Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-06-08

by an apparently and direct antagonism
,be.Neen my theory and facts which know
to be true, or which accept as true on
the relation Of others. Now and then l
meet, in the circle Of my acquaintance, or
in my travels by field and food, with an
instance Of presentiIpent in which the
event was SO remarkably Pre-hgured BY
the vision, or impending peril so mani
festly ascrted by the precautionary meas
ures induced by faith in the premonition,
that even to my unbelief the presentimeHt
seems little less than . spirit ufteEnnce
fion The other would One lof these am
about 70 recoid. 1 heard II related many
yesrs ago, in 3 quiet village in the ipte-
EFior ef 2hs Stais pf xsntneky ~ hy thePer-
son to whom the presentiment occurred.
Isaac Rolyat, the narrator, was quite an
old man. He was the patriarch Of the
village in which he lived, and was uni
yersally respected and beloved for his in
tellieence, his piety, and the blameless pn-
rity o. his life, For nearly q half a CEN
tuiy he had been a professor of religion.
snd was, at the time saw him, member
Of the Methodist Church. Notwitbstand-
tihg his advanced age, his intellect was
still strong aad quick, with decided pre-
dominance of the practical over the inag-
inative in its structure. He possessed a
large fund of pioneer anecdotes, which he
told with much skill and effect.
I During one of my college vacations, l
became frequent guest at the house Of
the hospitable old man. He used to en-
tertain me for hours with thrilling tales OF
border life. The manifest absence of all
attempt. at either exaggeration or dis
play ii conversation, independentof the
gusianty Of his truthful character, made
me credit his narratives of personal ad-
venture as strictly true.
One evening our conversation chanced
to turn upon the ghostly theme of appa-
ritions, dreams, and presentiaients,
| Il have" said Mr.. Rolyat, ga personal
experience Of my own upon the subject of
presentiments so remarkable, that be-
came 6im believer in their reality. many
years ago. The reflection and observa-
ton o. subsequent life have confirmed my
faith, and shsll die as have lived, sn-
shaken in the belief that a presentiment
saved me front an untinely death"
! expressed, what / really felt, an anx-
ious desire TO hear the particulars Of his
premontion. He readily consented to re-
late them, and / listened with thrilling in
terest, to the following most remarkable
narration.
lr e,Itwas." said Mr.. RoIyat. ksome time
in the year 1876 that emigrated to Ken
lucky, which was at that time frontier
county Of the State of Virginia. I was
then quite young man, and, by profess
sion, practical surveyor. / found it at
once constant and profitable employment,
in locating the land claims of the numer-
Gus settlers. The range of my business
extended over wide scope Of country,
following the line of the settlements as
they struck deeper and farther cut into the
wilderness. From the nature of my en-
ployment, l was necessarily much in the
woods, often entirely alone, and soon ac-
quired tile love Of adventure, and the in
difference TO personal peril, which seem
the spontaneous production Of wild and
rowing life. The country was compare
lively wilderness. With the exception
Of the growing setttlements which here
and there dotted the surface. an unbroken
lexpanse of forest stretched out, appa.
rently to ilimitable distances, in all dire c.
tions. Sheltered in the woody retreats
the wild beasts and Indians held divided
sway, and surrounded tho path of the ad
yenturous intruder with multiplied perils
Fierce wars ragged between hostile trioes, ol
between the receding Indians and the en-.
croaching whites. But, as the white pop
ulation increased, a new and more formid
able peril WAS introduced to menace The
traveller, and annoy the solitary dwellerl
in the wilderness. Gangs Of despe radoel
infested the highways, and filled the coun
try with scenes of violence and blood. /
became unsafe to travel alone, and espe
cially in the night. The solitary or bella
ted traveller, in some of the more sparsel,
settled portions of the country, was almos
sure to lose his purse, and often his life
at the hands OF individual plunderers, bu
more frequently of confederated robbers
The law was utterly powerless to protec
the travelling public. Personal proves
and vigilance, pistols and daggers. sup
} piled the place Of police. ~
Living in the midst of such scenes
and excitements, my nature, naturally fear
less, soon acquired spirit defiant Of al
( the dangers which encompassed the ex
posed lie was leading. Still, was wild
!. awake when abroad, and ever keenly o.
+ the watch when ! had occasion to pas
from one place to another, in making m,
: surveys. ! always went well mounte'
and well armed, and travelled, especial
: when unaccompanied, only in the day
On one occasion I had been locatin
n claims at some distance from my place {
: residence, which was in a settlement no'
: embraced in the county of Cumberland
o and, having been absent for several weeks
e l had become exceedingly anxious to rt
r turn home. Mounting my horse abou
II midday, hoped, by dint of hard riding
Q to reach q noted stand on my return rouI
d by sunset, In this, however, | was dct
+ tined to be disappointed The roads wei
i miry from rain and frost, and my hors'
i. in spite Of the solicitation of whip IN
e Espur, foundered SO slowly along them, thl
n the day closed when was still many milk