AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1002, 26 February 1883, Page 4

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

The ordinarily quiet little town of Franklin, up in Venango county, has a sensation just now which is indeed a sensation. Columbus Brown, who lives: in the First ward, in Franklin, one day | lately discovered a Hoard of old French gold amounting to 27,000d015. For many years past there has been a belief that during the occupation of this pari of the country by the French, a large amount of treasure was secreted in Franklin, near where the old fort stood. Columbus Brown has a mania in regard to this treasure, and for years the thought of becoming possessed, of riches in this way has haunted him. Mr Brawn has many dreams about the subject, but the most important one was on a recent night. Then ho dreamed, as usual,:that he was counting and handling a chest of gold, and that; he had found it buried in the earth at; the foot of; a tree in an open field. So excited was he that he awoke, only to find it all a dream, ns usual. He arose, walked to the'window, and there, before him, in the field, stood the identical tree which he had scn in his dream.. But he put it resolutely aside as a; 1 dream, os most sensible men would have done, and retired to bed and to sleep He had scarcely closed his eyes till he was again in the field and digging at the root of the tree. He was informed in some manner, he cannot tell how, by a man with a foreign accent, and in a military uniform, with a sword and sash, that if ho would measure a certain distance from the centre of a rock in the rnn, due north, and then measure thirtythree feet due west from that point, he would find the treasure hehad so often seen; in his dreams. E-uiy next morning he arose, and, procuring a tape line, went and measured as he had been directed in his dream. What was his surprise to find that each and every measurement brought him to the foot of a chestnut tree in the open field, Brown did not tell anyone about Ids dream, nor of the result, but during the day he went to Colonel who owns the ground, and asked and obtained permission, on some pretext, to dig near the chestnut: tree. He and his son, a lad of sixteen,; commencedVligging at the root of the tree,; and at a depth of something over six feet,; about 4 p.m , struck something almost under the centre of the tree, which gave forth a metallic sound. A further clearing away of the gravel and stones disclosed the sides or end of an iron box or chest. Wild with excitement, they continued to dig until they had mncarlhed the chest or box, which was thirty-one inches long, twenty inches wide, and twenty-four inches; deep, or about the dimensions of an ordinary trank. Their united efforts could only turn it over, but could not lift it from the excavation. The young man was sent for a hammer and cold chisel, and the lid was soon removed. The sight which-met their gaze was enough to turn the head of almost any, man., The box was nearly two-thirds filled with gold and silver coin, tarnished and covered with sand and mold, bnt nevertheless gold. The coins are mostly French,- but a number of English, German and Spanish are among the lot. They bear dates 1729, 1744, 1751 and various other dates, the latest of which is 1754, which is the same yoarFort Macnault was completed. On a brass ruler found in the chest the name “ Joncaire” is plainly stamped. It is a well-known fact that this was the name of the officer in command of the French troops.-> A careful estimate of the coins make a total value of about 27,000 dols. The coins were placed on exhibition at the banks. The fortunate owner has been offered ten times their value for a single coin.— Oil City Blizzard. :