The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-03-27

Do homage, sky and air, and grass ss .. 8.
All things he cherished sweet and tender,
AS through our gorgeous Mountain Pass
We bear him in his sunset splendor!
"a magnificent mountain gorge, between
Lexington, Va, (where Captain Maury ex-
pired, and the Central Railroad. .,i.e
''-t A Kentucky Story.
The eaeerness with which men listen to ex-
trayapant stories Of hidden treasures, and the
exploits of the daring spirits by whom they
were concealed, the readiness exhibited in
believing, and the haste manifested to seek
after them, is peculiarly of human nature
that frequent disapp pointments viii never repress
or the counsels of philosophy subdue.
Almost every locality has tradition OF
buried wealth, secreted in the bowels of the
earth by enterprising and reckless men, who
braved the dangers of the deep, or penetrated
the uEexplored wilderness, inhabited by savage
beasts and more savage Indians, to obtain
treasures that misfortunes compelled them to
abandon.
Not the least interesting of these marvellous
traditions is the story of the labor expended,
suffering endured, and dangers encountered by
q company of hardy men in accumulating q
treasure that now lies concealed near small
stream that meanders through the mountains
Of neighboring county.
In the early days of Kentuckyys, history,
whe6 her forests answered to oithe tread OF the
blood -thirsty savage, and her mountains re-
echoed his frightfnl yells, q man named Swift,
having obtained from an Indian, by freely
bribing him, information of the locality of a
rich silver mine, collected band of men,
fearless as himself and proceeded in search of
It. Starting from Chillicothe, Ohio, they
travelled in q southwestern direction, and In
due time arrived on the banks of the Ohio
River, opposite where Maysville is bnilt.-
Crossing the river they continued in south.
eastern course two days journey. This brought
them 70 where Old Town stands. Thence
5 southern direction one days journey, and they
were in the county described by the Indian.
After tedious search they found the mines,
erected their furnace and began the labor OF
converting the crude ore into shining metaE
The furnace was built in a most secluded spot,
encompassed by, nature with towering walls OF
stone and accessible only through their strong
hold. The ore was obtainedt frorE the, opposite
SIDE ef q monntaiT faeing their retreat, aud
carried to the furnace by the men,, who expe-
rieneed the greatest difficulties IN their pursuit.
having so use ropes and rndely constructed
ladders ID ascending and descending the lofty
cliffs Provisions were secured from the near
est settlement, and conveyed TO them on pack
horses sent ops,at intervals when the Indians
were absent on warlike expeditions
They had gained the friendshipO of wound
ed Indian by caring for his injuries and by
kindness during his sickness, and he in graft
Ias Eess them informed of the movements OF
his tribe. By using every precaution they
worked &C tle mines for many m6nthsrDefors
discovered; and had succeeded in coiningr a
vast amount of silver, when their spy brought
to thenf intelligence that the company would
be attacked by large band of Indians. 80
Knowing that to remain would be certain
death, they hid their implements in an ada
cent cliff, buried their silver beneath the roots
of tree, and made haste to leave the country.
They tried to induce the Indian to go with
them, fearing that if left behind he would di-
vulge theig secret to his tribe. Failing In this,
they took his life, threw his body between two
rocks and covered it with loose stones, and left
thepiace that contained the fruits of their toll
which not one of the company ever again
beheld. .s.i.e.,.,. i a.,s .sa,lss.ss.. .....;,
Alter their fight they separated to their
several homes, and years elapsed before it was
safe to returns In che meantime many of. the
adventures died, and with them the important
secret ss.,s ,,,,.,-. ~.
When the country became settled with white
men, and the Indians were driven from their
homes, Swift, the only survivor Of his company,
now saa old man, bowed down with age and
feeble from infrmities, attempted to revisit
the scene of his early labors. He carried with
him maps upon which were written minute
descriptions Of the location of the furnace,
directions to the mines, and thespot where was
buried full hundred gallons of coined silver.
His endeavors, however, proved fruitless.
Sickness compelled him to abandon the effort,
and sudden afiiction of the loss of sight
impressed him with the belief that it was a
dispensation of God warning him to 60 no
further, and as q punishment for the murder
of the Indian. Being in destitute circumstan-
ces he sold the maps to- procure the necessities
of life. Swift lived but a few weeks, and when
about to die told those around his bed that the
story of his adventures was true and that the
silver was buried in the forest
Two men thus became possessed of the secret,
and the maps are still in existence, but are 80
worn by age and dimn1ed by time as to be
scarcely legible.
Years ago, there fell from q projecting cliff
. large stone, and with it ancient tools and
implements used in coming money, suiting the
descriptions OF Swift. They were all covered
and eaten by rust, showing that for long time
they had been subject to the influence of decay.
The skeleton of man was found buried be-
tween two large stones, and covered with loose
rocks, supposed to be that of the murdered
Indian.
No determined effort has ever been made to
discover the mines of silver by means of the
descriptions, and it remains for some enterpris-