The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-07-08
LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

rivers, was an unbroken forest. The
southern and western parts of Indiana
county were pretty well settled the
northern and eastern parts very sparsely.
Jefferson had few settlements in the
south western corner, and was attached
to Indiana for judicial purposes. Cam
bria had at that day but o few settlers
north of the turnpike, while Clearfield
had but scant population in the south
ern and eastern portions of the county.
Potter and Mexican were almost an un-
broken wilderness, while Clarion, Cam
eron and Forest bad at that day no exis-
tence as separate counties.
The " cherry tree" which stood at
the point where the line dividing Cam
bria and Clearfeld reached the eastern
line of Indiana county, on the banks of
the west branch of the Susquehanna,
was at that day well-known landmark
in the heart of "the wilderness. A
flourishing little town has since grown
up near where the famous tree stood,
and which bears its name - Cherry
Tree.
In the latter part of the summer of
1918, three citizens of the town of In
diana set out on hunting excursion to
the region near the cherry tree"
They took horses and camp equipage,
intending to spend week or more.
They selected a camp, and two of the
men, whose names l do not remember,
began to hunt for deer or other game,
leaving Mr.. Henry Shryock, the Oldest
man of the party, to stay in camp, take
care of it, and prepare supper. On the
second day they found what they
thought more eligible place for their
camp, nearly a mile from the first.
Early in the morning they removed the
heaviest of their things before setting
out on their hunt, leaving Mr.. Shryock
to remove some more things and fix up
the camp. He made one trip back and
forth all right; but on the second he be-
came bewildered and was unable to find
the new camp. He wandered all day,
of course getting farther and farther
away every hour.
When his companions returned in the
evening they found their old friend
missing. They at ance went to their
old camp, but he was rot there. Re
turning they found pan which he had
thrown away but that was all the trace
they could find.
All night they travelled to and fro,
shouting and firing shots, but in vain.
They kept up the search during half
the following day, and then took their
horses and rode to the town of Indiana,
about twenty miles, to give the alarm
and get more assistance.
The writer, then boy, lived there at
the time. The news that Mr.. Shryock,
a man so well known and highly es-
tee med as he was, should be lost in the
wilderness, produced profounder sem
sation than | ever knew in any COM
munity. All the men who could posi-
bly, go started at once for the place,
armed with guns and horns. The OBJ
ject of these was to make as much noise
as possible, SO that the unfortunate man
might hear them. Every night messen-
gers arrived in town with 4he sad news
that so far the search was unsuccess-
full.
This was kept up for a week, the
popular anxiety becoming more and
more intense, until not less than
hundred men were securing the wilder
ness for miles in all directions around
the Cherry Tree. Hope that he would
be found alive began TO die out, but the
search was maintained with unabated
diligence.
At length, on the ninth day after Mr..
Shryock was lost, two gentlemen of In
diana were walking quietly through the
forest, making no noise, but keeping q
sharp lookout. Some distance in ad-
vance of them they espied the object of
their search, now almost naked, crawl
ing on his hands and knees out of q
leafy covert. Quickly they ran to him
and found that his reason was utterly
dethroned, and that he had barely
strength to crawl. Instantly the signal
that he was found sounded from party
to party. Physicians were there. The
first thing they did was to give him a
very small piece of bread dipped in di-
luted wine. Nourishment was given as
fast as he was able to bear it, which,
with the warm clothing which his
friends supplied, soon restored him.
With his physical strength his reason
and confused memory of his wanderings