Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-10-27

cooking utensils and weapons were
rudely made of native silver.
Even the totem poles were lavishly
covered with the same precious metal,
end every native possessed quantities Of
it. Atkins endeavored to learn from
what source this seemingly inexhaust-
IDLE supply came, but met with re-
peated rebuffs Whenever he touched
upon the subject, the natives would be-
come silent and angry, and fearing muir
der if he pressed them further, he de-
sisted for time and tried to solve the
mystery alone. The more he saw, the
more wonderful became the secret.
Whenever any implements were
wanted, huge quantities of the metal
were brought out from the huts and
crudely moulded or hammered into
shape
After many weary and fruitless at
tempts at discovering the source Of the
supply, the village was thrown into eX-
element one day by many Of the braves
making preparations for a long jour-
ney. Atkins helped in the prepara-
lions, and by dint of inquiries finally
won over the natives to tell him that
they were going north for more silver.
They told him that once in every two
years the journey was made and
enough of the metal brought back to
last until the regular time for another
expedition. They went further and
said that the journey was not made Of
tener because it was beset with terrible
dangers, and that only about half of
the number who started ever returned.
The rest either persisted by the way or
were devoured by wild beasts.
At his oft-repeated request and after
many pleadings he was finally allowed
to become one Of the party and armed
with spears, knives arrows and rudely-
made hammers, the party set out drag
ging numerous sleds after them.
On the way, he questioned the natives
further and found that the silver did
not have to be mined; that there was a
huge deposit of it in its pure state in
a valley about ten days sleighing to the
north. In fact, there was so much Of it
that the natives themselves could not
estimate its extent. They said Tat in
the midst of a valley surrounded by gil
gantic mountains, was mountain al
most covered with it, and all around its
base were open mines filled with the
glistening metal The treasure valley
they said had been discovered by an an
cestor Of the tribe hundreds of years
before, and as long as the Oldest inhab-
liant Of the village could remember,
and as long as his father and his faith
er's father could remember, they had
always made the trips to it every two
years, and brought back enough for all
their wants. They said that none but
members Of their own tribe had ever
seen it, and claimed to be the sole pos
SCISSORS Of the secret Of its existence.
AS the journey progressed the way be-
came terribly difficult, the ground high
er and cold intense. Every few yards
was a jump from ore cliff to another,
and the precipices grew sleeper and
sleeper. The guides skirted out in
front to signal the dangers, but every
now and then q cry Of horror would
arise as enc Of the party would shoot
hCadlong down the bottOmless abyss.
Others would be dragged over by the
weight of their sleds, and the occasional
howl Of Arctic beasts would strike ter
rOr 10 the heart
The ascent UP the mountain contin-
ued for two days, and weary and ia
tigued the summit was g. last reached.
Huge cliffs CT ice juSted out thou
sands CT fee. in the sir and seemed
ready to be hurled TO depths unknown
by the wind tina. Wlistled over the
nouG,9in top. Miles and m.les away
could be seen huge unknown lakes ard
5Lll further The peaks CT ether snow
capped mountains n the distance. The
exposure w3s fearful. and after a mo
ments res me descent was begun.
Wi.3tn a few hours the party were
free CT the precip,cas and there before
chem srrCad a sight, the Ike OF which
was never seen before, unless, par
chance, it was IN Solomon's cwn trea--
ure caves.
Stretched cut before the.r eyes was
a small valley literally filed with sill
yer tha. gl.s,e1ad and sparkled under
the Arctic sun, until i. dazzled the eye
with is brill,ancy. Here, amid snow
and ice, vera riches gazed upon by civ
tl!zed man for the first time Wealth
that would make Solomon blush with
envy, and cause even CrOssus's riches to
sink into significance, lay before them.
In the centre Of the valley rose the
wonderful silver mountains that the ma
tiyes had tcld CT. Covering an area of
about one hundred square feet, and ris-
ing some fifty feet in the air, t stood
out like huge nugget, for from top 10
bottom the silver Clustered out from be-
nee,h the snow. Around its base yawn-
ed upon pits, and through breaks in the
ice It was seen that these also were
filled with the precious metal.
Up and down the valley could be seen
great deposits Of The same metal and on
all sides +. abounded in seemingly mex
haustible quantities, as If some giant Of
the long forgotten past had stood over
this priceless valley and into it poured
pure molten silver until ii could hold
no more.
AS hastily as the steep mountain side
would permit the party descended into
the valley and the Indians commenced
clearing the snow away from one Of the
pits When this was done Atkins
peered down, and as far as he could see
it was filed with layer after layer of
silver in a natural and almos. pure
state
For five days the natives loaded the
sleds with pieces large and small, until
they had all they could possibly carry
back. Atkins spent this time in exam
ming the valley and with guides made
made many explorations up and down It,
trying to solve the origin Of the treas
ure. His only solution is that the
- >-N--.----N