Presentation about Swift given in Prestonburg

Well actually it would, I'm not saying anything against you. But think about it, someone says they saw something and you go back and it is not there...there is definitely no way of 'proving' you saw it if it isn't there now to see it... unless you had a picture with something in the background to show where it was. Its sorta like people and that see a ufo... unless you have some picture or video you have no way of 'proving' what they saw.
 

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Ken S. said:
The journals speak of him being English, if they speak of his heritage. Maybe one of them deserted to the colonies. There were British soldiers in the colonies, weren't there ??? How was the taxes collected for the Crown ??? Maybe that is the answer to why he's so hard to trace ?
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Anyone living in the colonies prior to 1775 considered themselves as British subjects. Many during the revolution considered themselves British, many were called 'loyalists'. I don't think a common British foot soldier would own a merchant company in Alexandria...
 

KY Hiker said:
Well actually it would, I'm not saying anything against you. But think about it, someone says they saw something and you go back and it is not there...there is definitely no way of 'proving' you saw it if it isn't there now to see it... unless you had a picture with something in the background to show where it was. Its sorta like people and that see a ufo... unless you have some picture or video you have no way of 'proving' what they saw.
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Doesn't matter what ya say, if what I'm suspecting turns out to be true . No one will ever know and ya wont have to worry about me being on here asking question/making statements.
 

...just trying to weed through speculation and here say and stick with facts. I'm not after silver, just the truth behind the legend.

If Joe Shmoe carved his JS initials in 1842 or 1742 on that rock how would you know that it wasn't Jonathon Swift?
 

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KY Hiker said:
...just trying to weed through speculation and here say and stick with facts. I'm not after silver, just the truth behind the legend.

If Joe Shmoe carved his JS initials in 1842 or 1742 on that rock how would you know that it wasn't Jonathon Swift?
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It's that way with any sign /carving that ya find out in the woods. Till proof is obtained by boots on the ground and evidence found. There was more evidence/clues in the video than what was actually said by Prather, but one had to be very familiar with area landmarks and the area to catch them. Once I confirm my suspicions I'll hang around long enough to let all the guys know. Most of the clues that I caught have been dropped on here by others in other threads for anyone that was paying attention. It like the little bit of truth in each of the journals, ya have to be paying close attention. Same with videos, a little bit of truth. Often it's not what is said in videos that is the most important it's what you see with your eyes. Same with pics. A little here and a little there !!
 

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Well, Good Luck with what ever you find around the salt rock, or up Johns Creek. Where ever your hunting be safe.
 

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In the presentation if you notice Imlays map isn't real accurate . It has North fork of RR running all but into the fork of the Sandy at Louisa. We know that the Licking runs From Maysville/Cinn. area to West Liberty to Salyersville and on S. East. The Salt rock is actually South of Paintsville by a few miles. Other things don't line up. but other info is more valuable than everything he said. Imlays map did have Harmons Station on it very close to the salt rock.
 

That is a much more accurate map than the one in the video. The map in the video must have been older.
 

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In the Video he keeps diverting attention away from #1 track by talking about track#2 .. I fail to see the forked water coarse in track #1, all this is the modern top that I speak of. Makes me wonder if he got his topo puzzle put together correctly. Oh well !! Guess the presentation was about selling books. BUT on a good note there is some good info in it.
 

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Ken S. said:
That is a much more accurate map than the one in the video. The map in the video must have been older.
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The one in the video was probably a sketch that was included in one of the book editions. Probably a copyright issue to put the original in his book.
 

It helps me to try to put myself in the time frame, and thus the mentality of the 18th century. Those that lived at that time on the frontier had to know that any day may be their last. Having that mindset is hard for us in the present day to understand. Visiting either Ft. Boonesboro or Ft. Harrod during the season when the staff is working within the forts can really help us understand what people of that day dealt with and give us perspective as to what Swift and his party were able to accomplish without a stockade to protect them. They must have worked the mine well off the beaten path/trace because of the smoke and gases that would been seen or smelled by the Indians. This would have been a dead give away to their location for miles downwind (generally Eastwardly). I would suggest the probability that the mine/smelting operation would have to be a good ways (several miles) down wind (East) of the Indian Trace in the area.

 

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I doubt very much they got to pick where they located their operation. Silver is much like gold, copper, coal or any other mineral, ya have to mine it where it is found. If ya/they could pick a place of operation, everyone would have a gold mine in their back yard today.
 

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I don't think I was suggesting that, what I was considering is the probable location of the mine and or furnace in relation to the nearest trace the Indians and Swift would have used. Otherwise they would have been plagued with skirmishes with the Indians and never would have gotten any work done. The amount of wood to be cut, charcoal to be made, ore to be mined, ore/stone to be crushed and smelted would be more than enough to keep them busy...add to that, making of salt, taking care of the pack animals and hunting for food...they didn't need even an occasional visit from the 'locals' passing by and smelling smoke or seeing smoke. With all that, they had no stockade to retreat to for protection. I can see why many think the legend is far fetched, the task was enormous for them even if silver was obvious and abundant!
 

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The Swift crew were pretty sharp characters. They knew the dangers and would take precautions like filtering the smoke thru evergreen/pines and similar tack ticks. Here is an inside bit of information-I have not made it there yet -a guy explained to me that he was exploring an area not too far from the Grayson reservoir dam-northeast I think-and he came upon a large rock house(cave) and the right side of it had a chimney that started at the mouth of the cave and went up the side of the rocks very high and had been built a long time ago and had small ventilations -this type of thing would make sense...the draft of the chimney would help suck the smoke/fumes out and away plus help dissipate the smoke...also there isn't as much smoke when using charcoal as when using wood to get a really hot fire-so less attention .
 

Even with wood when you put air from billows to it to get up to temps they would need to roast ore and melt metal, there wouldn't be as much smoke as one would think. I figure smoke/fire and wood burning was a common smell in those days. People white/Indian had to cook/prepare food.
 

Unless the wood was cut the previous year it would smoke being green, charcoal making requires smothering the burning wood...this process creates smoke as well. Pine being more smokey than hardwoods in general. 'In those days' I would suspect any smell of fire meant one thing, people. In the East KY topography, I guess it would be possible to make the charcoal on ridge tops this would help disperse the smoke...but then it would be easier to spot from another distance ridge? Using a rock house to shelter the wood and fire and using the cliff and ledge above it would help carry the smoke along the rock face up and out.
I am pretty sure if the 'furnace rockhouse' is ever found, it will still have a discolored ceiling from the furnace.
 

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It doesn't take as much smoke as one would think to make charcoal . Once the wood starts burning you cut off the air and it just smolders, once air is cut off smoke can't escape.
 

How charcoal was made in the 18th century









Another demonstration

 

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