Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-04-15
How the City of sanduslzy was saved from
Famine.


I" Years agone. when the course cf trade
ran in a counter direction to what we now be-
hold. owing to severe drought, the city of
Sandusky underwent all the horrors Of pro-
tracted famine. The water on the bar at the
bay was SO low that vessels were unable TO
reach the port and there was no land trans
portation at that time which could be relied
upon in case of sudden emergency. it appear
ed rs if Providence had forsaken the place
entirely, and that its Inhabitants must soon
perish. For days ana weeks their stock Of
provisions had been gradually disappearing
until soon all was gone, and their only rei-
ance upon few fish which they were
enabled to obtain from the water of the bay
and occasional meagre supply of game from
| the neighbor;ug forest.
! '' At the time Of which we write, the woods
t ia that vicinity, and in fact throughout the
! Western Reserve. were frequented by vast
numbers of wild hogs which obtained boun-
tiful subsistence and grew fat upon the shack
! which every where abou,sdcd. These hogs
| were doubtless originally estrays, but the
! sparseness Of the population Ia the interior,
AID the rapidity with which they multiplied,
rendered them strangers 10 man and very shy
I OF bis presence. During the drouth, OF which
mention has already been made, large droyes
/ Of these animals wended their way to the lake
ia the ncighborhood of which they continued
to remain
"Sandpsky Bay. 10 particular was a IA
1 vorite place of resort for them, IN the waters
! of which they were accustomed 10 walow az
! ter siaking their thirst. Those who are ac-.
quainted with the locality Of which We speak,
! will remember the annoyance to which early
sattlcrs were exposed in the shape of fine
! red sand which covered the beach, and whicl,
of LinrI, l.,
some Dat exceedingly dangerous. Thousands
I of hogs, II conseoi. OF frequcatiug this
/ spot, became to-aiy blind; bat still. with ali
! the cunning which belongs to this per7erse
race in their natural state, they continued to
+ eiude their hunters
! g One day, when the famine IL the city vas
/ at rs height, and when, ii was apparent that
/ even the strongest must soon succumb. Joe
! B took down his gun, and resolved to
! make iass effort to rescue bis wife aad little
/ ones. from fate the most horrible Of which
/ the mind has any conception. All day long
had their sunken eyes and shrivelied hands
1 impl ored aim in vain for hread-and alas
/ he knew too well that not within the whole
/ city there mouthful 30 be had, though
4 he were 10 offer in exchange thrice its weight
! IN gold. Ncrved to desperation by this re-
! fecton, bat still with feeble steps, he took his
I
/ out relief in some shape
:; For long time he hus;ed in vain ira
/ versed miles Of weary pathway, without so
much as seeing single evidence of animated
| nata re, until he was on the point of yielding
( TO despair At this moment noise, as Of
{. approaching footsteps, attracted his attention.
and he paused, with every faculty rendered
/ keen By hunger, to listen. Nearer and near
or came the tramping, and just as Joe, to
screen himself from observation, took shelter
1 behind tree q wild hog emerged from the
/ thickct, advancing directly toward him, fol-
loved Immediately by another and another
! still
The hunter, trembied with anxiety and
excitement, raised his gun, but suddenly
paused 10 astolishment at the singular phe-
uomenon before him. The drove (tor drove
! there was) was approaching him in Indian
/ file, aud headed directly for the bay. The
second hog held in his mouth the tail of the
first, the third that OF the second, and SO on
to the number Of sixty and upward, each was
holding fast to the caudal appendage of his
/ predecessor, and al were being led by the
foremost of the drove, aud he, being the only
] one that could see, was thus conveying his
+ afflicted companions
T The hunter comprehended the scene in a
moment, and INSTANTLY decided upoa his course
Rising his gun deliberately, he fred, and
4 severed the tail oftEe leader close to the root
His affrighted leadership, with loud squeal,
bounded into the thcket and disappeared,
while his blind companions came to dead
halt Joe quickly divcsted himself of his
boots AID crept stealthi!y up to the first of the
band, which stood quietly holding in his
| mouth tAe amputated tail Of his former con-
! ductor This the hunter seized and commen-
ced gently pulling upon it. First one hog
! started, then another, then another, until
soon, like q train Of cars ali were in motion,
and without pausing to rest for a single in
slant, Joe led them quietly into a huge pen
near his residence. where they were soon
slaughtered, end lie city ,ras sared"
Cur OF ST.. GEoRGE-A military cores
| pondent of tha Richmond Dispatch gives the
following as evidence of the accomplished
swordsmanship of Pulaski The scene is il
Savannah, Georgia
Count Pulaski. the gallant Polaader. who
commanded the Aner leans, as he always led
an attack, so now, ca the retreat. he brought
! up the rear. The sun was declining in the
vest, the shadows OF the charging steeds and
riders were stretched along over tue plain,
Pulaski never looked behind, but watched the
flying shadows as they gained ground slowly,
bat steadily. over those of bis own iaded
horsemen Finding that the shadow of the
! leading British horse had Tapped that of his
own crupper, with the speed of thundcrboIt
he gave the cut Of st. George, 0ear c.a, and
B l. -. I y r. 7 i