The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-01-10
BURIED WEALTH
L0CATERS BUSY
Stories of Such Abound
These Days in Central
Kentucky.

Danville, Ky.-Residents Of ru-
raj section Of this county do not
know whether they are facing an
attempt to bunco them, or whether
there have been bona fide discov-
cries made of buried treasure. 1t
is asserted that gold money in va
rious sums, in one case placed as
large as 100000, has been taken
from the earth, and so far nobody
has disproved it, as the discoverer
has disappeared. There have been
stories for many years Of large
sums in gold and silver buried in
central Kentucky by planters dur
ing the Civil war to prevent ma
rauding bands from one or another
of the armies making away with it.
James BOner, a respected and
prosperous negro, tells the queer
est story of the recent search for
treasure under the ground. No
one has questioned his veracity and
his reputation is of the highest.
Boner lives on the edge of Herring
ton lake, huge body Of water ere
ated by erection of the Dix river
power dam.
Wore Official Badge.
Boner says a negro in an automo-
bile came to the BOner home. The
stranger, according to Boner, drew
back the lapel of his coat and al
lowed the stare of Boner to rest
upon an impressive appearing
badge. The negro, Boner says, de-
clared he was government man"
and that there was a pot of gold
buried on the farm of Addison and
William Pence, across the lake in
Garrard county. The stranger re-
quested BOner to accompany him
to the place where the money was
buried, as the coin was in Kettle,
which would be very heavy; and
he would need help to lift it! like
wise he would require the aid Of
some one to hold fiashlight while
he (the strangely was making the
excavation for the money.
Boner told the negro that he did
not care to go, as he was old and
had already retired for the night.
Finally, however, Boner agreed to
accompany him. Along the route
the visitor confided to Boner that
he had been endowed with power to-
locate buried money. He went, &C.
cOmpanied by Boner, straight to a
place on the Pence farm where two,
lodges of rock almost met and be-
gan digging at spot which was
covered with grass and where, it
seemed, the ground had not been
disturbed for many years. Boner
held the flashlight while the negro
sank pick into the hard ground.
He dug about two hours, Boner
said, and then there came the
'sting" Of the pick against some
thing made Of iron. Little by little
huge kettle was uncovered.
Then Boner and the strange ne
gro lifted the implement from the
ground. Boner says the kettle
weighed $50 pounds at least. The
strange negro then pried up the
top and took therefrom three silver
dollars, a few quarters and half dol
lar pieces. BOner said he also saw
some gold coins, and declared the
finder estimated that the kettle con-
tanned 100000. Then the two men
put the kettle into the negro's car
and the mystery man. sped away
in the darkness.
Kettle on Boner's Farm.
While Boner pondered all next
day there were no developments,
but that night the stranger reap
peared. He told Boner that
there was a kettle of money buried
on Boner's farm and that at later
date he would return and dig it up
for Boner if the latter would di-
vide with him. The stranger Of
fered to exchange some $50 gold
pieces with BOner for silver or pa
per money, but Boner, a man Of
considerable wealth, had no funds
in the house.
Next day Boner decided to take
white folks" into his confidence
and told Squire Nelson May and
, his son Albert May, with Mr.. Hatch
"a anu O(hCl ClllLChSs AL Nlo1ICu
the place on the farm where Boner
says the treasure was taken from
and there, right under their eyes
was the excavation.
Inquiry in Danville has devel-
oped that at least four wellto-do
negroes have been visited by un-
known persons who claimed they
had found pots of gold and silver in
and around this section. No at
tempt has been made to impose
upon the negroes, nor have any
white persons been approached.
In August, James Ashe, a farmer
Of the county, was going through
his farm when dog began barking
at tree stump. Ashe dug into
the stump, believing a rabbit to be
therein, and discovered a kettle
containing $500 in silver coined
between 1900 and 1857. He placed
this money in Springfield (Ky.)
bank.
Stories are current from prac-
tically every town in this section
of Kentucky of coins having been
hidden in ancient houses or farms
| during the Civil war era, and now
and then loose coins are found while