Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1877-05-31

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Folmtary Oatcast-An Un
joTt,nate Daughter.
The discovery OF two former in
mates of the Delaware County poor,
house living together in the woods ol
Wayne county, Pa, has recalled one
of the most singular family histories
ever recorded. In 1854 Lucy Ann
I.obdell, daughter of an old lumber.
man living on the Delaware in the
vicinity of Long Eddy, was married
10 a raftman named Henry Slater,
Mrs. Slater was IL years old, and
was known far and wide for her
wonderful skill in shooting the rifle,
not only at the target, but at deer
and other game, for which the Della
ware valley was then famous. After
year of married life Slater deserted
his wife and a babe q few weeks old,
and has never been heard of since.
Mrs. Slater's parents were very
poor, and objected to her making
her home with them. She occasion
ally placed her child in their charge
and laying aside the habiliments of
her sex, donned male apparel and
adopted the life of a hunter. The
mountains of Delaware, Sullivan and
Ulster coanties, n. Y, and the
Delaware river counties Of Pennsyl-
vania were at that time almost un-
broken wilderness. For eight years
Mrs. Slater made her holGe'in their
midst, roaming alone over the Vast
territory, and finding shelter only in
rude cabins which she erected here
and there. She made her appear
-ance at the settle ments only when
in need of ammunition or supplies,
exchanging skins and game for what
she required. Her wild life was one
of thrilling adyen ture and priyation; !;
and it was not uatil she was broken
down in body and mind by its hard
ships that shereturned to the haunts
of civilization. Her narrow escapes
from death by wounded bears,
panthers and deer. and her suffer
ing from cold, hunger and sickness,
during her eight years. life in the
woods she recorded in a book en-
titled, ''The Life and Adventures
OF Lucy ANA Lobdell, the female
Hunter of Long Eddy She also re-
cords in this book that she killed
''16S deer, 73 bears, one panther,
and numberleSS quantities of small
game of the glade" in the time
noted. When she returned to Long
Eddy she put on woman'S clothing.
She llad grown pre- maturely old, and
was but a wreck of the young back
woods favorite of few years be-
fore. Her child had been placed in
the poorhou5e at Delhi, and after
wandering about the valley for some
months she became an inmate of that
institution also. Not long after
ward the child was adopted into the
family of Wayne county Pa
farmer. The mother remained in
The poorhouse, and became yearly
more miserably and wretched.
In the winter of 1868 Marie Louise
Perry, daughter ef weIl-to-do and
respectable family living near Bos-
ton, eloped with a young man nam
ed James Wilson The young lady
lad but recently graduated from one
OF the Boston schools, and was
about 10 years old. Wilson was
railroad employee. The couple went
To Jersey City, and were married.
In the spring of the same year Will
son deserted his wife and went to
parts unknown III company with a
Miss Hall, daughter Of his landlady.
Ills wife learned that they had TAX
en- the Erie railway west, and she
resolved to follow them, hoping to
discover their whereabouts. SIZE
stopped at towns along the road,
and when she reached LordvIEe Del
aware county, her money was ex-
hausted, and she was taken sick
with fever. She was removed co
the poorhouse at Delhi at her own
request. The above was substanti-
ally her story.
Having recovered her health at
this place, it was supposed that Mrs
Wilson would at once communicate
with her relatives and return TO her
home in Massachusetts but she
had made the acquaintance of Lucy
Ann Slater, and, inexplicable as It
may seem, the two formed mutual
affection Sd strong that they refused
to be separated, Notwithstanding the
gre;lt difference in their character,
habits and antecedents. In the
spring of 1869 both Lucy Ann and
Mrs. Wilson disappeared from the
county house, and were not heard
Of III two years. During the SUM.
naer Of that veafa couple calling