The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-08-01
A0t entered. etc. No rights reserred.1
SKETCHES
PIONEER LIFE on the ALLEGHENIES,

Z
FIRST PAPER.
/ Pioneer life on the AIIeghenies There is some
thing free. noble and daring in the idea The dan
in such life call forth the higher qualities of char
acter so essential 10 the true man Far removed
from kindly ncighb0rs. away amid the wilderness
OF the lone mountain, where primeval forests held
possession, and grew. and fell. and decayed from
the days of NOah-there. amid the nightly howl
ngs of the wolf and the panther. and mayhsp start
led not uniTequently by the stil more savage yell
It's who composed the advance guard of civilization
- On IIle AlieShenleS Ihey mad no roads save the
ness no passing neighhOr: no mail coach with
its burthen of news and its welcome Ietters from
distant friends; courts Of Justice no churches
no schools all was Inconvenience, privation and
As the months passed from bIithe and merry
spring on through the torrid Summer to the ca I'm
and mild days of the fruitful Autumn the soIitujc
of their hermit lives was cheered bv the norniner
and evening songs Of the forest birds by the merry
chatter OF the blithe squirrel from tho tall chestnut
and by the beauty and freshness of prrnevaI ma iIr
which lay around them. They enjoyed, no doubt
the health and vigor bestowed by daily toil-keen
appetites, strong limbs and exuberant spirits-and
the family Intercourse too, Of the little
band was the more closer and endearing il is fair
to presume because of the dangers and vcfssitudes
Which constantly confronted them. Meantime the
vigorous blows of the keen axe resounds in the
clearing from early morn till closing eve and after
the dangers of the day from the falling Of the huge
denzens Of the dense forest have passed-after the
crashing and falling OF great limbs and branches
the groans OF mighty trees they topple severed
from their century growing roots and the thupder
INK sound a the king the forest falls prostrate-
after all this il over for the day the weary totIcr
once more seeks the shelter Of his friendly cabin
Then comes the wearfSome toll of o.r-roilinp and
burning before the virgin ground, full Of roots and
stumps, Is ready for the rending plow. o. thou
happy plowmau of whom the immortal Gray SAM,
so sweetly, how light was thy task when compared
with a task like this,
Nevertheless. all these tolls went not unrewar,l-
cd Soon, in the long days OF Summer the gentle
rustic of the growing maize made soothing nusic
for the Of the toiler and the .lren-patch near
the snug log house yielded wholesome vegetables
for the frugal board. So you see, pioneer life had
Its sunny side well
A brief description Of the log dwelling and fur
nturc of an early settler NAV not be out of plocc
inst here. The body of the house was of c6urse
built Of logs; hcwn or unhewn according TO the
igencies OF the occasion the tastes of the owner
A great, wide fireplace. built Of stone and sur
mounted by Il rude chimney constructed of sticks
north-westcr piled up the snow in drifts around
most "A quarter cord of wood mt one time The root
was made of 'clap-boarls,r split from white oak
logs and the floor of heavy hcwn planks from the
great pines ladder ay,; access t6 tbt Ioft where
the children usually slept and winter mornings
they would not untrcgucntly find themselves dust
ed over with a considerabIe coat of snow Tho TIr
niture was generally such could be hewn out
with an axe aud put together with the aid of saw
and auger- The cooking utensils commonly con-
sisted Of an iron pot for the ''mush." which with
and iohnnvc,ke ana skiiIct atc In thc be gite
Of the bakeOvcn piece of clapboard did very well
rude table was t5annraliy s.sctt viii cI,tcr T
wooden bowls. dishes and plates but in case these
were not to be had, gourds or hard-shell sqUaShcs
sc9oped out had to supply their places.
These surroundings and utensils suited we'll the
homely fare served up-''hog and hominy..' john
ny-cakc and pone, mush and milk which consti-
homely fare. unsi2htly cabins and rude furniture
nurtured.a veteran race, who-planted the seeds Of
limitable regions of the great West.
Among the early settlers the the use Of tea and
coffee considered cffcninate in the extreme
and in the estimation of the pioneer deli ware and
such fne notions were held in contempt
Differing little from the savage in circumstances
and surroundings. the pioneer well fitted 10
cope successfully with the wild inhabitants Of the
The question may arise What motive impeIled
men to leave friends and civilized society for the
may be well answered in the happy language of
Scotia darling poet:
Its hardly in a body's power
To keep at times frac bein' sour,
To see how things are shared;
How best o chiefs are whiles in want
While cOOfS countless thousands rant,
An ken na how to wcar't
But. Davie. lad. ne'cr fash your head,
Tho we hae lutte gear,
Were fit to win daily bread
As lang's we're hale and fecr;
Mair spear ma. nor fear ma.
Auld age ne'er mind feg,
The last OF the worst OF
Is only for to beg
To find spot in the vast wilderness where they
might sustain life untrammeled and unimpeded
by the presence OF more powerful but less prnciplcd
neighbors-this was the vital motive which inn
PEELED men then it does now to brave every hard
ship and danger The bold and hardy pioneer en-
dured life of sccusion and privation for the glO-
rious privilege Of being independent"
"How blcst the solitarys lot.
Who all-fOrgcttinLr. all forgot,
Within his humble cell.
The cavern wild with tangled roots,
Sits DER his ncwly gathered fruits,
Beside his crystal well;
Or happy to his evening thought.
By unfrequcntcd stream.
The way Of men are distant brought
faint collected dream
While prdising, and raising
His thoughts to Heaven ON high,
As wand ring. meand'ring.
He views the solemn sky
Into these wild scenes. to live life Of privation
and seclusion. came Capt. Michael Mcclure, with
his two sons. Luke AMI Richard.
Tho town Of Loretto-we had almost said the
classic town OF Lorctto-now occupies the ground
which the Mctiuires reclaimed from the primcyHl
wilderness.
years after the close of the Revolutionary war. this
settlement was commenced. the nearest human
habitation at the time being that of Thomas Blair
OF Blairs Gap. huntington county Twelve miles
of unhroken wilderness lay between the ncighbors.
with road save Indian trail as medium of
transportation One can easily imagine the sort
Of winter life this family endured under the cir
cUmrtances. especially as even in these days Of
convenience, comfort and superabundance the 90
Ing and coming Is sometimes considered bad
enough. The McCuires were not very long. how
ever. without other neighborS This picket-post of
civilization drew to il such ad yenturous spirits
as Cornelius McGUirc. Richard Naglc William
DotSon. Richard Ashcraft, Michael Rager. John
AlcUTn and John Storm. The last named. who
was Of German descent. may be readily inferred,
built the first grist-miil for the settlement, and
thereby rendered great service to the little COM
muuity. John TruN. John Douglass. John Byrne
and William Meloy at later date still further re-
intorced the settlement with their presence and
These men endured incredible hardships bearing
up with heroic urtitudc during the fierce storms Of
many an Allegheny winter. which searched every
corner OF their irail and scautty furnished cabins
At night the long howl of the gaunt wolf. or the
wailing cry of the terrible catamount, poor
music to sOOthc one to sleep and vet il such
sounds as these that broke many time and oft ON
the startled ears of the brave pioneers OF the Allie
0henies AMI their no less heroic and hardshipcn-
during wives and little ones.
In my next sketch propose. with your pcrruis-
sion Mr. Editor. to continue the narrative Of which
this j. the opening chapter. giving number Of
heretofore unpublished anecdotes. incidents. etc.
and commencing with the advent Of Prince Gal
litZin. y y. II.
WE copy the subioined personal mention
from a recent issue of the Council Bluffs,
Iowa, Daily NonpareI, of which our young
friend and former tOwnsman, Charles sum
ner Clark, is the local editor. The Captain