The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1889-02-01
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY i, 1889.
BETHLEHEM'S MINES.
LEAD IN ABUNDANCE; SILL
YER ALSO.

THE MINE, FOUND ~ YEARS AGO
IN a WELL, TO BE DEVELOPED
BY RYAN, BARROWS, ISBELL &
ALLEN.
Already accounts have been published
far and wide regarding the lead mine in
Bethlehem, just over the line from Wood
bury, with statements of the vast guam
titles of lead and pockets of silver, be-
sides homeopathic doses of gold. A Bee
reporter visited the scene in order to as
certain the truth of the matter. He |
found that the mine did exist and was to |
be worked, but that the excitement so
graphically portrayed did not exist to
any great extent
How the Lead was Found.
Away back in the early part of the
century, some 20 years ago, Gideon
Allen, one of the sturdy, uncompro-
missing men of the times, built house
on Carmel hill, about 80 yards beyond
the Woodbury. town line. Here he es-
sayed to dig a well, but, when about nine
feet below the surface, struck curious
rock, dark and tough. This was soon
passed and the we'll, when finished. was
stoned up. Specimens of the rock were
widely distributed and a quantity was
| sent to Prof Silliman of New Haven.
He pronounced it mixture of silver and
lead, the lead largely predominating. A
perfect assay was not made and addi-
tional specimens were asked for, but
never furnished. In the course of time
all the lead was appropriated by one and
another, until at last but one small piece
remained and that was placed in the
keeping of Mrs William III. Allen, wife
of Gideon Aliens son.
Some years ago, after repeated urg-
ing, Gideon Allen decided to dig for the
ore again. Accordingly, his hired man
was set at work, during lull in other
labor. Nothing came of this, for the
/ excavation was not carried forward sys-
Dramatically. An offer of $4,000 was
made at one time, by a company of CAPT
talists, for the privilege of digging over
a portion of the farm. Work was begun
and an irregular excavation made, abou,
five or six feet deep. Mr. Allen became
tired of it and refused to allow any fur
ther digging.
And so the matter lay. After MI
Aliens death, the goodly farm of 20(
acres, lying partly in Woodbury., Beth
lehem and Washington, passed into the
, hands of his son, William H. Allen,
resident of the neighboring village o
Hotchkissville, Woodbury..
. How the Mine was Re-Discovered
Mr. Allen is a famous fox hunter and
him, are Frederick A. Isbell and C. w
Barrows, both of Middletown, though
Isbell is a native of Hotchkissyi1Ie
They hunted for several days and thel
determined to see what could be don
with the old lead mine. A portion o
: the lump preserved by Mrs Allen wa
1 sent to the government assay office
which reported that the sample assayet
: at the rate of 1900 pounds of lead to tn
+, ton, % ounces (Troy) of silver and trace
of gold.
To find the mine was the next ques
ton. Allen, Isbell and Barrows repaire'
to the old well, took up the stones of tn
well, inserted plank curbing to proven
7 earth from falling in and eagerly sough
! the leaden ore. At last, Isbell, who wa
!. in the well, suddenly exclaimed, s1'v
g found it, A quantity of the ore wa
- 4 =. S.1<H .
q the top, allowed to fill with water an
the Swede, Alfred johnson, who occt
pies the place, instructed to allow no on
= to linger in the vicinity.
y This was Thursday, January IL an
e the men had been at work about tw
weeks. The next day, Isbell and Bal
!; rows left the place, taking most of tn
. ore with them. Isbell was expecte
It back, this week and Barrows was to joi
i him in few days, when the mine woul
g be opened and digging resumed.
,sI Before leaving, however, Isbell, VIII
is an old hand at mining and is familia
n with California gold mines and Idah
silver mines, said that never had he see
e. such promising one, or such desirabl
q location for mine. He had great hope
of the ore, which, he says, far surpasst
is anything that he ever observed. Eft
is acres of land in the vicinity of the mir
y were at once leased for a term of
years, to develop all the mineral r
n sources of the soil. Mr. Allen has +
to served half interest in the land al
=. mine, the rest being divided betWee
= Frederick a. Isbell and the firm of Rya
Ii. & Barrows.
Where It Is.
as Hotchkissville is village in the mort
ern part of Woodbury., about mile al
ii a half from Woodbury. Center, which
Of five miles from Pomperaug Valley, Il
Southbury station on the New EnglaI
y road. Stage lines connect the villag
with the railroad and afford easy acee
to the town. Two and half miles b
to yond Hotchkissvi1le, the town lines
IN vide Gideon Aliens farm into three IN
quail parts. The house and well stal
on a knoll, sloping sharply down to ba
oil bling brooks on either side. On d
west, scarcely an eighth of mile ava
runs brook whose surface is nearly
feet below the top of the knoll. II
81 brook runs from north to south and,
" the south side of the knoll, is a small
n brook, some 10 rods away and 20 fe
e. below the well. Still another brook q
I'd be drawn upon for hydraulic purpose
w when the mill and machinery are in Fl
h. blast. The lode is about Is feet bele
pa tne SURFACE. me VEN Is saia 20 pe
large as a mans body, with promise
becoming larger when further expose