Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-29
aistellaneuus 8adias.
FORTUNE FOUND BY ACCIDENT.
Over 100000 in Gold Coins Disco,


current gold coin is almost miracu-
lous, and sounds grotesque, to say the
least. Still that is exactly what has
happened.
To make this absolutely true fairy
tale more complete. this treasure was
found in the country Of "a thousand
and one nights" Stranger still, these
millions-whence they originally came
is as yet a mystery-would perhaps
have remained hidden for another Gen.
tury or two had not an aged woman
revealed their existence, a secret
known but to herself.
She, Aarifa Ba-Hamed, reigning IA
vorite of the late dreaded sultan, Mou-
lai-Hassan, and counted in her time as
the most beautiful Of the harem, had
made VOW that, to revenge herself
for real or imaginary wrongs, she
would not tell of the treasure unlesH
her great-grandson was accorded the
honors she judged due him.
Here are the condensed facts of this,
the greatest treasure in gold discov-
cred in modern times:
AS an ideal country for opera bouffe
wars Morocco has been and remains
prime favorite. Half dozen or more
pretenders to the honor Of being sui
tan, not to mention an assortment OF
would-be grand viziers, are liable to
sprout in a night. These, with a
standing army" of six to nine men,
sally forth from some mountain VIII
lage mosque and proclaim that they,
and they alone, are the rightful rulers
of any old thing in sight. The war is
on!
Through a number Of such petty
scraps France was compelled to take
a hand in their suppression a few
years ago, which resulted in what is
known as the Casa Blanca AFFAIR.
France and the sultan proper had
about squared the deal of this squab-
BILE when the kaiser stirred up a row
resulting in the international pact OF
Algeciras. This, Of course, had no
definite result whatever, except that
the powers all agreed that the sultan
should idemnify France for the row.
Everything was perfectly lovely for
the sultan till few months ago, when
France slipped him a bill Of $12,00O,-
900 for a job lot Of expenses 1t had in
CURED in protecting his serene impec-
cability from rude interlopers, and
please, would he pay the bill on pre-
sentation? The sultan wearily insin-
uated that the bill was somewhat
large, considering the amount Of pa
cification done, but was firmly told
that in view Of the high cost of living
and the lack of tourists the bill was
really model.
So Moulai-Ha the sultan, signed
an accord to pay. This was in Febru-
ary. But he had counted without the
adherents OF Abd-el-Aziz, his deposed
rival, among whom there were some In
high power holding important official
positions. These men bade the sultan
to tell the French to whistle for their
money. In less than four hours there
was a new ministry in the palace and
a number of funerals in other parts
of the city. This, strange to say, has
a direct relation to the discovery OF
the $4,000,000 of gold coin.
Among the new cabinet ministers
was one Si-Taib-Tazi, a brother of
Taxi of Fee, who was appointed minis
ter Of finance, a man of great charac-
ter who, through intrigue and jeal-
ousy, had never held any high Office.
He is a man of exceptional energy for
a Mussulman, and to make himself a
name he set about at once to satisfy
the French claim. Aided by the
minister Of war, Si-el- Madini, all re-
sources to obtain the desired cash
were canvassed, but little progress
was made, and the ability to pay the
first installment looked hopeless.
Enter Aarifa, great-grandmother of
Si-Taib- Tai, the new minister Of A.
nance. In the ancient palace Of Mar
rabeck, where Aarifa had lived for
generations as the grand mistress of
the palace and the doyenne Of the ha-
rem, there is an old deserted nook
which few dare approach. Being in
quarter sacred to women, the houris
of the harem, with the curiosity COM
mon to all of their sex. timidly tiptoed
near enough to read the inscription
over the door, and with frightened lit
tie screams ran away as If fearing an
explosion.
On the massive, heavily iron bound
door is a worm-eaten old sign inscrib-
ed: "Khazin el kebrit alaniat ell dji-
had" interpreted, Magazine Of sui
phur for the holy war" No living be-
ing had been known to enter this mys-
terious room; scarcely any one even
knew of it's existence. Aarifa alone,
the former star of the harem, now
nearly 100 years old, knew Of its con-
tents. She had kept her vow, her
great grandson was in power, her
days were counted, and she demanded
to have an audience with the sultan.
Accompanied by the minister of fl
nance, her great grandson, Aarifa was
brought into the presence of the sui
tan. With much dignity and a flash
of her old imperiousness she said:
My time has been; let the door be
opened" Aarifa was then taken back
to her quarters with all the honors her
rank demanded, she being the legiti-
mate sister of Ba-Hamed, the terrible
Ba-Hamed. the terrible vizier of the
late warrior sultan.
The many heavy rusty bolts Mld
chains of the great door Of the mystic
rious sulphur chamber" were forced,
and when it swung open this was
found to be. an Aladdin's cave of
sound reality. There were some thir-
ty iron bound teakwood chests, each
containing from 1000 to 5000 Spanish
doubloons, every one worth SIG.
The pieces range from the eigh-
teenth century, Charless III, to Fer