Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-02-06

amused themselves at the expense OF
the poor Irishman, and called the river
/ Clinch. They named the upper ridge,
from minerals of copperas appearance,
which they found upon it; as Newman 3
ridge, after man of that rame who
was one of the company; Wallen's 3
ridge also, from the name of Wallen,
one of the company; also Scagg's ridge,
from person of that name, who was
one of the company. They then went
through the Cumberland Gap, and
when there, agreed that Wallen should
name the mountain, He, having come
from the county of Cumberland, in
Virginia, gave it the name of the Cum.
berland mountain. They proceeded to
the river now called Cumberland, and
called it North Cumberland. Fourteen
miles further, was the Laurel Noun
tain. where they terminated their jour
ney, having met with body of Indians
whom they supposed to be Shawnees.
On the south of Rogersville, towards
the southern boundary, is the Paint
Mountain, bearing south, sixty degrees
west, and Nolachucky, which runs into
French Broad.
The next mountain is Bays Noun
tain, in the same direction; next Hols-
ton; then Clinch Mountain; next Cop
per ridge; Clinch river; Newman
ridge; Powell's Mountain, and then to
Virginia. Cumberland Mounts bears
north, forty six degrees east, and be-
tween the Laurel Mountain and the
Cumberland Mountain, Cumberland
river breaks through the latter. At the
point where it breaks through in the
State of Kentucky, and about ten miles
north of the State line, is creek called
Clear Creek, which discharges itself
into the Cumberland river, bearing
northeast, till it reaches the river. 1t
rises between the great Laurel hill and
Cumberland Mountain; its length is
about fifteen miles. Not far from its
head rises also the south fork of Cum
berland, in the State of Kentucky, and
iuns westwardly. On Clear Greek are
two old furnaces, about half way be-
tween the head aud mouth of the creek,
first discovered by hunters in the time
of the first settlements made in this
country. These furnaces then exhibit.
ed very ancient appearances; about
them were Goals and cinders, very un-
like iron cinders, as they have no marks
of rust, which iron cinders are said uni
formily to have in few years. There
are likewise number of the like fur
naces On the south fork, bearing similar
marks, and seemingly of very ancient
date. One Swift, came to East Tennes
see in 1890 and 1901, and was at Bean 9
Station, on his way to part of the
country, near which these furnaces
are. He had with him journal of his
former transactions, by which it ap.
peared, that in 1861, 1862 and 1853, and
afterwards in 1857, he, two Frenchmen,
and some few others, had furnace
somewhere about the Red Birk fork of
Kentucky river, which runs towards
Cumberland river and mountain, north
east of the mouth of Clear Creek. He
and his associates made silver in large
quantities, at the last mentioned fur.
naces; they got the ore from cave
about three miles from the place where
his furnace stood. The Indians becom-
ing troublesome he went off, and the
Frenchmen who were with him, went
towards the place now called Nashville
Swift was deferred from the prosecu-
ton OF his last journey, by the reports
he heard of Indian hostility, and re-
turned home, leaving his journal in the
possession of Mrs. Renfro. The fur
nances on Clear Creek, and those on
the south fork of Cumberland, were
made either before or since the time
when Swift worked his. The walls of
these furnaces, and horn buttons of
European manufacture, found in rock
house, prove that Europeans erected
them. 1t is probable, therefore, that
the French, when they claimed the
country to the Alleghanies in 1854, and
prior to that time, and afterwards, up
to 1858, erected these works. A rock
house, is cavity beneath rock, jutted
out from the side of a mountain, af-
fording a cover from the weather to
those who are below it. In one of these
was found furnace and human bones,
and horn buttons, supposed to have
been part of the dress which had been
buried with the body to which the
bones belonged. 1t probable that the
French who were with Swift, showed
him the place where the ore was. When
the regiment under the command of
Colonel Bird, marched from Virginia
to the west, the frontier settlements of
that colony was at Fort Lewis, which
stood few miles east of the present
site of Salem, which is now in Bottet.
ourt County. Vaux's fort, higher up
the Roanoke, had been then recently
taken by the French aud Indians, and
the company of which we have been
speaking, advanced by degrees, and
year after year, still further into
the interior. They made their first
hunt in the year 1851, in the section OF
country which is how called the Blevins
settlement, in Sullivan County. They
than raciHaH IN C,nsth y, ,s,,ox