Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-05-11
! Pioneer Life in aud History Of
Wyandot County.
BY a. W. BRINKEREoFF.

~ pAO uOStl uSAL l)Slu lC
oi CiIis indes, ribab!c ruin, much anN-
iety was felt by our friends and neigh
OorS in the outside world, anN. during
the several morning hours there CAME
creeping through and climbing over the
wreck of matter, anxious persons eX-
pecting TO find us in like shape with the
forest so grand but the day before. Gen.
eral rejoicing succeeded the discovery
that we were safe. Such q storm never
before, in the knowledge of man, nor
anything to compare..with it since, passed
| drag II 81 ction of the country and
| may such never occur again.
But we stop not with irosts and storms
| Us the only remarkable things associated
with the year 1884 in Northern OHIO.
| True. they were enough to make faint
| the heart of the uninitiated pioneer.
| Frost and storms soon pass away, ami
| brighter seems TO shine the sun, but this
! last remarkable feature of 1881 continued
| 10 exist and destroy throughout tile en-
| tire Summerand Fall. When the storms
| OF June had hurled the standing trees
| down amongst the wheat which had
sprung up, us second growth, after the
| frost OF May. and when the remaining
crop was just ripening tor the sickle oi
| the anxious farmer, this third plague
| took possession of those fields, anu
| SpringIng from the extended branches oi
u
| was left of the farmers hope for bread, as
! would an army i'll the day of most de-
| lermineu war. And When the ears OF
corn were in early roasting condition, in
! more than countless numbers would Iuey
enter tue fields, mount upon thc ears anu
! commence the w ork of destruction there,
| and continue until entire fields were de-
| >lroyeu. In many cases men were en-
| JyGd ut S2,5J per day, and ammunition
Uund, to destroy the destroyer. And
| even in such cases, where fields were
guarded by four men-one OH each side
Of not more than tour acreS-not halt the
crop could be saved. This could we'll be
named The Plague of ofSquirrcls.'' The
! hunter could then 20 forth, and from Il
| single position stand and shoot every
| live minutes through the day, each time
| bring down his game, and yet the num-
| ber seemed not To be diminished, of tnosc
untouched! Hundreds oi those destruc-
| tive pests could DC seen ut one time by
going to Il corn or wheat field and clap
| ping tic hands In an instant after the
! Icnce would be lined with them, ana
t zen the woods would fairly ring with
| lneir slucy barking from every tree anu
| Oush. Those who never saw such Il SIGHT
! can hardly be made TO brlieYe the tact.
Thousands who did see the sight, here
and then, can bear witness 10 what We
| mere have stated.
Such is Il brief sketch of the removal
/ of but TWO families from the comforts OF
| an eastern home, surrounded by lite
| long friends, III those days when ONO
was called the Back Noods," and when
slch change of residence was equivalent
10 saying "tarewe forever. And with
it We have connected 4 few OF the trials
which made tile year 1884 one of pecu-
lar interest and hardship 10 those VINO
/ then entered riIta IiIS IT fne Nest :
pioneers.
Reader, con.iHe not your thoughts to
those two families and the few trying
scenes through which they pissed, but
| extend them to thousands who Dadg
adieu to home. friends and all their en-
dearments. and. may be surrounded by
difficulties and trials much greater.
sought homes III the great forests OF the
| west. where, throu. h trials, privationS
and want, coupled with pII ence and e
ltermincd energy, they worked lneIr way
To fortune anC fame.
Every thing must have a beginning
and us change OF location is essential tu
pioneer life, we, therefore commenced
this part OF our work with our own re-
mUval west, not because it Iiffers from
or possesses any great, il rest to the
general reader than the removal OF 9TH
erS, but because. being one OF the actors
We CIu ~jCslA Va VI iIelI We hHON. MIlllt
SO MANY others can apply What we say
OF our introduction TO pioneer trials. L
their own cases anu thereby cali to mine
many pleasing Us well lis many very sat
"reminiscences OF days gone Uy-neyeI
10 rSt.rii.
But the days and trials of pioneer lif,
are gone, and now can only live in til,
history Ofthe asst. Those who live il
this day and aye can never know, iron
experience. unless they belorg to tina
class who have already been actors il
that interesting drama i'll lie, wha
moving TO the back woods i'll earliel
Years embraced, and What We're til,
trials and difficulties to be overcome
Those who came, saw and felt, alone
can tell of what Is made up the life OF til,
earliest pioneer. Men who conrerteI
the wilGnernesS into productive farms
and who made the Ia ills and valleys Il
: smile as they bore upon their boSoms thu
golden haryeSts instead OF the almos
lmpenetraGie foreSts-mcn whose owl
hands produced this transformations
they, and they alone. can now sing til,
song OF pioneer life.
Having entered the wilds of Sandusk,
when t: uit, save wild. was hardly known
and when flour, the staff OF life >
had to be brought from forty TO .sevcnt,
miles, we now look with wonder and as
: tonishmenI upon what has been pro
: Guccd, through time and energy by
, brave men with Wiling hands who I"ileI
in sunshine anu storm i'll Years sine
then.
And whilst we look out upon hi
changed condition of our own valley
and back through the long decades q
/. fingers amid tie scenes OF early vouti
where ripping rillS still weuu their Wa
|, 10 The ..ow historic Potomac, and wher
! the proud peaks OF the blue Alleghanie
still cast their evening shadows owe
hillside and valley and where now rise.
, commemorative OF the mighty deed
= which have transpired on the plains q
Gettysburg, and as u lasting tribute [
| the memory OF heroes slam, in deaf
there sleeping. that marble shaft drape
i'll early evening Ill the soft shadows Z
the South mountain, and around who's
pedestal. baptized as it is i'll the blood c
those slumbering thousands. in the mel
low moonlight, whispering, mountai
breezes ever sing the heroes requiem
Yes. uack through all those years of toi
strife, afflictiOn and death, all now VIC
{ ven into the net work oflite. and restiu
e where childhoodS hours We're spent i
innocent sports, the mind yet often wan
- ders, and following up those caster
mountain slopes, again looks back. sadl
u -teariully and wistfully over that ..ol
home" of youth. beyonI, and then cal
, up those sixteen sad souls, who alm0
\ forty years ago, after lingering on Il
e mountains top, and taking the last, Ion
II look, through fearful eyes, turned 10 ioi
: the pioneers of the West, Where N
y they now? Are they yet siXteeus \,
= Earth now claims but nine. Seven ho,
} gone to that home where toll and anSie-
end; and their bodies rest side by sit
near the scenes of their active. weste,
of life. Peaceful are their slumbers: on
'e yet the tolls and cares of life,
% Pioneer reader, is yours not like hi
~ torv? Mingled with the joy has the
been no sorrow in your cup? Althous
u years have passed since the days. whe
d with those you loved. you bade adieu
:. chiluhOOd'S home TO fry the rpultips