The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-05-07
Romance in Real Life Among Ourselves.

Casting about in the town of Potter for
history fitting for your volume, Mr.. Editor,
am often surprised by facts and events
which partake strongly of the novel and
romantic, yet are regarded either with in
difference or forgetfulness, and are passed
over without note, until developed by the
investigation called into action by your
contemplated enterprise ofa history of the
early pioneers of Yates county, and Incl
dents attending their advent to the then
wilds of the famed Genesse Country, of
which Yates county forms an interesting
portion.
Among the personal histories which l
have exhumed from oblivion in thus pry-
ing into family and LEGAL events, is that Of
a boy, who in 1915 footed it into that town
by the side of an OK team, from Mt Plea
SAINT Pa, in company with man by the
name Of Capt. Reuben Carr, who had some
years before taking him into his family as
an orphan, and to whom the boy became
strongly attached, and lived and served him
as an elder son. This journey of about per-
haps 200 miles, occupied eleven days of con-
slant and persistent toll. The load consis-
ted of household goods, provisions and the
wife and two children of Capt Carr. The
boy by the side of the oxen, and the Captain
engineering the route and the necessary
provision S for the progress and suscess Of
their undertaking, from day to day, until
they at last terminatnd their journey on
the premises of Joshua Parsons, in the then
town of Middlesex, and at once commenced
preparations for opening spot on the will
derness farm which they we're to occupy, on
the west side Of Flint creek, (about mils
from where is now Potter Center,) and the
building of log cabin for shelter and pro-
lection, for it was no uncommon event of
those days to encounter bear in your path
way, and to be lulled to sleep by the howl
of the wolf, and cheered, perhaps, in the
light of the morning, by the near presence
of fat deer, which the sharp crack of the
Captains unerring rife often announce
would furnish the dinner for the day.
Here the boy of fourteen and the then
stalwart Captain in the vigor of manhood,
attacked and swept away the dense forest
which uncumbered every foot of the prem
ises on which they we're to make their fu-
ture home. A living must also be provided
for the family, while they were clearing and
preparing for a crop the succeeding spring
or fall, aud thus toilsome days work were
often performed at distance of miles from
home, to procure their daily necessaries,
and many obstacles surmounted that would
now be regarded as mountains.
Yet they toiled on. The Captains fam
lily increased in numbers by the addition of
children stated reasonable periods. The
forest disappeared slowly but surely before
their axes, and "logrollings," Oided by fire,
the pioneers friend. The boy grew in
years and manly strength, plodding his way
to the Nettle Valley School House, dis
tancc of two and half miles for a month
or two every winter, when he could be
spared: for the benefit of scholastic advan-
tages, which were duly appreciated and
faithfully sought for by the eager youth,
who thought himself thus most highly fa-
vored.
In the use of the axe lie became a pro-
fcient, and customer that the ambitious
in that popular line Of the day were 10th
to encounter; he often turning out in sin
gle day his five and even seven cords of
wood, fitted for Williams potash distillery,
to which it was hauled over a mile and
half, and sold for rs cents a cord. SubSe-
quently, and after living out his minority,
the boy, now the man, entered upon the
line where the Erie canal was under con-
structiou, worked first for about So per
month, opening the way for that then stu
penduous undertaking, but soon was promo
ted to tie leadership of a company of axmen,
and sent to open the track about Lockport
and the vicinity of the Tonawanda, at the
advanced wages of S13 per month, camping
in the woods ana taking turns in the duties
of cook and house-keeper. The next year
he ventured upon the rushing waters of the
Seneca and Mohawk as "jolly Durham
Boatman,' and soon succeeded to a captaincy
in this department of mauly arts. He fol-
lowed this business in all of its changes
thence forward during the boating season