THE MUSEUM. 



mean Old Bill Y- 



accent strong on Bill) that's the 



mean, you 

 (the 



only name he is known by around 

 here." His actions, when thinking so 

 hard, the manner and tone in which 

 he said it, was ridiculous in the ex- 

 treme, and it was with great difficulty 

 that we kept ourselves from laughing 

 at him. 



Obtaining the required directions 

 we dive into the valley bottom, cross 

 the creek and commence the three 

 mile ascent up the opposite hills. 

 Some half way up we feel obliged to 

 lighten the heavily loaded wagon. So 

 a ponderous specimen — weighing per- 

 haps fifty pounds — containing many 

 hundred beautiful specimens of brach- 

 iopoda was consigned to the roadside. 

 This choice specimen had been care- 

 fully cared for several days by my 

 friend, and carted nearly fifteen miles 

 much to our inconvenience. Though 

 we regretted to do it, it had to be cast 

 aside at last. 



Reaching our destination — relatives 

 yet strangers — our welcome was a 

 warm One. We were tired after our 

 long day's jaunt yet the evening pass- 

 ed so merrily that it was midnight be- 

 fore we sought our rooms. 



All limestone rock is cavernous, 

 and owing to the great depth of the 

 strata in Schoharie County it is par- 

 ticularly so. Some of the most noted 

 caves of New York State are in this 

 County and in the town of Schoharie 

 they are numerous. 



Learning that Ball's Cave was on 

 the adjoining farm, and having had 

 some little experience in cave e.xplor- 

 ing, we propose to visit it. I might say 

 here that both of us had read of th\s 

 celebrated cavern, but were ignorant 

 of its exact location, so the mention of 

 it being in the near vicinity was a 

 complete and pleasant surprise. 



The ne.xt morning equipping our- 

 selves with 90 feet of rope, a barn 

 lamp and 'fat pine' for light — these 

 the most available ones at hand — 

 hammer, chisel and plenty of matches, 



and dressed up in the cast-off clothing 

 of "Old Bill" and the bojs, we made 

 a ludricous picture as we lined up for 

 inspection btfere starting. One of 

 the boys — Elmer — agreed to take us 

 with a wagon and to show the way; 

 but declared "by goll, you'll never get 

 me under the giouud with yon - until 

 you put me there for good " Perhaps 

 he thought we would find inscribed 

 over the entrance: "Abandon all 

 hope v\hoet}ter litre.'" 



The start was finally made behind 

 "trading stock;" reaching the edge of 

 the wO' ds we tied the "nag" to a tree 

 and began what proved to be an 

 hour's search fur tiie cave. L'ving so 

 near, jet strange to say our guide had 

 never been to the entrance before. 

 However success rewarded us at last — 

 the cave was f )und 



The entrance is the central opening 

 at the bottom of a funnel-shaped de- 

 pression or "sink hnle, " about twelve 

 feet below the surface, th< n c* mi s the 

 perpendicular passage in the liniesione 

 about ten by six feet and some seven- 

 ty five feet in depth. This opening 

 we descended by inakins: fast ene end 

 of our rope to a tree clese by, and go- 

 ing down in the b- st way we could; a* 

 dangerous and hazardous undertaking 

 to anyone save those agile and daring. 

 Standing against the perpendicular 

 wall were numerous long poles, 75 or 

 So feet in length, the wwrk of ftjrmer 

 cave explorers. These poles bear evi- 

 dence of once having slats naded 

 across as a ladder; the sl^ts are now 

 rotted away, leaving the poles bristl- 

 ing with nails 



Two of us made the descent success- 

 fully, and upon calling to our friend 

 above to "come on, there's no danger 

 if you hang on," we were surprised to 

 see him, after some hesitation, grasp 

 the rope and swing off, coming down 

 like a trapeze performer. Lighting 

 the lamp and fat pine' we take a fare- 

 well look at the sky and sunshine 

 above and begin our journey, thread- 

 ing our way carefully through the 

 gloomy gallery. The light from our 



