The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-07-24
SWIFT SILVER MINE
AGAIN DISCOVERED

terry surrounding the location OF the
| famous Swift silver mine, of Eastern
Kentucky, which has been diligently
sought during the last 100 years by
prospectors and adventures and which
has been reported as having been dis
covered In a score OF counties In the
/ Southeastern Kentucky mountains at
various times, only to prove a hoax,
has, II is believed, at last been solved
by the recent find Of silver on the land
of Miss Lulu Derrickson, of this city,
and her brother, John II. Derrickson,
of Jackson, situated near Beattyville,
Lee county, KY, together with relics
of John Swift, the reputed owner,
which go to prove that the original
Swift mine may have been at this par
| ticular spot.
The evidence submitted by the Der
rlcksons to prove their claim is arous-
| ing much interest among the people or
that section as well as mining experts
at the State University In this city.
John Derrickson is a well-known
| lumberman, who has for some time
been engaged in prospecting for tim
Der in the Eastern Kentucky noun
tains. Recently while examining tract
of timber on the upper Kentucky river
| In Lee county he was attracted by
glittering nuggets on the banks OF a
small stream which wendell its way
through the surrounding woods. Elk
aminlng them more closely he was
| convinced that they contained both
| lead and silver
The ground around was literally
honey combed with the shiny ore and
| In looking about him to discover the
extent of the deposits he discovered
| In the nearby cliff a cavern. Entering
! this he was surprised to find frag-
ments of the metal, and further in evil
dence OF where someone had been in
| the cave. There were remains OF burnt
| logs, SO old as to be almost rotten,
| fragments OF tools, a melting pot and
a human skull, while carved in the
rock wall OF the cavern was the name
| Mundy, man who is now known to
have been interested with John Swift
in the working OF his mysterious silver
| mine.
| His Interest Aroused.
Mr.. Derrlckson had of course heard
OF the Swift silver mine in his pros
pectlng tours through the Eastern
Kentucky mountains, and his interest
was now deeply aroused by the dis
coveries he had made.
on leaving the cavern, however.
and making further explorations In the
vicinity he was gratified to make an
other find. which confirmed his sus-
picion that he had actually stumbled
ON the site OF the long-lost Swift sill
yer mine. This convincing proof was
| In the shape OF an inscription on rock
| near the entrance of the cavern, which
evidentally had been carved many
years before and which time had al
most covered up and obliterated with
its age-old black CRIME common on
| rocky surfaces exposed to the elements.
This inscription was nothing more
nor less than the name OF John Swift,
the reputed owner OF the famous mine.
and near IL the name Of Munday his
"Man Friday" Underneath these
| names was the date, also carved in
the solid rock, 1872, showing that IT
has been more than 100 years since
Swift had placed his mark on the spot
where II Is believed he procured the
precious ore which has made him ia
nous as a plutocrat Of pioneer days in
Kentucky.
After making these discoveries Mr..
Derrickson decided to have the ore
found on the site assayed. and some
OF II was brought to this city and
turned over to the mineral experts at
the College OF Mines. State University,
for analysis Examination of these
speciments shows that a large pei. cent
OF the ore is lead, but that.it contains
a sufficient quantity of silver to JUS
tify the reopening of the mine and OF
working IL. as was done by John Swift
and his associates.
Purchases the Land.
| Without disclosing to anybody his
discovery. or without intimating to
anyone that he thought he had at last
| found the famous Swift silver mine,
Mr.. Derrickson Interested his sister in
the find and later they purchased the
land
Miss Derrickson, in an interview
here, stated that II Is the intention of
| her and her brother to develop the
silver ore on the land and that with
| modern mining methods much better
| results might be obtained now than
"old man" John Swift and his asso-
ciates obtained more than a century
ago with their crude operations.
Mr.. and Miss Derrickson are both
convinced that they own the land on
which the real Swift silver mine was
located and are prepared, they say, to
| furnish the proof by exhibiting the