The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-09-02
GheGntetIt9erter.
SHA.WAN.DAH-SE;
or,
THE Rig COWTHIEF.
A story of Pioneer Life In Wheeling.
ny AN OLD RESIDENT.

WINK nave pTOllll3tu VIII kllAiA'AaA
but you must give meitme Tho WoFl'
was not made ina day; and woman O
my age cannot be expected TO write
story when she Is almost unable to writ!
her name. Some of you may come TO
yet; but | hope when. yoW backs ar
bowed and your hands WAX with age,
you have anything to write you may flint
as good friend as | have found to recor,
the incidents Of your early days.
When told you the story OF Moe kon
o-wha, | intimated that at some tutur
day would relate the manner in whiCl
he enabled me to GRVe the cattle Of III
settlement when some white renegade
united themselves with band Of Indian
desperadoes from beyond the Muskingun
Tor the purpose Of stealing them away
should have told you this bet0re-in
deed, as far as l am concerned, nigh
have told 1t at any time, But it is ont
thing TO tell q story, and quite anothe
thing TO write Il. II Is not often 'tha
my young friend can spare day TO si
by my chair and fix up mutterings, thai
need SomuCh fixing Up as mine.
II was near the close OF the last centu
ry, after the war Of independence was a
an end and q pretty general feeling Of Sc
Curity began To be felt along the frontier
against any further attacks from the In
dams, The tide Of emigration swept
across the Alleghanies and began to fill
the fertile valley OF the Ohio with al en-.
terpriSIng population, whose rude labor
reclaimed the wilderness and laid the
foundation for the fine old homesteads
that now grace the banks Of the beautiful
river, How little you can comprehend
either the pleasures or the trials Of those
daysY Even | look back upon them as
upon the visions OF u dream. can see
tho little caravan now as it dragged
around the hill and drew up for the night
on the little common in front OF tho old
StOCkadG. The mother walks on ahead
with the baby held to her back In the
skirt other lnsey.wOOlsey dress, which
has been COlored u greenish brown with
butternut shuCks. Her quilted pettiCOat,
Of tho same material, is dull red, and so
long that II conceAlsth the black stockings,
and even the mocCasins that Coverher feet.
She carries a grey linen sun.bOnnet
in her hand, and her hair Is done up in o
coil and fastened with q high.backed tur.
tle.shell comb. Behind her follow a half
grown girl and n good sized boy, by the
side of COW so entirely dOmestiCated
that she submits to carry an urChin of
more tender years, whose legs the brother
and sister hold while he snOOzes on her
back.
The father brings up the rear driving
another COW and q bull that are yOked
together TO a stout little wagon with n
canvas cover stretched over tall bows,
making u house for them at night when
they spread their bed In the bottom Of the
wagon. A pet robin In q little wicker
cage hangs IRON the middle OF the first
bow, and other articles are suspended In
the same manner from the rest. An axe
isslashed to either side Of the little wagon
and muskCt and II rifle hang inside the
curtain. A weary looking dog walks be.
meath and Il mare with foal shuilles along
behind. '. H..f 'r'H'
How many like this | have seen, as
they left the creek where the hinge factory
now stands and made their way over the
old corduroy road that led
up to the stOckade. There they
would quarter for tho night,
and cook their fomely meal in the open
air. Hope traced Its gladstone mark up.
on the faces of them all; and yet every
one looked anxious. Even the dog seem.
edDending beneath the weight Of his re.
sponsibillly The COW indeed, cndcavor.
ed to look serene, but by the way her face
was wrinkled 1t was easy TO sec she felt
her importance to the family, and did her
best to acquit herself 80 rs 10 merit their
affection. The robin too understood that
he had duty to perform, and assoon as the
wagon stopped set vigorously at work to
cheer them up with lis homely song. This
was the way my young friends that your
ancestors came into the country. But l
have gone out Of the way of my story 10
show you how great part of the wealth
of remote settlement Its cattle constitute,
and how disastrous II would be to them
II those cattle were lost, About my nd.
nCnturo with .wan.dah-sG | will pro.
coed to tell you without further digres.
sion. .s.F.
MOCkOnOwha was one. Of the few In.
dians who had remained behind when the
Shawnecs went to their reservations
in Ohio. Though he had always been
friendly 10 the whites, his attachment
after | saved his lifebeCame enthusiastic.
And yet so high was his sense of honor,
50 great his native Cherishness, that am
sure II gave him pain to betray even those
Of his race that he considered criminals.
There was nothing treaCherous In his
disposition. and while he thought hest TO
disclose their designs on our cattle, | am
sure he never thought Of deriving any
benefit from 1t himself.
1t was to inc he came. was watch.
ing the cattle In my turn that afternoon
on the creek range. This was always the
girls work, for the boys laborcd with
their fathers in the ClCarings. ,,.., .
We had no fear Of the Indians, and
only watched the cows to prevent their
straying into the woods, where they were
sure to eat the tender garlic, which
always spoiled the milk 1t was mid.
summer. | had walled the creek and sat
VII lux lShl lllG INlul VI tlS
peninsula, Crowding my feet into
The cool gravel Ut tho edge Of the
water. Strangely enough ! fell TO
thinking of Indians. The remembrance
Of their terrible depredations was at that
time still vivid IN the minds Of oil who
had come to the settlement before the
strife ceased. But was not afraid. |
never had been. | suppose fell 10 think.
ing of them because rumor had reached
tho settlement that band Of Tnscarawas
had made their appearance at the big
burnt opening nearly opposite the month
of Short Creek, where they came every
year to pick the blackberries that grew
there in great proluslon, .
In other years when the ShawneCs had
come back for the same purpose the set.
tiers had frequently, in fact invariably
lost some Of their stock; but the loss could
never he traced to their agency. They