The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-01-07

Susquehanna, the Six Nations claimed the
rights of a conqueror, and from Shamokin
to Diahoga (Tioga) they reigned supreme, as
well also as between the West Branch
and the Juniata, which had also been
assigned to the Delawares and Shawanese
for hunting grounds.
In Pennsylvania the Susquehanna River
is known and distinguished by the NorH
Branch and West Branch. The North Branch
however, which rises in Otsego county New
York, is the principal stream, and originates
the name the West Branch being but an
efluent, rising in the mountains of Clear
field county and the springs of Cambria
and comes to be known as the West Branch
of the Susquehanna, after it has attained
considerable size. 1t receives several large
streams before it pours its waters into the
Susquehanna proper at Northumberland,
among which are Muncy Creek, Loyal Sock,
Lycoming, Pine Creek, and others of lesser
size whereby, in a course of something over
two hundred miles among the mountains of
the interior, its volume of water has been
swollen so as to equal that of the North
Branch. OF the North Branch an eloquent
writer observes
"Other streams have their beautiful points
and intervals but the Susquehanna has
every form of beauty or sublimity that be-
longs to rivers We have seen them all
Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, Ohio, Missi-
ssippi, Missouri-there is nothing like the
Susquehanna on this continent. Its peculiar
character depends upon its origin in the
New York meadows, its passage through the
magnificent Pennsylvania mountains, and
the richness of the valleys that lie between
those mountains. Every where its course is
DETECTED; it begins wooded lake it winds
with the character of limpid brook by mead
ows and over silver pebbles; it makes its
way through mountains; it loiters restingly
by their base it sweeps in broad curves by
the valleys. It's vast width in its mad spring
freshets, when swollen by the melted SHOWS,
it rushes from the mountains with irressti-
BILE force sometimes causing frightful inunda-
tions, leaves, with its fall, island after island
in its mid-channel, Of the richest green and
most surprising beauty; while those passages
through the mountains afford points of
scenery far finer than any one would believe
them to be from any description, if they
have not seen them"
1t is not generally admitted which valley
bears off the palm of beauty. The deni-
zens OF each are strenuous in the praise of
their own locality, and point with exuta-
ton to many an historical spot The counties
properly included within The Forks of the
-Susquehanna should perhaps lie south of
line, to be drawn from the west line of
Clinton county at the river, to the point
where the North Branch strikes the Penn
sylvania line and would include Clinton,
Lycoming, Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming,
Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, and North
umberland
No region of Pennsylvania has been writ
ten over with so much care and vim and
zest. The historian, the poet and the ro-
mancist have labored to illustrate its valleys,
and to heighten, if possible, the charms Of
its scenery. Comprising many rich and
populous counties, to which, years ago. the
hardy settlers hocked for cheap lands, the
pleasures of the chase, and the fishing rod,
its local history is peculiarly rich. A fierce
warfare ragged between our own people for
the possession of its rich alluvials; and at
last the Legislatures of the several States
were obliged to interfere to stop the fued.
Within its borders occurred some of the most
bloody battles in which the white and red
man contended for life and subsistence.
Fierce and protracted were the struggles
and we find marks of them not only on their
very sites, but so tenacious was the hold of
the Indian that he has indelibly stamped
his nomenclature upon almost every one of
the streams, the mountains, the passes, and
the valleys.
Here no cockney has built his Londons,
Liverpools, or Manchesters no matter-ot
fact emigrant from "der faderland" has be-
Rhined or be-Rhoned our most beautiful
river; nor have the creeks and valleys to
play second fiddle to some European locality.
Their musical, aborigina! names still cling
to them, and will cling to them forever,
Hark to the music of few of them We
have Wyalusing, ,Tunkhannock, ,Lackawanna,
Wyoming, Nanticoke, Catawissa, Mahoning,
Shamokin, Chillisquaque, Muncy, Loyal
Sock, Lycomng, Towanda, Kittaning
Sheshequin, and many others.
The Indians seem to have called what is
now Towanda "Awande;" and perhaps
what is known as Pine Creek is little easier
of pronunciation than the aboriginal
"Tiadaghton" So, also what is known as
Muncy Creek was, in the native dialect
"Occohpocheny," and by some of the tribes
was called "Longeserango," The name
Muucy was doubtless given by the whites as
easier of pronunciation, or because the
tribes inhabitng the region were called the
"Monseys," or Wolf tribes.
Lycoming was in Indian "Locomick;"
and 'Stonehauge" is by some given as the
Indian name of Loyal Sock. 1t, as well as
Muncy, may have been known to different
tribes by different names; for Loyal Sock is
undoubtedly Indian, and signifies middle
Fork"-the explanation being that it enters
the Susquehanna about midway between
Muncy Creek and Lycoming Creek. There
is reason in this and the authority for it,
though mislaid, satisfies my mind,
Chillisquaque, "The Frozen Duck" is
named from the legend of beautiful squaw
having met an untimely death upon the
banks of that quiet stream
Nanticoke and Lackawanna are most GER
tainly Indian, and | am informed by a
Welshman that the roots of both words are
certainly Welsh, He explains them to have
reference to streams of water, in his own
language and their peculiarites answer ex-
actly to those of the streams which they
here designate, 1t is impossible to say il
the meaning of the words in both languages
, is the same but it is a little remarkable that