Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-31
The Skeleton In the shaf,.
WHAT A PAIR OF HUNTERS FOUND IN THE
NORTH WOODS OF MICHIGAN.

ed in Crawford county, this state, few
days ago, and in the most singular manner
possible. William II. French, a Piltsburg
dry-goods clerk, and Fairweather Martin
Of Chicago, old schoolmates, were huatiug
aud exploring through that part of the state,
and taking II summer vacation. On the
evening of the 7th inst, French shot at
turkey which came near their camp. The
old bird was wounded, and could not fly
away, but half few aud half ran along on
the ground before him. He bad followed
IL over 200 feet from camp when he sudden
ly found himself going down iuto the
bowels of the earth. In the uncertain light
Of evening he bad fallen into an old shaft
or pit, having mouth only three or four
feet across, and almost concealed by weeds
and bushes, and being, as was afterward
ascertained by tape-line measurement, q
feet deep. when French went down he
bumped from side TO side, and landed all
in leap at the bottom, elbow skinned,
knees battered, and the rest Of his body
pretty well shaken up. The bottom Ofthe
pit was much larger than the mouth, being
| almost 10 feet from side to side. 1t had
been dug out as if men had sunk shail
| down that far, and then started ont to dig
drins. The soil was very hard, aud in
some places the sLall Rad been cut through
rock.
1t NAV be imagined that the clerk was
not long 10 raising an alarnl but the depth
Of the pit so muzz ed his voice that his
com panion had long search 10 locate him.
| While this hunt was going on, French dis
covered that lie bad company down there.
| II was So dark that he could see nothing,
| aud he was prevented from knowing the
size OF the pit. Amer finding that he had
no broken bones, he felt about him little,
and laid his hand on what he soon knew
must he a human skeleton, and musty
odpr at once filled his nostrils. His yells
for assistance wtre no doubt considerably
increased by this discovery, and when as
sisted cut rthe pit by means Of the stout
line carried with the camp equipage, he was
in no mood for joking. 1t was decided TO
make an examination Of the place ny day
light. and, wien morning came, Martin
was lowered down the shaft. The bushes
were cut away from around the mouth to
give him light, and enough filtered down
to enable him to see everything.
There was a skeleton there, sure enough,
aud a sight il must have presented in the
gloom down there. The figure Of a man
sat with his back to the WALL one knee
drawn up. and tue other leg extended. The
hands rested on the ground on either side,
and the head had fallen over the left shoul-
del. 1t was not corpse, not skeleton,
but a mummy. Most of The hair bad fallen
OF the skull, and the clothing had molder-
ed until breath would blow it TO dust.
There was a boot on the right foot, the 9TH
er one lying on the ground some distance
away. The soles could he torn off as easily
as Que tears biotting-pad. The flesh on
body and limbs had gleatly decayed, leav-
ing knees, elbows and other joints entirely
bare, but where any flesh remained 1t had
shriveled down aud turned the color oi
sheet-iron. Martin and his friend were, oil
course, considerably excited over the dis
covery, but they took all pains and precau-
tions to fiud clew 10 the mystery. Ga the
ground was a small heap of dust which had
once been hat. Against the wall, within
reach OF the mummy, was bundle oi
clothing.
| W Olle MdTllu was uldh ltlS tubst ulrION
cries below, French was scouting around
the mouth OF the sban. Lying almost al
the edge of it were the rusled barrel of a
rifle and the head OF light az. The stock
had rusted from the gun, and the handle
had decayed from the AK, while the metal
itself was neatly eaten with rust. When
the unfortunate hunter or explorer fell in
TO the pit, as he doubtless did, he might
have Leen carrying these articles in his
hands, or the sudden stumble might have
dislodged them from his pack, or, still fur
ther, he might have hung 10 the bushes al
the edge of the pit, for a few seconds before
falling, and sought to tighten his load
There was no evidence of campfire neal
by, though the lone man might have had
one there.
Feeling quite certain that a clew to Tho
mystery would be found in the pack OF
about the skeleton, Martin proceeded very
carefully in his search. The clothing ove'
the bundle of bones pulled 10 pieces as soor
as handled. There was large Russia leath
er wallet lying between the shriveled lef
arm and the bare ribs, and this was so fal
gone that it required the most delicate
handling. Some portions Of 1t were los
before it reached sunlight above, aud tin
odor from 1t was almost suffocating. II
the mass of dust and bones Martin made g
still more important discovery. He found
a memorandum book having an almanac
in it, and the days of tie week printed oil
alternate pages. The book was well bound
and, owing to its thickness, had stood th'
ravages OF time much better than even th'
thick -soed boots. The almanac was TO
the year 1866, and must be taken as proc
that the stranger fell into the pit in tha
, year. He could not, of course, have an al
r manac later than the year in which he liv
ed, aud would not lie likely to carry on
over a year old at the most. Many of tn
leaves fell out and crumbled away, ant
3 portions OF many others were lost, bu
: enough were left aud enough OF the wrilinI
could be made out to form one OF the sad
I, dest chapters in the history of the wild for
J esls of Michigan. Written with ink wer
&. the following words, found here and ther
through tho book "Thence West !" "ship
ments :" ''acre tract !" Government
"trade for -" "shall have for -
q "Thenee by lake TO -" "Grand Havel
is for -" "John NJ. a. -" "deman
for about =" mo. 456 South c."
a The above parts of sentences we're gleam
a ed from perhaps the first 20 leaves in tn
q book. The rest seemed to have been flle
with writing in pencil, and in one or tw
h. Instances with red-ead pencil. Word
II could be made out now and then, but th
q only complete sentence found reads
| I-nl hot an
! pine tree standing on kuolli some pile 1