Pics are now up - VERY INTERSTING TREE!

[swiftsearcher]

I as out four-wheeling in an area on Sunday that I have been looking around for some signs to the famous Swift mines and caches. I noticed an ancient beech tree with a strange carving in it (I will go back as soon as the weather breaks and detect and get some pics).

The marking was "SPY 1751". Any idea as to what this means? There was another tree below this one (several hundred feet) which I could make out Swift's initials - "JS". The "JS" was on an ancient pine tree that was rotted and half there.

 

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[Kentucky Kache]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

S = Swift

P = party

Y = year. 1751
??

Or, did two of the men with Swift have last names beginning with P and Y?

 

[swiftsearcher]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Jbot,

I never thought of that - seems very plausible to me! I was more or less thinking the date should have been in the 1760's instead of 1751. However, now that I think about it, Swift & Co. could have marked the area before they started mining in the 1760's. Or, he could have just started keeping journals of everything in the 1760's, but could have started before that time mining.

BTW - I am not certain, as I didn't go and look closely (b/c there were others with me that I didn't really want to know what I was doing), but there appeared to be a small blue stone a few hundred feet down the creek from the tree marked "JS". I did look at the stone long enough to notice three chop marks in it and made a mental note of the area. I am going to try my best to get back there tomorrow and check the trees and blue rock out (and take pics of all as well).

Also, since this is the place to post about signs. Over a week ago, while I was out in a location near by, I found the oddest looking tree marker I have ever seen (I did get pics, but will have to get them developed after I get pics of the trees and rocks in this area). The tree was shaped like a deer head in the middle with an eye hole through the tree for the deer's eye! It was pointing at a rock house that had a spring in one end of it. I detected the area carefully, including the inside of the rock house. The ONLY metal I found was a strong iron beep at the front of the rock house. This turned out to be the rusted out "rings" from an old keg. I got the two best ones and took pics and brought them out. I seem to think that the keg was found years ago and people took the contents out of it at the front of the rock house and left the keg there to rot.

Anyway, has anyone ever seen trees like this before? From what I have researched, this might have had nothing to do with Swift - could it have been KGC or something else? I don't think Swift grafted trees for markers (except for the cedar groing in the top of a pine). I do know that the KGC did this quite a bit and the area I was in has had activity during the Civil War, as well as lots of Indian activity. I will post pics of this tree as soon as I get the film developed. Maybe it was an Indian cache or moonshiners cache? There was a moonshine still rusted out about 100 yeards down the creek from this area. Any thoughts??

 

[Aufinder01]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Ok "JS" on trees, Do they form a triangle? If so, in the center there might be something.
The deer does the hole go through the tree? Look through this eye hole to see what the deer is looking at.

Aufinder01

 

[swiftsearcher]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

The "JS" was only on one tree that I noticed (which was rotted and in half) - the "JS" was on the still standing lower portion of the tree. I will check for others when I go back.

As for the "deer tree" - the eye hole does go through the tree. I checked both sides of it. However, the deer's nose was pointing directly to the rockhouse where I found the metal bands of the rotted "keg" in front of it.

 

[swiftsearcher]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Aufinder01,

I believe you are on to something. I just checked the copy of the journal I have been going by and it states about the blue rock I think I found. Then, not far from this Swift stated he marked three or four trees. He then goes on to state another prize in the area located by a forked oak (the only one I haven't found yet).

Darn, I can't wait to get back in this area and detect!

The ONLY thing that the journal copy states differently than the area I am in is that the creek runs a south course. This creek runs a north course. Could this be the "reverse" to throw someone off?? Or, could it just be an error in someone copying the journal? Or, could I be in the wrong place? I guess the only way to find out is to get back out there and see!

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

swiftsearcher - Man, what I wouldn't give to be in that area.

There was a post on here not long ago which asked what area you would

choose if you had free range to hunt anywhere. Well, Eastern Kentucky

would not be a bad choice. You guys are making my mouth water.

Can't wait to see those pics.

 

[swiftsearcher]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Jbot,

If I get to go to this area tomorrow, I will make it a point to use the remainder of my film, so I can get them developed and post some of the better ones on here for everyone.

I think after seeing the marked trees with me, my fiance' is even interested in this now!

Still, the most fascinating pics (that I can't wait to post) will be the deer head pointer tree at the rockhouse! I have seen several pics of trees with "bent elbow" limbs people claim are markers (but I see those all the time - even behind my house there are some better than ones I have seen on the net and in books) - they are NOTHING compared to this tree!!!!!!!! I stood in awe when I noticed it for a good five minutes.

 

[Monty]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Send help....never mind, Indians have killed me? Monty

 

[kenb]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

SS, WE NEED PICS!!! LOL Good luck and post pics ASAP!!


kenb

 

[swiftsearcher]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Finally, I have taken all the film in the camera and will be having it developed tomorrow. So, I should have the pics by this weekend! I have been busy out in the field taking pics and detecting around all the trees I mentioned and fighting roosters this past weekend.

One additional note to the Beech tree that was inscribed "SPY 1751" - the entire inscription is "SPY 1751 JAN". I know the JAN is for January, but had forgotten it was part of the inscription. I also got some good pics (I hope) of the ancient rotting pine with JS inscribed on it - the "S" is almost gone from the bark peeling. However, the "J" is in super condition with moss growing inside the initial.

I will get the pics up as soon as I get the film back and scan the film.

 

[pseudodragon]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Just a stray thought, but when you look through the deer tree's eye, remember that the tree would have been a lot shorter when that carving was made and was pointing at something much lower in the distance than the current view would find. You may want to walk a line with your detector between the deer tree and the point you can see through its eye just to be sure that you don't get a reading along the way.

Good luck to you!

Gary

 

[swiftsearcher]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

Gary - thanks for your reply. Believe it or not, I just got back from dropping the film off at Wal-Mart tonight (I went out in the field a few days ago and haven't been able to do much). It will finally be a lot clearer to everyone when I post pics. The tree was planted (it seems) to where it could only point to the rockhouse where I found the rusted keg rings. I detected the area all around the tree, rockhouse, under rocks near it and about a good 50 yard diameter - twice with the only signals being from the rusted keg rings directly in front of the rockhouse.

It seems someone got that one years ago, since the keg was rotted. I believe this keg and whatever was in it was not Swift's however. To me, it sounds more KGC/Confederate with the grafting of the tree (and whoever did it, did an excellent job I might add).

Anyway, Tues. or Wed. I will have the pics to scan and post - can't wait for the responses and thoughts!

 

[swiftsearcher]

Re: Anyone know what this carving might mean?

FINALLY! Here are the pics I promised. I tried to download them earlier, but had to crop them some to fit, since they were too large.

The Beech tree with "SPY 1751 JAN" on it also has "CA" carved above this. I believe this to be the initials of Colonel Anderson, who helped Swift in his "old age" search for his mines and caches in various places.

Since taking these pics, I have found and taken pics of two saddle ridges, turtle back rock, Needle's Eye Rock and several other interesting things.

 

[swiftsearcher]

I probably should have posted the pics seperately. These pics are not from the same area.

The "deer head" tree is not from Swift's time - you are correct. Either this was done by an old moonshiner or someone else. There is an old moonshine still down the creek from the "deer head" tree. The dark part the tree is pointing to is a "rockhouse". This is where I found the rusty rings from an old keg (in front of the rockhouse).

As for the "SPY" tree - sorry my pic wasn't the greatest. I did get close to the tree and inspect it. I can assure you that is does read "SPY 1751 JAN". That I am CERTAIN of.

Back to the "deer head" pointer tree. I would LOVE opinions on this one. Personally, I believe it was marking an old moonshiners cache in the rockhouse (that was probably in the keg that I found the rusted rings from).

 

[swiftsearcher]

Judy,

I know what you mean - there are some very nice people here on the board. I would LOVE to see someone hit the big one (and actually let people know about it, if they could!). Truthfully, I am not in the health to mine the ore, nor have interest in mining it. Also, I believe several of Swift's caches to be already found and gone.

The ONE THING I would like to do from this is to find the other mine, some cache sites (whether the caches are gone or there), the smelters and get pics for everyone. THEN, do a book letting EVERYONE know the locations of everything I find. I think it would be great for people to actually know where to go, and go and see that Swift's Journals were not a fabrication and is a certain part of Appalachian HISTORY - not Folklore!

BTW, I did detect under the tree. In fact, I detected starting at the tree and every inch of the rockhouse, and about a 50-150 foot radius around the tree. There was just no treasure there now I am sorry to say.

 

[JACKOJohn Stanwix]

Swiftersearcher-- What type of detector you using?? Some don't go but a foot or two down. I have dug several 4ft. holes with my minelab for a nail and a tin can etc. no nugget that deep yet though.


Jacko

 

[swiftsearcher]

Jacko,

I am using an MP Pro 3 digital. It is suppose to detect caches over 5 ft. I have dug up mason jar rings over 2 ft. with it before. I have also dug pennies at 1-2 ft. with it a few times and aluminum cans over 3 ft. deep.

 

[JACKOJohn Stanwix]

Swiftsearcher-- Haven't heard of it but, there's so many on the market now. sounds like it should do the job.

I copied your pictures, there are 3 different spots that poin to the same area. Looks like that's a bank in the dark area. there's also, a shadow of a man pointing his arm is an arrow, and points to where the 3 spot point to. Have you tried detecting this area?? Looks very brushy and tuff to do.

Jacko

 

[swiftsearcher]

Jacko,

Thanks for pointing out the other pointer trees. I never noticed them, b/c I was in awe of the deer head tree.

Plus, some people say any tree with an "elbow" or any change in it is a pointer tree to treasure.

The dark area the trees are all pointing to is the rockhouse. There was a treasure of some kind there at one point in time. I found pieces of rusted out metal rings from an old keg right in front of the rockhouse (or rock shelter - Swift always called these rock ledges rockhouses, so I have gotten use to calling them that). Someone must have gotten to it years ago, b/c the keg was rotted and the rings of the keg were rusted and in pieces. I know the tree is now old enough to be from Swift's time. However, there is a rusted out moonshine still around 50 yards down the creek from this rockhouse and trees. I figure, from what little I know about treasures, that the treasure in the keg was either a moonshiner's old cache or KGC treasure (since they grafted trees to point to treasures sometimes).

Believe me, I spent 2-3 hours in this area detecting everywhere. The rockhouse had a spring in the back of it, and I definitely wanted to check out everything, b/c Swift mentioned storing silver inside a rockhouse with a spring in it on a creek.