The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-02-18

as wild looking region as ever passed
threnoh For hours we would travel
along without the sight of human be-
mo. or habitation. along the skirts of a |
pine and chestnut forest, clothing the
sides of the Sewell Mountain, and infest.
cd with bears and panthers, and, what IS
worse, outlaws,-men who had tied from
Justice to save their necks, and who sub
sisted like the traditional Robin Hood
and Dick Turpln, upon the purse Of the
unfortunate traveller who CHANGED to fall
in their way. Having some 600 hard.
earned dollars in yellow gold IN our
trunks in the carts, we were OF course IN
a nervous state during this day, yet we
feared little. since we were well supplied
with firearms. In that day it was the
custom for the men in settlement to
meet together every Saturday afternoon
land too often on Sundays to practice
firing at target. These occasions
would generally end in shooting match
for turkey, and even. when it could be
afforded by the contestants, for beef.
By long and assiduous practice l became
a crack shot, and but few dared to COM
pete with me in shooting-match. l en-
gagged in this practice because it was the
common custom Of the people those
days, not becase I thought it would ever
be benefit to me. now felt that the
time 1 spent this way was well spent. anc
| relied upon my experience as ''shot
to serve me in this dangerous region.
At the close of the second day OF this
Journey, we arrived at a log tavern in the
Sewell Mountain, now known as the
Hawks Nest station, on the Chesapeake
& Ohio railroad. 1t was situated upon a
high bluff, where the Kanawha river
made an abrupt turn like half bent ell
bow. At the turn the river seemed to
have no bottom, and the water boiled
and dubbed there like seethlng cal
dron. Logs floating down the river dis
appeared here never to be seen again
hence the name given to this maelstrom
by the countrymen of the Scoop
The log tavern was composed OF two
rooms, and loft, entered by ladder.
The front room was the bar room and
bed room Tor IL avelers. The back room
was the dining-room. 1t contained beds
also. No carpets were upon the floors
There was an addition of two rooms built
to the house, which served respectively
as kitchen and family bed
room. The landlord of this
tavern was MAI probably
go years old, gray-headed and portly
Unlike the average landlord Of this re
gion, who was always so newsy and talk
tive, this man was surly and gruf in hi
answers to our questions. He had BAT
countenance, which impressed me at ono
as in keeping with the bad reputation o
this part Of the country. My companion
!. who had seen. much of the world and Q
!. the different phases Of character, wa
20 onick to notice the evil look that beame
+. from the mans eyes. On the othe
Q. hand, the landlady appeared to be a
a accommodating, good.hearted, pleasan
>. little woman, who desired to make US fee
q. at home during our stay there.
h Supper was finally announced, and BIZ
of and | sat down to table set with exec
le lent coffee, corn-bread, potatoes, and
1t smoking joint Of venison. 1t was tn
IN custom for the landlord to come to tn
ne table with his guests, to entertain thel
ne while eating. as well as to carve the ven
e. son or wild turkey, and to wait upo
re each one present. But our landlord, o
at this occasion, had disappeared befol
ne supper; and our good landlady teld u
en- with some hesitation, not to wait for hin
al as he had gone off to buy some fox-skir
he from neighbor in the mountains. 81
nd and glanced at each other slmultan
IN. ously, aud the worst fears were imprinte
on our countenances. We proceeded
MS partake Of the viands before us in silenc
a but withal good appetite.
ed After supper we proceeded to the ba
We room, where We engaged in smoking al
Id discussing our present situation. Pre-
it, emily we heard voices and footsteps ou
'ur side. and we instinctively arose to O
ny feet, Bill exclaiming, My God! he
III they come" Our trunks, containing Oh
ms money and clothes, were in the roo1
ed. We proceeded to them at once, a
for placed them on bed between US and I
he door, thus forming sort of breastwor
tch and began to load some empty chambe
led in our revolvers. Directly the do
we opened, and in came five mountainee
re- full, bearded, dressed in buckskin tro,
ow ers and jackets, and their heads cover
ia with fox-skin-caps, with the tails hangi
of down behind. They were each arm
er. with hunting knives and the old.fas
we ioned rifle, much in use twenty five yes
bed ago. The old landlord brought up
can rear. There was nothing in their appe
inc ance to commend them to our favor. a
'ar- we felt uneasy in their presence. One
dy. them-a six-footer, whose hair fell do
be- upon his shoulders, and whose coun
and nance plainly said, 81 am desperad
Dad soon advanced as the leader of
r a band, saying, .sWa-al, strangers. how d
the come on - Then, looking towards !
ced arms, said. SCOT some monty purity sho
and ing things therf'
rite "Yes.'' l replied, ''and AS good as th
are pretty. have cut many a turke
NAT head off at ten rods with these fellows
my thought I would load up the emf
new chambers so that would have them re-
w for use tomorrow if l should see
mel game. l could have killed fox tod
men but they were all unloaded.
" "Well, they must be purity good
;,ase pons. sartain sure. Say. stranger. "