Year: 1874

oAAA3A8 C[O AkAG " ~ Rms.


Ths Memphis Treasure Trove -ETunsu attv-


Rswnrded.


One day, not long ago, while sn Eng
hsh merchantmen. was on q voyage in
the Mediterranean, the captain was
called to the hammock of a dying sail
or who had asked to see hi y. The in
valid seafarer desired his commander
to draw up for him q last will and tes-
lament, wherein the sum of 81, 900 In
English soyereigns was to be devised to
a citizen of Memphis, in Tennessee, and
the uncomfortable surprise of the cap
tain in his performance of the request
of the sinking man caused the latter to


make the following explanation of the
past circumstances enabling him to be
queath such G sum Of money. An Eng
lishman by birth, he was 3 mechanic in
Memphis in the year 1861. No matter
about the causes of his expatriation and
humble foreign occupation. Suffice it
TO say he had chosen to be \ mechanic
in America. Only for q short time,
though for when the secession war be-
gan he enlisted in one OF the Tennessee
regiments, having been scarcely able 10
earn living as an artisan, and being
Just recovered from q weary sickness Of
which he must have died but for the
generous ministrations OF a family OF
strangers. Shortly after the discour-
aged convalescent's enlistment, and be-
fore his regiment marched further south.
ward, he received from his family IN
England the sum of $1,000 in gold,
which had been left to him by dying
uncle. Instead of availing himself OF
this windfall, however, TO withdraw
from the army and devote himself 9TH
erwise than as q soldier, It was his &C.
centric whin TO bury his whole treasure
under tree, in lot belonging to the
gentleman whose family had been so
kind to him in his sickness, and TO
neither speak nor act Rs though he had
ever received any such money at all.
LeaNi ing the gold thus secretly placed,
he marched away with his military COM
rades.


Not long was It though before his
eccentric character again displayed it.
self Becoming speedily weary Of the
precarious fortunes of war, he deserted
from the army into Mexico, and from
thence embarked on an English vessel
as a common seaman. Reaching Eng
land In due time, instead of eioining
his family there, he at once became a
sailor on another vessel for a voyage
around the world and had remained
an obscure sailor until the fatal sick
ness overlook him in the Mediterranean
and an expiring impulse of gratitude
induced him to beQueath his gold yet
hidden in Memphis TO those who had 80
long ago befriended him In shat city.


Such was the strange, scarcely credi-
BILE story which he told to the captain
in explanation of his curious viii and,
after signing the latter with another
name than that by which he had been
known on shipbOard, he carried the re-
naming mystery of his career with him
into the world OF shadows.


The captain hardly knew whether to
regard either story or will as anything
more than the diseased fancy of a mad
man, but, upon reaching port, mailed
the document. as he had solemnly
promised, to the address of the Mem
phis gentleman to whom the buried gold
had been devised. And, according to a
late issue of the Memphis Register,
that gentleman's reception OF the viii,
together with the captains explanation
of the foregoing circumstances. has
been followed by q realization proving
that the dying wanderer Of land and
sea spoke truly. The gentleman ia
question had some time before sold
and delivered to another party the lot
on which the valuable sovereigns were
deposited. How to get at it now with
out mourning opposition and perhaps
was the question which arose
in his mind. After taking the advice of
counsel, he concluded to develop the
whole matter to the purchaser and
owner of the place and ask for the right
to make search. This was done, and
the new proprietor generously forward
cd his wishes and gave him evely faoil-
ity to possess himself of the treasure.
On digging at the foot of the tree de-
scribed in the will the gold, amounting
to $1,000, was happily found and the
new owner made glad by the glittering
heap" Who the departed giveF of this
little fortune really was in his native
is not known, and the secret
is buried with him beneath the blue
waves of the Mediterranean.