Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-05-19
PeriIS of the Wilderness.

q suppose YOU saw some pretty hard
times when You first settled in the Western
country ~ / once said TO an old pioneer
Indeed / did, sir" he replied, with
,he look OF one who is taking a retrospec-
tive view. q am an old man now, and
my hair, you see, is whitc-but it was as
black ms coal on the night | was showed up
among wolves, All, me, that was ter
rible night, sir, and / never think of it,
but involuntraily shudder at the recollec-
ton, and thank God that was 50 wonder
fully preserved through Ii"
..Can not prevail on you to tell ne the
stcry.r
"Oh, YES, will tell it to you, as have
told it to many others before you-so many,
in fact. that | have ii quite by heart
though if had never mentioned the mat
te. from that day TO this, | am certain l
sboSId have no trouble now in recalling the
minutes detail, so strongly are the facts
impressed upon my memory
.'It was Just after the war of 1872, that
| got married arri took my wife to pur-
chase had made from government, within
what is now the limits of the State of Hi
nois. The Indians, previous TO this time,
had been soplewhat troublesome TO the set
tiers in that region; but, after peace was
declared, they buried the hatchet, and We
no longer had any occasion to fear them In
the vicinity where located myself.
"When built my cabin and moved into
II. with the few Housekeeping articles |
had brought from the eastward, everything
around me looked gloomy enough, and my
moor wife sat down and had hearty crying
speu from sheer home-sickness. | laughed
at her, and talking largely of what l was
going to do. and all that sort of thing but,
TO tell you the honest truth, l felt good
deal more like crying than laughing myself.
, Our nearest neighbor was ten miles distant;
the only mill where we could get grinding
, done was fifteen; all the stock had IN the
,sorld were the two horses which had
drawn US anu OuI eHcSbS Ou' 'AN' ~
one of these was blind and the other lame;
while, to crown all, had no money, and'
besides seed grain, barely provisions enough
to last us till early harvest"
snow suppose you would like to ask,
what made me fool enough to venture into
A new country and set up Housekeeping
under such circumstances and VII
answer YOU, that was young, strong, pool
and ambitious, and | thought, and so die
inv wife. that this would lie rhe only way
we could ever gain an independence.
"WelI. things were not so bal as they
might have been; and / consol ID mysei'
with the reflection that we were grea
deal hetter off than a good many other
wbo had settled in the wilderness before
rs Nv farm was about half woodland
and half prairie-a rich, alluvial soil-an'
60. without being obliged to clear thu
ground first, could proceed to plow, plan
and SOW at once, which did, it being TN
riobt season of the year for the work.
"we got through the summer very wen
all things considered, and our crops "er'
such as to make both of us look forwaf'
with a degree of cheerfulness anu nope
Nv wife. though not exactly contented an'
bannv. had got over her first severe attaci
of home-sickness. and, using all the PM
osophy and reason she was master Oh ha'
hecome as resigned to her lot as coul'
exnect. When | was with her, she gener
ally seemed quite cheerful; but had U
,,o away more or less aid during my ao
-. she became timid and low-spirited
leave fearing that something would hap
NON ~ me. For this reason made IL
noint. no matter where went, 10 ei'ne
,ole her with me, or return home the sam
n;ebt even though l might not gel IN III
late" e.u
Gone pleasant morning, late in the fail
orrtad nv blind horse and set OH 10
-. mi,l-,o get grist l had left there.
,-.s the custom, week before-teiling m
-sfo 7 had not the least doubt / should D
4
back before dark. >,
".And if you are not, Peter sne saiI
.vou know shall be terribly fngh'eheo
ond shall sit trembling by my lone f're u
I hear your voice.
Poor Naneyl she little knew no
many long hours she would SIT tren'ohn
.Ione before she would see me again; an
n.,s did dream what perils and suiie
;ro. would he mine before L should aga
croas the threshold OF my humo-e u"'
ling" .n,,e wi,
Il took my rife and hunting Nnlio oS W.
me hoping, as had sometimes o
might get shot at deer; ana II ~
there were more or less bears anu WOW
about. and now and then some s''An
Jrdians. and It was always best 10 W p
nsred Cor whatever one might eh"'N''