The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-08-23

Fer -he pxiiaAiun.
OLD SETTLERS OF WAYNE co.

d no. ".
6 After the hostile demonstration of the In
If dams which terminated in the shoosing
+ match relstel in my last number. our ad'
senturous young pioneers felt comparative
! safety. And although the leaves had
+ grown to be larger than squirrels ear. and
= the bloom Of the red bud. hawthorn. and
wild plum flinged the valleys, and marked
: the course OF the many sparkling streams
/. which flowed through the secluded and ro-
( mantc valley in which they dwels. yet they
. felt assured that the law Of kindness and
hospitality. rendered so efectual by the
Q just and kindhearted Penn. in winning the
affectionate regard Of the Indians on the
Red Stone. and along the banks Of the Sus-
} quehanna. would be no less potent with the
tribes that inhabited the rich valleys of the
Miami and Whitewater. TIE few dinners.
and acts of kindness bestowed upon their
, aboriginal neighbors. like "bresd cast upon
the waters" produced their legitimate fruit.
and they fels . growing confidence in the
friendship of the Indians. who regard ingrat-
ituds as one of the basess of crimes.
Having learned that the colony would not
arrive until after midsummer. they conclu-
ded to make the best they could Of their
sequestered situation. The young man di.
vided his time in chopping and burning
logs and brush in the clearing. hunting.
trapping, and fishing. and his good spouse.
In her domestic duties. Their library coa-
sisted of a small Bible, Watts Hymns, and
the volume Of nature outspresd to all who
desire to learn from its sublime and truth.
full pages.
Deer. turkeys. wild geese, and ducks.
were quite plenty. A few elk, and bear,
were found occasionally passing through the
White Water valley. One day while hunt
ing on the ground now occupied by the
City of Richmond our pioneer espied
large elk about one hundred and City yards
distant. He cooked his rifle and cautiously
crept through the spice wood brush towards
the huge animal. and just abou. the time he
had arrived in good shooting distance, keep
ing his eye fixed intently upon his game.
he unluckily stepped upon one end of q stick
the other end of which raised and caught in
the bottom of his pantaloons leg, throwing
went off, and so did the elk. Deeply cha
grined at the sad mishap, he repaired TO
his cabin, scarcely deigning to notice, much
less TO shoot at. the numerous herds Of
deer " hich bounded through the woods, "a
Keys. deer. raccoons. and opossums. he
never had the luck TO kill an elk or bear.
panther, that once chased him home from
the woods. When be first saw the panther
he was more than mile from his cabin -
the animal showed fight. He stepped =
few PAGES towards it. 1t advanced TO meet
him. He raised his rife to shoot 1t but bis
gun missed ERE. The panther took circle
Of about one hundred yards. like dog at
play, and returned, approaching him still
nearer than before. He snapped a second
time at it. 1t wheeled and made longer
circuit. and approached still nearer the hun
ter. " no in the Esean time bad been making
for home with all speed. He snapped the
third time, the animals eyes literally famed
with rage, as it again wheeled, making .
still more extended circle. and fetching up
every time still nearer the ye,reating hun
ter, who faced aboat and snapped his piece.
as his only hope Of defesce against the fierce
animal. who IN few more circuits would
arrive at point near enough TO pounce up
on its intended victim. AT length he caught
light of his cabin, and felt that one more
WIDE circle of the animal. and a good run
By himself. would perhaps release him from
his formidable pursuer. The panther seem
ed to entertain much the same view on the
subject. 1t seemed quite 10th to make the
las, circle. It screamed. scratched the earth
with its slaws, and tAEashed the ground
with its tail. as il stung With rage and dis
appointment. The elev~ted rifle again
snapped. and with scream the animal
commenced the las. circuit. This was the
hunters opportunity. He flew ike the
wind. aad succeeded 70 arriving SO near the
cabin tina, the exasperated panther did no,
return again. On arriving within few
rods of the house. he concluded he would
snap at marx. He pulled trigger. the gun
fred clear, and the bali struck within less
than an inch Of the center Of the target
He afterwards said that be thought perhaps
the hand Of Providence prevented the sparks
OF the smitten steel from falling upon bis
gun priming. That, probably, If his gun
had went of. when he aimed at the wild
beast, the ball 1ight have only wounded it,
aud snarsing with ITS wound. i, would doubt
less have torn hirs TO pieces.
4 few mouths after this adventure with
the panther, Patrick O'Harrs, the lrishmsn
strong desire to GO on q hu.ting excursion
Although he knew nothing about gun. had
never loaded one and would shut both eyes
when he fred one of. yet he was told by
our pioneer. with whom be was working.
that if he would work well till Saturday af-
terneon. he might take . gun and try his
luck at hunting. Saturday afternoon came.
The gun was loaded AID primed for the
IrisLman. and he Vas shown how to set the
triggers. re- load the gun. and given ssch
other directions as were deemed necessary
and proper on the occasion. With . broad
grin of satisfaction his face. Pat sboui-
dered the gun and glided of into the woods
in quest OF game. Ia less than an hour the
report OF a gan Was heard in the woods. and
in q few minutes wild screams were heard in
the direction Of the report OF the gun. Fear
ing ,ha: Pat had accidentally shot himself
our pioneer dropped his axe. and ran to.
wards The spot from whence the sounds o.
distress proceeded. He soon me. The Il'sn-
man running At full speed, with his hat m
one hand and The gun 10 the other. ana nor
ror pietared on his coantenance- TO shs
QUESTION, What's the mstser--hAye you
shot yourssll?- he made 10 reply. bat sPsd
-A