The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-01-16
SKETCHES
PIONEER LIFE on the ALLEGHENIES.
SIXTEENTH PAPER.

nee cheered the night with their ruddy glow and
genial warmth, affording the people ample oppor-
tunity for greetings and conversation. 1t must
have presented very picturesque spectacle-the
animated groups standing around the great hres
at midnight. while the dark forests surrounding
them were shrouded I'm gloom Ever and anon
mud-bespattered horseman would dash In from
some quarter, still further augmentiny the crowd
Of joyous people who, in those days, had enough
of life and spirit TO enjoy holiday, not being so
apathetic : the folks nowadays, who think
the observance Of a day even 50 holy as Christmas
Is entirely too vulVar-too hard on the nerves-toO
exciting Such people have not the old ia shioned.
good natured fresh. whole-souled humanity in
them 70 properly enjoy the Fourth OF July, much
less appreciate the manifold blessings accruing 70
the world from the birth of our Saviour; but, on
the contrary. IL seems a. il they would reduce the
country a stagnant duck-pond, with the surface
Of society all grown over with chckweed
On the surface Of the earth We md hills. valleys
and mountains; oceans. lakes and rivers woods,
prairies and descrts.-all diversity eyeryWhere,-
no monotonous inaninity Of ssluueness-no. not
on the wide ocean of waters, Tor there they have
bright days aud cloudy days. htir days and stormy
days days of calm surface and days when the waves
run mountain high. All around we md diversity
height and depth; heat aud cold light and dark
ness; ocean and land. So also. 10 live Alright we
must have diversity ia the days Of the year. and
not have every day alike, like train OF pack mules
crossing a desert. Sameness is not found in the
works Of nature the western prairies and steppes
Of Asia alone excepted, and even they are subject
TO the vicissitudes OF sunshine and storm, summer
and winter. Let us, then, have holidays, and let
u observe and sustain them and not allow them
that variety l. the spice OF life"
To these nocturnal gatherings on Christmas Eve
many Of the folks would go aioot; and when the
season turned out 4 green Christmas,' the going
ness mud and slush was the order Of the night, to
say nothing Of tripping over roots and stuInps and
y. When it is remembered that some OF the peo-
pie had walk distance Of seven or eight miles
through the above described Inconvenience We
can form something Ike Just conception OF tho
zeal and hearty picty which actuated the settlers
Young and old male and female. eyinced their
earncstnesz in the discharge OF their religious du
mountabie difficulties which showed AZ least that
they not ''lulewarn in their pious ofierings.
world. Some glide along through the upper realms
with little friction OF trouble apparently, az an
air-ship glides through the crystal above Us.
. their way through life gaddened 10y bright
shine and regaied with balmy. spiceladen zephyrs;
or 20 another hgure OF speech, they are ship
ped, when born. on an ethereal railway. where tho
palace glide along through heavenly scenes
progress, till they finish their monotonous course
OF unaloyed pleasure. Others, on the contrary,
make their debut this sublinaTl sphere like
chubby cherub into a cold bath. and continue to
make their way through icy poverty. choerless
scenes. and annoying trials and tTibulatons :
the children OF Israel did through the region of
heTy serpens, iamines' steriity, deserts ana lone
mountains, for many weary Years. In this state
Of existence however the order Of things seems TO
the greater its responsibility, its dangers and it.
troubles. For instance. the sheep has its ready
made woody coat and its spontaneous, grassy food
ali ready fOT without any trouble OF labor on
mar The urdisnufed chfef Of thfs fair planet has
to make his own coat and prepare his own food.
The thought has sometimes occurred 10 me that
the whole animal creation. beneath mankind, en-
ter into existence. live amid the scenes Of earth
and die last without having ever thought oi the
God that mad. thcIn-uot being endowed with
that IgL r-erugatiys which belongs 10 man alone
Before the aggregation could perceive tho
GLORY Of the Lord rcy had receive the bless
ing Of Nose. and Aaron which rendered them Mt
to see such p Presence. Even the other nations
and tribes OF The land never this Glory the
chosen nation only who were specially prepared
To- be worthy OF such a privilege, ocing alone per
mitrcd to behold it,
We shah now vary the tenor Of our writing in
order to strike "A diverse vein.
sence Of medical treatment and cordisIs. When
some fell disease lowered down over the unguard-
cd settlement there Na5 no relief save tho iulper
feet knowledge OF heibal treatment, which TOuld
answer IN mild cases. but when Lurrid epidemic
put in II Formidable appearance the people were
de1cnseleSs. and had 10 stand. passiVely enduring
the plague till IL passed away. he Lack Of Insdi-
cal Treatment and skin is one %. the chief shadows
in frontier prosperity. for many q pleasant and
useful life has been lost 10 settlement itT tho
want Of Spportune treatment. some o. the set
tiers. however. very handy. aud could use tho
lancet with great ieGtertty- bleeding horse OF 3
human patient with equal facility. But, on the
whole. tieleu once said. 'ent toy niet - nature :
physician, and i essential TO human happiness
so the nardy denZens 'i nc l9Tr7l nteHeI I't tie
doctors aid ike the people 81 today. Moreover.
these fierce cpidensics tr haunt the scenes oi
CIVILIZATION, ior "a" edTi. seltl'F- Ale" iillif q
them.
sick OF a malignant fever and was attended by a
young physician Of the place. who commenced al
once to burn out the dSteInper uy man strong IN
OF drugs-ldmi HistcrinS medicines which increased
the and burnt the tongue 81 the patient 70 a
crisp Nothing dsulted the bold distllc ~ tIHlei
proceeded in his direct attack on the fever. never
a
the patient became Speechiess and unable 20 move
much q finger. when fortunate circumstance
teachima, ia another county sent for in the eN
pectation that she would die. When he came he
at the medicine. and came to the conclusion that
the treatment was shctting the disease. Being
young and jmuetuJus. he threw out the drugs anu
for another doctor. The next practitioner was
an older, and the sequel demonstrated. an ADLER
man. and adopted entirely different line Of &C
tion. As soon - he the condition of the pa
tlcnt he opened UP the Windows gave her water 10
DIN d OILS Ill. -w
had been forbidden by the other physician. \
marked Improvement soon set in AMI u was E3l
many days before the giT was able 10 sit NJ. Ihts
Is true story, word for word; so am ture nc one
5 csn deny that doctors are apt to diuer ..
We shall next present IN example O iei-ale -iie
On one occasion q settler was clearing y piecc
Of land several miles from the house, and his wife
had to carry his dinner on hoTschacs over rough
path through the woods There were Gears and
catau0unts in these woods. and there . also spot
IN il which local tradition says Is haunted by In
dian spOoks. On "a certain dag tle woman va
' going quietly along carving her hushands din
i, ~ q : ,j-j- %",,,t't - lo,,ify The horse toob
@ sudden fright invisible terror aud stsrtet
7 5can dinncl-hasI sISt- and ali. The good woman
, guided the animals living course through the
J.. timber with uuwuntel skill and courage. till %
i3st tn. trfo-tTst j.. the woman horse ana din
i, merida -ket-Inaie the clearing over logs anC
ush-heaps they went, 5trai ght for the man, - h
yya- standing in auarencnt TO see his dinnercom
ing in such "a manner On, uu. came the dinner q
: the woman Iust her nj uded not far from
- her husbands feet right IN the midst ui brusl
~ heap The dinner was scattered far and wide. bu
= they finally succeeded in gathering up the rag
Ie ments. Sitting on convenient log, they WeT
L Composcdly partaking of their adventurous an
% Elr-tet-hed meal when q great blacksnsEe uurui
~ Ell its hheous length out of the seifsame log o.
n which they sat, The good people seized a coupl
r OF stout sticks and after good deal OF trouble
Il succeeded in despatching mis- snakeship. Ate
n this the meal went on IS though nothing uHcon
y had occurred. An this shows what us2 (
: and circumstances will make OF people. Had "a
j. same persons been reared in town. amid iastld
c. Gus opuence, bricks pianos, nilhHeh, PooIi
L dogs and what nOt-they would have run ava,
n scrseching like Sioux Indians. at the slght oi
n b!ackSnakc, OF even garter snake We neF'
I'd knew woman but the fIrst one who was not u u
~ Now with further reference to that eerie localil
IN in forest il l. said that horse ouid neN'
ry pass by without shying and prIcktnE up n
he ears. OF cSincing his fears in some other way
he is very strange what should have made the anima
n act so but they say II is n fact.
1s Although the tacts related in the following a.
ke eclotc did not transpirc the Aileghenics, ye
ay as they have never before print they vi
-. bear recital. Many long and pleasant sumIne
sir ago, when people vino now gray haired We
vuunW and Joyous, there dawucd upon tie WoTld
cd calm and sunny sabbath morning. The old FOL
So and some oi the young people too were Wendl
nd their thoughtii, way to the peaceful saictuaI
nd which stood embOwerci amidst grove oi tree
nd shrubbery and hawthorn hedges. The birds
M merry Spring were warbling aud nittinE spo
Id rom branch bT nch while the air was hlled "
I. the sweet smell of many Odorfcrous plants. 1
u< little broOklet wimpied across the road in Its '
no bly, bed and il seemed a If men should never gr
Ir. old amid such scenes. some OF the young lol
led having been left at thor respective honlcs to mt
en- the stock and keep general look out arout
their forces, might have been
i'm ed under the circumstances. and prepared Tor
as regular DAY joilihcaton. And be II RENE per
ny which ma Ees tho transaction the more rsdcuio
the sabbath was always very strictly observed
4 that region. Notwith>te udinE all this, youth
spirits and innate deviltry got the better Of
IN, boys and they laid their heads together 10 dev
in fun ior the day " viii Withhold the real nan
of he parties concerned. most oi theIC :