The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-11-28

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:, To those Of our reedars Who are new. to
this region, we would soy, that Ohio and
Kentucky were, only short generation
since, the West; then Indiana and Illinois
were the Fas West. Il was in those days,
cad in The Valley ct the Ohio, that Judge
Hall laid the scene Of very interesting vol
ume called The Romance Of Western History.
Like all his works, II il elegantly written,
smooth and pleasant; bat 70 those whose
"reminiscences lie back among the Pioneers,
or who in their boyhood associated with
them, this romance, (albeit less romance
than fact, has peculiar zest. II brings
up, like picture taken in other days, the
dress, attitude and appearance Of the old
race, who once lived here and struggled
through the semi -barbaric period Of ciyiliza-
ton. 1t is only BY such pictures that We
can have any knowledge Of them, for they
can never return. gfa.it sTrl
Let us quote paragraph or two from this
Romance Of History, that we may catch Q
sidelong glance at the old Pioneer. Judge
Hall relates story of Muldrow, who gave
name to Muldrow, still in Kentucky. This
man, who was one Of the earliest pioneers,
had cabin in one Of the rugged activities
of the hill, or mountain, named from him.
He had been there. . year or two, and was
searching for game, when he saw small
dog running in his track, and supposed On
Indian was near. In few minutes the
owner Of the dog came stepping cautiously
along, glancing jealously around, and ma
king signals to his dog. The owner Of him
halted in front of the hunter, and full exposed
to view. He was tall athletic man, COM
pletely armed with rife, tomahawk and
knife, but whether he was white man or In
dian, could not be determined, either by
complexion or dress. .s,-.s .sss-g t..,s -2ssa
ssfe wore hunting. shirt and leggins, Of
dressed deer skin, and hat from which the
rim was entirely torn away, and the crown
elongated into the shape Of II sugar loaf
The face, feet, and hands, which were ex-
posed, were Of the tawney hue Of the savage,
but whether the color was natural or the
effect of exposure, could not be ascertained
even by the keen eye of the hunter, and his
features were SO disguised by dirt and gun
powder, that their expression afforded no
clue, by which the question could be deci-
ded, whether the individual was q friend or
foe. There was but moment for delib-
Grafton, and after a hasty scrutiny, the
pioneer, inclining to the opinion that the
stranger was an Indian, cautiously took up
his rifle, snd took deliberate aim; but the
bare possibility that he might be pointing
his rifle at the bosom of countryman, in
duced him to pause. Again he raised his
gun, and again hcsitatcd; while his oppo-
nent with his rife half raised towards his
face, and his finger on the trigger, looked
eagerly around. Both stood motionlcss
and silent; one searching for the object of his
pursuit, in readiness to fire. At length the
hunter, having resolved to delay no longer,
cooked his rife-the stick reached the acute
ear of his opponent, who instantly sprung
behind tree; the hunter initiated his exam
pie, and they were now fairly opposed, each
covered by a tree, from behind which he
endeavor to get shot at his adversary,
without exposing his own person. And
now a series of stratagems ensued, each
seeking to draw the fire of tho othcr-until
the stranger, becoming weary of suspense,
called out, "Why don't you shoot, you
etarnal cowardly varment?o Shoot, your
self, you bloody redskin, retorted the other.
"No more redskin than yourself" s'Are
you a white NAM" ssTo-be-sure am; are
you?" eyes; no mistake in me-" Where
upon each being undeceiyed, they threw
down their guns, rushed together with open
arms, and took hearty hug. The hunter
now learned that the stranger had been set
tied, with his family, about ten miles from
him, for several months past, and
that they had often roamed over the same
hunting grounds, each supposing himself
the sole inhabitant of that region. On the
following day, the hunter, saddled his horse
and taking up his good wife behind him
carried her down to call upon her new
ncighbor, who doubtless received the visit
with far more sincere joy than usually at
tended such ceremonies" -g --.f -. a.
Such was the 81 litary and the dangerous
life of the Pioneers. We will add one incl
dent, related of woman; and as the sane
thing in substance, was told us by men,
cotemporaneous with this heroic woman, we
believe it to be true: .r
s'The females, too, had stheir exits and
their entrances in this bloody drama and
exercised their courage as well as their in
ventive powers, in the practice of strategy.
A party Of Indians approached solitary
log house, with the intention of numbering
its inmates. With their usual caution, one
of their number was sent forward to recon
noitre, who, discovering the only persons
within to be woman, two or three children
and negro man, rushed in by himself and
seized the negro. The woman caught up an
axe, and with single blow laid the savage
closed the door, and with ready sagacity
employed themselves in fastening it. The
rest of the Indians came up, and attempted
to force an entrance; but the negro and the
children kept the door closed; and the in
trepid mother, having no effective weapon,
picked up gun barrel, which had neither
stock nor lock, and pointed it at the savnges
through the apertures between the logs
The Indians, deceived by the appearance Of
gun, and daunted by the death of their
companion, retired" ...... s..-.a.....
In conclusion, we desire to add our con-
tribution to what discriminating public
has already given of praise, to the labors Of
Judge Hall. He was one of the earliest to
make Western Literature respectable, and
prove that letters were not unfamiliar to the
people Of the West. 7@i's ,a.lss5 s'7 '@sSs
Is a-.s.s ACAPITAL STORY. -u-s,.-.,,s,.
: The Bangor Jeffersonian says some years
ago, an eccentric old genius, whom, for con-
vcniencc, we will call Barnes, was employed
by farmer living in town some six or
seven miles westerly from the Penobscott
river, to dig well. The soil and substra-
.tum being mostly sand, old Barnes, after
having progressed downwards about forty
feet. found one morning upon going out carly
to his work, that the we'll had eventually
caved in, and was full nearly to the top
Now, having that desire which men have Of
knowing what will be said of them after they
are dead, and no one yet being astir, he con-
cealed himself in n rank growth of burdocks