Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-11
RAMBLER'S NOTE BOOK.
OLA PODRIDA OF SAYINGs WISE
AND 0THERWISE,

Gathered in Walks and Talks About tn
Champion City by One Who Keeps Eve
and Ears Open for the Bensht OF Sprins
field Readers.
The description By the police OF the trsmp'
cave, west of the city, in the cliffs adjoininI
Mad River, reads like job lot OF chapter
out of Robinson Crusoe, or Jules Verne
Dropped from the Clouds The tramps wer
very snugly quartered in the cave with straw
bedding and rude furniture. They had msd'
arrangements to close up the mouth of th'
cave, and had everything arranged in cast
away -on-a-desert-islsnd style. There are g
number Of caves in the cliffs at Mad River o.
greater or less size. Some are mere crack!
in the rocks, where the would-be explorer
has TO crawl on hands and knees. There ID
one cave In the cliffs on the western slde Of
the river, however, which is larger. The en-
trance is through a narrow hole, rather diff
cult to crawl through. Once inside, how
ever, the explorer can easily stand upright in
VIC kio'to, WhiNh &c a. iOhoh VAk kue
feet nigh. The cave has q central space and
several narrow passages-mere issures in the
rock. The floor is sandy and strewed with
the bones OF rabbits and birds Snakes,
which probably dwell in the cavern, have
been seen in its winding passages. The
opening by which it is entered is rather hard
to lind and the cave would make a very se-
cure hiding place, if the exact location of
the opening was unknown or if it was COW
cred with brush. A number Of small boys,
TO whom the location of the cave is known,
often go down on Saturdays and holidays
10 play "Swsy backed Mike, the Prize Tough
of the Sierras," or "Red eye, or the Boy
Aurderers," or some equally blood curdling
drams. With the river, underground, se-
cret cave, and forests, every phase OF the
sensational drama is within their reach, and
they make tie welkiu ring with their blood
curdling war whoops, and battle dances.
There is a legend current among the
early settlers of this county that there
was lead mine OF extraordi-
nary richness located among the cliffs near
Mad River, and the mouth of which was
reached by a cave in the cliffs. The story is
that the mine was well known to the In
dians, who were accustomed to chop great
chunks of the pure lead from the richness of
the mine. Some Of these pieces of lead were
shown to the white settlers h:y the Indians.
The noble red Lien refused to show the local
ity Of the mine to their white brothers, bu.
readily bsrtered great pieces of the pure lead
for looking glass, threads and other trifes.
Among the white settlers was a man by the
name of Boggs, who made it q resolve to fnd
the mine or die in the attempt. So one day,
after trading with the Indians, he carefully
followed them in hopes Of finding the mine.
By keeping quarter OF a mile or 50 in the
rear of the Indians, and svsiling himself Of
every hiding place, he was able TO follow the
Indians without attracting their notice At
asr, to his extreme Joy, he saw them
enter a hole in the rocks in one of the Mad
River cliffs about a quarter OF a mile distant
from the spot where he stood. Carefully taking
his bearings. and marking the place from
which the hole in the rocks could be seen, he
waited until the Indians reappeared, bearing
heavy chunks of metal in their hands, and
then returned home to dream of wealth and
the ownership of q rich lead mine. But alas
Shortly after arriving home, Bogss was at
tackled with typhoid fever, and lay many
weeks helpless on q bed Of sickness. His
mind continually dwelled on his discovery,
and he fairly ravsd about bis lead mine.
When he was hardly strong enough to be
out, be insisted on raising q posse of his
neighbors to 60 out and make sure of the
mine. The posse was soon raised and
heavily armed. The little band filed ou. Of the
settlement on their expedition of discovery.
Boggs was supported between two sturdy
pioneers and directed the way. He readily
directed them to the spot from which he had
seen the opening in the rocks, which he had
marked with stake. The place being found,
Boggs planted himself in the exact
spot from which he had seen the
opening. Not an opening could
he discover. He rubbed his eyes again and
again. In vain! The opening to the mine
had disappeared. On his earnest entreaty the
party accompanied him to the spot where be
fancied the hole in the rocks was, but not Q
trace of the vanished mine could be discov-
cred. There was not ,he smallest opening in
the giant rocks. The rest of the party ipme-
diately suspected that the whole affair had its
origin in Boggs' train, and was either the
result of dream, or else bad been caused by
his approaching sickness. After searching
thoroughly among the cliffs, the party re-
turned home, thoroughly disappointed. From
that time on Boggs' one idea in life seemed
to be to find the vanished lead mine. The
neighbors all laughed at him for the strength
OF bis belief in its existence, but be made one
stereotyped reply to all their chs6ngs. What
l have seen | have seen, and what l have
seen once can see again" Boggs' story
found credence with only a few Of his
neighbors, but these few continued the
search after Boggs death, which occurred
some time after. The mine was never found,
however, and the circu instances OF its dis
covery only dwelt in the minds of few
of the settlers Whether the Indians, fearing
for its discover obscured the opening with
brush or rocks nature in some OF the giant
commissions a movements which take
place among he. eat natural fortresses Of
rock, had discreu. dropped a rocky veil
across the portal which led the way to the
riches in her breast, was never known.
Hunting for this lead mine is q favorite
psstime with Springfield boys. The writer
remembers many happy hours Of exciting
sport spent among the rocks at Mad River,
exploring every opening and fssure with a
lantern, hunting for the fabled lead mine.
The only result was the frightening of a few
winsome bats, which have their a6odes in