The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-01-18

ans and wild animals in the mountains
Of Virginia. One of her fathers brothers
was taken captive by the Indians, and |
several months, or perhaps years after
wards, his skeleton was found, bound to
a tree, where perhaps he had been tied
ling had for many years been in the
habit of smoking pipe made Of clay,
stem and all, and the stem had worn
notch in one of his teeth and by this his
skeleton was recognized.
My father and mother resided on the
Ohio river when the first steamboat came
up the river. / think this was in the
year 1914 They resided there in the
year 1911, when the great earthquakes
Of New Madrid shook the entire Mississ-
ippi Valley. Ny father said the first he
noticed it he took his ak and started to
cut some wood. 1t was a still day, but
he noticed the river was getting rough.
The waves got larger and larger, and
dashed against the shore, and the trees
began to bend and toss, and switch their
tops like in a great storm.
In the year 1917 my father owned $50
acres of land where West Columbia is
now located on the Ohio river. In that
year he filled fat boat with coal, and
took it to Cincinnati and sold it. Coal
banks were not opened then as they are
now. He said he dug the coal along the
side of the hill, without making an entry,
as is done now. When his boat was
loaded, he and James Kelly, who had
married my oldest sister, went down the
river with it. When opposite the upper
end of the city-then a mere village-a
violent storm arose, and they were una
BILE to control the boat. They were in
great danger, when two men got into a
skiff and came to their aid. When two
men got at each oar, they were able to
run the boat to the shore. After selling
their boat and coal they walked from
Cincinnati to West Columbia, passing
through the interior of Scioto, Lawrence
and Gallia counties, then an almost un-
broken wilderness.
What has all this to do with Jackson
county Nothing; only 1 was in imag-
ination boy again, hearing my parents
talk of the earlier days.
With all their faults, their ignorance
and their rough ways, there was kind
of hearty hospitality among the pioneers
of this county that was pleasant. If a
neighbor came near meal time, he was
heartily-not formally, pressed to remain
and partake Of that which the family had
to eat. The traveller, whether a stranger
or hunter of the neighborhood, was
always kindly treated, and never had to
pay for his food or lodging. 1t was not
so at that day, in the more thickly set
tied portions of the State. When / was
a boy remember my father going to
Lancaster to see q celebrated DR.. Coff-
man, to get medicine for my crippled
brother. Several of the neighbors sent
with him for medicines. Money then
was exceedingly scarce, and he had only
enough to pay for his medicines, and did
not suppose he would have any bills to
pay. He said he got along well enough
until he got upon the Pickaway Plains,
where the farmers were quite wealthy.
Night came on, and he stopped at a fine
farmhouse and asked to stop over night.
The farmer was a German, and talked
quite broken English. He told my
father that he did not keep travellers
that there was tavernIa few miles far
ther along. etc. Ny father urged him to
let him stop. but be only shook his head.
he was going for medicine for an afflicted
child-had only money enough to pay
for the medicine. etc, but the old Ger
man had no compassion for him. This
seemed strange conduct, to Virginian.
My father did not talk any English un-
til he was ten years Of age, but no one
could tell from his speech that he was a
German. so when he addressed the old
German farmer in his mother tongue he
seized him by the hand, took him into
the house, gave him an excellent supper,
talked in G German until midnight, gave
him a warm, clean bed, good breakfast
and appeared to regret to see him leave
So much advantage once, for being q
Dutchman.
There is a good deal of kindly, hearty
hospitality yet among the people oi
jackson county, much of it, | think
descended from the pioneers.