Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-11-13
A QUEER CHARACTER.
Ben Ravens, the Famous Fisherman {
Devils Neck.

Ben Ravens, the Famous Fisherman Of
Devlrs Neck.
Ben Ravens was born and raised
about eighty wears AGO near Souonkum.
Monmouth Comfy. NJ. His boyhood
DAYS were nassad in LEARNING to reod.
catching clans and cells. and watching
the drumming phensaots and the other
denizeps of the forest making n good
living and ENJOYING themselves. Ben
made several trips to "Sourland," and
wondered much about its darkly mixed
population. He put a sudden end to
his living on the Atlantic seacoast.
however. shortly after his twenty first
birthday, and drifted toward the Hi
nois River. Madam Rumor. who has
been known to guess at the borders OF
the truth now and then. loudly asserted
that Young Ben had a house. barn. hog.
pen, and wife of his own even before
he could vote, and that for certain un.
known reasons he arose on his last
night in Monmouth County at the silent
midnight hour, aud after locking the
house and the other buildings threw
the keys into his muddiest we'll and
started for Peoria, Ill.
He employed most of his time the
first six years of his residence on the
Illinois in chopping wood, building
fatboats, and in boat NC cordwood to
st. Louis. He subse Juently piloted
RATS and small steamboats, on the river
of his choice. He used to say that he
was happy during those years, and that
it would have been fifty dollars cash in
his pocket if bad luck hadn't induced
him to settle and get married in Liver
pool. Fulton County, Ill. He Still
made long trips down the river, but he
carefully bur ed his money under 8
sycamore tree in the opposite bottom
near DIck Lake, b fore going South
A great lover of solitude and hater Of
mankind, he prospected for suitable
location, and found it on the sandy
bluffs in Mason County, about three
miles from Liverpool. Ben Ravens
might have settled on the best land in
the county, but he selected tho very
worst. He explained that queer pro
ceeding by saying that he settled in the
Devils Neck desert because he thought
nobody else would be fool enough te
ever become his neighbor. He bull
for himself and little family hut some
distance from famous Indian spring
the water of which he drank in large
quantities. He almost worshiped the
beverage flowing from that ceaseless
source, and often said he would thinl
a thousand times about that goot
spring water when living in the worlt
beyond the grave.
During the first few years of his
residence IN the Devils Neck region he
was monarch of all he surveyed" anG
comparatively happy. He owned {
large number of hogs, which farce
sumptuously on nuts, roots, crawfish
clans, and on turtle eggs. During hog
fattening time he supplied his porker.
with all the shovel and dog fish they
could devour, so that it became say
ing that "Uncle Ben's pork tastes NOR,
like fish than hog meat" But he mad.
it pay. He worked like one bcsd,
himself. But alas! he couldn't b.
alone and have his own way; he go
some neighbors and managed to toa
in hot water with most of them fol
nearly forty years. His family in
creased and he erected larger hous,
nearer his favorite spring. The fisher
man of Devils Neck was great enem,
and slayer of wolves and dogs. Fl,
killed about .0l. He often claimed
that the happest six days of his lif
were the six days that he had religion
which he lost on the seventh day b,
swearing at his oldest son for swearing
SO much.
Uncle Ben, as he was called far anl
near, had six narrow escapes from luns
fever. He predicted that it would som,
day kill him. It did. He invited it
ravages by sleeping in the snow, tax
ing mudb baths in winter, and catching
bad colds in chasing some neighbor o
dogs with shotgun. He was kind t.
all the live stock which ran with hi
own, and permitted them to eat sal
from his cattle-trough so that the hors,
and cattle-thieves might find larg,
droves together and wouldn't he apt t,
steal just his own. lie tiercely de
nounced those fellows who didn't be
Iieve in hell. Il tell you," said he
"there is hell, and when person
comes to die then the devils squa
around and scare him to death and Civ,
him all the hell he needs" Pe was
great admirer of education, doing al
in his power to have good schools il
the Devils Neck district, and coaxins