▁them ." ▁Mitchell ▁was ▁the ▁super int endent ▁of ▁works ▁for ▁the ▁Oak ▁Island ▁Association , ▁which ▁was ▁formed ▁on ▁April ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁and ▁ceased ▁operation ▁by ▁March ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁novel , ▁The ▁Tre asure ▁of ▁the ▁Se as , ▁James ▁De M ille ▁describes ▁being ▁a ▁summer ▁resident ▁of ▁Ch ester ▁Bas in ▁during ▁the ▁later ▁ 1 8 6 0 s . ▁De M ille ▁lived ▁on ▁Oak ▁Island ▁for ▁a ▁summer ▁and ▁had ▁first hand ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁find ▁that ▁the ▁stone ▁had ▁been ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁chim ney ▁when ▁they ▁arrived ▁on ▁the ▁island ; ▁until ▁then , ▁no ▁one ▁had ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁decode ▁the ▁myster ious ▁symbols ▁reported ly ▁on ▁the ▁stone , ▁which ▁an ▁inn ▁land l ord ▁describes ▁as ▁' r ather ▁faint , ▁and ▁irregular ' ▁— ▁he ▁also ▁says ▁that ▁' men ▁who ▁don ' t ▁believe ▁in ▁K idd ' s ▁tre asure ▁... ▁say ▁that ▁it ▁isn ' t ▁an ▁ins cription ▁at ▁all ▁... ▁it ' s ▁only ▁some ▁accident al ▁scratch es '. ▁Regin ald ▁V ander b ilt ▁Harris ▁( 1 8 8 1 – 1 9 8 6 ) ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁book , ▁The ▁Oak ▁Island ▁Myst ery , ▁" About ▁ 1 8 6 5 – 1 8 6 6