The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-05-09
FRAGMENTS OF THE EARLY HISTORY
Of OHIO COUNTY.
DY II. n TAYLOR.
CHAPTER ".

P-,Niuus 10 Wavuc'S complete and de
cisivc Nictory over the Indians in 1874,
, very 'cw settlements were made below
Eizahcthlown. with a view 10 opening
snd cuitvating fsrms; forts and stations
were erected at various loca tiles; small
. plrccls of land we're cleared aud cullivat-
ei, by placing wary, expert r.ticmcn as
/ sentino's whilst others worked. 4 few
lushcls of corn, with the aid Of hand
mills and hominay mortrs, furnished
their read and hominy, hilst the bufTa-
10, elk, bear and deer not only furnished
hem with an abundant supply ct meat,
but ESQ bed clothes and wearing apparel;
whilst geese turkeys and other wild fowl,
supplied them with mere delicious pnul-
try than does the doomed chicken of the
present day; feathers, furs, skins, tallow
and Wild honey, forming the basis Of
trade and commerce.
Tradition does not place the palm Of
shreudness and cunning. always on the
head OF the pedder Of those early times.
as will be illustrated by the following
story: Some en,erprising Yankee had
managed to get barrel Of whskey into
Hartford, with which he proposed 10 ac-
commodate the citizens, selling gill for
a coon>skin or nine pence in silver; the
principal coin then in circulation under a
whole dollar, being dollars cut into
halves, quarters. fights and sixteenths
To save paying rent, with the aid OF some
poles and boards. lac erected a shanty
around his whiskcy barrel, with perti-
ton in the middle, having the front for a
sale-room, aud the back part for his
siorc~roOm. Business, was not brisk the
irst day; only a few old crones, who
were too infrm or lazy to hunt, or an oc.
casional old lady who wanted little in
her cIpIpkir6 came to the shanty to trade,
hut after dark the scene changed scouts.
hunters, loafers and BOYS. gathered
around-whiskcy was the constant cry
skins were pouring in as fast as the Ii
quor could pour out. The scene became
absolutely uproarious-fifes and drums,
songs and shouts Of laughter; altogether
making a melody of sounds that might
have prosiratei the walls OF Jericho
Our peddlcr would hand ont the liquor,
seize the skin end throw it back into his
store-room with an air of triumph No
New York dealer, during the late ,mplsds
dntness, was ever more elated while plays
ing the game f'you tickle me and III tick
lie you with government contractor.
He was even weary of success. and felt
| relieved when the crowd, or such o +
/ them as could walk, retired, for many OF
/ them were left, not dead-but dead drunk
ON the field. Mr. Pedder slept but it,
| tie, and Teckoned much on the gains of
the night. aud, as coon as it was light
enough, proceeded to count his enormous
pile; but. to his inter establishment, the
pile seemed little larger than il was the
evening before; and on further iuspcc-
/ ton he saw that board had been re-
moved on the back part Of his shanty,
and long pole with hook at the end
told the story--he had been all night
/ buying his own skins over and over
again. That days sales were as dull as
the day before, and when night came on,
he gathered his skins into his sale-room,
watching them closely and refusing to
sell for anything but cash, which came in
very slowly but towards bed time business