Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-06-30

From Bath passed west to Hornels the limit
of my journey. Returning down the CaneSteo
my path lay twelve miles without a house, but
passed through numerous lodge of Indians
who were encamped for hunting 1t is q mat
ter of surprise to me that | had no fear, for
these were the very fellows, who twenty years
before, had committed the dreadful massacre
at Wyoming and might not have lost their
thirst for blood and plunder Awakened curl
! oSlty saw nothing but romance and pleasure in
| all that presented. Their main lodges were
made by placing two long poles in the ground
ten or twelve feet apart and bringing the tops
together, fastening them with wths At suit
able distances other sets of poles in regular
line were put up, extending perhaps sixty feet.
These were covered with blankets and skins
so that they, in fact, had a house sixty feet
long, twelve wide, running up to sharp roof
Game in abundance lay at the door, the por.
cuplne among the rest, the first | had ever
seen. The Indians old and young. looked
Squad and dirty, and were not uncivil. So
rapidly was that beautiful country then settling
that is probable that this was the last Indaa
Hunting Encampment ever erected there The
place of their proper residence or home being
l take it, considerably further north Descend
ing the Canesteo seven or eight miles, seeing
occasionally hunter, | passed the stream
and my attention was forcibly and agreeably
arrested by paintings upon several trees, the
bark of which had been smoothed for the pur.
pose, of the heads and necks of ten or twelve
animals, admirably drawn, done so that the
Doe with her smooth forehead, the young Buck
with his spike-llke horns, or the old with his
formidable antlers-the old and young Bear,
not only distinguished by their size but impress
Sion-and various smaller animals were all Dor
| trayed with more than skiil-wth native de-
cided grace beyond the reach of art" |
learned afterwards that this was the mode of
giving information to their fellow hunters how
many they had taken.
On arriving at my friend Stephen Tuttle's
at Tioga Point one of the pleasantest men, by
the way, | ever met, and became one of the
weathieSt on the Cbemung. Having got an
! excellent supper, and sitting by the fire, telling
as young travellers love to do, what marvel
lous things they had seen, | mentioned these
paintings and spoke of them as being done
with a rude nicely. An old gentleman who
sat in the corner, and who had not before spo
ken, rousing himself up repeated "a rude nice
| ty a rude nicely !" | admire that express
sion young man, it puts me in mind of Milton's
regular confusion and so | received COM
pment, which, in the eyes of numerous by
standerS, gave me some consequence, and the
old gentleman and myself became at once eS.
tabliShed friends.
| Asylum, though decaying, was yet place
of considerable business. Blaco and Colin,
merchants, the former a writer for the Gazette,
had recently dissolved partnership. 1t was
! then the chief provision market for settlers
moving in for a circuit of many miles | re-
member in the Spring of that year to have
bought, with Howard, barrel of pork of Bic
| delivre, having to transport it by the circuit
Gus way thirty miles. My recollection is, that
on the street fronting the river, was row OF
low log houses and stores, rough but comfort
able. The history Of that settlement, its rise
and decay the most inaccessible spot on
earth the refuge of the trembling eXed roy
atty and nobility of France, from the demon
fury of the bloody Robespere, demands, not
paragraph, or chapter, but volume Materi-
| ais, if not ample, yet considerable are accessi-
ble, and it is presumed will not escape the lynx
eyed scrutiny of our friend =.
Having become (May, 1902 partner in
the Federalist establishment and having mail
contracts to Tioga, for several years, business
made me familiar with that upper portion of
the County Every returning visit was repaid
in the pleasure afforded by the improvements
every year exhibited. Daniel Sterling kept at
Brantrm the Halfway House it was sol
ace to the wearied traveller to get there
man cf enterprise, intelligent employing many
hands, sending off large masses of lumber, he
was of great benefit to the neighborhood and
| country. | was indebted to him for many ser
vices. His manners were frank, his presence
agreeable, and | became attached to him for
his generous nature. and fine social qualities
Prominent among the business Pioneers, he de,
mandS "a more extended notice
The chcfeSt public Improvement of the de-
cade was the Turnpike Road through the Great
Swamp-the shades Of Death-for the time
the means, and the benefits, scarcely surpassed
by the SimpIon. Arnold Colt, the then late
Sheriff, grapped with and mastered this great
work. lie left a name admired for every pub
lie, and cndeared, for every private virtue.
The first conveyance for passengers up the
river, to Tioga was established by the hardy
indomitable Conrad TcetOr He accomplished
almost an imposslbility He fathomed the un-
fathomable, driving with safety his admirable
span up and down Break neck Mountains, the
very thought of which, even now, makes the
hair stand on end. One among the passen-
gers he brought down was clever pioneer lad,
in pursuit, not of a fortune, but Of place to
learn to make one who if among you to-day,
can relate pleasant stories Of olden times, and
if on Change, can draw for $500, 600. with
the surety his draft will be honored at sight.
Before | 60 up the Susquehanna again, as
must do, on brief but important visit, al
low me space for notice of DR.. Robert II.
Rose.
DR.. Robert II Rose, as prominent histor
ical parsonage connected with the pioneer move
ments of Luzerne demands an emphatic notice
p,,rrnincr tho ,nlinu Of Col Pinzarinor % d-