Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-24

VA
steel or iron. Thinking that there
might be valuable ore on the island,
they sank rods and struck rusted met
al, but they paid little attention to the
matter. The following winter it was
mentioned one night in the armory
and a veteran from Fort Erie who was
present became greatly excited. He
told the story Of the Claireux chests
and in spite of the winter SHOWS sew
eral searching parties went in quest OF
the treasure and others repeated their
attempts the next summer.
In the old Gardiner mansion on Gar
diners Island one Of the family heir
looms is a costly shawl given to one
of the early members Of the family by
pirate whom she found drinking
cream at the door Of her milk house
one summer morning. 1t is known
that pirates made the island a rendez-
vous between the years Of 1885 and
1920, and it is generally believed that
much treasure still remains to reward
the fortune seeker who shall come
upon the hidden loot Of the pi-
rates.
The Pacific coast is even richer in
tales Of lost and buried treasures than
the Atlantic, the Spanish element be-
ing so conspicuous here. Only a few
weeks ago word was received that a
diver with a new device had found a
way of reaching the bullion and othez
valuables at depth Of 12S feet in a
vessel sunk at the mouth Of San Fran
cisco bay.
Further up the coast, near Colum-
bia City, Ore, is the Hez Copler farm
treasure, about which there is a curl
Gus mixture Of fact and fancy. In 1841
Spanish bark in the hide trade was
blown from her course and put in al
this point for water. Here the mer
mutinied, killed the captain and went
ashore. After fights among them
selves and with the Indians, the sur
vivors buried the treasure and two
years later came back for it. They
were driven away by the Indians, how
ever, and another attempt was not
made until during the Mexican war
This time the Mexicans were driven
off by Americans and nothing else was
done in the matter until forty years
later, when one Of the mediums at a
Spiritualistic conference being held
nearby proclaimed that the location OF
the treasure had been revealed to her
Almost all the townspeople turned out
to follow the clew, one person died
while digging and a panic ensued
When another attempt was made in
1890, one Of the party went raving
mad. Mr.. Hez Copler, who now owns
the land in which the treasure is be-
lieved to be buried, refuses to allow
any one to dig for it.
The Natchez Spanish treasure has
figured in many tale. In 1870 Span
ish official secreted 100000 in gold
near Natchez, intending, it was as
serted, to divert this money to his own
uses and to blame the loss on the
French. After the Louisiana purchase
the son Of a Creole who had been a
confidential servant in the Spanish Of
ficiars household, was being tried for
murder and offered to purchase Glenn
ency by revealing the hiding place OF
the treasure. When the offer was re-
fused he sent two faithful slaves to
remove the gold and then renewed his
offer, saying that he would show the
very cache Of the Spanish official be-
fore he was released. The officials
still refused to grant him pardon, but
after he was hanged they followed the
negroes secretly and found the vault
where the treasure had been and signs
Of it's recent removal, but not even the
most brutal floggings could make the
men break their oath to the dead man,
and it is believed that the treasure is
still hidden near Natchez.
Within the bounds of New York
city there are possibilities Of secret
places yet yielding up their treasures.
On the island presided over by the
Statute Of Liberty the army records
show that there was in 1880 Serge
ant Gibbs to whom an elderly officer
brought a torn and time-stained map
of the island, indicating where rich
haul Of booty had bee.. concealed by
Dutch privateers in order to avoid
making a return to the crown. Gibbs
and his friends located the place un-
der water, the shore line having
changed. Gibbs was nearly drowned
wealth and the commander Of Gov
ernor's Island forbade further digging
Of the tunnels under way.
Perhaps the most alluring Of all the
tales Of buried boards Of sunken treas
ure in America is that Of the three
Hills Of Gold, or Peg Leg. In 1886 a
party Of trappers from st. Louis made
their way to the headwaters Of the
Colorado river, following it down to
the Gila, thence to the desert. One Of
the leading spirits was called Peg Leg
Smith, because of his homemade
wooden leg. 1t was he who discover
ed the mountain that bears his name.
The party travelled for days and then
began a desperate search for water. 1t
was while thus engaged that they
came upon indications Of rich gold
bearing ore. When the party finally
escaped from their perils no one was
willing to risk them again, even to
find the three hills Of gold, but after
Smith had made his fortune in Cali
fornia he set out to find them. He was
never seen again. Following his dis
appearance there came a succession Of
stories about persons who had seen
Peg Leg Smith or who had been seen
with some Of his gold nuggets. Other
men tried to reach the three hills but
perished on the way. They are still
searching for Peg Legs fabulous for
tune in the country where the bones Of
other seekers lie blanching in the val
leys and desert-New York Herald.
Masculine Tact.-A miner once got
killed, you know and a tactful associ-
ate was delegated to break the news to
=