Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-24
sWIFTS SILVER NINE.
4 Dispatch Correspondent Goes on n
Hunt for IL.

Hunt for IL.
DWAI.E. DICKINSON COUNTY, VA.
December 3.-(SpecialD-An old man.
who seems to have a great deal Of faith
I'm the actual existence Of Swft's silver
mine. came to this place from among
the mountains of Eastern Kentucky yes
terday 10 reconnOiter. He called upon
YOUR correspondent TO accompany him, as
he was not very we'll acquainted with the
lay of the country. l inferred from
. the old gentleman's manner that lie
tacitly promised a liberal share should
fortune smile upon us The offer was,
OF course. accepted, though not with any
Idea Of building air castles. but with other
motives.
The old gentleman had q neatly-drawn
map. which purported to be a map Of
the mine and the surrounding country.
Many years ago he came in possession
Of an original map. which through much
and. perhaps. rough usage. became badly
worn. a surveyor on some proposed line
Of railroad passed through his neighbor-
hood. and the old gentleman had him
make a copy of the old map. He had
a written description Of the section
represented by the map, which was in
tended TO be a copy OF the original; but
as 81 was made by a bungling copyist.
fl was somewhat incoherent at points. 1t
opens after this fashion,:
a COPY OF SWIFTS SILVER MINE,
As told by himself 10 friends"
Then fl recites that the creek repre-
scented on the map is some three miles
I'm length. The furnace is on the mid
die fork" under a cliff The mine is
mile south of the furnace in fork
ridge" the great pOmmel lying east
.l.l 4 4 Il. of . 70
"seet." and is covered with a big, fiat
rock. The ground is very pore" round
about. and there is but little timber.
There "fs plenty Of holly-trees" along the
creek. They could see the first rising
~ the sun from the furnace; the hills
were low and fiat. The country adjacent
was so rough that the prospectors could
not get their horses nearer than six or
seven miles of the furnace. They passed
between two standing rocks on their
WAY TO the mine; Swifts name was cut
on one Of them. His name was also cut
on "A bsech-tree near the creek and dated
in 1867. Mr.. Mundy's name was cut on
another tree, and dated i'm 400; Angus
tus's I'm 17G2. and Jeffersons in 1868. These
rarties are supposed TO have been his
companions.
tradition. has it that Swift became
blind. and. although he accompanied ms
friends 10 the section where the mine Is
located. he never could direct them to IL.
II is said that on his way TO and from
the mine. he stayed at old Boss Bush s.
I'm Russell county, some thirty miles
away.
Vow. there is I'm this immediate neigh
borhood (on Holly creek a cave, which
as IL is said. was once occupied by an
old countcrfeiter. some seventy or eighty
wears ago. There is number Of human
homes i'm the crevices of the rock, when
were unearthed under 1t about thirty
wears ago. There are burned rocks ana
other evidences Of q furnace of some de-
scription having been there. As the map
pretty correctly represents Holly creek
the old gentleman aforesaid argues NM
self into the notion that this IS the place
where Swift operated his trade of making
money. and that the mine must be in this
Immediate locality.
We went 10 the cave. where the old
gentleman spread out the map, and, with
am ancicnt-lcoking pocket compass he
proceeded TO take the LAY Of the coun-
inv. He produced the written description,
and had me read 10. He would interrupt
the reading at various stages, and point
out the places over the surrounding couh-
Try. which ne thought required particular
notice. with a great show Of formahty
this document ends thus:
Here ends the description or swift ;
silver Mine.
As told by himself
We clambcred up the face OF the chi'
examining the creyices 10 see If swift
had not slowed away some scraps OF sii-
yer. or something-in fact anything lhat
would bear testimony In his behalf. foI
myself, / confess that / almost expec'vu
10 be confronted by his ghost, as ieau-
rnony Of his disploasure AT our Intrusion
While we had been engaged IN con-
turing up the scenes Of years long gone
the temperature had been falling, falling,
and we al length began 20 realize that
the freezing point must have been reach-
90 from the tingling Of our fingers
Then We agreed 10 adjourn till more
favorable weather should permit our inr-
theg search.
And now, Mr.. Editor. as an assurance
OF my high esteem OF yourself and your
paper / promise that II fortune should
favor us 20 send you a great chunk
OF silver with my kindest regards to you
and yours.