Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-05-04
Pioneer Life in aud History of
WyandOt County.
BY A. W. BRINKERUoFF.

BY A. W. BRINKERNoFF-
The; roads were dry and fine through the
plains-the evening calm and lovely, and as the
shadows OF that memorable evening were just
closing around the scenes OF the day we alI an
told cons sisted of one log tavern Kept by, or pre-
sided over. by persons having Indlan blood in
their veins! w cary and fearful, because OF our
being in the 'lndian country" after our beds
were, for the last tme transferred tn the Tav-
ern' toor, the younger members OF our party
retired TO rest, with but one wish, and that one
that with the rising OF next days sun all might
again be on the way to the home of the white
man--the haunts of civilization
Slunber to the weary traveller is sweet, and
soon all. danger and fear were forgotten. The
morning sun OF June lst, 1854, rose clear ana
beautiful and his cheering ray shed their light
over the quiet home of the much abused Indian
No dangers had disturbed our siunbers. No
tiripl Ing scalp had been taken from any ones
heudl With beds again tranSferled TO thes
wa~ons-the engines of power all i'll place
VITA the engineers all ut their posts as we en-
tered the evening before, SO we departed on
that morning from the then lovely SPIT called
Upper Sandusky. The heart grew lighter
the end of our journey was more nearly APP
preached, and as it Was now but twelve miles
distant all da.. ger seemed to have vanished, anu
the haven OF Test seemed almost In view! But
six miles more to the first house on our way
then three more to the little village Of Tymoch-
tee at the edge of the '-ReSelve then put three
miles more TO the land of rest =!
Although the distance between US ana the
end of our journey was short, yet on the way
We encountered the only real danger OF the
whole TRIP. Iymochtee CreeK, with low but
bold banks. and about one hundred feet Wide,
with deep water at the p ace OF crossing, was
snnnned NV 4 brid. .se rather novel, but danger
ous TO cross Ii was in character With the oIner
i'm prov ements of that early age and cay OF
western enterprise and pioneer life, and pre-
sented but little inventive genius Or mechar ical
skin in its construction Is was built OF boards
laid upon the water and pinned together, with
strips pinned on along its sides to prevent waS-
ons from slipping of, but which they dld not
ALWAYS do, and, with chains at either end u
hold 1t in lace at the banks Being but aDoui
ten feet wide 1t was liable to tip or dip, IL the
weight was not properly distributed, anu then
| the cargo would so "oyerboard.' W hen weight
came upon it the water splrtlnS up WOULD sear,
| the horses, inducing them to shy oil, and tina
| part under the greatest weight would sink be
| low the surface Of the water, adding greatly Il
| the risk and danger.
| We did succeed in passing it safely, but can't
so nearly being dumped into the stream that ",
all tremrled. even after being oil the sale side.
| After looking baci, upon what might have bcei
the cause of much SORROW SO near TO the end o
| our Journey, and thankful 1or our narrow es
cape, we. again moved on, and soon the wor,
passed along the line, port iii view - and So i
was, and near ut hand, Tor i'll those days the cy'
could not penetrate the dense f9rcsts very iaI
and the villages were to be found IN small open
| ingS maIie iii tf e forests.
| Surrounded by trees and log shanties ou
| train was halted. ana messenger sent Iorwar'
the writer's iather-to seek and to hnu ala ol'
| friend, who proceeded us some months Sool
the twain were in view, and under direction
| from them the train moved forward anu cam y
| ed' on tne ''public square," amongst thc log
and trees. Life has its sunny as well IS II
shady side-and While sorrow and Sadness wer
on every face twenty days before, now smile
| ard rejoicing were on every side-yet we ht
! no home no abiding place,-Dut We're ut ou
| journeys end, i'll the woods, with land cheap an
| plenty, as we'll Us good. Nny should We no
rejoiteg We uid-tnough, rs yet, houseltss an
| homeIessl The glad tEdlngs OF great JOY {
| Us were ut once started Oh their way To thos
| we left behind, by the old slow coach mail, an
| n eight became Il matter itJOlC
| ing TO ifienus far away
And now d shelter from the storms of cart
| was next to be provided. In the woods, oli
mile distant, at last we lound all old cabin, usS
| IN ,winter lor Il school house. Into this, til
| only chance then like a swarm OF bees Into Il
| empty hive TOR rather two sWafmS) We ven
| lnt. mouse was about sixteen feet suuare-hoit
Tor window s-split logs. Tor floor, stick. chin
ney, and all else 60 correspond, In numbers "
| entered il still siSteen.' W hen night came an
| s.eepinS had 10 be done, therU Was scafCei
| roonl but as no chairs, tables nor bed steaI
were IN the wi'3--iiavinS all thlngs common
| we still had ROOM Another week ahd fatht
| found, two miles east, another mansion lii
unto this one, only not quite SO large, and use
IN winner time lor like purposes-Ih sunih'
| empty.
Into this, on the 15tn day of June, 1881, OF
| family moved, following Il kind OF way throu <
the woos from McCutchenvilie, eastward. cal
| cd i road on the line which now divides Sci
| eca and WyandOt countles. untll we came ol
| posiue to, and about one fourth mile south
| The mansion to be occupied. BY the Use of th
AK We then WORK Ell our way through the wUol
took possession under the rules OF 'squatte
| sovereignty''-paid no rent, and commenced lii
unewl We were now ia the woods pioneer
i'll iact, and must expect to Il eet, ior aWhil'
many ofthe wants anu inconyeniences attact
ing to such u life. We could not expect to be :,
exception to The rule, nor were we True W
| never wore leuuceu TO the necessity, wei
some, to feast and fatten ON Letties and s~e'
milk, bat, lOr Il few days once, We were con
pelitd, because thin" else could be had,
exist Oh Potatoes and p!aned corn cakes. III
corn being too lard for roasting OF boiling, All
to- soft ior use IN ANY other way, was take
upon a Jack plane, with bit set so to cut deel
and III mat way planned on for use and aftel
ward formed into II kin of cake and baked.
good appetite, with necessity to back 1t VI
makes any thing clean, not only palAtiDlc u
really good.
Not oily was May, 1884, remark able for i
severe irostS, destroying every thing in the
way and making the >tricte>te olomy necessaI
to avoid se consequences OF famine, hut Jun
was also lemarkloIe ior The Jury OF Its storm
anu r1lnS.
Never VI i'll the writer forget the terrible stor
of the evening of June 20th, 1881. About suns
heavy peals Of thunder were heard III the Yves
Soon alter dark clouds we've above lis. Darl
| ness began to close around us in the denS
dark TO est, which was only broken at interva
by vivid flashes of liShtning. Soon was heal
| the voice of the storni King coming nearer al
nearer All arou I'D and over us were great III
mighty trees, from two TO six ieet IN ulamct
at the base, whose mighty trunks. falling up'
! our rude hovel would crush it to earSh, and u
| stroy the liS of all Within Moo VIVID
| came the flashes of lightning. More terriL
the thunderS roar, anu eh 80
under the weigh of some engine q destfu1tiu
while through the forests came the SOUND as
ten thousand OF Niagaras- 1t was an awful II
mentI On and on it came. Our fate-'waat "
it he s'' seemed to be the silent inqu ry Of eve
lin though all We're still as death. AZ last 4
theirs voice was heard to enquire ~ no everhea
the like f'' Almost at that instant Its Jury open
8 unon usi Lights were blown ou., but the glare Z
blaze withouU kept all light within iiGin, hail a
wind thunder ed through the little snaaty. Beddl
WAS all piIeu up the center of the room on VIII
an awe st tricken family were all seated; quIe
: awaiting what seemed to them must be The Gnu
: life excepting the writer aid his father VINO We
using their power 10 hold the little, clapboard ut
TO its nlace Wonderful trees leil WltnIn SIX II
| of the house On the east south and north. and
| no distinctive sound from their Lii couio oe neal
: Oue roaring numbering voice OF the warfare wi
out, embraced the whole. In ten minutes all "
past and We were spared. But what sig opeI
to our view next morning! Hundre d. of acres OF
e finest timber in the world-ncluding Walnut a
Poplar six.teet across and sixty feet III solid sha
in length, lay PROSTATE, twisted, torn ana rent
u around u.s. There seemed to be providence III
l. salvation Of our family from destruction, Tor thou
situation was in the midst of the heaviSt tiinh
still short distance west of the house. without
obvious cause, the wind divided, leaving many la
trees standing which, had they fallen, would h.
crushed the Earth, and continuing onw
within four rods OF us either s.de until it uni
again not more than six lis East of the house,
Just be yond " here our horses AID wagons were
Gated, again swept every thing i'll its way!
TO BE CONTINUED.
) l.. A. Bfatit2ef-I feel somewl
II III. 1...,