The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-12-27
Especial to The News soimitar.)

LEXINGTON, XIV, Dec. 27.-Rep-
resentAtive Robert Y. Thomas, of the
Third Kentucky district has before
congress a bill to appropriate ST.
100000 for the purchase by the ma
tional government of Mammoth
Cave, Ky. The plan is, If the money
should be appropriated. to turn the
cave into a national park.
Mammoth Cave, one of the several
natural wonders Of the world, has
not been much in the news field in
recent years, but its history is very
interesting. Recently, it has been
understood, however, that new eX-
plorations may be undertaken which,
II Is believed, will add greatly to the
area covered by this great cavern,
Mammoth Cave seems to have
been discovered in 1898, being one of
two saltpeter caves found by sur
yeyors. One of these caverns was
called Dixon" the other NAM
moth" cave. II was sold to several
persons at a small price until about
1912 1t was disposed of to Hyman
Gratz, a Philadelphia merchant rel
alive Of Rehecca GratZ, who was the
heroine Of SCOTS "Ivanhoe. Lyman
Gratz was an extensive investor IN
Kentucky land and several OF ms
family have since become prominent
in the West, Benjamin Gratz oelng
long a resident of Lexington, An
derson and BENJAMIN Gratz now De-
ing ST. Louis millionaires.
The heirs of Hyman Gratz and 81
mon Cratz, all of Philadelphia, sold
THE property in 1887 to Franklin
CORN. Of Kentucky 1t Is now owned
Nv trustees named under the VIII OF
Ilr John Croghan. II the govern
ment should purchase the property
nroyisiou is made that about S'2oo
acres shall be added to the cave
Emn cit G. Logan, leading Bow
lag Green newspaper man. some
wears ago wrote an interesting ms
terry OF Mammoth Cave. from whlch
article the following excerpts nave
been made: - 49,
AZ 10 when and by whom the
Mammoth Cave was discovered IL
might suffice TO say, as mas oeen
said OF Columbus and the New
world. and as the bewildered lndlan
said az his tepee-it was never lost
tradition saws that the first wnlte
man to discover the entrance 10 TINS
eubterraneous world was one Hou-
chins mot Hutchins), who was
Guided into it in 1908 by wounded
bear which he was chasing Houcn-
ms and the bear long ago dlsap-
reared from the scene. but "Houch-
ms, Narrows," in the cave, ana many
Houchinses In the neighborhood stlll
snernetuate his name and lame
A-:n:aru Uoriad
T.here Ia also a statement, backed
nv the meomory of men still living
tbat the late Judge and senator, Jo-
semi r. Underwood, who began the
.,,rscticc of law here in 1918, and was
lona az the three executors OF DE-
tS,rochan's will land, by the way
,srandfather Of the redoubtable Os-
car Jnderwood) in an abstract OF
IN. title of the Mammoth Cave prop
erty, found that cave designated IN
a 1877 survey as corner OF a Ger
tain tract OF land, but other lawyers
engaged in litigation over the cave
possessions and the county clerks In
custody of such documents nave oeen
unable TO discover the papers. But
he that as il may, II Is ineonceivapie
that with "the Long Hunters, Dan
iel Boone and hundreds OF others OF
white mon wandering throughout wy
+. Green river valley during the hait
century prior to 1909, the big mouth
a. fhe biggest Of all holes was never
observed nor entered by one OF theIh'
R,It be the first white discoverer VINO
he NAV, TO q negro slave and Famous
guide. stephen Bishop, a photograph
AZ whom appears herewith and whose
meory Is perpetuated In a marble siap
marking his grave on a ridge over
looking the mouth OF the cave, is due
the credit OF being the greatest ex-
plorer of those dark, deep and hlth-
erto unseen halls, pits and domes.
Stephens was evidently blessed or az
fficted with what the doctors would
now designate as incurable case OF
'cavernitis. Being nearly as black as
that tiackest of black dark, he went
to meet IL as heroically az General 81.
Simon rushed to the embrace OF
,.sweet sister Death" With lantern,
rope ak and pick, he pursued with
dauntless breast" his unknown way
through great halls, wriggled ike a
serpent through narrow crevices,
..cooned' upon bending saplings over
bottomless pits and revealed to the
upper a neither world. And dear old
Henry Ganter, still there. and with
more knowledge OF caveology than all
the professional biologists, followed
close upon Stephens. ever-advancing
heels. And right here it may be
stated that Proctor's Cave was dis
covered in slave times" by another
negro, iona than Doyle, while engaged
in the relatively pleasant pastime OF |
hiding out as runaway negro" from |
his master, the discovery Of Colossal |
cavern coming later lin 1880 through !
the efforts of a white man. Robert |
Woodson, to reach spring whose |
waterfall was audible at the mouth Of |
a "sinkhole'