The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-01-31
THE DAILY GAZETTE.
II satae From the Buffalo Repabiie.
zoW sANpUsKT WAS SAVED FRoM fan
INE,

+ 45ta From the Buffalo Repabiis.
zoW sANpUsKY WAS sAvID FRoh fan,
INE.
sta Az HIsIoRIcAL "REMINISCENCES,
@ One Of the most agreeable duties Of
iournslism is to chronicle the heroic
deeds of those whom chance or unus-
ualnatnral Developments have render
ed bensfactors to the human race. 1t
Il part Of our legitimate province to
rescue the fame Of such individuals
from oblivion, and by enacting the
part ofthe historian, TO hand their
names and the record oil their achieve.
ments down to the admirstion and
gratitude of future generations. The
Village philsnthrophist, or the bene-
factor Of Q local community is as much
q part Of the history Of his time OF the
heroes Of q State, or as the sacred
sooss whose gabbling at the rock
Tarpeis saved Rome from the horrors
Of sack. Our duty in the present
instance ia to relate similar occur
rsnse,, which transpired much nearer
home.
Years ago, when the course oil trade
ran in a counter direction to what we
now behold, owing TO severe drouth
the city of Sandusky underwent all
the horrors of q protrscted famine. =
The water on the bar at the mouth OF
the Bay was SO low that vessels were
unable to reach the port, and as there
was no land transportation ct that
time which could be relied upon in
case ofsudden emergency, 1t itappeared
ss ifprovidence had torsaken the
place entirely. and that its inhabitants
must soon perish. For days and
weeks their stock Of provisions had
gradually disappeared until soon all
Vas gone, and their only reliance was
upon the few fish which they were
enabled to obtain from the waters OF
the Bay and an occasional supply OF
game from the nsighboring forest.
At the time OF which we write the
woods in that vicinity, and in fact
throughout the Western Reserve, was
freouented by vast numbers OF wild
hoes which obtained q bountitnl sub.
dsisfsnce and grew fat upon the shack
which every where ahounded. These
hogs were doubtless originally estrays
but the sparseness of the population
10 the interior, and the rapidly with
shich they multiply, rendered them
strangers to man and very shy Of his
presence. During the drought, OF
which mention has already been made
lasge droves Of these animals wended
their way to the lake, in the neigh
borhood Of which they continued to
remain. Saudusky Bay, in particu.
lar, was . favorite, place OF resort for
them, in the waters Of which they
were accustomed to wsllow, after slack
ing their thirst. Those who are ac-
quainted with the locality OF which
Ne speak, will remember the annoy
ance to which the early settlers were
exposed in the shape OF ine, red sand
which covered the beach and which,
in timss Of high wind, was not only
sxcssdingly troublesome, but danger
ous. Thousands Of hogs, in conse-
euence Of frsqustiug this spot became
totally blind; but still With all the
cunning which belongs to this per
vsrse race in their natural state, they
continued to elude the hunters.
One day when the famine in the
city. was at its height, and when it
was apparent that even the strongest
must soon succo .ub, Joe B---took
down bis gun, and resolved to make a
last effort to rescue his wife and little
ones from fate most horrible OF
which the mind has any conception.
All day long had their sunksn eyes
and shriveled hands implored him in
vain for bresd--and, alas he knew
too well that no: within the whole city
was there . mouthtul to behad, though
hs were to offer in exchange, thrice
in weight in gold. Nsrysd to des
peration by this reflection, but still
with feeble steps, he took his way to
the forest, resolved not to return with,
out relief in some shape.
Fora long time he hunted in vain,
travsrsing miles Of weary pathway,
without 10 much rs seeing a single
evidence Of animated nature, until lie
was on the point Of yielding to des.
pair. At this moment a noise, as OF
approaching footsteps, attracted his
attention, and he paused, with every
faculty rendered keen by hunger, to
listen. Nearer and nearer came the
tramping, and just as Joe, to screen
himself from observation, took shel
ter behind a tree, a wild hog emerged
from thicket, advancing directly tow
ard him, followed Immediately by an
other and another still The huntelS
trembling with anxiety and excitement
raised his gun, but suddenly paused
in astonishment at the singular phe
nomenon before him. The drove
{drove there was) was approaching
him Indian file, and headed directly
for the Bay. Tho second hog held in
his mouth fhe tail Of the first, thstbird
that of tho second, and so on, to the
numberof sixty aud upward, each was
holding fast to the caudal appendage
ofhis predecessor, and all were being
led by the foremost Of the drove, and
he being the only one that could see,
WAS thus conveying his afflicted com.
panions, .....
The hunter comprehended the scene
in moment, and instantly decided
upon his course. Raising bis gun de
iberatsly, he fired, and severed the
tail Of the leader close to the roots, -
His affrighted leadership, with louc
squeal, bounded into the thicket ane
disappeared, while his blind com
panions came to a dead halt. Jo'
quietly Invested himself Of his boot