The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1853-04-14
WHOLE NO. 1889

Mount Rntahdn. ana the Indians IN its vicin-
iiy The summit Of the mountain is about
5000 feet above the waters OF the Penob-
scot:
/ "Withou; doubt Mount Ratahdn is the
highest mountain in New England For
many years Mount Washingfon-th high
est peak Of the White Mountains-bore OF
the palm; but late geological survey OF this
State has rectifed the misrake, and Ratahdn
now stands proulPr and lofter than ever,
conscious Of its own dignity and Importance,
with its newly won but lcnr deserved lah-
res resting on its icy brow. The highest
peak of this mountain is covered with per-
Pelnll snow. But few persons until recent
! ly had ever explored its highest summit,
owing more probably to its great distance
from any habitation. than from any perils or
.dHgers one would be subject to. Some four
years since a company from Boston, among
whom were two ladies', made the ascent
They were enable to reach the summit in
one day, and were therefore obliged to camp
out. a heavy storm Of wind and rain CONS
ing suddenly upon them, destroyed their
tents, and they we're obliged to buffet the
cold sleet and rain for dozen hours, with
only the broad panoply of heaven for a tent.
4 These bold and courageous females, nothing
! daunted. continued their journey the next
morning, and reached the summit OF old Mt.
Rntahdn, being the first females that ever
hnnored this proud chieftain with their gra-
cOus presence.
''This mountain contains within itself, az
the least calculation, iron ore sufficient to
make a railroad round the whole globe
The mountain is one stupendous mountain
of iron. which the almighty has erected in
this State, to prevent the depopulation Of
Name when its numbering facilities shall fail,
as they surely must in a comparatively short
space of time. Some furnaces are already
in successful operation; and the exhorbtant
price that iron now commands makes these
mines produce profitable reward. Maine
and PenDsy lvania will one day be powerful
rivals in manufacturing iron. The forests
OF Maine becoming sparse and thin, she will
transfer her nerve, bone, and sinew-in the
production ofwhich she stands pre-eminent-
ly foremost--to the iron mines of Mount
/. Ratahdn. The virgin ore exhibits to my
mind wonderful curiosity. 1t is found
near the base of the mountain in the shape
Of "forest trees" Trees have been disccv4
cred of the largest dimensions, with the
trnnk and every branch and even every leaf,
and even fibre VI the leaf Of solid iron ore.
How long they have been deposited there is
scientific problem beyond the power Of
man 10 solve.
"The superstitious Indians, ever courting
adventure and danger, have never dared to
climb these ragged cliffs TO satisfy their cra-
wing curiosity. They believe that upon its
highest peak dweIls the evil Spirit" and
that the continual moving of the winds are
but the breathing of this huge monster; that
the heavy storms, loud peals of thunder, and
vivid lightning are his cries of hunger, or
the outpouring of his rage at their conduct,
and to appease his wrath they carry piles
of wild game to the base of the mountain,
which at night the hungry wolves devotr,
thereby causing the untutored savage to be-
lieve the Evil Spirit has taken the game to
his lofty abode.
"Only few scattering red men occupy
these forests now; and their hunting grounds,
the title to which they claim to have receiv-
ed from the "Great Spirit" above, have
nearly all been taken from them. The few
that remain obtain their entire subsistence
by hunting and fishing, only doing enough
Of that to insure their existence. Their wig
vans are rude huts, built of pine logs and
clay hastily thrown together. Being of
nomadic disposition, they occupy one of
these huts but few weeks. The game get
ting shy, their labor increases, and they up
stakes and tramp" Their clothing is
| principally made of bear skins--the troph-
les of their skill and bravery. Their fish
, ing skiffs, which they denominate canoes,
are made wholly of birch bark, consequent
" they are exceedingly light and buoyant,
= and capable of being expelled by the expe-.
ricnced Indian with astonishing rapdity."
A BEAR SroRY.--The following account
of an encounter with a grizzly bear is
furnished By Shasta correspondent ofthe
e Sacramento Union
On Sunday last, man by the name Of
Isaacs, who had been for year past cook
. on Daingersfeld's ranch, went hunting on
the east side Of the Sacramento river. The
next day (Monday) his body was found by
two hunters, nearly opposite the mouth of
the bottom wood, most horribly mangled-
; the head half gone, bowels torn out, and the
whole person awfuly dsfgured. The next
. day (Tuesd1y) the two hunters, with two
other men, returned with n wagon for the
body, when they found a large bear watch
ing il. Mr.. Webb shot the bear, when 1t
: attacked, surrounded and got him down.
Mr.. Ross then ran te the rescue, when his
5 rife accidentally discharged and the bear
: left w. and attacked Ross, knocked him
down, and tore and maHgled him very badly
before he could be rescued. Ross was Sc
verely, though not dangerously, wounded;
t Webb's injuries were not severe. The
. body was then left in possession OF the
+ bear, the party with difficulty succeeding in
n getting the two wounded men away. The
next day large party of men went to the
rescue of the body, when it was found deser-
;, ted by Bruin.
VALUE OF KGssEs.-A French girl, al
i store, being solicited to allow kiss, de-
q cI.ned, except AT the price of little bag
which lay on the enamored cavaliers coun-
ter. and which, as he said, was filled with
> cents. The bargain was struck; but 10 the
. surprise Of dnIcinea, as 10 her satisfaction,
ON opening the bagit was found to contain,
in the place of cents, good full weight of
norins. The gentleman claimed the bag;
but the girl was uIyieiding. Thcreupon re-
sort was had to the tribunal, the plaintiff al
, eging that there was evidently mistake,
and that simple kiss could not by far be
praised at such sum. The tribunal, how
ever, gave the case to the girl-lst, because
what is given is given; and I'd, because the
value ura kiss cannot be estimated.
SMALL CHANGE.-We are glad to learn
that the premium on small change has fall