The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-07-10
indian TELLS OF
BURIED WEALTH
Big Keys Declares That a
Cave In Missouri Is Filled
With Silver.
SEALED UP LONG AGO
cHIJKAsAws LEFT IT WHEN
THREATENED WITH INVASION.

Kansas city. July e.-Somewhere In
.he mountains along the white river
a. Barry county. near the Arkansas
rtate line. Is hidden cave that con-
tains enough silver. both ore and met
al. 20 shoe every horse in southwest
Missouri with silver shoes. This Is the
way Big Keys. a fuil-bloodod Chicka-
saw Indian. expressed himself the
other day. as he boarded q train Tor his
home IA Oklahoma after a two years
search for the lost cave.
Armed with his favorite weapon. a
bow made Of cedar with a huckskin
string. with a full supply OF arrows
with heads made Of blue flint. Big
KEYS has spent the time scanning the
hillsidos OF hts b0yho0d happy hunt
Ing ground. in search o. the big hole
% SILVER" which he claims TO have
helped close up moro than seventy
Not until recently has Big Keys ever
given up hope Of ever finding the goal.
but contrary 20 his expectations he
YVES compelled 20 return empty handed
it his own people Tor more "scull0m"
t(money) In order 20 continue the
2 search.
According TO tho story told BY Big
Keys. 50 was some seventy years ago,
when southwest Missouri and Arkan-
Eas were almost solid growths OF sage
brush and considered by tho white man
a. worthless country, and inhabited
only by wild game, that little band
81 ChickasaW Indians were driven
| from their happy hunting grouncs IN
Georgia hy white settlers and settled
Falong the White river IN Barry county.
where fish and All Kinds Of Wild game
were IN the abundance. They had only
been Ia the new territory FOR a short
time when one Of tho redskins was
driven into large cave by an ap-
hproaching storm. and discovered that
the caves walls were solid mass OF
trilver.
worked ny IndInns.
Believing that the Great Spirit had
Nncnt the storm upon them FOR the pur-
fpose q showing them the heap big
silver, n JOY dencc was held which
lasted for two days. during which time
no food was eaten. in order to drive
out ali evil spirits.
The silver mine. according to Big
keys, was worked by the Indians for
fseveral years Large quantities OF the
orc were melted in "a followed out rock
and nodded into large bars made OF
tetif clay. and stored away in the cave
gewelry OF various kinds was made OF
tne silver, and carried to 81. Louis and
81 Charles, No, and traded for blan-
kots and other necessities.
Fearing an attack by Mexicnns. ali
Nalua les q the little band were
placed IN the cave. and preparatfons
made for a move 20 a new torritorv.
Thc entrance 90 tho cave was closed
I'D with rock and dirt scraped from
nc mountainsides and covered 70 a
ocpth OF several feet
As II was the custom OF the Chiclca-
saws 70 mark every place OF imDor-
vance, peculiar marks OF every dee-
erlption we're cut on the rocks and
Itrce1, 80 they could easily find the
cave when they returned.
leaving their Whine river hunting
GROUNDS with the Intention Of return
ing. tho little band started toward the
setting sun" as Big KEYS e,rnro-se,,
70. and had got only a short distance
when they were attacked by a band OF
Mexican gold hunters and were driven
BACK 20 their old hunting ground
where more than half OF tho hand fofI
victims Of the fatal disease which
swept their camp. which they called
black rot" Their dead were buried IN
Tie orevioos OF rocks. where today
their bones are being found by vvbfte
settlers Of the old hunting Ground az
many are kept as souvenirs.
Has Not Found IL.
Big Keys. who was then only a
young brave. but now an old. harra I'd
lnolan was one OF the few that found
( their way 20 Oklahoma In the las
four years bir Keys has made severa'
/ trips back 60 the White river TERRITORY
IN search % the iouE-iost cave, but mo-
until his last trip has he ever mad,
; known his business.
Big Keys has found all the mark
/ that were cut on rocks. and recognized
} some Of his own cutting but the iarE,
trees that bore marks are now gone
: The most Important marks and the on.
& that would show him how 90 enter IN,
lost cave are also gone. 10 was tn
picture q an Indian with bow and ar
rows cut on a large elm tree tina
cave. The bow and arrows. accordin
90 Big Keys. represented a certain die.
lance. which he refused 70 state
The plat Of the country showing tn,
location 81 the cave was made Of deei
skin and washed OFF with blood as Z
pledge never 90 divulge the hidinr
place q the heap big silver as Ions
as their old chief lived
Several years ago the old chief died
and Big Keys came into possession o.