to the point where that
river sweeps southward into Pennsylvania past a borough of its own name,
and then northward into New York, before it finally crosses Pennsylvania
on its way to the Chesapeake. The borough of Susquehanna forms an
important station on the Erie Railway, one hundred and ninety miles
north-west of New York City. All about the locality houses are built in
little groups upon the steep hillsides: even the railroad-shops could
not be erected before the ground was levelled for them. When the river
first cut a channel through the Appalachin Mountains it was very saving
of its strength. Should anything besides the river attempt to enter this
valley it must either hang against the sides or swim.

Joe Smith had paid several visits to this region when the first settlers
were struggling with the wilderness. It was a much wilder country than
that about Palmyra, and the inhabitants were much more credulous. Upon
these people Smith practised with his peek-stone. A number of aged
persons now living in that vicinity give this description of the
prophet: He was six feet or a trifle over in height; of stout build, but
wiry; his hair and complexion were light; his eyes were blue and mild;
and "he did not look as if he knew enough to fool people so," as one old
lady expresses it. When "peeking" he kneeled and buried his face in his
white stovepipe hat, within which was the peek-stone. He declared it to
be so much like looking into the water that the "deflection of flight"
sometimes took him out of his course. On a wilderness-hill--now a part
of Jacob J. Skinner's farm--his peek-stone discovered a ton of silver
bars which had been buried by weary Spaniards as they trudged up the
Susquehanna. An expedition for their recovery was undertaken as soon as
Smith could muster enough followers to do the work. Unlike St. Paul, Joe
did not work with his own hands, and he did not hesitate to be
chargeable to any one. Several round excavations were made on the crown
of a hill, the largest of which was about thirty-five feet in diameter
and of about the same depth. The water was drained toward the south, and
a shanty covered the hole from the eyes of the scoffers and the profane.
The diggers had proceeded with great labor, and were just ready to grasp
the silver, when the charm moved it three hundred feet to the
north-east. Joe tracked it with his peek-stone to its hiding-place. It
was not so far under the surface this time--only about