Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-08-12

clouds of flies, which came from the
interior country. y.-The New York Sun.
Is this the proof of the story told
by the late General 10 o. Shelby, the
Confederate who never surrendered,
but who, nevertheless, died United
States Marshal for the Western Dis
trict of Missouri? Has the Cavern OF
Flies broken loose?
1t was near this same Fecoh, ac-
cording to the Generals story, that
Walter Andrews Balister, formerly
living near Kansas City, Mo-, won q
fortune by entering the famous Cavern
of Flies.
The Cavern of Flies is one of the
most wonderful and, at the same time,
one of the most hideous places in the
world
Balister's adventure, in daring and
lnexpressible terror, is not exceeded
by the most extravagant flights of fic-
tion. The memory of his experience
undoubtedly wore upon Balister's s
mind, for he packed up six years ago
and left his home, saying:
81 am going to Greenland, where it
is too cold for flies"
1t is not known in what year he
went to Yucatan. By strange whim
of fortune this tall, thin youth, from
the district of Missouri, where the
James boys had their haunts, found
himself shipping from New Orleans as
one of party to explore the ancient
ruins of Yucatan.
When he returned to Jackson Coun-
ty in 1880 his old friends did not know
him. His face and hands were COW
cred with countless tiny blue spots, as
if he had been tattooed He had
plenty of money, although he went
from the Missouri hills with nothing
except the six-shooter in his hip poe
ket.
He builta fine house. Each window
OF the house was provided with firm
wire netting. A summer house in the
grounds was built, enmeshed entirely
with netting. When asked why he
used all this expensive wire netting,
Balister replied, grufiiy:
'"To keep out fliesl"
Soon his black servants told a
strange story. Their masters chief
requirement was that they should let
no flies into the house. If he heard
one buzzing, every person in the
house was ordered to kill that fly, to
do nothing until the fly was killed.
One day Balister found black boy
asleep with fly perched on his nose.
He struck the boy blow that all but
killed himl
1t was too near the big date
town of Kansas City for black boys to
be struck down by their masters,
hence Balister was arrested for assault
with intent to kill.
He declared he aimed at the fly, not
the boy. This excuse was considered
a bit of grim humor.
1t was this circumstance that led
the strange man to tell to the late
General j. o. Shelby the story of the
"Cavern of Flies" General Shelby
told the story several times in CON
vivial moments.
Balister's father was one of my
bravest soldiers" said General Shelby,
"and rode to Mexico with me rather
than surrender to the Yankees. Imet
young Balister, but never asked him
what made his face blue. Gentlemen,
that man was blue all over! When he
was charged with trying to kill the
boy, he said to me:
General, it is no joke-I did aim
at the fyp
''Then he told me the story which,
he said, had never passed his lips be-
fore, it was so painful for him to tell
1T seems that somewhere in the in
terror of Yucatan, near Fecoh, two of
the expedition, accompanied by Balls
ter, found q lot of ruins covered by
1 forest trees. An immense hill of lava
attracted them, and it was around the
hill they found these ruins.
"Amons the peculiar features of an
ancient temple was an underground
tunnel, which, by observation, they
found to lead into the hill of lava rock.
'In their efforts to follow this tun-
mel the party was driven back by
swarms of hiesl The walls and ceiling
of the passage were covered with a
species of flies which puzzled the ex-
plorers. They had never seen any
flies of that sort in that land of flies.
| Determined to solve the mystery
of the underground passage, the party
covered their faces and hands with
cloths and pushed resolutely on
through ever-increasing clouds of flies.
AS they went further the ancient air
grew warmer and moist, and an intol-
cradle odor assailed them. They were
driven back.