Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-05-18

lemuities of death bed scenes: where |
lived the governors and law-makers OF
our State-our judges, doctors anu law
yerS. where were held our courts Oh JUS
tice, and where we received and ehJer- |
rained our friends and neighbors, free |
from .he iealousies and enst angements
of to-day. such was the morning OF |
pioneer life. Its noon a.,d night was i'll |
the degree of energy and manly effort |
vet i'm the mind and muscle of the pio- |
neer to be developed and shown to the
world. all in the future. Now sh, ltered |
from the storms without, the demands |
of the inner man must be provided for
for, when the provision made for present
wants. and those in the near future, be-
came exhausted, nature still demanded
food and clothing as well as shelter from
the storm. and next must that demand
be provided for.
From the door of his castle that son of
toll, looked forth against the walls oi
mighty forests arounI him, for 50 dense
did they stand that his anxious eyes
could not penetrate beyond the mighty
shafts that hiI from view the azure sky
above and around him. His brave heart
would sink within hin; but hope seemed
TO linger. anu as he muSinSly stood, bade
aim look beyond the days ot toll, when
firS would consume, alter his own
mighty arm would fell those giants oi
the forest, to the better days III store.
w1len golden grain and .uiushing iruil
would reward him for his coming day-
OF toll. The weapons of his war,are were
few; nor did they draw much from his
scanty means. The aX and consuming
flame completed his kit" The first
by well directed, but countless blows,
brought to earth the proudcst monarch
of the forest, and fire did the rest.
The first, wis the year OF greatest trial
Let lis suppose the time of year to be
early spring. when, to secure the essen
tials OF life 1t became necessary TO plant.
Much could not he done, but Il little
must; and h reforf, 4 truck patch" WAS
rrSt to be looked after. Tue timber on
an acre, or less, of ground being cut
down, trimmed. cut in lengths of about
fifteen feet and the brush burned, was
then ready for logging" anu it the pio-
neer was 50 fortunate as to have any
neighbors within reach, they were then
invited To tile "Dee' TO assist in putting
! all in LOG heaps" When this was ac-
complis;led the lies were fired and in
about Que week thereafter, with atten-
tion given to ''chunking up the ground
could be planted. Into this patch" he
then put Il little corn, potatoes. squashes.
melons, cabbage, beans, &c. ,anu farming
was begun. The hand ana hoe, among
the stumps and roots, made the crop, and
il it failed suffering would enSue;
therefore, much care and attention was
given to the truck patch" In it were
spent many hours of the wife and moth
er, while tile master WAS cOntenulnS with
the forest, to prepare 4 few acres tor
wheat in the Fall. To secure greater
surface for Il fall crophe cut out all trees
measuring eighteen inches and UNDER
at two feet above the ground, plliES the
brush around the larger trees, where
they were burned, to prevent them from
putting forth leaves tile coming spring.
which would retard the growing crop.
by So doing the labor OF logging" WAS
not only Facilitated, but relieved OF Its
weighter matter. Trees not burned were
"gIruleu," or cut around above the
ground to produce like effects produced
rom burning. The ground was then
cultivated with shovel plow and hoe.
anu the timber lett standing from two tU
three Years, and until dry and brittle.
wien 1t WAS ..siasneu' across each other
as mucn us possible, often breaking up
snG was tien Tired where i'll contact, lis
we'll us on top OF the lUSs ut distances Il
lew ieeJ apart Where dry, broken branch
eS " ere iaIl across to '-nIgSer tilem Utf,
and Wien OF they, alsU, were put in
p..e,, and, being dry, were easily burned
up. FOR want OF TI.ne and help in com
mencIug ia tic woods this course was
pretty gene. ally 10 lowed; and, indeed,
IL Was Il indttel oI Zeal Necessity, as lC de
| Lractcu greatly. from the amount of labor
attending Lno making of Il nome in the
wiluerReSS.
| Tue W heat own, and fenced ur, the pio
neer', wurk WAS NOT done. Anu,Ler iield
must be .-uug OUT Tor corn. AmId the
1rosLs, SHOWS, sleet and storms OF winter
| lie worked OH. cutting down trees and
| pilinS the Drus.I DIS before. When spring
came tile brush were burned, the log
| SInS bee" MADE, and finally Il ''iielu Was
lii corn" Now he WAS safe.
Tie Wheat was growing the corn was
| planted, anu with tile care of man and
Lne dews anu tears from heaven, he felt
| secure Ill the promises f''seed time and
harvest" Inc dark clouds now passed
away, and the sun OF heaven shed his
rays OF glory around him. But his worn
Was not done. Year atLer year tiic same
uuLles We're before MIN, but the body no
| more trtmUleu under doub my mind
| And IL christian ike, the father Uoweu
I Will wife anu children around the family
altar, lie could, aS lie did and should,
thank Gou for deliverance from sutfcrin :
ami death i'll all Those dark, trying anu
Uncertain hours through which ne pass
ed; Tor, truly, dark aud dreary were
many of those days. Slut out from the
|
subdued, no harvest rIpening TOR the
sickle, no corn in the shock, all doubt.
uncertainty, wilderness, want! And
such was the life o} the pioneer.
WeWto-day, unless haYinS tasted some
Of the fruit, can not te. can have no idea,
now much bitter was mingled with the
sweet; how much fear was contained in
tile cnallce of nope, of those who took
their lives III their hands, entered the
|
steady blows that made it blossom like
tile roSe," anu changed its wastes t.
fruitful fields.
One peculiar feature presented itself tC
/ the eye OF the pioneer who came from q
section OF country settled long in til,
past. The writer, though then but {
youth, well remembers That feature o.
society IN the early days OF the Sandusky
valley settlement. We refer to the al.
most total absence of gray haired men
Age and experience seemed not to seek
the Wilderness. with all its toll and care
tor Il home. Young, vigorous, earnes
manhood, however shrank not from the
trials and dangers of border life. Bu
soon with passing. years, anxiety anl
care, the furrow ed features became ;
living iudeX pointing backward to trial
, and anXieties OF 70 mer years, and tn,
aged were once more among us, but will
heart more youthful than in years @
doubt. for b,tore and around him now
the forests, have disappeared. Houses
/ herds, tiocks. golden grain, waving gras
+ and blushing fruit meet him at every
turn, and he feels that, though weightie
. years are marking his brow. the evenin.
Of life will not be darkened by heavy
. clouds without the charms Of a silve
, lIring. His home haC its charms il
earlier years, but they are gcluen now Il
l every view. The world is now ut his
: door, the trials of pioneer life are past
and he looks back, through interveniu:
5 years, almost an unbeliever in what h
5 knows has been, but is no more.
. TO BE CONTINUED
Home Literature.
We take pl"a in placing before our cad
ers the following essays read before the publ
meeting ofthe Upper SaDdusky Hyperion Lii
q