The Washington times., 1923-08-30
VlLAGER IS
BACK At
WORK
Why Mountaineer's Latest An
nouncement States He Didn't
Find "Eyen a DIME"

why NtOOttIdtttS0I 60IoSe W.T.
nouncement States He Didn't
Find "Even a Dime"
HAGERsToWN, Md. Aug. 80.
Wonder what Lee Houser will
say today?
The road digger, author OF nu-
merous stories about finding and
not finding vast sums Of money
In a tin box, is back at work.
In the meanwhile he has most
Of Maryland and the nation
guessing.
Houser has turned out to be
the champion story teller Of this
town. Not even the country's
cleverest press agent can lay
claim to inventing stories as wild
as this mountaineer has told.
Everyone Puzzled.
Houser may have found consider
able money while he was at work on
q road near Hagerstown. 1t may be
Bergdoll money. Then, again, he
may have found nothing. No one
knows.
Newspaper reporters have intel
viewed him time and again. Each re-
porter, on leaving the road-digger,
made mad dash for the telephone
with new story from Houser. Each
thought he was "scooping the rest"
But, as matter Of fact, Houser was
'.scooping them ALL"
Let's go back to the day several
weeks ago when H0user was digging
in a road near here. His pick struck
something in the road. He was seen
to reach down. Fellow workers In
quired.
"oh, found gold piece" he
answered.
Houser dug a little deeper. He
found something else. Again came
inquiries.
Il found a tin box with a lot
Of money in it." he answered this
time ..4,...es..s
Sufficient were these statements
to start rumors of all kinds. Neigh.
bors began making further inquir-
les. And finally in came the news
paper reporters, lured by the story
that Houser had found the Berg
dolls gold.
paper correspondent who rushed
to Houser's home in a taxicab and
had only a few minutes to spare
before press time.
$1,000 Was First Report.
About $1,000" he replied.
A few seconds later the taxicab
sped back to Hagerstown and the
reporter gave out the news to the
world-two thousand dollars Of
Bergdoll gold had been found.
But the other reporters were on
the job.
Hardly had the first taxicab
pulled away but another drew up
to the Houser homestead.
How much was ft?, fired the
news seeker.
Maybe Houser was tired Of being
questioned. Maybe he doesn't like
newspapermen. Anyhow
Ten thousand dollars" he an
swered.
Where is it."
Never mind about that. It's
hidden somewhere in the ground"
Followed then another mad taxi.
cab rush to town.
Once again an anxious world got
news Of Houser's find-$10, 900 of
Bergdoll money unearthed by road
workeri And the news4seekIng
world was told that Houser had
put the money back into the earth
from whence it came.
HOuser Disappeared,
And then Houser disappeared for
several days.
Newspaper reporters ever on the
job got in touch with Houser'e
friends. They were told Houser
had confided in his neighbors he
was going to a big town-Baltimore
or Philadelphia-to put the money
In bank. Once more another story
went out.
Houser came back
In the meantime, a newspaper re.
porter, several days late in arriv.
ing, hit Hagerstown with orders
for an exclusive interview with
Houser. He sought the road work.
er.
How much was it, I mean ex-
actly?" he queried.
Il don't know for sure, but 1
the reply.
The reporter got his story into
his office, but the scoop" dida't
materialize. Other reporters heard
and helped the first newspaper man
to tell the waiting world about it.
u. s. Gets Interested.
!. The nationwide publicity brought
Houser's gold discovery to the at.
tention of the Federal government
the Department Of Justice and the
Alien Property Custodian. Agents
went to see Houser.
How much did you find" they
questioned.
81 only found dime" he
answered, "The whole story's q
joke"
And this tale was given out to
the world.
Then the reporters rushed back
W. T1G r. w..