Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1909 — Wonderful Underground Village. [ARTICLE]

Wonderful Underground Village.

Deep in the salt mines of the hamlet of Villiczka, in Austrain Poland, some 11 miles from Cracow, lies' a veritable underground village which dates 'way back to the days when slaves first opened these mines in 1334. It is rbusy subterranean human hive, all the busier in contrast with the sleepy hamlet above. In fact, all the 111% ol the settlement is concentrated below ground. The air is clean and the temperature that of a warm spring day.’ The center of the mine is situated in a sort of'court which forms a railway station. Here all the railway lines which intersect this huge mine meet. Men and women go above ground to do their martcetlng, and meet in this court on their return to gossip and compare their bargains. Children play abo >t in the shade of the grottos and sail boats in the gutters, running with salt water. These gutters were made hundreds of yeais ago to get rid of the moisture which run* from the upper floors of the mine, and lead down to the very bottom, forming a huge salt lake, the water of which Is gradually pumped off and distilled to obtain salt. So difficult and expensive is It to light up the whole mine, that visitors must make up a party of at least 30, and pay various sums according to lheii number. No less than 260 steps Rad down to the second floor of the mine jn't over tho salt lake, and it Is ther« that the chape’ of St. Anthony st* ids —Leslie’s Weekly;