Treasure is where you find it!

Thars Gold In Them Thar Woods

During the years 1973-1979, I and a very good friend of mine were avid Treasure Hunters in the Salisbury area, using our metal detectors intently in the quest of finding that long lost treasure. The treasures actually were just coins, nails, bottle caps and pulltabs, horseshoes, and other metal artifacts.

We always had high hopes of finding that one elusive treasure. We were well versed on all the treasure stories, worldwide and local ones as well.

One such local tale, we learned from a co-worker of ours. It seems that her great great Grandfather ran a sawmill in the rural area of Salisbury. He was well known for paying his hired help in gold coin and it was surmized that he kept his money buried on his property. The story was heard by a couple of unseedy characters who wanted his gold and when he wouldn't disclose where he kept it, he was killed.

After hearing this story, it whet our whistle and we were ready to start digging but a lot of work had to be done before getting out the shovels. We spent a lot of hours in the public library searching old records, talking to old timers in the area trying to find out exactly where this sawmill was located.

We were able to pinpoint the property but we didn't know were the mill was located. After getting permission from the landowner, we ventured into the woods to see if we could find evidence of a house. It was the fall of the year and leaves covered everything, we walked kicking leaves trying to expose something, anything that might be a clue.

We took a break and sat down on a raised area and soon realized that what we were sitting on was the reminance of an old brick foundation. Our hearts started racing, our metal detectors moving in circles in all directions, nothing but scrap pieces of metal.

As were searched, we noticed a depression around each and every mature tree. Curious, we kicked the leaves and determined that someone had dug a hole or holes at each tree. Had someone beat us to the treasure or was their search in vain. We had no idea but it sure broke our spirits. Cold and disgusted, we abandoned our search but as they sometimes say, the thrill is in the hunt! Not so, but I must say, we really enjoyed the research and I guess there was some thrill in the hunt but the find would have thrilled us more.

By Richard Brown