Evening star., 1935-01-13

Its lonely banks.
It was about dusk of an April evening
In 1870 that a stranger stumbled into a
small lumber camp on a deSolate strip
of land near the mouth of the river. The
men gave him food and place to spend
the night. They did not realize that he
was dying of malaria fever.
Some time before dawn the owner of
the camp was awakened by gasps from
the strangers bed. Lighting lamp, he
saw that the miserable fellow was dying
But while he could still talk, the man
told tale of being the grandson of a
man who had looted frigateS, and said
that he had a map showing location of
the gold. From the pocket of his torn
shirt he brought out an old folded piece
of parchment which he handed to the
owner of the camp. In little while he
was dead.
BY the light of an oil lamp the lumber
man unfolded and looked at the brown
piece of parchment. 1t was crude map,
with the year 1903 written in the lower.
left-hand corner. On the right was
line indicating the shore of the river
and extending from it were two curying
lines, marking the rivers course. Three
spots were marked along the bank one
with the figure 8, one with 4; a 8 in
dicated a location at the mouth of the
river. There were also figures determin-
ing the exact distances from the gulf to
the various deposits and from the river
bank to the places of burial.
The maps new owner, after consider
ing all details, came to the conclusion
bat 1xy hn ciI 0f f1,o
three marks indicated the proportionate
amount of the whole that had been
buried, and that the two deposits that
were the greatest distance from the gulf
must lie at a place known as Fowlers
Bluff This was not far from his camp.
He determined to 60 that day and look
for the gold.
RY THIS time it had grown light. The
other members of the camp were
stirring. Calling them together, he told
them of the mans death. A burial serv-
ice was held, after which the map was
brought forth and the story of the treas
ure related. The lumberman in posses
sion of the map asked for the assistance
of the others, Offering share in what
ever might be dug up, or pay for their
efforts in the search. The other men
decided to play safe and accept pay for
their labor The necessary equipment
was obtained and the little group set out.
BY 9 O'Clock they found themselves on
the south bank of the Suwannee, at
Fowlers Bluff Pacing off the distance
indicated by the map, the group set to
work digging hole. BY high noon
they had dug down some six or eight
feet, to find nothing but Florida sand.
Was it all hoax? Curry, one OF the
workmen, who to this day lives at Cedar
Keys where the Suwannee empties into
the gulf, held the map in his hand, felt
it, studied it. Possibly they had been
mistaken in their measurements. The
suggestion put one of the men to think
ing. This particular spot was on the
south bank of a curve in the river. 1t
would be reasonable to believe that over
long period this bank would be partially
washed away by the current. If such
were the case, the treasure would be
found much nearer the bank than was
indicated by the map.
The work began again, the men dig
ging trench from the original hole to
the river Midway between the hole and
the water, one of the men hit something
hard with his shovel. Shortly there came
to light the top of a concrete container.
BY sundown the chest was in such a
position that it could be dragged out
with team of horses. But they had no
H.