The record-union., 1893-03-08

passage. All examiners decided that the
cave had once been worked by miners,
but no one could account for the i'm
lnense quantity of ashes found. Tons
and tons of ashes, mixed with charcoal,
Stag and bones, were taken out of the
cave and still the supply was not ex-
hausted. Bones of every animal indigo
nous TO the Ozark region within the his
torlc period, from the buffalo down to the
mink, We're found in great numbers.
linen there were some strange remains
OF unknown quadrupeds. Bones that did
not belong to any member OF the bovine
family were dug up. Bear teeth were
monsters with tusks intact, the miners
now and then dug out of the heap of
ashes. Such quantities of bones the
miners had never seen; and how did they
get there mixed up with ashes, coal and
clnder? This was question which puz-
Zled the workmen.
PLENTY OF BONES, BUT NO GOLD.
But the most ghastly discovery made
by the miners was the unearthing of a
human skeleton, found in the old drift
surrounded by bear teeth and buffalo
heads. The skull of the remains, so long
enlombed in the darkness of this CHASTITY
cavern, was but little decayed, and the
best medical authorities of Ozark decided
that 1t belonged TO some inferior race,
judging from the receding forehead and
the general contour of the cranium.
The elder Garrison, who is conducting
the mining operations, has grewsome
theory about the antecedentS of this
skeleton. He has made a special study
OF the lore relating to the silver mines
of Southwest Missouri. He has talked
with many old Indians who have tradi-
tlons of The early days, when the Spanish,
1t is said, found caves Of precious ore IN
the w hifa River country a nra0tlpn
among those daring adventurers, he says,
when they LETT a mine TO kill man and
bury his body over the treasure so that
the ghost of the victim might guard the
hidden wealth. This skeleton found in
! the cave, he thinks, may be the remains
OF an Indian slain by the cruel and avari
clous Spaniards when they quit smelling
the precious ore, leaving the spirit of the
murdered savage to haunt the mine and
frlghten away other adventurers. This
strange and uncanny story gives a
stronger coloring TO the tales about the
ghostly sounds heard in the cave years
ago. But the phantom guardian of the
cavern and its secrets no longer disturbs
the workmen in their search for ancient
| treasure. Only the echoes Of the strokes
OF the pick and shovel are now heard in
the cave as the work progresses. No
goblin shrek protests against the re-
moval OF the human skeleton from its
WelfU tOlnD-
The cave has been worked by the pres
ent company for nearly two years. Part
of the time the men did not stop digging
even on Sundays, and worked night
shift" so ardent was their faith in the
traditions about the Spanish mine within
the cave. Never were sane miners more
infatuated by the spell of legends than
are those six men to-day who sift the
ashes and scrutiniZe the Stag taken out of
the Garrison cave. They have found
some ore resembling low-grade of zinc,
but nothing more valuable. The miners
think this metal points to a silver lead
near at hand. They expect to find not
only the native ore in great quantities,
but think the cave contains an ancient
forge where the successors of De Soto and
Ponce de Leon coined bushels of Span
ish dollars three centuries ago.
Ignoring the extravagant dreams about
the Spanish treasure, this cave has much
interest for the antiquarian and scientist.
What produced such vast quantities of
wood ashes as the miners are finding?
How did the ashes get into the cave at
such distance from the entrance? How
did so many bones get mixed up with the
ashes and charcoal? How was the ore
smelted there?