The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-19
THE LOST SILVER MINE
SOME TRADITIONS OF THE KNOBS OF
SOUTHERN INDIANA.
Various Reasons Why the Claims
Have Never Been Followed
Forestry Conditions.

forestry reservation. aIlusion made
90 the knobs on which the reservation is
situated as the Silver Hills name ap-
piled to them by the Indians. During the
Black Hawk war of 1884 Indians captured
In the vicinity of Rock Island, Ill. told
eral members of the militia, Capt. Lemuel
Fords company of mounted rangers. on
learning from them that they were from
the Knob country near the falls of the
Ohio, that silver had been found by them
IN these knobs. In fact all this region of
southern Indiana known as the Knobs
abounds In quaint legends and traditions.
many of which date from the Indian occu-
patton Of the country. The elevation known
as Round Top is the point about which
these stories center. AS il is a salient fea-
ture of the landscape, SOFT is the center of
these traditions. All hinge the belief
that there is silver in the knobs. belief
which is firmly held to by many of the old
residents of this section. having come down
to them as a heritage from their fathers
will cry and give the sist of these stories.
Just before the Pigeon RoOst massage of
Sept. 3, 1872, a man known Captain
Phelps. pilot on the lower Mississippi,
opened a farm on the Charlestown and
Salem road, near the summit of the knobs
Just inside the Washington county border
It was known in my childhood as the old
Lucas place. from a later tenant and. as
I remember. il was very substantial build
ing of hewn logs. with loopholed projecting
upper story, and was during Phelps's occu-
pancy and for many years thereafter a sort
of "Wayfarers Rest for the occasional
traveller and hunter. Phelps was born
sportsman and as these wild hills abounded
in every variety of foar-footed and feath-
cred game he spent much OF his time row.
Ing about. fowlng pieces in hand and on
one of these expeditions he stumbled upon
spot where he found a rude furnace of
stone and much metallic debris scattered
about. which he thought to be the dross of
silver ore. Following the course of former
excavations he dug out and smeIted much
OF the precious metal, securing in the work
the assistance OF a trapper friend.
Returning to his home for supplies for
their improvised camp he left the friend in
charge, but he unfortunately was bitten
by a rattlesnake-they were very numerous
In the hill country then-and persisted mis-
erably in the solitary highland camp. These
snakes are yet quite numerous on or in the
vicinity of the reservation. Only a few
days ago big one was killed by one of the
forestry employees.
A CHART WAS MADE
About the time this trapper friend was
bitten the Pigeon Roost massacre oc-
Cured. when all the countryside that the
fomahalxw spared fed to the protection
Of the fort at Jeffersonvillc. Phelps went
With the others. and while waiting for the
settlement of the Indian difficulties, wearied
o. the inaction of life at the fort, and an
opportunity presenting. he took charge of
a fatboat going to New Orleans. While at
the latter place he was stricken with yellow
fever and died. During his last illness he
made chart of the location of the mine,
which he estimated TO be about four miles
southwest of his home. This calculation
would bring Ii in the neighborhood of the
Round Top, but inasmuch as that region
was then thickiy wooded and entirely with
out roads. il is probable that the chart
was not an efficient guide as to direction
or location, but he described with a good
deal of particularly the immediate sur
roundings. 1t was in a shallow ravine, and
on a large oak he had cut the figure of an
Indian with a bow and arrow pointing in
the direction CT the place where he had
concealed the ore run out
The existence of the chart becoming
known. some of the citizens called upon
Mrs. Phelps. who. when the Indian trou-
bles quoted down had returned, and on
their request she showed them the chart,
but would not permit them to take a copy
and after that never allowed anyone to
see 1t, stating that she wished to keep it
for her son.
IL was the general impression among
those who saw the chart that the mine
was in the vicinity of the Round Top, and
all the searching and excavating was done
at its base or sides. This was probably an
error; at least subsequent events lead to
that belief
Every few years the excitement revived
and many poor men living in the Knob
country gave to the profitless search time
that could i'll be spared from the neeessi-
ties of their families. The belief that silver
exists there does not depend on the Phelps
story alone. but is strengthened by Indian
traditions. The story told those citizen SOL
diers OF the Black Hawk war at Rock
Island IN 1sS2 is In evidence. Those Indians
had never lived where the silver was found,
but had been in communication with other
red men who had lived there or hunted all
over this section and had their summer
homes there, who told them there was sill
YER in the Knobs. / have heard the names
OF two responsible persons TO whom these
statements were made, both of whom are
now dead, Thompson McDietz. of Blue
Lick. and Eden Coombs the foymer Silver
Creek miller. who were comrades in the
company OF Mounted Rangers raised in
Clark county and served in the Black Hawk
war. The excitement was revived at in
tervais by young Phelps. who every few
years made his appearance and searched
several weeks for the lost mine always.
however. combining his explorations and ex-
vacations to the Round Top and its imme-
date vicinity
ANOTHER DISCOVERER
Just before the war of the rebellion in a
conversation with one of his neighbors.
William Porter. old resident of Round
Top neighborhood. the subject of the lost
silver mine came up. and Mr. Porter stated
as his belief that the general impression
as 10 its location erroneous and that
IL would be found not so far south, adding
that he had discovered a place that full
filled all the indications laid down I'm the
Phelps chart, which he claimed TO have
seen. He further offered to take anyone to
the spot. which he described as being a