Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-23
THE LEAD MINES OF 10.
TRADITIONS ooNosRNlso THEM IN
Pennsylvania


sien's Pipe. aud weapons.
Where, N anywhere, are the lead
mines Of northwestern Pennsylvania In
connection with attempts 10 answer this
question tho writer hereof. In boyhood,
harvested many stone bruises by day
aud treasure dreams by night, together
with numerous traditions Of tho days Of
practically unbroken forests, bears
grease and primeval economy.
This section, comprising parts Of
northern Venango and southern Craw'
ford counties. is about forty miles south
Of Cory, sixteen miles north o. Oil City,
ton miles west Of 1itusvillc and eight
cen miles east OF Moadvillo. There Is no
donb. In the minds Of plenty Of entirely
rational people that somewhere within,
or coutiguously without, the region OF
country which these towns bound, thoro
"a a locality where an exceptionally good
quality Of lead orc may DO obtained, or,
at least, Tire locality where ore Of such
quality WA obtained formerly by the
Indians, both Tor their own uso aud 10
cell or trade TO the white sottlera As
the source Of TINS supply was carefully
kept a secret by tho indians--mainly Of
Chief Cornplanter's tribc-and has mover
been discovered. It Is regarded as rca.
sonable to infer that Il may yet be
source Of profit as 10 believe that Il was
exhausted.
4 PIONEERS ExrEnfEscE
AZ what Is now Bradlcytown, vii.
lago three miles southwest Of here, on
one Of tho branches Of Sugar Creek,
pioneer named Jacob Jennings lived 100
years Rgo and had near his pioneer
house n mail blacksmith shop. From
Mrs. Samuel Matsou. Of Chapmanvillc.
aud John Jennings, Of sunyille. some
interesting "reminiscences were obtained
rs related by their father. who was
ron Of Jacob Jennings The latter. at
lis blacksmith shop. frequently smcltod
and run into bullets rich lead orc sup
Piled by the Indians They made pert
odical trips to thi place for that pur.
pose. Coming ~ from the Allegheny
river they made Il a point 10 reach Ids
home In tho evening. there being usually
several In tho party. They would he
allowed 10 stay and would sleep around
tho areplacos In the house and shop. Al
daybrcak they would strike northward
up the creek and would return a Tow
hours later with n stock OF the lead
product 10 b melted. No amount ~
persuasion, ~ barter or ~ purchase
pnca would cause them 10 disclose the
whereabouts ~ tho load deposits.
Fifty years ago, according 10 mem.
bcr Of tho family. Mrs. Robert Gillc;pis
Rhl "a daughter, then . little girl, were
lost Ia tho woods, and during their wan
behring's found along q rayino an ont.
cropping OF load.iillod rock. piece Of
which they took with them. After find.
ing their way home they were unable 10
find their way back with older inolnbcrs
Of the family TO tho point where thoy
had found the lead. Various aud con.
tinuoua searches have been made since
along the raviues In that section, ono
enthusiast duyotinR u considerable por-
ton OF year to tho searchi but aside
from a fragment weighing about four
pounds, aud found in Held In Randolph
Township. Crawford county. where 1t
had apparently been dropped. no lead
orc has been discovered.
MATERIAL ron PBosrEcToRs.
The prospector able 10 develop point
en from Indian roles may find oonsid-
cradle material IN that limo In this Sec
ton. At Wallaceyillc. three miles south.
east Of here, no may iind a whole field Of
yet well defined mounds and excaya-
tons. A milo north Of here, just across
tho line In Crawford county, no may
find remnants VI several large stone
piles constructed Of stones having nota.
bic uniformity In sizo and piled up by
the Indians tor some unknown purpose
before tho time OF the earliest sottlcns
II he will follow the plow for season
In the southwestern part Of this town.
shlp-Plum township. VenAngo county
--or tho northorly adjoining township Of
Troy, In Crawford county. his labors
VIII probably be rewarded with a fresh
stock Of pipea, weapons and other relics
OF the noble and ignoble Lo.
II he will further follow the plow In n
field along the Sugar Creek flats, about
two miles north Of tho Jacob Jennings
homestead, and will fail TO lift the point
Of his plow when he reaches a certain
point In that field. his pillow handles will
Emito him hip and thigh aud put him TO
rout. Tho cause thereof will be that tho
plow point will strike the edge Of a circu.
lar bed of burned and pounded stone II
IS about ton feet In diameter, projects 20
the top Of the ground whore efforts have
not been made to get down to tho bot.
tom Vt Il, and is known to have been
there fully 100 years how much longer
no man knows, as II was then. accord
Ing 10 pioneer tradition, as much mat.
ter OF mystery aud antiquity as at pres.
ent.
II the lead prospector chooses to con.
hder II OF no value 10 mm. he may To-
gard It as one u tho places where tho
Norsomen. poking out this way from
Newport aud tho vicinity Of Boston,
paused 10 bake beans. II no is inclined
20 DO less skeptical he may DO as tradl.
ton says tho early settlers did-regard
It US tho foundation OF sort OF Indian
cruclblc or furnace which serysi In part
rs a smelIer for lead previous to tho In.
PRODUCTION OF fSearms on this continent,
and for purposes unknown. Plum Pa.)
Cor. Philadelphia Press.