The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-10-27
MISCELLANY.
From the New York o0ssrTo-.
PIE. CENTENNIAL TRAGEDY.
Ey REV. IRVING BEMAS.

blood.
II was by such history, immediately
preceding the war Of Independence, that
the courage and endurance Of our Rev
oluiioDary fathers and mothers were de-
veloped. The old saying, Nothing
ventured, nothing gained" might have
originated with those people, for in such
n new and difficult country, their whole
life was nm adventure. They became
familiar with selfdenial; they practiced
rigid economy; they learned to adapt
themselves to necessity; they were in
ured 10 toll; they were sccustomed 10
constant peril battle and "rumors Of
war; So that, as We talk of the Revo-
dictionary heroes, we must remember
that they became heroes before the Rev.
olution.
This incident, among many that might
be related, shows something of the
schooling by awful events through
y which they graduated for the war Of
Freedom. The region in which it oc-
CURED furnished double its quota Of
Continental troops. 1t was in Cumber-
land county, (pow Franklin) Penn,
some eight or nine miles south.of Cham
be=-burg, in the summer:of 1764. The
Cumberland Valley r. r. passes near
the place.
On The morning Of the 26th Of July,
Enoch Brown, the schoolmaster of the
settlement, proceeded as usual TO the lit
tie log school-house, swept the rough
floor with the splint broom, set copies
in such copy books as needed them,
brought a bucket Of water from the
spring, and having put things generally
in readiness for the school, sat himself
down in the magisterial cnair to await
the coming Of the children. One after
another OF the lads and lassies came drop
ping in, clad in homespun, splint dinner
baskets in band, and made profound
obeisnnoe 10 Mr.. Brown as they crossed
the threshold. 1t was in the days when
the modern summer vacation was yet
unknown; but the hot weather and sea.
sonal duties had considerably lessened
the number Of scholars. Only eleven
were in attendance that morning.
And what, but for the incident am
about TO relate, would never have been
noticed, every one of the eleven was
from n different family; 20 that eleven
families we're represented. Another as.
sertion, not 20 capable Of being proved
was that the children disliked to go to
school that day, forecasting some ev.
about to occur. .tftsfHse
Eben Taylor was there, an awkward
lad Of fifteen, to whom Mr.. Brown
learning and books were a keen delight
and Of whom the settlers predicted
scholarly things. There was Georg,
Dunstan, a tall, supple lad, fond o
playing soldier and picturing what grea
deeds he would do in the army when 4
man. There were Ruth Hale and Rutl
Hart, only daughters Of their mothers
and whom the scholars called Haly ant
Harty, 10 distinguish them. There wa
Archibald Mccullough, the younges
and loyeliest child Of the school. Anc
half dozen more, as innocen: and mer
rys little crew Of bright-eyed, rosy
checked darlings as ever gathered from
their homes in any school house. Thei
names were carved with many other
who came only in winter, in the bark Q
adjacent trees; the grounds around wer
beaten hard by their busy feet; on tn
door-posts we're marks and names mad
with lead instead Of plumbago, shown
how tall were the children Of the settle
msnt. 1t was a gentle school, not. lik
too many OF that day, ruled mainly b
the rod. Mr.. Brown was Christia
gentleman in the best sense, and so bt
loved that the youth all delighted j
obedience.
AZ some Of them came in that NOR
ing, they seemed alarmed and told Ii
master they bad seen Indians on the
way TO school. But Mr.. Brown was n,
timid or.nervous, and after making
few inquiries, decided that childish fea
had unduly magniied harmless objec
along the path. Such rumors were fr
quent on the frontier. Indians being T
ported when none were near. Fear al
fancy are fruitful factors Of false alarr
everywhere. ...
But after the usual prayer, hardly bi
The little school entered upon the stu
les Of the morning, ere a shadow f
across the threshold. Two wolish loo
ing old Indians stood at the door, al
behind them younger one just gro'
to manhood. Immediately, Mr.. Bro,
stepped to the door, and in implori
tones said: "Ob, for mercy's sal
spare these children! Kill me, tortu
me, il you will, but spare the childrer
To this one OF the old Indians grunt
"Ugh" and turning to the young SO
age, said in the Indian tongue, "Tuh
sab quepezansug' (meaning 'the ch
dren shall be killed"). Instantly I
young one spraDg through the door a
fercely attacked the master with
wooden maui, the only defence bel
made with his bands. In moment
POOR masters hands we're broken a
helpless, and few fierce blows on
head stretched him dying on the fo
In the meantime the children W
dreadfulIy frightened and rsn screa
ing about the room, but the old Indi
stood in the door preventing escape.
soon as Mr.. Brown was slain, the (
ious savage rushed among the innocel
Some Of them resisted vainly for
ment, some fell shrieking to the Ac
some dropped on their little knees
with clasped hands prayed for Il
lives. But the Indian heart knows
pity. One by one they were str
down, until only Archie McCullo
remained. He had crawled beh
some wilted boughs oftrees, whicl
few days before had been placed in
orent omen FIRE. rlace from which