Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-12-21

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The traps and chain were put az the
door to remove his fear of danger in
the pen. At night he came, and was
caught. He was kept in the pen 4
portion of the next day for a show,
and many OF the people in the town.
ship came to see him. He had gnaw-
ed some of the logs about half Otf,and
would steadily continue to do so, un-
less he was watched by some one To
take his attention. He would spit
and scratch on the logs Of the pen,
jarring il until the tops Of the trees
would shake 10 which it was fastened.
/ Those who approached the pen would
receive such a salute as would some
\ times make new visitors stand and
/ jump to the great amusement of the
! spectators. Toward noon the bear
was shot and taken on a sled to the
house. His live weight was variously
I estimated from 400 to $50 pounds. He
I dressed $50 pounds. His skin weigh
| ed 80 pounds. In his spine was found
/ q half ounce rifle ball, and a scar OF
another shot through the ribs. An
ounce ball and buck shot was in his
neck. Thompson and Waters TOOK
theskin and one-half of the meat FOR
.
| remainder, which furnished him six
| ty pounds OF bears oil, in addition to
| the meat. His family had doughnuts
I fried i'm bears oil all winter. ON eat
. ing the meat some would call II beef,
others would call il pork. it was be-
/ tween the two. Some, while eating
it, would call il good meat, but say
they never could eat bear meat, but
when the meal was over would be
quite surprised to learn what they
| had eaten.
RING OR WOLF HUNTS.
The first settlers having suffered in
the destruction OF their flOcks, from
I the incursions of the wolves, as well
I as their cousins the bTuin family, who
made their chief rendezvous in the
cranberry marsh in the southeast Of
Johnston, rattle snakes and cram
berries with au unlimited amount Of
the former being the principal pro-
ductiOn), organized at different times,
conjointly with the citizens of the
adjoining townships, what was called
q wolf or ring hunt. Those in each
/ township who wished to share i'm the
sport, met together and elected a cap
tain for the occasion. These four
men were to have entire control and
/ make all needful rules for the day
Before the time set for the hunt, the
captains proceeded TO lay out line
around the swamp by blazing the
trees, usually comprising a circle OF
one-half or three-fourths Of mile in
/ diameter. On the day appointed, the
men were. to start at the highway
leading from the center Of one town
shipto the other, and at a given time
or signal, move forward to the inside
line, keeping as near equal distances
apart as possible, and driving all the
game before them. By the time the
line was reached, the game, deer es-
pecially, would become fairly aroused,
passing rapidly around tn find place
Of escape, serving the while as a tar
get for the men on the line. Sports
men were allowed to shoot square
across or at right angles to the line,
but not otherwise, for fear of accidents.
Occasionally some old deniZen of the
forest, would make for a weak or un-
guarded portion of the line, and from
carelessness of the men, united with
his own holiness, succeed in making
his escape. After all were shot that
sought to make their exit, the cap
tains would select some of the most
careful men to go and shoot all the
game found within the lines. The
game was then collected and sold at
auction to buy whisky TO treat the
hunters. Atone hunt fifty deer We're
killed, besides bears and wolves. At
another time, nine wolves were
among the trophies of the day. On the
last occasion of the kind one man was
severely wounded.
THE OLD CHURCH
Was built in 1919 and 80, by Northrop
and Stanford, for thirteen hundred
and ten dollars, materials being fur
nished. one-third to be paid in grain,
cattle and labor, and the balance in
money. Daniel Bushnell, Titus Brock
way, Richard Hayes, Andrew Bush
nell and Seymour A. Moses, were the
building committee. 1t stands on the
"Green;" the main part of the build
ing is square, with two rows of win
dOws on the sides, and in its original
form, had high pulpit, gallery on
three sides, was fitted up with pews:
had a tall spire and weather vane, af-
ter old Connecticut style. 1t was
probably the first church built in the
county. It was built by the Congre-
gatiOnalists, assisted by the people of
the township, with the understand
ing that it might be used for all town
purposes, and be free oall denOmina-
tiOns when not in use by them.
REV. SYDNEY RIGDON,
A Baptist clergyman at that time,
afterwards one of the lights of the
Mormon church, preached for several
months in the township, sustained
by those residents who were inclined
to the tenets of that church.
Mr.. COE,
Having resigned his charge over the
church in 1926, his time being requir-
ed in Vernon and Kinsmau, Rev.
Wells Andrews became its pastor He
was formerly a resident here, a rela-
tive of many members of the church
and society, and at an early day clear I
ed up a farm, chOpping days and
studying nights during his prepara-
ton for college. He remained some
ten or twelve years, and it seems to
have been the most useful and harmO-
nious period in the history of the
Congregation church.
TYPHOID FEVER.
In the summer of 1928 the township
was visited by the typhoid fever:
some thirty deaths occurred in the
course of a few weeks, and nearly all
were of young people. The family of
Col. VIM. Bushnell lost seven mem
bers in a short time. It commenced
in BroOkfield and came north into
this township, and spread to some I
extent from this place. For a time il
seemed to battle the skill Of the best .
physicians in the county. Those first /
taken with it and having the most I
care and attention nearly all fell vic /.
Tins to the scourge.
DEATH OF MRS. BUSHNELL.
In 1882, Mrs. ClOe, wife OF Capt. /
Alexander Bushnell, died aged ninety f.
four years. The oldest person de- Z
ceased in the township, during the .
first seventy years of its history .
Nearly thirty years before, she came I
here with three generations of descen- /
dents, and but for an accident might 4
have lived her hundred years. At the .
time OF her death her descendants /
three hundred and twenty
two, four being of the fifth generation. /
THE EARLY ANTI-sLAvERY
Agitation commenced about this pc
riOd. A society was formed and for .
q long time Hartford was quite a
T,1opa for oil lapfurnra of u