Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-13
THE CAVE JEWELLERS.
A SEARCH FOR RELICS or THEM.
An Exploring Party Among the West Vr'
GINA Mountains-Cl'ss That Were
Frauds and Caves That Were Not

| EAAtagulhh
For some time past the American PEG
pie have seemed to take u renewed in
terest in matters pertaining To the ear
Hest periods OF the cOuntTy's existence
particularly to the relies OF those races
OF men who inhabited various portions
OF the United States before the first
American Indian was dreampt oil Their
have been at various times AMI places
discoveries Of traces Of race whom VT
call 1.-THE mound builders and O
whom We know nothing except that
they must have have lived hundreds Of
wears before the first OF the Indian
tribes sprang - existence. 1t Las be-
come more or less fashionable t.
10 aud see the mounds or burial
places Of this shadowy people, and
the curiosity and bric-a-brac hunter
generally places a stone bowl or knife OF
fragment OF Ornamented pottery from
some Uf these many mounds among his
more modern, and, in financial way,
more precious articles. la the vicinity
OF Pittsburgh there are several small
mounds although they have never leen
opened or examined Is lar as eau be
learned at present. For years past To-
cal traditions have been floating around
in nebulOus and unsatisfactory man
ncr to the effect that in the vicinity OF
Steubenyille there were several caves IN
which traces Of the mound bui ders have
been discovered and also that there were
some rocks in the same neighbUThOOd
which bore remarkable aud untranslat-
able inscriptions Of very singular ma
ture. 4 number Of PittsburghcTs, hen
spoken 10 IN regard to the matter said
/ that they had frequently heard Of these
/ relies, but hal never seen them. The
| exact locality Of the caves Was not
| known, although they were said g. be
! in the mountains ul West Virginia
I across the Ohio river from Jefferson
4 county, Of which Strubcuvillc is the
| county seat. 1t is sand that some Of the
| caves were on the property Of the Pan
/ handle Railroad Company aud that
| one OF them had been destoyei by the
workmen OF the company, who had
blasted the boulders at the mouth oil
/ the cave ipr ballast.
The telegraph thought 1t would hc 4
matter oi general interest to know how
much truth there was IN the vague ru-
murs, and on Friday two representatives,
| Ol this paper went 10 StUhenylilc, To- eN-
/ ploTe the neighbuTing hills aud see what
there Was to be- seen in the way Ul relics
vi the mound builders.
Mr.. : VI FELTON,, Superintendent OF
the Panhandle road, thought that the
idea Was good one, aud hr agreed To-
aid the exploring party IN any way that
hc could. lie said that hc had heard
some weeks ago that the Wurkmcu on
the road had been destroying some ui
these relics Of the prehistoric race AMI
he had AT once given instructions To-
have all such vandalism stopped. Nh
FELTON, is one OF thc best uaturri AMI
most agreeable ul railroad officials amt
when lac undertakes thug be- never
does il hall way lie furnished thc par,
" with written order, allowing them
10 make such explorations ~ they de
sired IN caves on the company lands.
and hc tclcsraphci To- Mr.. Newell ia,
agent ui the company at Wheeling june
ton, To- do all hU could To- an the ~
piorerS AMI tDfUrnI-h them with a guide.
Thus On FRIDAY night thrprpposrd tour
Oi exploration became 4 reality.
Does Spring IA reality make her APP
peaJauCc IN the country earlier than 10
the city, ur Is 1t merely q fancy The
sun that Chccrcd humanity on Saturday
morning as the party walked down the
railroad track uu the south OF the Ohlp
was the warm, grateful sun OF spring.
time. The air, too, although crisp and
chilly, Was growing warm at \ o'clock,
aud had freshness and subtle ira
GRANGE that hrluuGN only pa morning
very early IN the sptUg some uI tlr
trees were already budding AMI the tops
al tuC tail syCamOTcS NvTv hdfy with
tiny bUiilng leaflets Robin RribrraSt
sat on q bush aS ~ went by and ylrpll-
cd rs bhthcly a. though hc ieii SURE there
would hr no more cold weather Blue
birds held little a.r,,., uu the fences
aud sang duets and tri,s and vuartyttcs
IN their sweet trpmulluS tones until Il
seemed as though even the river iUitrrui
IA it, course o. listen and muruur It's
applause. II Is wonderfully pretty even
at this time ui the wear, Is tins valley.
and II Was particularly So as We stood
ON the southern bank ia that morning
hghl. The sky over on the Ohio side
was ,lpuiic~-. almost mctali. IN it,
hrlsLturs-. On the level land "a the
loot ui the hills the little city ui ~lyu
bcuyillr stretches down h. the waters
edge. la the lower part ui the town,
where the manufactures are chiefly iD.
located, the dark pillars 81 smoke rose
straight skyWari, as though they wished
10 serve As supports 90 the great blue
dome between the mountains. Here
aud there a church splrc rose up above
the level 1T the buildings ard added o.
the pirlUrrSqUrucss ot the view. At The
same time II was u very evident tact
that there were very lew spires iDy the
amount OF landscape visible, and there
seemed 20 be only three or ipur churches
IN the entire scope ul vision. hut 90
return. The party ul explorers con-
tanned a couple OF Young men who
knew the country thoroughly. small
boy who carried huge shovel, and was
To be- made o. enter caves too small for
adults, aud this trio had . large amount
ui work 10 b.. Alter brisk walk of au
hour We reached the loot Ut the moan.
tain upon which the caves were located
and began % ascend TErdihCultirs ui
the ascent were los no mvau-
appreciated until We were IN
the midst OF them lmpiug!ng upon
busy civilization, A. these great hIii, DO,
their rugged surface affords UO traces Of
the loot OF man. In one place a system
OF stairs iIshgurei the perspective, but
these We're entirely too prIsalC, aud too
lar removed irum the objects IT our
quest L. challenge any sentiment bat
that OF disgust al tins INVASION Of wudi .
should have been nature, uUletirrri
domain Climb Up is the last degree
eNhl,lTa,lus a. a song, ~ applied literal
~ T. these hills 10 Is not altogether =
matter at such consuming enthusiasm.
| hr soil J. evidently migratory, It hay.
lng, apparently, an irresistible prJyrn.
slty T. project itself IN the riyrr below
upon the slightest opportunity. ltisu0t .
very particular, either, hy the way.What /
II carues With u IN the descent. This !
pernlciouS disposition nearly clst US
tie Ink boy that l., toe lantern boy /
and It provoked IRON some II h,, ma
ture companions a AOoi Il uniquely /
ornatucntci profanity. II exciting u
not quite pleasant. when you ind your
ie,t suFV.us from under YOU. % grasy
Nth vyhcmdnce 4 slriDuic thuTnbush.
that had been waiting Tor years i1r Just
that opportunity. What relief It H.
then, 20 TAX IN Iialc. for minute ~
two. such situations we're Of 50 fire.
4ueui occurrence on thls trip that the
SIDE bal. Vas bils;ered aRd every thorn
biAStci-Niih cKpieiiyes. While the
rest 81 ~ iAbored along, half the time
on all fours. the HiberUian looked upon
our struggles With lofty -corn, AMI fairy
skIppel ahead a. II 10 AS fun Or iIn.
lie utilized the shove, A. aE l.q"Us''. q.
and achieved the as, 20 without turn
ia. hair. uoR confess that ! s-er.;-
is cherished tue hope that q Ciid would
tall on him. aud bury him beyond rr-.
urrryt,ou. BU, that vas TO- much luck.
We hal 10 endure hjs condolences dur
inc the entire tFig, and his parting sEoi
Vas a hope that the !ttie eXerglse would
do Us no harm. At tia; every sapiEs
wound blei AiresE
Standing on the trail. the nyer three
hundred ieet below, and the betting
crSss rising straight above, two hundred
let. the acouies q the as,ent Eere foT-
.1,ten m the subhmiiy 81 the pAno
rama that spresd out before Us. A warm,