Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-26
A SILVER MINE.
Its Alleged Discovery in Pennsylvania.

For over a century a tradition has eX-
listed among the settlers of the Wyom-
ing Valley that the mountains on either
side of the river contained silver. Var
iouS legends exist of men who have
made fortunes from the soil. In 1920,
one story goes, an industrious black
smith named Andreas, who lived in
Trucksville, across the river, some miles
from Wilkesbarre, was visited by tray-
cling Indian, not a rare thing in those
days, who asked for the loan of dig
ging tool, promising to pay for the loan
with piece of silver as big as the tool
itself. The blacksmith lent the tool,
and then, seeing the Indian taking his
way up the mountain, stealthily fol-
lowed and saw him dig from the hill.
side quantity of silver ore. Andreas
kept his secret, and obtained sufficient
wealth from his hidden mine to pur-
chase a fine farm in Berks County. On
his death-bed he told his secret to his
son, who in turn derived much wealth
from. his mine, and handed the secret
down to his son, who divulged it to one
or two people. Some years ago it came
to the knowledge of one Jeremiah " on
ders, now living III Trucksyille, and the
proprietor of a tannery.
From that day every dollar that Won
ders could scrape together went toward
purchasing land on the mountain. A
short time ago, being possessed of be-
tween 200 and 800 acres in the region,
he told his purpose in thus purchasing
to Joseph Harter, a well-known farmer
of the vicinity. The two pooled their
issues and began prospecting together.
Laborers were employed and the work
of mining begun. The field of their
operations is on the mountain, half way
up, just opposite the Ice Cave Hotel. A
shaft has been sunk to depth of sixty
feet and drift has been commenced in
the sid6of the hill to strike the bottom.
Several fine specimens of silver ore were
discovered. Some pieces have been for
warded to Philadelphia for assay, and
others were submitted to Dr. c.. F. Ing
ham of this city, the only man in this
vicinity who makes analyses of miner
ais. He pronounced one specimen to
be genuine galena or lead ore carrying
some silver, but how much of the pre-
cious metal it contained he could not
tell without making an analysis, the re-
suit of which is not yet announced
Harter says that he has encountered
evidences that some persons before him
have been working in the same locality.
He has discovered numerous caves in
his prospecting, some of which appear
ed to be the work of human hands. A
drift or tunnel has been struck, almost
closed by rubbish, which has been fol-
lowed many yards, and appears to lead
long way into the hillside. Another
large cave has been found which APP
pears to have been at one time the abid-
ing place of Indians. Various heaps of
rubbish have been discovered, giving
unmistakable tokens of having been
left by man, and thorough examina-
ton of the place is to be made in the
hope of discovering valuable Indian
relics. Other traces have been found
which show that miners have been at
work in the vicinity in times past.
The discoveries have created much
interest in the locality and in this city.
There does not appear to be much
doubt that silver in larger or smaller
quantities exists in the mountains, but
the best authorities are very skeptical
as to whether it can be mined in paving
quantities. = WiIkesbarre Letter to Phil
ddeIObi0 Press.