were white, some red. some green. some
olue. The boys had millions in their
grasp.
That night the treasure chest was
guarded as treasure Rhoaf rnxar -,--
guarded before or since. Next day word
reached the mainland of the great dis
coNery. The newspapers got the story
n the details got abroad. There was
a lot made over the great find, but the
fact was that Henry G. Smith. the
y. Nj. c.. A. MAJ in charge Of the camp.
bought the junk n buried the treas
ure chest, drew up the chart and put
~ Where some lad was sure to find it
and. then, to prepare his youthful
charges Tor their work, introduced the
subject Of pirates and their boards III
the evening ak He believed in keep
ing the boys busy While in the summer
camp. and nothing will keep them BUSH
er thar a treasure hunt, but he was
rather surprised when the fathers Of
some OF the boys put in formal
lending his son had found the chart,
this one that his first born had handled
the spade that disclosed the chest. this
n that his son directed the search
anu was leader Of the party. Never
again will MI. Smith pury the treasure
o. captain Kidd. His explanation of
the affair never caught up with the
nrst story. Some persons still suspect
ne seized all The gold and precious
stones for himself. 1t is certain that
he left the New haven territory soon
after. But he is not living on his
riches. He is now with the Y. NJ. G.. A.
IN Brooklyn. Bedford branch.
inns treasure island story is only one
OF hundreds of the kind. Each wear
the crop of stories increases. People
insist in believing in Captain Kidd's
treasure, and that some day some one
will find it.
Ny Partner, the King.
William Kidd probably has received
more fame from a little piracy thar any
other sea robber in history. There are
some persons who persist in asserting
that the altar captain is a much
maligned man; that he never was a
pirate at all. and that he was sent to
the gallows simply to satisfy public
ciamor because some scapegoat was
necessary.
1t is sure that 30 pirate ever had
more a%ristooratic connections than did
Captain Kidd. for the king of England
was his partner. SO was the leading
citizen Of New York. So was the chan
celior of England. So was the governor
OF New York and Massachusetts. So
were various British noblemen. Prob
ably politics played as much a part in
branding William Kidd as a pirate as
did such plundering as he was guilty
of OF the sea.
In the latter part OF the 18th century
there was not a more highly respected
seafaring man in New York colony
than this same Captain Kidd. His
brig, the Antigua, piled between Lon
don. the West Indies and New York.
He was we'll to do, he hated pirates
and he had the confidence and esteem
OF all the prominent men in New York.
No one thought more highly Of him
than did Rober: Livingston, founder of
the great Livingston family that has
given to America sorne brilliant men
and women.
New Works. Pirates.
There were many good people in New
York at tha: time who did not look
upon piracy with disfavor. In fact,
New York did a glorious trade with h
~freebooters of the sea. 1t bought their
plumber, n it furnished them with