Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-04-09
THE DEMOCRATIC NORTHWEST. THURSDAY, APRIL g. 1885
A MOUNTAIN OF SOAP.
Remarkable Discovery i'm Perry Coun-
ty, Thousands of Acres of Land
Leased, With Gould aud Van
derbilt Holding an Option.

Special TO the Enquirer.
CORNING, OHIO, March 3l.-The
most astounding if not the most i'm.
portant discovery Of the age has just
been verefied here within the last few
days. The location of this great find
is in the "Big Woods" consisting of
some three thousand acres of virgin
forest about SIX miles southeast of
Corning, and on the line joining the
counties of Perry and Morgan. These
big woods have been the frequent re-
sort of the rabbit hunters of this vi
cinity for several years, out more es-
peclally during the past winter of a
certain party Of huntsmen from the
town of Corning, the most of whom
are connected in some capacity or 9TH
er with the Ohio Central Railroad
Company. 1t has been noticed for
some time that their visits to this
"happy hunting ground" were made
with great circumspection and secrecy.
It now turns out that on certain ex-
cursion to the forest aforesaid in the
early part of the past winter the hunt
ers became very hungry and sat down
at the foot of one of the Immensely
high and rocky hills with which the
big woods tract is filed, to eat lunch,
having killed several rabbits and 9TH
er small game on the hunt. They
built fire and prepared to roast them;
the heat from the fame was so great
as to dissolve or split off large frag-
lnent of the solid stone, when most
astonishing thing occurred. Imme-
diately there began to form little peri
orrations on the face Of the rock the
exudation of slippery and dirty vel
lowish colored substance Of about the
consistency of Orleans molasses in
January.
In few minutes several pounds of
the unctous mass had found It's way to
the outer world, and many tons would
have been wasted in the ravine below
had not the thunderstruck discoverers
by superhuman exertlons, managed to
roll back the detached bowlder and Sc
cure it in its original position. Then,
after gathering up quantity of the
queer-looking stuff, they made their
way back to town, keeping their
mouths firmly closed, in very fear of
being ridiculed to death Forthwith,
however, they dispatched samples of
the find to the leading chemists of the
United States, and calmly awaited re
suits. These have been beyond all
expectations or even belief and dwarf
the discovery of petroleum to insig-
ni6cance.
A critical analysis or assay of the
queer substance found in the big
woods shows it to be nothing more
nor less than nearly pure article of
soap. The learned professors whose
certificates are filed with the several
analyses suggest that his wonderful
deposit must be owing to most per-
feet and almost miraculous combina.
tion of Widespread, if not illimitable,
lakes of potash and rivers Of essential
oils within the subterranean caverns
the great coal treasures of
Southern Ohio, At any rate, q soap
mine of this variety has been hitherto
unknown, and will, no doubt, create
quite sensation throughout the sci
entific world at large.
The fortunate locaters (all poor men) t
nave already secured hundred year
eases of the whole three thousand
4cres of the big woods tract, and taken
steps for Incorporating a company
With 100000 capital partly paid uf,.
t is calculated that the mine, which is
'nly short mile from the line of the
)hlo Central Railroad, could easily
urnish two hundred cars of soap per
lay as soon as the proper works have
been constructed for rectifying the
rude product. An Eastern syrdi-
ate, backed by Gould and Vanderbilt,
lave an option on the property at $5,-
100000 any time between this date
md April l, 1886.
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