The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-07-06
YIN. c. A. Boys Uncover Treas
ures Of Early Michigan
Wilderness Hermit
While Digging
ROMANCE BROUGHT TO LIGHT
Trinkets and Secrets of Hermit Who
Claimed Unnatural Powers Cause
Wild Search for Further
Treasure at Corey.

Corey Mich, July "a romance of
the days when much of the state of
Michigan was wilderness was
brought TO light today when boys al
the South Bend. Ind. Y. NJ. c. A. sum
mer camp, while digging a hole for a
Flagstaff, brought up a rusty iron box
containing two rusty pistols of an
cient pattern, resting i'm a bed of flax.
plain gold ring, apparently a we'd
ding pledge to some pioneer brlos.
a silver cased watch of Swiss manu- %
facture, small dagger rust stained
hunting knife. and some leather bound
books dated 1867 to 1919. among them
a bible, children of the Abbey" and
The Book of Passion" There We're
also several school books, a number of
pennies bearing dates of 1881 to 1854,
samples of silver, lead an copper
ores and arrow heads, a collection OF
pebbles and deeds dating back as far
az 1889 and relating to property at
Plymouth, Conn.
An explanation % the mystery was
found in letter left by the owner.
in part. II is as follows:
This chest is the property of Heze-
kia Thomas. formerly of New England,
later of the Michigan wlldernIs, a
spiritualist God believing. and my
spirit still roams over these lakes i'm
full moon seasons, guarding my val
uables ana deposited possessions, for
they are many and vated. God gave
me many wonderful secrets but be-
cause Of a great sin he took them all
away but one the least of them, the
turning of sable stones into gold Il
have buried this secret by the body of
old Duckwing in the Big Swamp God
rest my soul. God has filled the earth
with gold. The devils do not believe
II but has he not promised Seek and
find?' The blue heron IL wise and the
walks not in the ways of the most
high"
More Chests.
A little of the story Of a peculiar old
hermit, Thomas. is known here. Geo
Knevels, who lives i'm a portion of the |
house built by Thomas. says. that. as
a boy, he recollects finding carefully |
secreted collections of pebbles i'm the
house. II is said Thomas wife de-
serted him and that the queerness be-
came noticeable about the same time.
He roamed the woods talking to tne
could transmute certain stones into
gold After selling his home here.
Thomas moved to an island i'm the
lake. which. in one part of his letter
he refers To as the abode of the
seven devils" According to another
letter found in the box there is an
other chest buried on the island. A
map, which was among the contents,
gives directions for finding still an
other chest, the key to which is said
by the owner to be hidden IN tree
The whole neighborhood is excited
over the search, which was immediate
" begun for the remaining chests An
other part of the letter i'm which
Thomas revealed his secrets reads
"The island is doomed forever. IL Ia
the abiding place of seven devils, be-
warei Fish die birds drop as they
pass and man disappears i'm the cav
ernous dept of the cave"
Another excerpt of the letter pos
siblv refers to his recreant spouse.
"The luck stone" saved her from
the evil one. The knife is that which
drunk his lifes blood and is cursed
forever. The books were her possess
sion from older days. before the great
shadow fell. The man may claim MS
papers; Duckwing knows how | came
bv them. He died for lack Of faith.
The guns were his. that were found
upon his body. He had obtained the
ring but the spirits bound him The
gold pebbles were my own. the prod
uct of my genius. Place them In the
spring at Midnight .as the blue heron
passes the swamp All believing, MOTH
Ing doubling. / will aid you. The spir-
II bids me hasten. | must be gone
Thomas body was found In the
woods fifty years ago. lie had been
frozen to death.