Silver Bell Mining Company

Treasure and Wealth of the Alleghanies
Our Special Correspondent S. T. W.
Prospect Rock, Maryland, March 22, 1880

In the morning dawn of creation when dim outlines of the world were merging from chaos and confusion, the Alleghany Mountains were hurled up by Volcanic force from heated depths, "a frozen wave of fire" but human speculation cannot tell, till scientific investigation reveals how many views of precious metals were thrown up by the heart throbs of earthquake shock. William Hackett and Joseph M. Cogan were soldiers together, and after the war sent to Colorado and mined Silver. They came back and were engineers on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Hearing the usual story of a Lead Mine regularly related, they went up the Savage River prospecting, and located from favorable indications the site of their present location on the mouth of a run, in the heart of the Savage Mountains, emptying into the Savage River. The vein of Silver Ore is six feet wide, on which they are sinking shafts. The first assay was $30.00 to the Ton, the last was $125.00 to the Ton, and the vein growing richer. They bought 100 Acres for $700.00 before revealing their discovery of Silver Ore mixed with Lead.

The Merril, Sunrise, and Duckworth mines have since been opened, and are in operation; excitement high, and land at fabulous prices. J. S. Jamison has ordered a crusher and all the machinery necessary for working the Ore. Lead and Zinc Ores impregnated with Silver have been found at Cranesville in Preston County, West Virginia, only fifteen miles from Fayette County line. Copper Ore has been discovered in West Virginia within ten miles of the Fayette County border. The Cranesville lead and Zinc Ores resemble the Lowe Ore above Haydentown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

Contributed by Lawson L. "Buddy" Duckworth
Source: The Life and Work of Samuel Thomas Wiley, published by W. H. Farwell Co., Uniontown, Pa, August 1968
Note: Anyone interested in the local history will greatly enjoy this book.