Maryville Republican. (Maryville, Tenn.) 187?-1877, 1877-09-15
The Mysterious Cavern.

NOh bihO bliClC 10 Bitdt ucui btIuR
said about the mineral resources Of
East Tennessee" and a good many
traditional and matter of fact state
ments are in circulation, verbally aud
through the press, of hidden treas
ures, "fllod-in caverns, and secret
chambers among the hills teemng
with precious metals, l wish to pres
sent TO the readers of the Post a few
items concerning Cave in Blount
county, around which has hung for
long period an impenetrable veil of
mystery.
Some forty years ago, hunter was
rambling through the dense forest,
when suddenly wild animal sprang
up, bounded forward aud entered II
small cavity under ledge of rocks.
AS his dog could not follow the
animal, the opening being so small,
the hunter began removing the loose
stones, earth and leaves, when, ON
examination, he found that the stones
had been broken and thus thrown in,
as the impressions of both hammer
and drill were plainly visible. On
his application to parties in Knox
vile (Hon Jas. Welcker and George
Harris, if l mistake not,) arrange
ments were made for the excavation
of the cave. After removing some
seventy loads of broken rock "6!led-
in" earth appeared, in which were
found fire Goals, rich pine used for
torches, broken crucibles iron wedges
for splitting rocks, whet rocks taper>
ed in peculiar shape, muscle shells
cut and carved into small balances,
and from top to bottom, piercing this
flled>in earth, hand spikes were
thrust in vertical direction. About
sixty feet from the top of the cavern
the excavators come to branch and
found the hind leg of hog near by.
About two hundred yards from the
Cave, one directly east and the other
west, are two furnaces, which bear
evidence of having been intensely
heated years ago, as many of the
adjoining rocks are reduced to lime.
| conversed with the oldest inhabis
tant, and he informed me that many
trees bore "marks all pointing to-
ward the Cave; that he had cut into
these trees and that, by counting the
rings in the wood, they reckoned
back through the dim past period
of one hundred and thirty years.
At length becoming wearied, the
parties clearing out the cave gave up
the enterprise, and the matter rested
there until about 1860, when other
parties undertook the job, but find
ing their purses light and that the
flled>in earth continued to reach
down, they also abandoned it.
In 1868 some Germans took hold
of it, and found many things evidents
ly belonging to much earlier period.
But they, too, discovered that the
undertaking was good deal heavier
than their means, and also abandoned
it-not, however, until they were
satisfied that it was in truth "mys-
terious cavern" whose hidden recesses
had been most likely used for the
concealment of treasure and then
filled up,
Now, for the tradition. Near this
cavern, or cave, upon the banks of
Little River, there is a mound, out of
which have been taken household
articles, implements of warfare, and
human bones. Very many moons ago
the Indians camped by this mound,
and when they were forced to go
west small squaw begged permis-
sion to remain with the pale faces,
who had been kind to her, and she
was permitted to- do so. Time passed
On; the white mans axe had felled
the forest; the rude plowshare was
turning the soil the yellow harvest
waved from every valley, and the
song OF emigration rang from hill
and dale. The Indian woman must
die; she has kept her secret long and
well. pale face, said she, "the rcd
man careth not; the white mans foot
is in his trail; the plow has leveled
the graves of his fathers; his song
has died away upon the mountain
top; the bee huns from the flowers
that bloom above his camp; his bow
is broken, and his canoe will skim the
silver stream no more. Pale face,
when I am gone, go to yonder cave;
you'll find it rich with gold, The
red man found q secret entrance,
and did load himself with precious
stuff"
With her secret the dying woman
yielded her last breath and departed
to join her people in the happy hunts
ing grounds beyond the setting sun.
W. q. H., IN The athens Post.
Chas. A. Minnie, a colored boy,
of New York. obtained an appoints