Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-09-27
The Discovery of LuraT.

St5t1ttjO72 tells its readers how the cave
was discovered, and how the party who
made the discovery were deprived of
their gain:-
A wandering photographer who
CHANGED to be near Luray (then Lo
raine) was impressed with the idea that
there was a cavernouS formation in
some of the hills that throng about the
village. Why he thought so only those
who know how thoroughly such a man
must study nature and acquaint him
self with woOdcraft can understand. At
any rate, he persuaded to his views
local hunter named Campbell, and the
two started out on a systematic and
persistent search for hole in the
ground.
For Il long time theywere unrewarded.
One morning, however, they came upon
4 bowl like depression in the side of
the mountain, from which they thought
4 vague current of air was issuing.
They began picking through the loose
stone and sand that made the bottom
of the sink, and after going about ten
feet, dropped through an open cavity of
indeterminate dimension. A rope was
tied around Campbell's body, and he
went far enough to discover that the
new-found cavern was vast and meas
ureless. The hole was then carefully
covered over and the discoveries, keep
ing their secret, sought the owner of
the land. On ~ short bargain they
bought the land for $500, and took the
deeds.
Then they disclosed their secret, Sc
cured help, and made thorough ex-
plOration of the cave. This exploration
opened up the weirdest, most pictur-
esque and marvellous range of under,
ground scenery, in my opinion, in the
world. do not see how anything can
surpass it. For more than five miles
winding passages lead through vaulted
and futed chambers large enough to
quarter n regiment, past pools of crystal
water caught in glistening basins,
through corridors of enchanting beauty
into vast and silent cathedrals and be-
yond archways to pass under which q
child must bow its head-all filled with
stalactites, knobs and columns, fash
toned through the patient and ceaseless
work of centuries upon centuries into
the most strikingly singular resemblan-
ces and similitudes that are startling.
Nowhere is there a sign of life, except
that in one huge chamber solitary bat
flutters in uncertain circles amidst the
lofted tops of fluted columns. No other
bat was seen there-and this one was
so wizened and wrinkled that he might
have been distilled from the darkness
and dungeon-like vapors of the cavern,
the one blind and pinched and chilled
evolution of a cycle of gloom and ST.
lence. There is one other sign of life
the skeleton of a human being half
embedded in the bottom of q gorge.
Ages ago this man, of perhaps race
the memory of which does not exist, was
doubtless lost in the cavern. Falling
into this chasm, struggling against its
clammy sides in the utter darkness,
and filling the awful stiffness with his
dying cries, he died alone. And now
holiday crowds of race as strange to
him as the phautoms with which his
last teIrors peopIed the blackness of the
cave pause with laughing speculation
over his bones, and the feet of children
run trippingly over the ways where he
persisted so helplesslv.
AS soon as the railroad people became
satisfied of the extent and beauty of the
newly-discovered cave, they organized
a company with q capital of 500, 900,
and bought the cave from Mr.. Camp
bell and the photographer. The price
given was $4,000; but before it was
paid over the former owner OF the land,
who in his ignorance of the cave had
sold it for $500, moved to set his sale
aside on the ground of fraud. He con-
tended that he had sold simply the top
of the ground, and notwhat was under.
The courts decided he was right, and
ordered the $4,000 to be paid to him
and not to the discoveries. These lat
ter got nothing, and Campbell is now
guide for the company on q salary.
After paying $4,000 for the cave, the
company built Luray Inn, Il perfect
model of a Swiss hotel, ut cost of
$780, 900. A charge of 81 is made for
entrance to the cave, and last year 25,-
900 persons paid this fee. Excursions
are run twice week. and bring from
800 to 600 people on train.