Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-07-12
Elndale Cave.

Two miles south of Elmdale is a large
cave which several parties have attempt
ed to explore, but failed, on account of
the vastness of the cave and the ex-
ceedingly rough passages; but last week
several young men from this neighbor-
hood, provided with lanterns, ropes,
ladders and some liquid courage, tried
it again. They descended several feet.
then squeezed through narrow crevice
and found room about twenty feet
long and ten feet wide. At one side
was another narrow crevice about 80
feet long and twelve feet wide, across
unknown depth. Putting ladder
across this they managed to crawl over
and soon reached beautiful room, the
roof covered with glittering stalactites
and the walls encrusted with spar,
which looked like diamonds in the light.
In the middle of the room was cube
of what the miners call tiff" about
four feet each way. On top were some
ashes and charred bones, showing that
this cave at some time had been used
for religious purposes and the cube had
been the sacrificial altar. At the sug-
gestion of one of the party that most
likely valuables were secreted near the
altar, they commenced to examine and
soon discovered that it consisted of two
parts, the upper half sliding off disclos
ing cavity which was partly filled with
thin metal plates about ] of an inch
thick and twelve inches square, en-
graved with curious characters. The
boys rightly Judged that as am the
only dead man in the country l could
read dead languages. so they brought
them to me, and find they are proph-
esy of the history of Beetown and of
no particular interest except the last
sheet, and as it shows that the trouble
about the license business this spring
was unavoidable because it was fated
to be. | send translation, hoping it
that have existed on account of this
license business:
''And it shall come to pass on the
first day of the third month of the Sec
ond year of the reign of Grover that
the new rulers chosen by the people of
Beetown shall say unto Jim, whose
4 I
surname is Ishmael, Verify, thou shalt
whack up five and twenty suskins more
than the hundred We expected to give
for license. because we are that much
out on dead horses" Then will Jim
and Lon wax wrath and swear that is
too thin, and they will 90 to Lancaster
and ask the wise men skilled in evading
the law what to do, and the wise men
will tell them that it is unlawful to
raise the license in that way and then
they will feel exceedingly good. And
it shall come to pass that on account of
there being no drink, a great drouth
shall come upon Beetown and the
people shallcry out, Behold we perish;
we have nothing but buttermllk and
water to drink; we have no more fights;
we have to spend our money for clothes
and food or it burns our pouches and
we hear no more the voice on Mount
Zion sing praises And Lon will have
pity on them and say unto Griff and
John and Henry. Behold, one hundred
suskns is lawful That will | give, but
We must return part for the month and
half that the people haye suffered
and the chief men will not do it and
the people viii be dryer than ever and
it will be worse than before. Then
shall John, whose surname is Heron,
hear of the misery of the people, and
he will come from the city of humbug
4th of Julys and plank down two hun
bred suskins ter license, and the chief
man shall agree to let no other man
have license but him, and on the first
day of the fourth month of the second
year of the reign of Grover, John will
come with beer and wine and whisky
and the people will get drunk and Sam
will sing on Mount Zion.
Translated by
OsTRANDER.
81 ThprSIox- / II prd,+o,, ,,,.;,,o;