The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-12-10
The Buckeye Hunters.
BUCKEYE HUNTERS CAMP. /
November 80, 1885.

BUCKEYE HUNTERS CAMP.
November 80. 1885.
FRIEND HARRIS: I will give few
n notes of our route and camp life here
in the woods. We arrived at Collery
Junction at %. m. on the 23rd inst,
and at 8 a. m. the Oath, (Ravenna
time) we left on the little B. B. d p.
road for these hills. The first town
we reached worthy OF note was Butler
This is snug little town, and from
what we could see of it 1 should say
has 1000 Inhabitants. Here the oil
derricks becomevery numerous. There
are some paying oil wells from Collery
Junction scattered along all the way
to Butler, distance of IA miles; but
from Butler N. E. to Taxburg, . dis
tance of Al miles, it is city of oil
derricks the fields and roadsides are
interlaced with oil pipes, varying In
size from II to p inches diameter.
About one-third of these wells are now
being pumped, and the amount of oil
produced by the thousands OF wells
must be great. It costs from 81, 600 to
Sc, 900 to drill one of these wells and
put it in shape for operation, cost de-
pending upon depth and rock fOrma'
ton. From Butler on, we find no
town of any size until we reach Mil
lerstown, distant from Collery juno
ton 81 miles, which is quite stirring
little burg, with fair churches, a ma
chine shop, &C. The next town we
reached of any Importance was Bruin.
This is q small town but has the ap-
pearance of doing considerable busi-
ness. Then we reach Harms, Petrolia,
Parker, small towns wherein, from
the oil business, considerable money
changes hands. The next town, Fox
burg, is situate on the east bank of the
Allegheny river, and is a town of
some pretentions, and from appear
ances, considerable money is handled
here. 1t is here our road crosses the
river on a high trestle bridge, and
makes heavy down grade into the
town, where we stop 20 minutes for
dinner. Then our road runs up the
river about three-fourthso of a mile, then
down about q mile, then up about a
mile and the down about mile. form
ing q w, then up about a mile, when
we find ourselves about 800 feet above
the river and ON the ridge, ready to
make the balance of our route to the
northeast on the ridge to Frost's town.
Our route is over one continuous
succession of hills and depressions
from Collery to Frosts, and our road
we'll, twice as crooked, comparatively
as any old Virginia fence. Wereached
Frosts about p. M, our time. Itwas
a very rough ride. but full as good as
could be expected over a country where
our Ohio people, ten years ago, would
have thought railroading was imposs'
ible. On our arrival at Frosts we
found H. Hutson and J. Steadman
waiting to take us into camp, which
is four miles west by north, into the
woods, where we arrived at 6 p. m.
There was inches ofgood, soft snow
on the ground, no wind. The snow
still remains, having settled a little
and we take u whirl of to II miles
daily through the woods, hunting
The hunting is most excellent, coult
hardly be better, but-well-hunting
yet, it is fine but finding, well, ther
is nothing to find. There was an oil
doe and two fawps in the old Pigeol
slashlng, but the Remalias or Balie
from Newton Falls. killed them befor
we got here. There is now and the
a struggling buck in the woods here
but not enough to make it interesting
Chet. Noble has killed a fine buck, g
we have venison to eat, and we hav
a rattling good time, but it is littl
too much like it would be to hunt fo
squirrels in the trees in our Coul
House Park-all hunt, no find. Still
we are here, and we will look littl
further on the dry old trails whel
deer once were. We may strike fot
deer or two, and If we do we will tr
our guns. The water here is exeellen
the atmosphere dry and bracing, an
we can eat double rations, of whic
our good wives furnished us abunl
ance. in the baggage we brought.
This range of hills is quite rapid
filling up with the white man, wei
are being drilled for oil, coal banks al
being opened, aud sawmills are plan
, ed here and there over the country
! cut up these heavy spruce pine 1--WE sa
} hemlOck) trees. There is much vail
able coarse timber here, and some goo
beach land, fair-faced, third qualit
J soil, and sooner or later this conntr
will be settled, cleared up and tille
The hunting business here is playe
out and the Buckeye Hunters wi
have no more sport here. We shs
! soon leave for Ohio, as we are gettiI
3 about enough of these hills.
= 8. D. N.
. ATwATER.
z Correspondence.