The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-29
A GREAT MOUNTAIN CAVE.
THE MYSTERIOUS BoBBER IN THs
WOODS or ULSTER.
4 Strange Tradition Q nj IL Believed by Many
Persons in the Town of Oiive-A Butcs
Bunter's Adventure. In n Mountain.


from The Ragsion Freeman.
A wild story, thourh believed by many.
IL going the rounds of the town of olive. that q
man IL living in the woods near SanHunvilIe al
the foot Of High Point. and is continually CONE
hitting depredatons on the inhabitants who
1.-Two along tho road from Samsonvlc to shokan,
Tho report Is that he has with him woman and
child, and that they live In n cave in what Is
called the notch In liish point, where they siord
their stolen prorrrty and 4tea forth In the night
out being detected.
a hunter discovered near THE cave ons day
the smOuldernR remains Of a IRE, but "a tha
rohber was known to be armed to the teeth, and
that the woman also carries with her rife OF
the most improved pattern and knocks n SPUR
rel from the limb Of n ;iee NJ the distance Of
fity yards. the hunter did not care to prosecute
his search further, but hurried To the settlers
below where Oand was organized and an at
tempt made 10 surround the camp and capture
thc desperate II possible, with the evidences Of
guilt In his puss'ssiun. They found the ashes OF
the IRE. but wert unable to discover the mouth
81 the cave which ~ doubt lad been carefully
articles. among thon being small pass book In
which was the name Of n man known Brace,
who LETT that part Of the town about two years
ago, taxing with him his wifc's sister and $50,
a. claimcj, FROM chest In the hOuss Of stephen
Wuohcl
This has given riso to tho story that tho robbcr
Is this man Brace but II IA very doubtful u Brace
viii eycr again put In an appearance IN this SEQ:
take anything from load of vegetables to au
iron pot and "A set of smoothing irons, besides
scythes. corn cutters, hoes, axes, and evon young
cattle.
Some suporsttioua people who live at the foot
OF the mountain claim that there IA cavo some
whcro that runs In the bowels Of tho mountain,
and that IL Ia very large, the roof being so high
That the smoke uf tho nro inside has been seen
To come up through the Crovices In the rocks
near the top OF tho mountain. As the mountain
Is about 3U1 feet above the level Of the sea. and
nearly 200 ioet above Olive City, the cavern
must have "A dome within II as high as that of ST.
Peters Church at ltome. There is an old Italian
tradition about this cave that comes down from
AN old Dutchnan who lived not far from the
base oi The MOUNTAIN whore II runs down from
the notch. This Dutchman went up In the
mountain one day TO hunt for pOrcupines, and
when near the notch he heard mysterious noise
sounding Hike continuous thunder inside Of the
mountain. The Dutehman had seen great
deal, had been sailor and sailed around the
world. had been captain OF pirate ship, and he
was not therefore Inclined TO he suporstitious
and he did not attribute this noise to the devH
and his irips rolling ten pins, but to a water fall
that In some manner must have worked its way
In the very centre Of the mountain. He tried 10
Dnd the stream, which must have an outlet
somewhere Attcr searching for nearly half q
day, for the side Of the MOUNTAIN was very
rough aud steep, his efforts were crowned with
succesa. lie found a stream Of water running
from beneath large rock. and after rolling
away The rock he found an opening - the mouth
81 a Nnulted cavern when was dark, but ~
which he could distinctly hear the dash Of
water as though II fell several hundred feet
striNine tho rocSs below 50 II made the noun
tain trembe.
Arerward he explored the place and discover
cd that rain water had collected on the summit
OF the H. luntain ana IN some manner had found
a creyice Or crack which II had run In. gradually
wearing away the rock for perhaps centuries,
until AZ that time n long open space had been cut
as u were In diagonal dire ction through the
body of the mountain from Tie top until near
tue base. In some parts Of this cavern there
were rooms that had been scooped out seeming
ly. but which had been formed by the continual
attritiun. The opening ut the top very
small, while II gradually enlarged toward the
centre. There We're many dangerous plares and
deep pools In which there aDOundod strange
kinds Of fish.
This place is large enough tn contain all the
personal property in the town Of olive. and II
the mouth Of the cave could be found, what
lively time there would be.