Year: 1877

Hunting for Hidden Treasure with Joe


Smith in Ante.MOrmOn Days.


New York worldI


Half century ago there lived on a
farm in Alton, Chenango County, then
called South Bainbridge, a good settler
named Isaiah Stowell. He was straight
and strong in dogma, and filled the re-
sponsible position of Deacon in the
Presbyterian Church to the ediication
of all people. By hard work and
frugality Deacon Stowell accumulated a
moderate competency, and his large
family of broad-shouldered sons and
rosy-cheeked daughters were the envy
of the neighborhood. But like many
other good men, the Deacon had his
little weakness, and would make haste to
be rich. There was no Stock Exchange
in those days, or he might have "gone
broke" on Jersey Central. As it was,
he contented himself with the faith (and
practice) that untold sums of gold had
been hidden in the earth by extinct
tribes of Indians or highwaymen, or
something of the sort, and that it was
to be his especial good luck to find all
this gold. Northern Pennsylvania, near
Lanesboro and Susquehannaw was believed
by him to- be the gold-bearing region,
and with assistants and the proper tools
he made frequent journeys to the wild
country about Starrucca Creek, and
spent weeks in delving in the rocky
mountain sides at the rise of the Blue
Ridge range. During his searches
Deacon Stowell and his party camped
out in the woods, living upon the
provisions brought from his home in the
fertile. .Chenango Valley, and the game
that filled the region in abundance. The
concealed wealth, that occupied his
sleeping and waking thoughts, he never
found, but his constant failure and
fresh outlays of money did not dampen
his ardor. His family and the members
of his church demonstrated with him,
but to no purpose.


1t was during one of his digging ex-
cursions near Lanesboro that Deacon
Stowell heard of the remarkable powers
which Joseph Smith, a young fellow who
had lived near Great Bend, about
twenty miles south on the Susquehanna
River, was reputed to possess. Smith,
it was said, could see objects which lay
fifty feet below the surface of the earth
with entire distinctness. At this time,
however, his father, a poverty-stricken
man, had removed with his family from
Great Bend to the neighborhood of
Palmyra, New York, and left only the
fame of his son behind. But the stories
told by the country folks were enough to
fire the Imagination of crazy Deacon
Stowell, and he was determined to have
the assistance of young Smith at all
odds. Stocking a wagon with enough
provisions to last him for the journey,
the Deacon harnessed team and started
for Palmyra. Young Joe Smith, who
afterward became the Mormon Prophet,
was at this time about twenty years old,
and the neighborhood looked upon him
as ungodly and to be avoided. His
spare moments were occupied in medita-
ton, and he very rarely joined his boyish
acquaintances in their rustic sports. He
pretended to possess the power of second
sight, and had no hesitation in saying
he had been brought into the world by
God to work out certain plans of the
Almighty on earth. 1t is said that he
was regular at his meals. however
arduous his solitary wrestlings in spirit,
and his preoccupation probably had
good deal TO do with his fathers poverty.


Crazy Deacon Stowell became Smiths
disciple at once, and Smith told him the
story of a wonderful stone he had found.
According to this story Smith, when
quite boy, heard of young girl liv-
ing within a few miles of his fathers
house, who possessed a magic glass, by
looking into which she could see objects
that were invisible to others. Young
Joe was seized with an irresistible desire
to see this wonderful glass, and obtained
that boon. The glass was putinto hat
to exclude the light, and the boy gazed.
For long time he saw nothing, but
finally speck appeared which assumed
the proportions of "a small stone,
seemingly a long way off. The stone
grew brighter and brighter, until it
finally glowed like calcium light Or
since this was in 1S20-like the sun at
MONDAY. At last the glass showed him
that the stone was hidden under the
roots of small tree near small stream
on the south side of Lake Erie, not far
from the boundary line between New
York and Pennsylvania. Often after
ward Smith looked in the glass, seeing
only the same sight, and after thinking
and pondering on the subject for several
years, determined to find the stone.
Equipped with few shillings in cash
and bundle of provisions, he started on
foot toward the West. When money
and provisions gave out he surprised
himself by working at farmers houses
on the way until he was able to renew
his travels. After walking one hundred
and fifty miles he found himself at the
mouth of creek, which he remembered
seeing in the glass. A farmer lent him
pick and shovel, and he soon found the
tree and the magic stone. The latter he
carried to the creek, washed the dirt
from its smooth surface and gazed
"into" it. To his great joy he found
that he was possessed of an all-seeing
eye, whose vision penetrated water and
annihilated space. Thes stone was of the
size of a hens egg, curved in the shape
of high-instepped shoe, and was COM
posed of layers of different colors pass
ing diagonally through it. Joseph
ICbuIHcu lllS DOlIONSu IOOlo. dnu WIN Il
glad heart turned toward the rising sun
and walked home.


The good Deacon used his powers of
entreaty so well that young Smith
agreed to return with him and aid in the
search for gold. Meantime Deacon
Stowell purchased farm at Susque-
hanna, and moved his family there from
Alton. The young prophet was installed
therein, not exactly to the satisfaction
of the other members of the family.
Smith, by the aid of the magic stone,
ascertained that many years before a
band of robbers had buried box of
treasure in certain fiat lands on the
Deacon's farm. To protect this treasure,
Smith said, the robbers had by sacrifice
laid a charm upon it, so that it could not
be recovered except by faith and certain
talismanic influences. The diggers pre-
pared themselves for work by fasting
and prayer for several days. Smith
| occurod tho Deacon thot II yyac uttarly