The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-12-13

frisnd, Jr.sun Al L. Mszx, Sen. n the R.uo1r-. q
Sow 18th, weepp1sd 70 his son, 1dosrQ NEE. sosl
some id dsalnin his Arssr 30 "a We akht pslish
sAsn, ana asnstA tessr n ~ memory Of one Of shs
old lndnszks Il sDsnty psxfof III history.
Mr.. n. informed that his father had himself writ
TN brief sketch Of his early Life, which among
his papers, and h. wosd hand Il 10 when ssand.-
He accerdisgIy handed ~ shs following 9es
ef%
- >! VA bora in he State Of Psnas5asaaa- the
waters OF Jacobs Greek, in the year 1850 the
close of the Revolutionary War. In the course of
that yesr my father bought lssd about twelve iles
from Pistshurg and moved to II the year. lie the
month of june. 1872, he sold ont with the view of
going into Kentucky. By the last Of November, he
had built fat boat, and ready start. lie took
on board two other families beside his There
six in oil who able 10 handle gun-ail the
rest were women and children. Nv father Vas
Captain Of the boat and they all started for KENNEDY
The boat was managed by oars, and was built four
feet high from stem to stern. with oak planks,
that rife ball would go through its sides We
clided along night and day-oniy stopping long
enough TO take ON wood, and aiways keeping sharp
look ont for Indiana, who were prowiing about and
who made two attempts to capture the boat in the
dead hour of the night BY getting out in the middle of
the river their RATS, thinking the boat wud run
enough TO them they could shoot into Father
woulI put the lights out-.maks the women and chill
dren lay down along the inside Of the boatput the
young and boys ct the oars and himself taking
she secring-oar be would square off, and around
the Indian RATS. and, they could not more them
fast, they thus eluded, and arrived safely
the place where Cincinnati is loca ted. There we
found . block house, containing Eve men, who were
guarding the frontiers. g.--..-e4.s ~ ...ss
We here left the Ohio and went up the Licking river,
far Cynthiana, where father had law
residing. We spent the winter there, and in the
month of March, 1893, he moved ont to the extreme
frontier. where his brother, John Meek. had built
Station There were, at this Station seven families
each family had their house built in block house
style, with portfolios every side, so they could
shoot in every direction, or an attack the
Station by the Indians. Each man had his piece Of
ground to clear, and they all worked together until
each man bad his days work-uncls John and father
standing sentinels for theD. Uncle John had large
yellow dog, who rejoiced in the name Of Keeper"
He could smell Indian two miles more, and.
when "keeper" would 60 TO the woods and begin to
bark. all hands took it . sGnalof dangerthe men
would pick up their guns and in, and consult
what would be best to do. That dog would keep OPP
poste the Indians they would creep around until
they would get clear out Of his scent, and ther in
few days, we would hear of some person being killed
in the settlement whore the people less their
many night did lay up in the block house LOFT and
tremble to hear father up all night watching from
one house to the other-my step mother, with gun
in each hand, SO that when fether cmptied she
could hand him another. The Indians frequently
drove horses into the door caught them and
took them away. Buffalo, deer, bear, wild turkey
and raccoon all the meat ate there for three
years. The children all kept close quarters fearing
the Indans would pick them up and take them away.
Boys of my age had to grind corn the hand mill
for all the bread that used. 1t very seldom
the men went to mill, for the Indians always
watching the roads in the dusk of the evening-they
shot and scalped several Out of Meek's station
not was lost.
In the month of November, 1906, left my fathers
house in Kentucky. and to Ohio with the widow
| Crimes family, and spent the winter old Judge
Lytles farm situated . creek called Sevennile.'
Sometime in the latter part of the winter, heard
that father had sold his farm and moved 10 White
water, and wanted to So the first day OF
April, 1907, started for whitswatsr, travelling all
day through . very heavy snow-storm. That night
staid with man by the name of Waid, who lived
near where Aaron Shute resides just in the edge
Of Ohio. Next morning started on through a very
deep snow-the road being unbroken, l had to follow
| the "blazes," until I arrived to where Daniel p
| Virgins now lives, aud there found my brother
John Meek living N cabin on the north side of tbs
road, lately bought by Virgins. From thence wen
to fathers-he then residing in \ small cabir
near good spring the farm lately owned b,
Alexander Grimes. Ny father had burying -grount
there, few rods west Of the barn, where severa
| people were buried.
That Spring cleared about six acres of ground
cut and split rails and fenced it in-rolled and burne
the iogs-plowed and planted it, with very little help
all by the first of June. Then Elijah Fisher and nv
1 sta al vwNh bs.lo
Lawrenceburg, to procure bread-stu for the season
| Over night, would have to cut brush and make
pile to lay blankets on, in order to keep the snake
from coming to bed with us-spanceling our horse
so they could pick grass, and not go far fom "
arrived at Lswrenceburg and back in days, wit
dve-horse loads of corn-msal, which lasted until
came in the fall and sufficiently hard SO We coul
CRATE it for mush and bread. In addition TO this "
had potatoes. squashes &C., wild also abuu
dant and father was . good hand with gun, SO ths
we did not lack for meat.
About this time, started back to Ohio, and on tn
18th Of the month got married, aud returned ths
fall and built small cabin eighty acres of Ian
that father had entered for me, where Samuel Coal
lately lived. On the I'D of March, 1905, moved in,
it, That Spring, cleared FIVE acres of land-fence
it o-rolled the logs and burned them and the brus
assisted my neighbors eighteen days to do the
work. in order that they might assist me. raise
corn to spare that setson. l worked there, unit
the Fall Of 1909, and then sold to old JOSEF
Charles-he giving me $3.50 for the Improvements
and $40 that it took to enter the land Ithen bougt
one hundred of land from old John Smith thre
miles east Of Richmond. for which 1 gave him m
notes for three hundred dollars, in payments. II
wife went 70 her mothers, and went to work on Ii
land just bought Winter coming on, soon cut log
and put up stable, in which xsef and horse live
,n.if ha1 h>r> l.,
+ The house was not ready 10 move into until near
Christmas. The snow was then quite deep, and b.
ing scarce of feed, had to down beech trees &
my cattle to browse upea. set about closing in N
ground, and. by the next planting time, bad four
, i've acres ready 10 plant. That ths Spring Il
mice were SO plenty, that the boys could kill o,
, hundred and fifty Of night By laying meal on {,
slls Of the house. aud taking sticks and striking The
as they were eating il. They took up al ny sor
and the Consequence was did not raise any By 4
king light out at night these troublesome pests ws
? 20 thick that could ku them With our feet