The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-01-09
THRlCE-TOlD TALES,
Legends, Ghost Stories, Exaggera-
lions, Jokes and JOkers;
THE FUN, WIT AND HUMOR ;
The DOings and Sayings Mar.
Vicious and Incredible in
the History Of MOr.
gamtOWn.

w NE
From paper by Joseph Moreland, Esq, in the
forthcoming Centennial History. Published in adj
vance by permission Of the author.l
1t is said that "the great cities of
the world mark the progress of man
kind in arts, commerce and civiliza-
ton, and form a sort of index to the
rise and fall of material greatness"
| know not why the same may not
be said of towns and even of vii
lagos.
The village expands into a town
and the town by growth becomes a
city. The great cities of the world
had their beginnings in towns or
villages. When the historian comes
to write of the great city he not I'M
frequently finds its beginning totally
obscured and fancy weaves fable
to take the place of facts. Yet moth
ing would be more interesting to the
reader than true history of those
early events and nothing SO much
sought after by the historian. May
we not hope that in the preparation
of these sketches we are contributing
a mite at least to the future historian
of Morgantown when she shall be
of sufficient Importance to take rank
the cities of the world AS
the future historian of Morgantown
passes over his field of observation
and notes in detail the events that
go to make up the history, its thrice
told tales will be of the very res ges-
tie. Its legends, ghost stories, ex-
aggerations; doings and sayings, mar
velous and incredible, will furnish
beauty and adornment, and it's jokes,
it's fun. it's wit and its humor will
give pith and point to the whole.
All will go toward making a true
picture of the manners, customs,
habits, tastes and peculiarities of
those who peopled the city in the
days of its infancy.
With the hope, then, that Morgan
town will some time become a great
city, and that these fragments,
though inconsiderable, may some
day furnish a more considerable his
torian pabulum for a more consider
able history, let us gather it's thrice
told tales, it's legends, ghost stories,
exaggerations, doings and sayings
and incredible, its practi-
cal jokes, it's fun, wit and humor;
and endeavor to effect their preser-
walton.
THE ECKERLEYS.
Going. back to the very earliest
period of which we have any account,
we fall upon the thrice told tale of
DR.. Thomas Eckerly and two BROTH
ers, who were the first white men
who ever set foot in this region. One
hundred and thirty years ago they
came, and were destroyed by the
savages before they had definitely
determined where they would locate.
They belonged to sect called Tun-
kards, or Dunkards. They went
abroad in imitation of the founder of
their Christian faith, with the right
hand of fellowship extended and
giving the kiss of charity to all.
They Amounted the sick with oil,
and depended upon this JUNCTION and
their prayers for their recovery.
They were known as "the harmless
people" but a people who commend
ed celibacy as virtue; who discour-
aged marriage; who refused to fight,
Or take oaths or go to law; were not
the material with which to plant
colony among fierce savages. They
in south western Pennsylva-
MIA ON the waters of stream which
they called Dunkard, in honor of the
sect to which they belonged, and
thence they removed across Monon-
gala territory to the place since cal
led Dunkard Bottom, on Cheat river,
where they met their sad fate. They
were utterly destroyed in one night
by Indians.
The historian of Monongalia coun-
ty observes that ''as the Eckerlys as
cended the stream upon which they
had camped their gaze must have
fallen upon the vast forest region of
Monongalia. Such a region they
foresaw possessed too many advan-
tages to remain unsettled, and as
they sought solitude they turned
back. Strange explorers were they
indeed to turn away from country
because it was too inviting. Yet
such were the Eckerlys, the first
white men who ever trod upon the
soil Of Monongalia." And the same
historian observes further that the
first discoveries of Monongalia coun-
ty were the first white settlers muir
dered by Indians west of the Ale
ghenies of which there is any ac-
count.
THOMAS DECKER.
Another thrice told tale relates to
the sad fate of an historic person at
the hands of savage Indians about
five years later. One whose name
attaches to the creek which taking
its rise among the rocks and crags
of our grand old mountains comes
first, creeping and sweeping" then
roaring and pouring along it's
course until passing at
the very threshold of our homes,
when, as if tanned, by the influence of
our civilization, with calm and dig
nified mein it mingles it's pure waters
with those of the placid Mononga-
hela. The story of Thomas Decker
and his terrible fate are eloquently
told by Hon. John j. Brown in his
Centennial Grafton delivered at Nor
gantown on the 4th day of July 1876,
thus: Near the spot where we are
now assembled, when the autumnal
frosts had tinged with gold and
crimson the matured foliage of the
tall hickory and the wide spreading
sugar tree near six score years ago,
while (,1orOp I sat llpon the throne