5, FRIDAY. JULY H. 1950. 
‘STOLEN TREASURE’ 
IN STATE FOLK LORE 
Pennsylvanian Recounts Two 
Tales of Gold and Silver 
Loot in Early Days 
^ HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania 
' folklore contains two stirring tales 
^ of hidden treasure, Henry W. Shoe- 
1 maker, president of the Pennsyl- 
• vania Folklore Society, says. 
“One is the legend of the robbery 
of the wagon train carrying gold 
‘ to General George Washington’s 
j army at the Great Lakes,” Mr. 
Shoemaker continues. “The other 
J is the tale of the reputed cache of 
I the Pirate Blackbeard’s treasure in 
a cave in southeastern McKean 
[ County that modern searchers have 
=. failed to find. 
I “The hold-up and robbery of 
. General Washington’s gold-laden 
wagon train occurred in 1777 near 
the forks of the Sinnemahoning be- 
low the present community of 
Driftwood, while the train was en 
route to the Boon road, which had 
been cut across the mountains 
from near Westport, Clinton Coun- 
ty, to Niagara. 
! Bobbery by Girty Gang 
“The notorious Simon Girty Md 
his gang are credited with being 
the perpetrators of this robbery. 
Girty loaded his loot on a raft and 
took it down the Susquehanna 
River to his hideaway on the west 
bank of the stream across from 
Fort Halifax. Washington’s pay- 
masters are reputed to have been 
the crew of the raft and, after 
helping Girty bury his treasure, 
they ^1 mysteriously disappeared. 
“Later, after the War of 1812, 
when as captain of His Majesty’s 
Scouts, Girty had covered himself 
with glory for the British at 
Lundy’s Lane, he returned in 1816 
and removed his gold in a farm 
Vandals* Slogans in Park 
Call for ‘Hands Off Korea* 
Apparently the work of Com- 
munists, slogans printed in 
crude lettering were found yes- 
terday on boulders and play- 
grounds in Central Park between 
West 100th and West 102d 
Street, calling for “Hands off 
Korea — Peace.” 
One of the slogans was painted 
in pink letters two feet high. On 
the bottom of an empty wading 
pool for children, opposite West 
100th Street, there was painted 
in blue letters: "Hands off 
Korea — We Want Peace.” The 
same slogan was repeated on a 
big boulder near a children’s 
baseball field. 
The police had no clues to help 
identify the perpetrators. A man 
who had walked his dog at 4:45 
A. M. reported that the boulders 
were not defaced at that time. 
wagon, the top covered with bags 
of potatoes, 
“About the same time William 
Thomas (some called him ‘Black- 
beard’ after an earlier and more 
infamous buccaneer) started with 
a wagon train of silver bars, taken 
from a British wreck off Cape 
Henlopen, However, because of the 
second war with Great Britain, it 
was impossible to reach Ontario 
in safety, so the treasure was 
buried in a cave on what came to 
be known as the Silver Mine 
Branch of Salt Works Run in 
southeastern McKean Cormty. 
“The valuable hoard was left by 
Blackbeard in charge of three sea- 
men who departed when they were 
informed of Blackbeard’s sudden 
death at Lewes, Del. 
“In 1826 a tall, handsome, sol- 
dierly stranger arrived at the Port- 
age in the person of Col. Noah 
Parker who, local gossip insisted, 
had come as watcher of the hidden 
fortune on the Salt Works until 
orders came for its removal. ’The 
dashing colonel seemed to be in 
comfortable circumstances, was a 
keen sportsman, and in time erect- 
ed an imposing brick mansion at 
the mouth of Salt Works Run, 
"Pirate” Marries Mountain Girl 
"Evidently to prove that he 
would remain in the locality indefi- 
nitely, he put up an impressive 
brick and granite mausoleum and 
married a beautiful young moun- 
tain girl. 
“These structures were the mar- 
vel of travelers when the rsiilroad 
was opened from Emporium Junc- 
tion to Buffalo, N. Y., in 1872. 
Colonel Parker spent much time 
hunting and fishing and generally 
his trips took him into the region 
of the treasure trove. He was also 
a spirited writer on outdoor life. 
Colonel Parker early discovered the 
curative properties of the Parker 
Springs and the waters of the 
Great Elk Lick, but the saline in- 
gredients were lost by bottling. In 
tljfl course of time, the Colonel 
passed on and rests in his mauso- 
leum, now falling asunder. No 
successor came after him and 
•Blackbeard’s’ hoard still awaits a 
discoverer.” 
