4 , ▁letter ▁to ▁Hunter - D u var , ▁Co oke ▁claimed ▁that ▁Smith ▁built ▁the ▁stone ▁into ▁his ▁chim ney ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 4 ▁and ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁shown ▁the ▁stone ▁by ▁Smith ▁in ▁the ▁chim ney ▁around ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁when ▁" there ▁were ▁some ▁cr ud ely ▁cut ▁letters , ▁figures ▁or ▁characters ▁upon ▁it . ▁ ▁I ▁cannot ▁re collect ▁which , ▁but ▁they ▁appear ▁as ▁if ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁sc rap ed ▁out ▁by ▁a ▁bl unt ▁instrument , ▁rather ▁than ▁cut ▁with ▁a ▁sharp ▁one ". ▁According ▁to ▁Co oke , ▁when ▁he ▁made ▁in qui ries ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁he ▁discovered ▁that ▁the ▁chim ney ▁had ▁been ▁en closed ▁in ▁wood ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁a ▁st air case ; ▁the ▁stone ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁visible . ▁An ▁und ated ▁post - 1 8 9 3 ▁letter ▁by ▁William ▁Bla ir ▁read , ▁" J eff erson ▁W . ▁Mc Donald , ▁who ▁first ▁mentioned ▁Oak ▁Island ▁to ▁me ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁worked ▁under ▁George ▁Mitchell . ▁Mr . ▁Mc Donald , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁car p enter ▁by ▁trade , ▁also ▁told ▁of ▁taking ▁down ▁a ▁partition ▁in ▁Smith ' s ▁house , ▁in ▁order ▁that ▁he ▁with ▁others ▁might ▁examine ▁the ▁characters ▁cut ▁on ▁the ▁stone ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁fire place ▁in ▁the ▁house . ▁The ▁characters ▁were ▁there ▁all ▁right , ▁but ▁no ▁person ▁present ▁could ▁de ci pher