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Forum Dad
 United States
24149 Posts |
 Kentuckians have hunted fabled silver stash for centuriesBy Amy Wilson - HERALD-LEADER.COMWorley Charles' grandfather told the story of when, as a boy, he marked timber somewhere along the Licking River and then rode the logs down the river. Somewhere along upper Devil's Creek, 12 feet up on the ridge, he saw a hole in the ledge. He climbed out of the water, cut a pine tree into a ladder and made his way up to look inside. There, he found a set of hinged money molds in a bundle of leather. He had heard many times the story of Kentucky's lost silver treasure, and how a man named John Swift had found or hid or smelted thousands in glistening nuggets and coins somewhere in these woods named now for Daniel Boone. But the man who hid the vast cache had gone blind. Blind! Superstitious, Worley Charles' grandfather never went back for more. But his grandchild Worley was not so easily scared. He has been looking for John Swift's silver since he started reading the copies of the 40 different Swift journals he's gotten his hands on. He's been looking for 35 years. There's a lot of cinematic hullabaloo this weekend about an intrepid archaeologist named Indiana Jones and a treasure of crystal skulls (which are real things, apparently.) Because movies require it, there's lots of derring-do and a big finish. Read Full Story | All Recent News
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2600 Posts |
"And visions of Sugar Plums dance in our heads." Guess there is a little pirate in all of us.  Jim Edited by Jim1953
05/24/2008 09:48 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1173 Posts |
Who doesn't, on occasion, dream of treasure?
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
And down here in my part of Arizona, we have the Lost Dutchman's Mine which has never been found although thousands of intrepid treasure hunters and adventurers have sought it. I travel a lot through south-western Aridzony, think about the lost mine, then calculate it would take five or six lifetimes to hike all these rugged mountains in a thoroughly organized search. And there is no guarantee that even if every square inch were searched that anything would turn up. Many, many large areas of Arizona's mountains haven't seen a human presence in centuries (I often think we should give it back to the Apaches). If the Lost Dutchman's Mine is out there, it'll be discovered merely by accident by some hiker who is out bird-watching. But not, I believe, in our lifetime. Geologically, there is a LOT of gold in these Arizona hills, perhaps more than has been found everywhere else in North America combined. However, it's almost all in hard rock hundreds of feet into or down in these mountains which requires big, big bucks to extract. I think I'd rather obtain my gold the easy way: on ebay or rob Ft. Knox.  Fred |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
"Who doesn't, on occasion, dream of treasure?" Yep--that's me! That explains why cherrypicking is a hobby.  And, like that great story, I always hope to stumble upon something buried. "a treasure of crystal skulls (which are real things, apparently.)" Yes, but not as real Mayan/Toltec/Aztec artifacts, and certainly not like the latest IJ movie. Despite the fanfare, those were conclusively proven to be made with modern lapidary equipment. |
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Valued Member
United States
393 Posts |
I'm also fascinated by lost treasure stories. Especially what may have happened to the estimated 375,000 dollars in gold that left Richmond, Va. bound for Charlotte, N.C. at the end of the civil war. The gold was suppose to be taken to Jefferson Davis but apparently he could'nt be found in the frantic retreat. Not wanting to be caught by the federal government with all the Confederate gold, no one in Charlotte would accept it. It was reportedly in three wagons and would be worth about $9 million today.  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
Burke Davis' book The Long Surrender (1985, Random House) goes into some detail on the disposition of the funds. I don't have it handy to cite the details but the book I believe states a somewhat different figure which I think was accumulated in two lots on the trip south although it was indeed all in gold. Essentially, it trickled away here and there during the flight of Jefferson Davis (and Breckinridge and Benjamin, et al) for supplies, housing, payment to the various guards including the midshipmen (cadets) who accompanied the entourage (they refused script), and for payments on Confederate debts to note and bond holders they encountered along the way. There was little if any left over.
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Valued Member
United States
393 Posts |
Thanks, Morgan Fred. I just ordered the book.
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Valued Member
United States
230 Posts |
Very nice story if only it was "true" and I was then one who made it true :P
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
For you treasure hunters' drooling pleasure:   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
The town where my grandparents are from in central Kansas....there's a story about a civil war era "payroll wagon" that was attacked by Indians and the gold/silver was hidden and buried somewhere in a certain area. I've had Uncles look for it with metal detectors through the years and everybody in the town knows about the story. Interesting to think about....but without any specific info myself......the proverbial "needle in a haystack" applies here!!
For centuries, Native Americans by the thousands of several different tribes would gather in this area for Spring Buffalo hunts and set up villages, etc. etc......the village areas are well known and many of my Uncles and other people have found "hundreds" of artifacts in these areas over the years and still continue to do so........It is in this area where the supposed event took place with the attack and the payroll was hidden.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,340 |
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Posted 05/24/2008 10:33 am
