HOW A MINER DISCOVERED A CHEST OF GOLD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2572, 5 January 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW A MINER DISCOVERED A CHEST OF GOLD.

-* A MAX named Alex mder .Stanhope, who has returned to G;ilen:i (Illinois) after an ahsenue of 31 years spent in travelling, tells the following story of how ho found a fortune :— " I came to Galoiui iu IS 17, having emigrate 1 in that year from Truro, England, after the death of both of my parents, and all my near relatives. I became a miner, and began the exploration of a natural drift at tho foot of the prcuipitions blnft' now Known as Now California. After working industriously for two weeks, I suddenly broke into a. large cave, the vaulted roof of which was decorated with stalactite and spar, tho latter glistening- in tin , light of my lamp like a million diamonds. While ! stauding-spell bound, at tho mouth of the cttve, I noticed, a short distance to the right, inside the cavern, a shelving of rock, jutting out probably three feet from the, wall and about breast high from the flour, upon the top of which rested what proved to be, on examination, a large ironbound chest of oak, tho lid of which was secured by a curiously-shaped padlock of brass. With the aid of my pick and gad I broke open the chest, and to my amazement I found it to bo rilled to the top with Spanish doubloons, bearing the date of 152(5. Overjoyed at tho discovery, [ fell to speculating upon how to remove tho gold, and gave but little thought as to the phenomental circumstances of it being there. On leaving Galena for New California I had purchased a goodHized, Ktrongly-built skiff, in which to transport my tools, provisions, and other mining outfit to that place, which is accessible all tho way by water. Without lengthy forethought I decided to transfer tho treasure to my boat, and as soon as that was accomplished to sot out for New Orleans, where I could advantageously dispose of it. I began, accordingly, with great expeditiousness, lest I should be disturbed by inquisitive neweoinei-s, to carry the plan into execution, and succeeded that night in conveying the gold to my skilf, where I deposited it safely iu two strong lookers which formed the s:>ats iu the forward and stern ends of the boat. Ou the following morning, after effectually banking up the mouth of the drift, I set out upon my voyage, which I accomplished in exactly three weeks, with but few unpleasant adventures (luring the trip. At New Orleans I sold my doubloons, receiving in exchauge an equivalent ia American gold, amounting iu the aggregate to 390,000 dollars. Purchasing English, French, and German exchange with my money, I took passage for Liverpool on the first European-bound vessel, and, after sojourning a while in my native town of Truro, I determined on spending the rest of my days in wandering about the world, thus gratifying an ambition which had been my fondest dream from my early boyhood." The drift in which Stanhope found the Spanish treasure was not discovered (the St ■ Louis Globe Democrat tells us) until 1576, when two Irish proprietors—one of them Tom Shannon—broke into the cave, after several years of fruitless search for an " opening," and took out of it a large fortune in mineral. The chest which contained the doubloons, was found by Shannon and occasioned unbounded surprise and no little speculation as to how it got there. The mystery has, of course, never been solved ; but it is believed by Stanhope that the chest of treasure was stolen by some of De Soto's soldiers at the time be discovered and explored the Mississippi, and was secreted in the cave, the entrance to which had been blocked up by the alluvial deposits and changes of upwards of 300 years.