The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-02-19
4 NIGHT N the HAWKS NEST,
Written for the Chicago Tribune. I

Wfltten 1Or the CnlcagO tribune
In 185-1 was engaged on the con-
struction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Rail-
road lit was then called the Chesapeake
Il Charleston Railroad), having a sub
contract in the building Of it's grade.
Though l had large number of men and
carts, with foremen. in my employ, per.
sonally supervised the work, or in charg.
ing and exploding blast of powder with
my own hands, working as hard as any of
my men, and exposing myself to the
same danger they were; and the result
was, my work received the commentator
Of the contra cto-s and directors of the
road for its thoroughness in filling the
letter ofmy contract. This was bene-
fit to me; for, as soon as 1 finished ore
Job, another would be awaiting me at
good figures. But, in passing from one
piece Of work to another, l was often
obliged to make journey of several
miles with my men and carts over the
turnpike, through the then lonely and
wild Blue Ridge and Alleg heny Noun.
tains.
remember once passing along this
turnpike with some twenty carts and q
score of men, and night found us, tired
and weary, at a mountain-tavern We
asked for nights lodging, but the land.
lord, cycling US suspiciously, refused it,
with the plea that he had no feed for our
horses, and provisions or beds for my
men, and directed us to his nearest neigh.
Dor, four miles ahead. But our teams
were weary. and refused to proceed,
telling the man we had enough feed for
our horses and plenty of blankets for the
men; and directed the men to unhitch
and prepare to stay. The man growled
out that he couldn't fed US, and that we
would be sorry for hating there. re-
piled We had no fears on that point. How
it was we were invited to the supper ia
ble, loaded down with the good things of
the meuntain.chasc, the golden butter,
and good, clear coffee; and how it was we
were each given splendid feather.bed
to rest our weary limbs on,-I never can
relate; but, the next morning, mine
host smilingly invited me to par
take of his choice peach brandy,
and confessed he was afraid of us, be-
cause such large procession of carts and
men had never passed along that road
before in his time; and he took us for q
band Of thieving gypsies. Because of the
large number in my company, he reduced
his bill after the wholesale style, and
ended by giving us a jug of his favorite
peach to imbibe along the way.
The time the adventure occurred that
am about to describe. and one of my
foremen, Bill Smith, were going to new
piece Of work at Crowns Tavern,-now q
station on that railroad, called Camel
ton. We went day ahead OF the men
and teams. and were accompanied only by
two horse.carts, that carried our baggage
and tools. We were about three DAYS
following the turnpike as it crept along
abreast the wint1ings of the crooked Ka-
nawha river. There being no villages
along the way, we put up, when VIC felt
like turning in for tie night, at the first
log house, which, of course, in this thinly
settled land, proved to be tavern or
house Of entertainment; and must say
that, with the exception I am about to
relate, wc were generally warmly.wel-
coined by the good people who kept these
houses, and our wants were carefully at.
tended 10.
The second day Of our journey was in
WIZ 'SONAA6 IeH1Ou 0S ever passed
through. For hours we would travel
along without the sight Of a human be.
ing, OF habitation. along the skirts Of q
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 fed 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
nervous state during this day, yet We
feared little, since we were we'll supplied
with firearms. In that day it was the
custom for the men in = settlement to
meet together every Saturday afternoon
(and'too often on Sundays) to practice
firing at a. 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 became