The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-27
freed by Wolves.

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tell didn't happen Within my recoIleo
tion. got 'em clean out from Uncle
l should say the late Mr.. Peleg Under
, hill. Peleg didn't know them from
personal recollection, either, as h,
hadn't fell heir to any grandfather a
that time, and wasn't in that part OF thu
country. Peleg's grandfather's name
was Ezekiel Merryweathor. At tho agt
OF twenty-five he was young mat
living over OH the head waters of tn,
Little Bushktll, Pa.
'He was a romantic sort Of a fellow
he scorned life Of toll, aud chose til,
easy and luxurious existonco that comes
OF living in u 'ir,,sh cabin and chasinf
the Heet-footed denizens of the dim-lii
forest from ridge to ridge, and bringing
homo their hide and tallow. He, was an
original Pike County hunter, and wus
known to clear rs high as fifty dollars
some years with his gun and traps.
Nobody knew where no cnmo from. but
he was extremely shy aud modest.
;'He had very black hair and was tall
and wiry, and all tho girls in the back.
woods were struck on him. Tho fellows
were jealous because he was rolling up
wc"lth so rapidly, and because he cut
EN- all out Mt the stone frolics and husk-
ing bees. A family named Jobson had
found their way from somewhere or
or other in Jersey to that part of the
country, and settled near tho Monroe
County border There was old Jobson
and his wife and his daughter Melissa.
Johson had uncovered about al acre
OF earth on his tract, and built him q
mouse, a barn. wagon shed, Il spring
house, IN observatory fifty feet high,
md three miles of four-root wall with
the stone tho acre yielded.
According to tho lato Peleg Under
NIL, Melissa must have becn Il stunner
She was way up in all the ACCOMPLISH
mcnts OF the district, which ranged from
twirling fiapjnck to picking a panther
out OF tree with the old mans flint
lock rifle. The pastimes md pleasures
OF budding Pike County maiicnhood
Ill those days wore few, and it were
great reward for Melissa to get tho
promise from her mother thar if she
would pile so much stone wall while she
was resting from pulling turnlps sho
could 'shuck the hide ofl'n the next
wolf TINT dad fotched in;' or if she cut
and piled Il sufficient quantity of stove
wood before she went to work hoeinp
the 'taters, she might hold the pig at
the next Christmas KILN while dad
stuck it.
ut was one day in the fall of 1901
that Ezekiel hlcrrywcather first struck
the Jobs'n clearing and met Melissa
She was having holiday, and enjoying
1t III shucking wolves. The wolf erop
r1a1 rf:tiJss s0 %gljt hgtHefanS 1aa! 1aa "!GzelaLraaa
i'll love with her ut sight. She fell in
love with him, too, aud he got To taking
in the Jobson clearing pretty regular on
his hunting expeditions. Finally ho
asked her to marry him and she said
she would. Ho laid the matter before
her old man.
"'Wall, scarcely; you can't have
NJ has, snld Johson. NO young squirt
OF bushwhacker don't tic on to her If
her dad knows it, IN her dnd's up to
things what's goin' on round here pooty
giner'iy. When Miss goes away from
this paster lot it'll be with some gray
haired old fellow rs knows what to treat
her to. She don't splice to nobody
but graybeaded man, an ye mout Jest
as we'll bait yer trap in some other
swamp, Eek el.'
'"That was great blow to the young
people, continued the Sheriff. "lIzekiel
struck into the woods and Melissa shuck
ed wolves with heavy heart. BY and
by Sim Smith Of Pocono, met Melissa.
He was on the upper side of fifty, gray
as n rat, and owned farm. When he
asked old Jobson for Melissa, Jobson
said:
"'Ye've draw'd the proper bead the
fust time, Sim. Ye've hit me plumb
back O the fore-shoulder. The gals
your'n.
"Nlelissa hadn't anything to sav in
the matter, and tho Wedding was fixed
for Christmas Eve. On that night the
population of three townships was ut
Jobsons--sixteen people in all. Old
Squire Morgan was there to tic the
knot Ezekiel Merryweather was tho
Only absentee. II was q fine moonlight
night and cold us Greenland. The
wedding was to come off OF nine O'Clock,
Every little while the howling of wolves
could be heard on all sides OF tho clear
ing. That was nothing uncommon.
though, and nobody thought anything
of it. About eight o'clock tho howling
was moro than usually loud and pro.
longed in one direction. 49,
Wolves is hungry, tonight said
old Jobaon. They're closln' in on that
deer pooty reg lar, [ reckon
"The bowling ca1De nearer and nearer.
"'Blamed if 1 don't think they'ro
goin' to take that deer plump through
our turnip patch, said Jobson. We'll,
lot en- CO. we've got other business
besides carin' for passed. o. ornery
wolves tonight; hay, Sim?'
'The wolves canlo closer and closer.
Their snarling could be heard in the
house. But no ono every took the
trouble to look out Of window. The
howllng, and barking, and snarling
kept on, and tho sound showed that tho
wolves were not moving. Melissa went
to q window and looked out.
"Why, dad, said she, 'tllom wolves
has treed suthin' in our spring house.
They're thick aroun' it, and some of
'em's goin' down the chimley.'
"'Sure enough, says Jobson, they've
druv suthin' inter the spring house,
sartin. Wall, boys, take yer gups.
We mowt as we'll go out an stop this
yer noise fore we percced.'
"The mon took their guns and went