Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-21

But to return to the spreading Of the
news. 1t was followed Dy the formation
OF searching parties, numbering all the
way from one TO ten members. md hailing
from all around the neighborm0d, and in
at least one instance from 80 niles away.
The little mountain became Mecca, and
II is said that the tracks in tie first light
snow that fell were as close Ugether all
owe" the top of the mountain IS ever thew
are in a schoolyard after recess. Nobody
except the shoe maker pretended to believe
there was anything in the yarn, vet ap-
parentlyvery few cared to bregO their
chances OF getting rich for oneAfternoon's
WORK. One reason why this sto'y has made
such an impression IS that InGau Ladder
Mountain is all covered with cracks and
holes, and has many known caves, be-
sides being so hollow that the very rocks
resound when they ars walked Oh or hit.
The craze was helped along by the rec
election that just about when he rob-
berries told OF in the letter were going on
old JOnn Crary, a retired farmer in
knOwersville, was robbed of $50 by per-
sons who broke in his house, and at the
same time several other houses were
robbed of trifles, while over in 6ullap-
Vile $500 was taken from one house, and
Others were forced at night. 70 add to the
tide OF confederation, John White, farmer,
or the town of Knox, reported that he had
lost long, stout, new rOpe-perhaps the
very one spoken of IN the letter-at Just
about that time. AS if TO cap everything
else, the news flew that Haley's name had
been discovered on the register in Mr..
WeatherwaX's hotel. 1t is the mpleas-
ant duty of the reporter TO destroy that bit
OF evidence. The Haley registered at
WeatherwaX's is a circus hand belonging
to +. A. Robbins circus, museum and
menagerie, which showed in KnOwersvilie
on July 80. There were 40 il the troupe, and
they slept in pairs for the sake OF re-
duced hotel rates, Haley having man
named Milligan for a room mate.
Among the persons who have searched
for the cave was young Crary, Of Know
ersyille, who took his mineral ball up
there with him. This is said to be a hol-
low ball, in which a little quicksilver is
poured. 1t is covered with buckskin and
carried depending by a string from the
searcher's finger. 1t was found that in a
certain place in the woods it invariably
swayed markedly. 1t will not sway for
anything except silver and gold. A miner
al ball for greenback hunting has not yet
been invented.
The other day one of the parties search
ing on the mountain top embraced Mr.. A.
A. Tygert, one of theprincipal merchants
OF the neighborhood, and his friends,
Eugene Sand, William OgbuTy, and John
Severson. They had their guns and pre-
tended not to be at all Interested in the
story OF the buried treasure, but, being
right there, they looked around very as
siduously, and actually came upon hem
lock tree with a rope hanging from its
roots and with its roots bridging crack
in the rocks.
Il amt much afraid any one else will
find it" said Mr.. Tygert to-day, "for there
are several trees whose roots cross cracks
in that same way, and now that l have
taken the rope away no one except US
four can tell one of these trees from the
Others We had to get down on our stom-
achs to see the rope under the roots. l
was the one that went down. 1t made me
feel little queer. l lowered myself in the
crevice by means Of the rope. You might
get in the place without the rope, by fall
ing in, but you never would get out"
When Mr.. Tygert had descended about
or 10 feet he reached a bottom OF snow
and ice. 1t was impossible to say how
deep this deposit was, or whether or not a
cave entrance is covered over by 1t. Inc
sides of the crevice were smooth and of
sheer rock. The rope was Topped up on
the roots of the tree, but of the part that
hung lowest one end was fast in the snow
and ice and had to be chopped OIL. Mr..
Tygert brought the rOpe-a new stoutone,
SO feet loug-back to town, and yesterday
farmer John White came over and iden-
titled it as having been stolen from him at
Just about the time the letter says the
thieves were on the mountain. This has
redoubled interest IN the romantic affair,
and many look upon the statements in the
letter as needing no further continuation.
Mr.. Tygert does not say he believes he
has found the cave and Will get the treas
ure, but he remarks that he will be found
down in that rock crack once again as
soon as the warmth of April's sun lOOsens
the grip of winter on the earth. His three
companions will be close by, but until
then none VIII breath the whereabouts OF
the crack, except that it is strangely near
the point at which young Crary's mineral
ball always swayed. 1t Is about 4oU
wards from the wOOdpile, instead OF 3OU
yards, as the letter set forth.
This is the most important find that the
searchers have made. One other party
found the pelt and head of sheep in a
crack in the rocks, and half dozen
places that were thought to be the right
onos. but that were chOked with snow and
ice, were located, and are TO be kept IN
mind until spring. But in the meantime
searchers go 10 the mountain daily,
and no one can tell what day may bring
forth.
Pretty nearly the only persons who
pOoh-pooh John Robert Swifts letter and
speak OF it as a hoax are the commercial
travellers and other outsiders who come
along from day to day. They say that
some summer visitor wrote the letter, or
that it is the work OF some of the Union
College boys, who are forever tramping
over the Helderbergs for exercise and
sport. But in the meantime hepopulous
towns Of Cumberland and Knox are torn
by the question: Who is to have the
money when spring releases 1t from the
grasp Of winter? Mr.. Tygert thinks he
knows whose it will be if he gets hold OF
it, but Mr.. Hart. the shoemaker, is under
stood TO have formally put in his claim for
it, no matter who finds il.
The newest reasoning yet held on the
subject is that of a sort Of a lawyer over
in Knox, who says that If it is found
the money must be turned over either 10
the Supervisors or Surrogate. He is con-
sidered fool. The question Wall be dis
cussed all winter.
Our American Ballet.
Frot8 me Pr0rifoncs Journal.