The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-07-12

beauty no corset stays nor padding
were required to make a shape. She
was as square as brick, stout as
Conestoga wagon, and active ns deer
| In fact, she was Treasure to Mrs Gillis.
Dickinson snd Hughes were both young
and unmarried, and they were thought
less Of such endowments, but not so as
to Wilmarth he was instantly struck
with the stalwart maiden her strength,
agility and handinUss excited his admi.
ration. !. is more than probable that
TO his (i. e. himselD unconscious CLAN
ces toward the maiden, she formed the
opinion that he was the kindest gentle
man of the whole party, and she did not
hesitate to express it openly, and init
mated to Mrs. Gills that it was her in
tention to accompany the party in the
sleigh TO her home (snme fifty miles
Distant and that if they should want
her they could afterwards send for her.
" But the sleigh is loaded. and they
can't take you" "Thcre is only three,
and Mr. w - is a little man. and he
and I can take one seat" But how
do yon know they will take you ?
ooh, I know they will. and I'm going"
Here was quandary for poor Mira.
GllIis to be- left at such time. and on
such short notice, was distressing.
roll's temper was well KNOWN a resolve
Cnd al execution kept in the same wake
with her. If she had made up her
mind to 90 home in that sleigh, you
might as we'll have trird to shake OF the
witch from the tail Of Tam O'Shanter's
mare; she would have hung on to the
tail board all the way. What was TO
be done? Mrs. Giilis applied to "Jim."
1t " will be all o. K. says he" lie
calls Miss " aside, and asks her,
"What do you think Wilmarth says
about you?" "What does he 2" said
Miss NJ, with sparkling eyes, anti
cipating compliment. " lie says you
would make a id good bob sled to
ride down hill upon, aud wishes he had
you to GO through the woods TO 90 down
one Of the long hills" Fire and fag
OTIS =. what whalloping Of pots and kct.
ties there was. i crinOline Of the most
fashionable dimensions would require
no more room than Pail did that day
The party left, and Mrs. ellis " hell" "
was saved. 1T is proper aud just to say
that IN after years Polly aud Wilmarth
made merry over this amusing plot of
"Jim's to detain her at her work.
At this period-1S33-thQrc were
not exceeding seven families in Ridg-
way, to wit Mr.. Aylworth and Caleb
Dill on the west side of'the creek; Enos
ellis, J w. Gallagher, II. Harms, (sur.
Joab Dobbin, or the cast side-Jamee
l.. GiIlis yet resided at Monrmorency
The commencement of building mills.
&c, b. Hughes & Dickinson, and the
settlement by Col Wilcox this same
year tended much to encourage these
denizens Of forest lie, and matters be.
gun to wear a more lIvely aspect. Goods,
wares and merchandise became tangible
property nd SO many teams as were
required upon the road, kept up an in.
tercOurse with what was then termed
the outer world. 'Tis true, the ellis
had succeeded in having severSi mail
routes established which centred at
Ridgway, as follows: from Kittanniug
via Brookville to RidgWay, from the
south from Bellefunte via Karthaus,
to Ridgway, from the east; from Ridg-
way to Smethport and Olean, and from
Rldgway to Warren, each weekly, and
tue writer Is not sure Gut that upon all
thsse routes the mails were carried un
der Gillis' contracts with the PostoiIice
Department, as there were but few con.
tractors willing to take them. But with
all these mail facilities, the teams car
ried the greater part Of the local inior-
nation, either in letters or orally; and
their arrivals and departures were al
ways attended with as much excitement
as arrivals and departures Of the steam
boats TO and from their gharves or
Of railroad trains to and from their de-
pots in other parts of the world,
The carrying of the mails through a
long wilderness, or across ilimitable
prairies, through swamps and across