The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-01-14

knowing at the same time I was not


acquaintances or relatives, to come
with me from the State of New York
aud settle on it, and form a 'neig
hood. Sol bargained for it, made q
smal! payment passed writings, and
returning on foot the same way came
got home The first of October l. was
twenty-six years old the 21st day. of
December following, 1915. Twas sew
enty-eight the 2lst day of last Decem-
Der.
My next business was to make ready
to move to Ohio with my family fife
following winter, and, in order to do
this, it became necessary for me to
marry my second wife, and 1 did
marry the Widow Hayes on the 9th
day of January, 1916 she being near
ly years younger than l was, and
had had the misfortune 9 to lose her
companion, as also had mine. We
were left, each of us, with little son,
a little over three years old, and with
only 81 days difference in their ages.
This done, it was great step toward
getting ready for the journey. L
could not get any one to agree to
come here and buy the land and make
settlement, as l wished, but my
brOther-in-law, Mr.. Amazlah Keyes,
OF Palmyra, Ontario County, was fa-
vorable to coming. but had not sold,
but let his son Joseph come with me
to help me, yOungster of about IL
or Is years old, and he agreed to come
out in June following, and see how
he liked, and John Crafts, another
nephew of mine, about the same age,
came with US. calculated to- como
by shedding, but, as it was a cold,
frozen winter, and but little snow, I
could not; waited for snow until the
10Th of February, 1916; then started
with an OK team and wagon, and
drove COW with US. The ground
being frozen, we drove on well until
we got nearly to Buffalo, when it be-
gan to rain and thaw. Got this side
of Buffalo, and having nowhere else
to drive we drove on to the ice, the
water on the ice being nearly to the
cattle's knees. 1t looked dangerous,
but other people drove there, and we
drove there until night, when we
drove off the ice and put up at Bar
ker's tavern, eight miles this side of
Buffalo. The weather changed that
night. and it was very cold. The next
morning we took the ice road again,
with no water in the way, and drove
on cheerfully. I was driving the team
myself; noticed the track was beat in
circular form on my left; looked
straight ahead, and could see where
they turned out; it appeared to be
glare ice to drive straight ahead. Not
being used to the lake and driving on
the ice, and my team being well shod,
I thought l would drive straight
ahead, and not make this turn, and as
[ was driving along rather carelessly,
the first knew the ice was cracking
all around the wheels of my wagon.
l looked forward, and, to my great as
tonishnient, there was terrible air.
hole, and the water was rolling and
boiling like pot. l hawed onto the
beaten track very suddenly, and,
through the mercy of fGod. we escaped
being drowned in the lake. We
drove on till night, put up at Cash's
tavern, 25 miles this side of Buffalo.
We had now done driving on the lake.
The weather changed again, SO that
next morning it was thawing, raining
and showing, so that we remained
there till after noon then yoked up
my team, and drove on in company
with some movers who were going
into Pennsylvania. We drove through
what was called the four mile woods,
and came to Cattaraugus Creek. 1t
was thawing all the while, but the ice
and frost bore us up through the roads
Tho water ran swiftly down the creek
on the ice. There were men at work
cutting out the ice in the scow or boat
to ferry people across. We asked
them if we could cross safely Oh the
ice. They said we could if we droye
in q certain direction, one team at q
time. We drove in the water up to
the cattle's knees, but crossed safely.
1t was night, and we all put up at
Brownell's tavern on the other side of
the creek. The next morning was
very clear and warm.- Brownell OBJ
served had the advantage of those
other teams, for had wheels and they
had runners. We left those teams
there and saw no more of them pur-
sued our journey till we came to Erie,
Pennsylvania. Had freezing and
thawing. breaking up time, all the
way from the time we left the creek
above mentioned till we came to the
end of our journey, Could not travel
more than ten or fifteen miles q day.
We left Erie, and came on to Con-
neaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio from
there to Madison, Geauga County;
there we put up at my old friend
Ladd's; from there to Palnesville, ten
miles from there to John Murray's,
four miles. There we put up for the
night, there being 30 tavern, but we
fell in good hands. l left my family
and team there at Murray's, and came
on to Mr.. Punderson's, in Fewbury, to
hire team and man to 60 and put
on forward OF mine, and help me
through the woods to the end OF my
journey. 1 hired man by the name
of Burke. He took his team and went
out with ME; got there in the after
noon. | was desirous to go on, and
we put on cur teams and started had
left the old Warren road; got about
two miles into the woods towards
Chardon, and [ discovered something
out of order about the wagon; stop
ped the team, and behold, the tire be-
ing thin, it was broken on the hind
wheel, and the felloe knocked of. 1t
was evening, The moon shOne very
bright, but we could not go amy far
ther. Therefore we had to turn back
to the last house we had lett, which
was two miles through the woods, IN
the evening SO we turned our team
and cow forward. Burke took one of
the little boys and the other. The
older boys having come out with me
were at Punderson's. My wife took
as much bedding as she could conven-
;ently carry, for they had not much
bedding at the house where we were
going, SO back we went, stayed there
oyer night, went next morning to my
wagon, took off my broken wheel and
carried it to Murray's requesting him
to get it repaired, borrowed one of
him, and put it on the wagon. 1t
suited well, and we started; got to
Chardon that day, and put up for the
night. The next morning we started,
drove through Burton and part of
Newbury, and finally to Mr.. John
Jackson's. in our noble new town.
now called Auburn, this being the end
nf fonr iourney until we could build a