Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-18
VAST TREASURE
IN MANY LANDS
War Chests of Europe Are Sup
posed to Contain Two Bill
lion Dollars in Gold.
MANY HoARDS ARE BURIED
Unsuessable Amount Of Coin Conceal
ed by Families and Cries Of
the Old World.


when the Balkan war began and there
was dread among the common people
OF Europe that a general war might
result nearly $3.50, 100000 in gold vsas
boarded in three countries in sums
ranging from gold piece OF two up
10 tens OF thousands OF dollars. Aus
tria-HunCary was credited with hid
Ing away $4,000. 900. Germany S65.-
100000 and France Sl3O.0O0.O00.
This was money which had been
traced into those countries Just be-
Iore the Balkan hostilities began and
after war started. In addition TO this
vast sum there was an unsuessable
quantity OF gold already buried in
the ground.
Russia is believed TO have tens OF
thousands of hoarders OF money II
Is utterly impossible 10 guess at the
amount OF gold which the people OF
Russia have put into the ground or
into the cellars OF their homes. The
sign OF wealth would mean the COM
ing of the tax collector, and among
the men who look poor are owners
of countless weight in gold.
Vast sums OF gold and silver coin
have gone into Russia, which seldom
lets 90 of IL The great imperial war
chest has behind il, if the signs
mean anything. other sums in little
war chests-gold which the govern
ment might draw out If it offered
lands for sale. or bonds the people
would trust, or opportunities in com
merce heretofore denied them
EnsIand's Hoards.
England has its hidden boards. no
one knows how large or how many,
but there IS concealed in England
nothing ike the amount that is hid
den in continental Europe. where for
eign armies have only TO cross a sur
yeyed boundary line or a little creek
10 raid their enemies. Turkey
whose people have been terrorized
for ages. has more lost boards than
the world will ever know about. be-
cause there the boarding has gone
on for ages. during which armies
have swung up and down the denud-
ed lands, tearing down cities and de-
stroyfng everything that could give
comfort or sustenance TO an enemy.
Spain has millions of dollars in
gold, silver. pearls and gems buried
and lost in a thousand ancient cas-
ties, monasteries and other public
buildings. In the heyday of her
glory Spain imported countless mil
lions OF gold and silver from the
Americans and faithless officials made
away with great sums in bullion. hid
ing IL avay-and many OF them never
recovered Il.
The Wealth Of India
India is the bottomless pit OF the
worlds gold. In one year India i'm
ported S3O,OOO.OOO. and there has
never been a time. apparently, when
India was not importing gold, silver
and precious jewels. In the temples
Of India there are said to be ST.
100000 900 in precious metal and
precious stones. India has more fine
pearls than all the rest OF the world
put together. They have even gold
cannons there-cannons that weigh
ESQ pounds each.
The tourist sees some Of this gold;
If a visitor should attend a function
given by one OF the princes Of India
he would see jewels whose value he
could not estimate Afghan, Mogul.
Tartar. raiding through India. found
millions upon millions. but the troops
did not find il all. In the ground. in
places where none could find or would
suspect, is the vast wealth which the
natives OF India bury and keep
buried.
The Ameer Of Bokhara, a Russian
vessel in Central Asia. is said TO
have been accommodating a hoard
amounting 10 SS,OOO.OOO a year. and
this is kept in a great vault where
Russia might possibly find a resource
in case OF need. In Egypt and along
the north shore of Africa the Bar
barry coast people have their boards
estimated by the millions The lost
treasure Of the Incas is estimated at
$500. 900 900 in gold.
No one IS able to guess the
amount OF gold that has been looted
in the history of the world by raid
ing armies. When the wars of old
were waged billions OF treasure
changed hands from the vanquished
10 the victors. The treasure was
commonly the public funds. Men
known TO have wealth were held for
ransom, enslaved. tortured. cut TO
pieces bit by bit in the effort to com
pei the revelation of hiding places.
In Ruins Of Carthage.
In the ruins OF Carthage is a vault
that holds the treasure Of the vandal
Senseric. which was not found when
Carthage finally fell The buried
treasure Of Carcassonne in southern
France was put away when the Huns
and SlaVs ranged over Europe trying