Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-02-27


that we may look for accounts of the
finding of hidden treasure. The daily
news dispatches furnish us all the ma
terial of this sort that is needed to
keep the imagination alive. 1t APP
pears that gold and silver coins, dia-
monds and other treasure are to be
found almost anywhere-the only
trouble being that you don't know
where to look for them. They are
"there" all right-but where is
"there."
Usually these rich finds are made
by children, day-laborers or others
who stumble on them by accident 1t
is seldom that the avowed treasure
hunters ever unearth anything of any
value.
For example, recently a contractor
at Shreveport, La, while experiment
ing with a "divining-rod,v came to
the conclusion that there was store
of gold buried on a lot belonging to
DIR. j. M. Comegys.. He went to the
spot at night, taking three negro
helpers, and they dug until daylight.
They made huge excavation-but
failed to come to any Spanish doub-
looms, pieces of EIGHT, Rix dollars or
|pistareens; nor did they even discov-
Ter an ancient oak chest bound with
rusty iron, nor a rock which seemed
to cover a cache or lucre of jewels. The
digging has been kept up from time
to time, but no pay dirt has been
reached The contractor still has
faith in his divining-rod, and he says
he is going to get that gold even if
he has to dig to China for it.
Two Mexican orphans, Rafael and
Antogenes Campos, the other day
were playing in an old building in
Mexico City which was formerly used
as the meeting place of the, Mexican
congress. While rummaging around,
they peered into an old wash-boiler,
and in it found wad of old Mexican
money amounting to about 100000.
Though much of the currency that
the various Mexican governments
have turned out is hardly worth the
paper it is printed on, these bills were
|of an issue which made the pile
worth about 100000 in u. S. money.
The children turned the money over to
the government officials, who are sup
posed to be holding it now until the
|owner turns up.
Several weeks ago Walter Gleason,
la deck-hand employed on British
trawler, was arrested at Cardiff,
Wales, when he tried to sell pack
several thousand dollars. There were
|89 cut and rs uncut gems in'the lot
Gleason had just returned from a
trip in the North Sea, on which the
trawler had been engaged in hunting
up and destroying German floating
mines. While spying for mines he
had noticed small package floating
in the water. He fished it in with a
boat hook-and it turned out to be
the diamonds. There was nothing to
indicate who the owner was.
Two negro feld-laborers on the
farm of Gen. A. X. Benson, near
Dover, Del, recently in clearing up
some land came across a regular
pirates store of loot, hidden in an old
hollow stump. In the collection were
two gold watches and two silver ones,
three solid gold rings, gold watch
fob, several breatpins, and S47.50 in
lgold coins. 1t is supposed that thieves
must have hidden the stuff away there
years ago, with the intention of re-
turning later. and then been unable
to find the stump again.
Another Delaware find of differ
lent sort is also reported. Arthur Mas
Isey, a Woodland farmer, was digging
lup a dead appletree, when he came
upon a glass demijohn incased in tin,
(which was nearly eaten away by rust.
On opening the ar it was found that
lit was filled with peach brandy. The
roots of the tree had grown COM
judged, from the age Of the tree, that
the brandy had been secreted there
at least 20 years ago. How the find
ler knew it was brandy is not stated.
! Last month q Kansas City woman
| took to a pawnshop q ring which she
had picked up in the street two or
three years ago and which her chill
dren had been playing with as a toy