The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-06-26
OUR STORY TELLER.
A rReAcHERous "eQAB1eR. )

Acompsnion.J


rsysscompauion.J
In 17SfA 96er hunting-grounds
could ~ f04nd than were in the valley
of tkeO OHIO River. There were then but
few settlements on the river below the
fort st Wheeling, and those were on the
Virginia side along the eastern bank.
II was several years later before land was
taken mp on the Ohio side, for that was
the Indian country" yet the settlers
20 the western side to hunt for deer and
wild turkeys, which were there very
abundant.
From their cabin-doors in the early
morning the pioneers would sometimes
zee fiocks of from ten to fifty magnificent
turkeys break suddenly forth to ~
water, or espy them sitting in rovSn,
the projecting branches of the RE
limbed oaks.
Often the vociferopesz. gObbling" of
the males resoundeds froe the water,
interluded by the 1A1{lve yeap-yeapas
yeap! yop-yop.ypff16quickly changed
70 sharp " agltH at the sudden appear
snce of a46tbr fox.
II was b&t few minutes work for the
settlers TO paddle across in their log
cannes, and with d few discharges OF
shot, secure turkeys enough TO last each
family a week. Turkey was the dish
most easily procured, and the gobbling
Of a flock on the opposite slope across,
the stream came to be q signal for a
tnrkey-hunt.
In the fall of 1881 a willy savage of the
Sh6wanese tribe, named Wy-an-do-wit,
who had no doubt watched the settlers
in some Of their hunting expeditions, hit
upon splan tp secure few scalps 80 that
IL could be done with little danger to
himsen During all these years there
was almost constant war with the
Indians, and the British, it is said, had
set price on american scalps. The
ruse which thiscunning savage had hit
on WILSON hs-nnderstood. %
One mornipgs as a settler named Bing-
man was feeding his hogs justat sunrise,
ne heard q wild turkey !" robbie" across
the river, whieh at that point. was not
more than two hundred yaftls b width.
The egobbling was repeated. <So clear
and stu was the air that Bingham could
even hear the odd T" "chock u, In the COB
bler's. throat as It stfa1ted." A
'"onu&As @,s0sykvo, 1nc PiaiHt&xc ycdpt
of a second turkey came to III ears.
Calling to his wife to bring his gun,
Bingham got into his canoe kSd paddles
across the river to shoot the turkeys.
Mrs Bingham saw him land on the
opposite shofe. and go csufiously in
Fivs minutes later she hSah him Ere,
ss shesuppoeed, and thought1Ae would
.oou b back but half an - and an
hour pissed and he did not come.
Theforen9ca dragged by. The poor
woman thought he must have started. a
deer, Apd gohei pursuit of It; but be-
coming much Harmed before night, IN
went " the dSsfing of a neighbor named
Mc'ntosh, and in company with hin
crossed the riysk in search Of her MISSING
husband.
few ron up from the bank, whert
bis ca9os lat, poor Bingham was found
iying dead md scalped. -.
only the 1ext morning a settler namsS
Woodfn, seyeh or eight miles aboy'
Bingman's, was shelling corn at his cabir
door, and on going into the shed wher,
bis handmill for grinding stood, he, too
heard q gobbler across the river, accom-
panied hy tina yeaping, of a-whol'
Hock Of turkeys.
IA his family had nothing but corn
meal from which to make a breakfast
the chance of securing fine turkey o
tyo was not 10 be lost ~ n. "
Woodfn took his gun, and at ono
crossed the river. The report of a gul
was soon heard, but woodfn, like Bine
map, did not come back. Late tha
evening, apsrty of his friends found his
lying dead, scalped and robbed Of hi
gun and clothing, little way back froI
the river.
That same forenoon Freeman Hustet
youth of seventeen, was fishing on til
bank several miles above woodfin's whe
he heard turkeys In the bushes on th
eighteen, named Ruth Miller and Harri,
Beakman, were with him, and were jol
ing him on his ill-success in fishing.
On hearing the turkeys, Freeman tol
them he would have turkey for each I
them in fifteen minutes. They wei
near the clearing Of Mr.. Beakman, an
his own boat and that of a neighb'
named Miller were drawn up close by.
Young Hustled stepped into one of Il
canoes and poled across, for the wat
was then very low. The girls soon heal
him fire his gun, as they thought.
Some time passed he did mot retur
They supposed he was searching for
second turkey. At last they began cal
Jog TO him, and soon after Mrs. Beakms
and come Of the younger children "a
both girls get into the other canoe al
paddle over to the west bank. Ru
and Harriet wereib0th somewhat used
the canoes. The children heard The
laughing, and the rattling and splashil
of the paddles ~ they went across.
They were never again seen aiiy
Later In the day Mrs. Beakman becol
ing very uneasy about her daughter, N
Iieakmin wsded the Eivef q the /" ripe
.littls further up, whore the water "