The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-04-06
ReCOlleGtl0ns Of an Old Settler.
BY CHRISTIAN cACKLER.

The question has often been asked,
what this country looked like in early
DAYS. Inasmuch as l was one of
the early settlers, 1 thought L would
give you some idea of it. l came in
to this country, or into Hudson town
ship, the 10th day of May, 1904. At
that time this country was an unbrO-
ken wilderness, filled up with wild
men and wild animals. Probably for
ty Indians to one white man. They
were very friendly and peaceable-
There were three tribes that inhabited
this section of country-the Senecas,
the Taways, the Chippeways. They
appeared to live very friendly with
each otlier as tribes. They had their
hunting grounds all bounded, so that
each tribe knew their bounds as well
as you would know your farm. The
Seneca Chiefs name was john Big
son. He was, should think, little
short OF six feet tall, of q stout mus
cular frame, and Keen black eyes, and
a well proportioned man, ha ] stern
look, and what he said was law with
his tribe. He scarcely ever smiled,
and L think he was perfectly honest,
and what he said he meant. If he
promised you anything you might be
sure of it, and if any OF the rest prom
ised anything they had to be as good
as their word. And if you promised
them anything they looked for it with
as much grace, and if you lied to them,
they would never forget it.
The Taway Chiefs name was Stig-
nish. He was very pleasantlooking
man, and honor and honesty was his
law, and he taught his people SO. The
Seneca Chief had his headquarters in
Streetsboro, on land now owned by
Samuel Olin, that was quarters OH or
near the Cuyahoga River. I have
been there a great many times when
they lived there, and if they had any
thing they could bestoW upon you in
the way of eatables, it was as free as
the water. They thought it a privi-
lege to give, for they thought it was a
token OF friendship. and ii they gave
one; they gave all that were present.
Their Wigwam was about 25 feet long
OF more, and they had their fire
through the middle, and had it 50 con-
structed as to leave room for tier of
them to lie. down on each side of the
fire, SO as to have their feet to the
fire, for they lay on their skins and
furs, and covered over with their
blankets. They had space left open
on the ridge of their camp, to let the
smoke pass OUT. They had their wig
wan thatched with bark, so that it
was tight and warm, and had door
in each end, so that they could haul in
their wood without much chopping.
They lay there as warm and comfort
able as a man in his palace. The Sen
eca Chief used to gather in all his fam
lily connexions and lay there through
the winter. And they would kill their
meat before the hardest weather COM
menced, SO they would not be COM
PEELED to 90 out in bad weather to get
their living. In the Spring they would
scatter out over their hunting grounds.
each family by themselves, and build
theif: wigWams for the summer. There
was all sorts of game all around them,
and the Indian was almost as an AMI
NAL amongst animals. They did not
shoot one of, them unless they got
close to Them SO as to make sure work
of it. They were as careful of their
game as we are of our cattle, they
would kill nothing unless wanted
for present use. The Indian was
placed i'll the happiest condition OF
any race of of people that I ever saw.
The God of nature had provide every
thing that the heart could wish for
They had nothing to vex or perpleX,
oy TO disturb the mind. They gave
no thought for the morrow, but let
every day provide for itseIf. They
had no Government expenses, no tax
es to pay, no jails to build, no locks
to buy to secure their property, which
was always secure, if they put it out
of reach of the dogs and wolves
They meant to make honor and hon
esty their rule of life, and when they
LETT their camps, they set up sticks as
a signal that there was nobody at
home, and everything was secure. l
think the Indian is the happiest man
in the world, in the wilderness. He
can get up, kill and slay the fattest of
the land, and lie down and take his
ease and no one to molest or to make
him afraid. have often inquired
why it is, that the man of the forest
is so much more honest than the civl-
lized and christianized world. I new
er knew that they had any language
of their own to swear or blaspheme
in, at least not till the whites learned
them, and when they get SO as to re-
peat the oaths, they would tickle and
laugh, and thought it was something
very nice or cunning. The Indian is
peculiar in his customs and habits. He
will live on meat entirely. He will
eat all kinds of animals and fish, and
horses, or anything that dog will
eat, and sometimes l have thought
what dog would not eat. In the
summer they creased themselves
where their clothing, does not cover
their skin, SO as to prevent gnats and
mosquitoes from biting them, and Of
ten paint their faces in streaks. That
denotes peace and friendship. They
love whisky and get drunk often.
attended one of their drunken
scrapes, in Hudson, at Heman Owl
ats, who kept little Indian Store to
trade with them, to get their skins and
furs, and kept whisky. 1t was the
Taway tribe, there were about fifteen
or eighteen of them. They got their
whisky, and had a deer skin suit made
| like a little boys suit, all whole but
open before so they could stick their
legs and arms in, and tied up before
and had it fringed all around the
sleeves and legs. The fringe was
about three inches long. On these
fringes they had claws of several kinds,
deer, bear, turkey, coon, and a great
variety of other claws. They were
almost covered over with claws. One
of them would put on the suit and get
ION the floor to dance. Two others
! would pat and hum so as to keep
time. The one that was dancing
would jumr, hop, and kick around
over the floor. 1t appeared that the
more he could make these claws rattle
the better the dance. The rafting OF
the claws appeared to be the object OF
his dance, and when he got tired he
would take drink and another put il
on. He would try his activity, and
another and another until they got sc
drunk they could not perform. Bu
when they got perfectly drunk with
that suit on, the claws rafting looked
more Ike the. devil than anything
ever saw. He would have made g
Santa Claus i'll good earnest. They
kept it up almost two days. But be.