Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-08-18
AN IMPORTANT LEGAL OPINION.

q
legal opinions, although they often possess in
terest. / send You one which has the merit of
being short, and the correctness of which can
not he doubted. To arrive at correct under
standing of il, 1 must make statement.
A gentleman who lives in Your place, visited
our town to-day at a very early hour. He told
a story, which embraces all the facts in the
case. 1t was to this purport. He had started
the evening before from Curwensville for Glen
Hope, and reached Rea-s, about miles from
here, at II or u O'Clock at night. Still pur-
suing his journey, he took the first lett hand
road, and in little while, from some reason
unknown at the time, his horse stopped. Sup
posing that an obstruction was in the road, he
alighted to ascertain the difficulty. He now
discovered that he was in the woods, and on
searching around, that there was no road near
there; but there what appeared to him
beaten path. Satisfied that the path did not
lead to the place where the boy was when he
went fishing-no-where- determined to fol-
low it. 1t became necessary for him to trace
the track by feeling, sometimes when the foot
did not give sufficient indication of its where
leading his horse. The track kept for long
distance down steep hill, and his impression
was that he was on timber road and would
soon reach the creek. This was strengthened
when he had to lead his horse through three
or four swamps, of some considerable extent,
which were shoe mouth deep and ofttimes took
| him in up to the knees; but his opinion
| Oh ho linz
similar hill, for he then thought he had cross
| ed the head of Potts run and was travelling
in 4 contrary direction from that he wanted
to. During AL this time it was as dark as
as-as lis self; for this darkness could only be
compared with itself His horse, like all 9TH
er objects around, could be felt, not seen. No
sound could be heard save the heavy tramp of
the horse. Sometimes logs had to be jumped
| or passed round, and occasionally the mid
night traveller was startled b. sudden Eight,
similar to that which flashes from the eye of a
| feline in the dark, only larger and more bril-
| liant-but proving 20 be ''fox-fire." When on
the top of the hill, TO his joy he observed an
old chopping, having some deadened timber
standing in it. He at first thought of going
| thinking that this Improvement was on the
road, continued to travel on. The course he
| took was not altogether satisfactory, as it bore
away from the chopping. He soon came to
what appeared to be the same place; but still
he continued walking on, leading his horse.
Again the road seemed to be bearing wrong,
but at last brought him third time to the
IL,
in circle, he concluded to lead his horse
through the chopping. This was impossible,
because the trees which were on the edge, had
not been trimmed up. He then went to the
other side, and having entered the chopping,
led his horse until he got to place so sur
rounded by logs that he could not get back
wards or forwards. Having tied his horse, he
proceeded alone through the timber, across
logs and over tree tops-scratched by briars
and thistles, and bruised by projecting limbs
and knobs until he reached an old road-tray-
elled to the right and afterwards to the left,
but found no sign OF habitation. Again he
| took to the chopping, continuing his former
course until found it impossible to proceed
fnrther-halloed but could get no answer, save
INV o~lhIh VI d uOo dL q uiStduCc. iid'ihS
concluded to return to the old road, he did so,
and about the time he reached it observed light
in the East. When the light increased, he re-
galed himself on some delicious blackberrieS,
which were growing by in abundance, aud then
discovered that what he had taken to be a
chopping was a part of the wind-fal OF 1871,
through which he had traversed with his horse
about a quarter of a mile. Having succeeded
in getting his horse to the road, he now took
that end of it which led south cast, and found
in short time that the general course of the
road changed, the waters running different
direction from what he expected to find them.
However, seeing wagon track on the road,
he followed it until he came to an improve
ment on which lived Liffle--the cleverest
fellow in that region-who had just arisen.
Having enquired for geography, so that he
might learn his whereabouts, he was informed
that he was only 4 ! miles from here. After
partaking Of a cup of good coffee and the ne
cessaries which pacify the inner man, he re-
ceived proper instructions as to the road and
reached here in safety.
Under this state of facts, the question was
asked, sswhere was you when you got your
white pants SO coniounded muddy ?'' and the
opinion was delivered in his short and compre-
hcnsive answer-ssI was lost.''
DECREyI.
[Our correspondent should have told us who
this adyenturer is that was slost in the woods
We suspect, from the tenor of the account,
that he is one of our town lawyers. We at all
events intend to examine all the "limbs of the
law we can get hold of to see whose are