The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-08-14
The Green Mountain Boys.

The Green Mountains of the State OF Ver-
mont that extend through the greater part
af the counties of Washington, Chittenton,
and Rutland, have been the scene in by gone
days, of many hard fought battle with
bears, wolves, and catamounts. The early
settlers were, in order to carry out their
plans of civilization, obliged to encounter all
these natives of the forest. People of the
present day, with their fine houses, railroads,
telegraphs, &C., can hardly imagine how
their forefathers, century ago, accomplish
ed so much, both in clearing the wilderness
oi their foes and in telling the forest ,prelim-
inaries to cultivation. Although the people
of the nineteenth century have made some
remarkable discoveries in the scientific
world, still it must be admitted that they
have sadly degenerated in physical point of
view. Just imagine one OF our modern ladies'
accustomed to ride their fathers cushioned
carriage, going to mill on horseback with a
bag of corn for saddle. The man and wo-
man Of to-day are but poor apologies for
the man and woman OF hundred years ago.
In l777, when the British General Bur-
goyne, with his army, was marching from
Canada, along the western boundary of Ver-
mont, woman whose husband was in the
American army, set out for the grist mill
accompanied with her horse, which carried
the grst OH his back. The road which she
travelled was lonely, being nearly all the
way through the thick woods. 1t was about
three o'clock in the afternoon when she
left home, and as she had been there MANY
| times before in the afternoon, she thought
she had sufficient time to carry out her plans
successfully She was we'll aware that il
any obstacle should arise to impede her pro-
gress, and to detain her till dark, she might
meet with trouble. Unfortunately, when
she arrived at the mill, distance of about
four miles from home, she found that she
would be obliged to wait an hour aud half
for her grist. At first she thought she would
II
told her that if she did this, her children would
have to 60 without their supper. Finally
she made up her mind to run the risk of be.
ing overhauled by wild beasts. Leaving the
mill as soon as her grist was ready, she pro.
ceeded on her homeward voyage as rapidly
as possible, lest night should overtake her
before she got half way to her destination.
Distant howlings in the wilderness told her
that she had not passed unobserved They
continued to grow nearer. She used every
means to urge her horse along with speed.
| The drove of wolves at the head of her
horse, were every few monutes receiving
additional reinforcements along the PATH
Things were coming to a crisis; she saw
plainly, that in all probability, she could not
reach her home before she and her horse
would be overwhelmed and fall sacrifice
to the wolves. But just then she thought
of a motive that might save her own life,
by leaving the horse and grist of corn to its
own fate But she found this was her last
chance. She accordingly steered her horse
under some trees whose branches came so
near the ground, that by rising from the
horse, she could reach them, and at full gal
lop, the horse turned under them, and she,
by dexterous leap, succeeded in catching
hold OF branch, and climbed up into the
tree, while tn horse, with the remainder of
its load, was off, closely pursued by the
wolves. The poor horse relieved of a part
of his load reached his home. The gallant
woman remained in the tree until all was
quiet, the wolves not seeing her when she
came down, and gained her home safe about
an hour after the horse.