The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-09-12

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short distance from James Alexander's
house, and just where the dwelling of his
grandson James A. now stands, then stood
the house of the nearest ighbor-Logan
the celebrated chief of the Mingo tribe.
Here was his habitation and his home.
Here he lived long, on friendly terms with
his neighbor James A, and his wigwam
was preserved many years after he left the
valley by John, the son of James. Here
only is Losan's spring properly so-called.
That in the eastern part of the valley bear
ing his hame is only the spot of one of
Logan's hunting camps and not of his
abode. The tourist who would visit the
true Logan's spring, must find it at the
head of Spring Run.
IMPROVEMENT AND PROGRESS.
To clear such ponderous timber and pre-
pare the virgin soil for tillage was hercu-
lean labor, which only such brave and
loaded rifles close at hand and sentinel boy
and dog on the lookout for the Indian foe.
Sometimes they fled and returned to find
their first homes reduced to ashes. In
daunted they renewed their toll. Before
the first crops could be secured, raccoons,
bears, wild turkeys and squirrels had taken
a liberal share. In reaping the first through
of wheat harvest James Alexander de-
stroyed a den of seventeen rattlesnakes,
and some in every through till the field was
IL, III Al,
deep snow falls and intense cold of early
winters. At the end of the house was
great chimney stack of stone with fire.
place to receive sticks of five and eight
two men to roll or carry in, was placed
against the back wall, and in front of this,
upon great andirons, was mounted a goodly
pile of logs and sticks of hickory, oak, or
ash. All these kindled with rich knots of
pine raised a blazing, cracking and roar
ing fire, which conquered both the gloom
of night and the wintry cold, while busy
house wife and attendant daughters with
long handled implements baked and cooked
the family meal. Spinning wheels whirred
in the house by day and the fails in the
barn sounded their timely strokes upon the
bounding sheaves of grain.
If there was little society abroad, there
was some cheer and comforts at home. If
the products of early tillage were small,
a kind Providence added thereto wild fruits
and berries, and the royal dainties of fat
venison, wild fowl and delicious trout.
Nor did the boys and girls lack fog bushels
of eight or ten kinds of nuts to crack and
pick in Winter nights from Fall till Spring.
Nor were intellectual and moral culture
lacking in the home at Spring Run, when
| as yet there was neither school nor church.
While subduing the wilderness and caring
for food and raiment, the pious father and
mother did not neglect the souls of their
children. The house of James Alexander
was Bethel, where morning and night
were heard the word of God and the voice
of sacred song and prayer. The Sabbath
was improved in special instructions from
the Bible, the catechism and confession of
Faith; and every evening was a " cottager's
saturday night in the wids of Kishaco-
quillas.
As years rolled on, annual additions were
made to cultivated fields and bienniel addi-
tions to the family circle until larger
| house resounded with the merrment of
half score of adult and junior sons and
daughters. Other white settlers had locat-
ed here and there, and the glad time had
come when the institutions of the school
and church could be added to those of the
family.
In this good work James A. took a lead
ing part with characteristic zeal and energy
in collecting the scattered people, organ
izing the first church eastward in the val
ley, five miles from his home, attending in
all states of roads and weather and acting
| g., al hav
pastor, the Rev. Mr.. johnson. Afterwards
he participated in founding second church
westward and nearer his own home, of
which he was a ruling elder during the
closing years of life. He died at the age
of So. In the prime of life and in the midst
of his labors, leaving to very numerous
posterity the valuable legacy of his bright
example and many prayers.
We now return briefly to his early friend
and neighbor, Logan, one of the noblest
characters of Indian history, celebrated
both in peace and war for eloquence and
valor; first as the friend and, after the
abuse of friendship, as the foe of the
whites. Logan was the son of Shickele-
shiny, Minge chief whose abode was on
the east branch of the Susquehanna, where
his name is perpetuated in that of the
Shickeleshinny railway station, few miles
west of Wilkesbarre. This was the birth
place of Logan. His father named him in
honor of his friend Governor Logan of
Philadelphia. His father also being con-
vert and friend of the Moravian mission
aries, Logan probably enjoyed some early
Christian instruction. 1t is doubtless ow-
ing to these circumstances of his birth and
early life that, as chief and warrior during
the French and Indian war; he employed
his eloquence and influence to shield the
L., hair
In 1855 James Alexander found him set
tied in kishacoquillas. In 1772 he resided
in eastern Ohio. In 1774 his wife and all
his relations were barbarously murdered by
a company of whites on the banks of the
Ohio. For this Logan welded the toma-
hawk and satisfied his revenge. To this
he pathetically alludes in his speech to
Lord Dunmore: There runs not a drop
of my blood in the veins of any living
creature. Who is there to mourn for
Logan Not one.''
Soon after James Alexander became his
neighbor in Kishacoquillas, Logan came
one day to his house in his absence, and
having gained the confidence of his little
son Willie, carried him off through the
woods to his cabin. The lonely and ter
ritied mother dared not to resist; but after
several hours of dreadful anxiety she deter
mined to follow at any risk and rescue her
child Her relief can scarcely be imagined
when she met the friendly chief bringing
her little boy in his arms, shod with beauti-
full beaded moccasins, which during the
hours of absence he had made for his little
friend.
On the vast trunk of royal oak four or
five feet in diameter, which stood near his
cabin, Logan had carved with his Ratchet
the full length image of an Indian in the
standing posture and brandshing toma-
hawk in his right hand. This great tree
with its threatening image stood there as a
monument attracting the attention of curl
GUS men and fearful children long after
Logan was dead and gone.
kIsHACoQUILLAs
rYThe Oxford edition of Gibbon con.
sists of eight volumes with four or five
hundred pages in each, the exact number
of pages in all being $500. An individual
who had been reading one of these vol