Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-05-25

acre lot the patent described it as being
il SO, "The north east quarter, of the
north east quarter. of section number
one. in township one. of range 10 east,
&c. The sections were numbered from
l to Sc, commencing with |. in the north
east corner of the township, passing
westward along the north line, and max
ing the north west one No. 6. and then
again passing eastward, making No. II
| adjoin No. /, and so on until No. 30 would
be in the southeast cor, and enGing with
! No. SO in the south west corner of the
| township. A. .the corners of the sections
trees We're s.iiltche1; on which was in
scf.betl the number of township, range
! and section. stake WAS driven into
| the earth as the corner ot.the section and
/ two trees, in different directions from il,
marked by notches cut in with an aX. ut
the side facing the stake rs witness
trees" The trees were named, as 10
kind, and size given. and all entered up
| on the surveyors books.
| TIE land north OF the "Base Line on
! the dist deg. OF latitude, was open for sale
in 1872, and much OF it purchased by
| citizens of Southern Ohio on speculation,
and held by them for many years there
atte, Just as it came to them from the
hands of the Government. This land
cost the original purchasers SI.25 per
acre ana they sold ut not over double the
cost to actual settlers ten years later.
BY the aid OF pocket compass. and
/ marked trees, as before described. tie
| pioneer, seeking a home in the woods.
could go forth and select his ''quarter
section. more or less, secure
his title to it, and go to work Like the
dove from the ARK" SO went forch the
winter father from onr rent-frce cabin
to make his choice in the Wilderness
/ and returned With the leaf which said
IL. I I
selected by him. was called the "Beery
Lot" being owned by Mr.. Isaac Beery,
in Fairiieid county. Ohio. south Of Co.
lumbus. Tlie agent OF Mr.. Beery, Mr..
David FOUGHT. who still resides where
lie then did in Seneca county, and who
has survived nearly all lis pioneer
friends and neighbors of equal age, was
called upon and the contract made for
the lana at S3.l3 per acre. with the un-
derstanding THAT Mr. FOUGHT would pro-
cure tie deed without delay. With full
confidence in the promises OF the broth
er pioneer, on the next day. August 5t!l.
1851, we went forth to commence the
work beiora lis. Nearly mile from the
little cabin we occupied, iii the deep.
dark recesses OF an almost unbroken for
est, with not a bush nor tree removed
from the witds of nature. lay the Object
OF cur greatest concern, the spot OF after
! L
the work OF the morning of the ."first
day. When the bands Of tile watch
said, "nearly twelve" and we had chosen
IL spot on which to build. and, rs vet,
having 10 path ror road frcm our then,
ia our anticipated place of residence
the securing OF Il direct path from lace
to place Was the next thing in order.
Supposlng our cabin" to be abOut south
from Us, with the sun as Our guide, you
might then have seen q father and his
boys vending their way through the
dense forest, bending and breaking.
uackwa d, the sm Ill bushes so as to mark
their way, and, ii they came out" at the
cabin, then, On their return the same
route would be followed. as it would be
plainly indicated by the lighter color of
the under side of tie leaves Of the bushes
broken and thrown backward, in our ap.
proacii to tie c21ia.
We We're entirely successful And as
we journeyed back to the land OF prom
1.e we then cut away the bushes
threw aside the brush, .blazel" the trees.
and completed q path, surely leading TO
the spot we loved, though in the unbro-
Ken Willis. because it was to be called By
the endearing name of ''hOnIc." Often
us We passed that way. the feet footed
and swift winged wild turkey and less
suspicious deer, would cross our way,
and remind us of life in tile eforest Willis,
but they fell not by our hands, for the
thought Of coming winter reminded us
of the great Importance OF providing 4
holne to shelter IRON its storms, instead
of.en ging III the chase. And then il
we left our path, there was no certainty
as to where our weary limbs might bt
compelled to rest for the night, nor Oh
what the stomach might be compelled
to feast il feast at all.
ON, IA iIy hai, In, oil,
of Cne Il ly Is room. for all purposes
we gave our new house larger dimen-
sions,it being Is by 80 on the ground al
in one room, and one room of like siZs
/ up stairs. Into this fine leg house. OIL
our own land, we moved on the 24th day
of November. 1884. Freed from tht
trammelS Of the cabin. and at home il
the woods we were ready for the dutie:
, before US, and which were plainly il
view, as the long arms of the giants o
the forests were yet stretched out almoS
directly over our domicll.
Through the SHOWS and storms of win
ter we cut down the tim Der and burned
the brush IRON a few acres of ground
| which, after logging and burning." We
put in corn. The land being Of the kint
known as ~black, sandy loam." On whict
the roots run deeply. we, could bring tC
3 our aid the use of the ordinary shove
plow, with reversed coulter to carry the
shovel over the roots. TO some extent
and hence it was necessary to have
horse to draw the nlow. Feed for al
: animal was as difficult to procure il
, these days as provision for man. Dur
! ing the early spring of 1885. Our horse
e had to live on straw from an old pile
which we carried nearly one mile on ou
: backs to save him, we'll saturated o.
r sprinkled with brine, for his supper ant
| f,ct VIII Il L.
d the best the land could afford, by takinl
!. him to the woods where small suga
trees were thickest. and after cuttin:
! down q number, with their tops throwl
!, together, he was tied in their midst t.
feast upon the leaves and tender branche
S which he seemed to enjoy hugely. AM
would then return to his wcrk, witllou
a murmur. seeming to know that all wa
|, done for him that could lie, under til
, circumstances. So with cattle in winte
AMI early Spring. When the AK MAJ
started cut in the morning, with his AK
o.I we'll did the kline know that breatfas
would soon be ready, and her thank q
voice, in mellodious strains. would sooI
be heard not far in the rear. Salt ali
e "browse' was her dependence
s. Pioneer life brings with it not only ey
ID DosGre and want for man, but dumesti
!. animals must share with man in man
e o. the wants essential TO existence.
; We have thus (and. with what ma
seem to some, egotisticalv.y referred
IL some OF e features OF the life of on oc'
u family. in the early settlement Of III
Il, Sant.uSky Valley, because it present,
but the counterpart OF thousands af otl
eIS, who. like ourselves. were among r.
early settlers of tIie west an | such beiI
tie fact. and from exp r.''Iiee being ab
10 ''s.,eah from the books IN rpierent
. 10 ourselves. we hope the rr;ltirr wi
: MAKE the application general anl n
l. a~sriie to Us any desire t. appear
y. SPECIAL heroes. when sach 5 most distil
;, OF tofeI.n to CIR intent ions; Otir on
- object being 10 preserve to pOStrri
s 'fiH of Tie tIiaiS an viciSSituGieS OF Ii
attending tie settlement OF n new cOlI