The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-01
| tho Cleveland Herald. -
AURORA.
EARLY HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP
KEMINCENCEs OF PIONEER DAYS.
THRILLING ADVENTURES OF AUNT
LAURA.
NUMBER TWO.


there might have been seen ia the then
smbry Getty Of Buffalo, widow stand
ing beside the newly filled grave OF
her husband. By her eide was her
daughter, and about were gathered a
little group Of citizens, attracted par
TALLY by sympathy, and partially by
curiosity, for the stranger whose body
had just been consigned to the earth
was the first white man whs had a.
yet died in their village. Tive weeks
before the scene described, John
Cochran, of Blanferd, Massachusetts,
had, with his family, joined colsny
that had set out for Ohio. He had
previously parchased Of the Kings
sixteen hundred acres Of land in Au.
rora, and had sent his son John there
the preceding year. Two days before
reaching Buffalo, Mr.. Cochran was
taken sick, and 50 the teams were
hurried forward, for only at Buffalo
could medical aid be procured. There
the company remained three days, and
then went on, leaving Mrs. Cochran
a daughter to care for the sick man.
The children were sent on with the
teams. At Buffalo, a young man and
his wife, by the name of Mills, were
found who were coming to Ohio-he
afterwards settled in Nelson-and he
was engaged to carry Rheda Cochran,
who was an invalid, and from the ef-
fects of rheumatism was a helpless
cripple. Laura, the heroine Of this
chapter, then miss of thirteen, being
detailed to accompany her as nurse.
Mills agreed on his part, to 60 no
faster than the rest of the train. On
the third day, at Eighteen Mile Greek.
Mills became wonderfully tender
hearted, and took Laura into the wag-
on with her sister, and two other chill
dren belonging to the party. The
road was quite good along the beach
of the lake, and he soon whipped into
a smart trot, leaving the rest far be-
hind The children begged of him
not to leave the company, but he took
no heed of their pleading and pro-
ceeded. Shortly before noon he halt
ed in front of rude cabin and with
out saying a word to the astonished
settler, took all the children out of the
wagon but Rhoda, and drove rapidly
away. Laura, membering her duty,
started after the departing wagon, and
by almost seperhuman efforts kept up
with it. During the morning the
children had been playing on
the beach, and Laura had removed
her stockings, placing them in
her brothers wagon, they having be-
come wet, and had again put on her
shoes without them; hence, in her
rapid efforts to keep up with the
wagon, her feet becsme blistered, and
finally she removed the shoes, carry
ing them instead. Later in the day
the snow commenced falling and the
roads grew worse, and she had less
difficulty in keeping up. To Rhoda's
pleadings that Laura might be per-
mitted to ride, the reply was, che was
not hired to carry her," and so fer two
weeks they went through the woods,
the hale, hearty man riding, and the
foot-sore, ,stockingless little girl, trudg
ing along in sunshine and storm, in
mud and snow, sometimes hungry and
faint, sometimes we'll fed by some
kind hearted settler, every night fiad-
ing her at her sisters side ministering
to her wants, never uttering word
of complaint, and next morning ready
to resume her march. So day after
day she kept bravely on, her only
comfort being to share her sisters bed
at night.
just at evening, while entering
dense, dark piece of woods about four
mile. north of Burton, the wagon
"stuck," and he who had been so un-
kind and Implying before, was none
the less so now, for taking his wife,
they departed, leaving the defenseless
girls, in the woods. Their rations that
day had been very limited, consisting
of a little cake of Aour and water, and
a very small slice of fat pork. In the
night Laura was taken very ill, but
providentially became much better be-
fore morning. Towards noon the next
day Mills returned. bringing with
him a yoke of cattle, so giving the
horses in Laura's charge, they soon
arrived at the cabin of settler by the
name of Brooks, where the girls OBJ
tanned good supper, the first food
since their plain breakfast thirty-six
hours before. Strange as it may ap-
pear, neither Mills nor his wife had
mentioned the fact of the girls being
back with the wagon. Bright and
early the next morning Mills abruptly
departed, leaving the girls at the set
tiers. They we're twenty-five miles
away from Aurora, without q penny,
not even change of dress, tattered
and soiled, deserted by Mills, who had
been literally paid to bring them. This
act for the moment unnerVed the brave
Laura, and retiring out of sight she
relieved her bursting heart with well
come tears. She was soon her
self again, and drying her tears
as best she could, the reso-
lutte little girl entered the house and
told the kind-hearteG lady the story of
her suffering, and asked her TO hire
her. Mrs. Brooks readily engaged
her, and for the four succeeding days
she performed her tasks, feeling that
/ let come what would, she could, young
as she was, earn a support for herself
and sister.
AT that early day the Cuyahoga riv.
er was a stream of much larger vol.