Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-10
LOCAL ANTIQUITIES.
Noon Township Apathy Missed a
Chance for a Centennial Blowout.
A SCOUT DEN DESERTED In 1881.
Traces Of Our Rude FOrefathers on the
Banks of Classic MOntOur.
zEPHYRs. NAIADs, BREADS AND SNAKES


natures solitudes along the borders of Mon
tour run, where there are historic associa-
tions little dreamed of outside, perhaps, of the
membership of the Historical Society of
Western Pennsylvania.
The boundary between Robinson and Moon
townships is Montour run, and it is strange
that section so suggestive of poetry and song
is not more familiar to people in the city.
Though the sOlitudes of the valley resound
several times day with the rumble of trains
on the railway that runs from. the Ohio river
to Imperial, yet the woods are of the primeval
type that enthusiastic tourists travel thousands
of miles from Pittsburg to see. The fauna
what is left of it-and fora are suggestive of
the remOtest recesses of the Allegheny Noun
tains. There are huckleberry bushes on the
knobs that suggest the crotalus horTidus, and
though he has been exterminated his relative
without the rattle, the copperhead, still fingers
near the confines eff the Kalmia latifolia, or
calico BUSH generally called in this section
the little laurel, and hunters almost the only
ones who explore these sylvan solitudes pru-
IDENTIFY don top boots before setting out on their
excursions.
A LACK OF REVERENCE.
Possibly because man has lived more in the
last half century than in the 100000 years or
more preceding, we of late years have little
reverence for ancient history, and with the
world generally nowadays everything beyond
lS40 is ancient, and the paucity OF revenue
therefor was shown a few nights since when
ball, given in honor of the Washington Inau-
gural Centennial, ended in champagne
drunk
But local pride should keep green the memo
~ of the red men, whose combats with our
grandfathers made life interesting lOO years
ago in this country. Fort Vance was situated
near the mouth of Montour run, and one of the
Ferree family was shot and scalped on one OF
the knobs near its mouth. Mr.. Shafer stated
the other day that there were some rocks near
Ewing's Mills that were worth inspection, and
a visit was paid them. Mr.. Henry hnopt tur-
nished the directions, and they were found on
the farm of Mr.. Robert Speer, in Moon town
ship. 1t is somewhat strange that they have
not furnished material for a paper at some OF
the meetings of the Historical Society.
They are situated near the head of rocky
glen where an immense glacier stranded and
melted during the time the great ice cap slid
away from the North Pole, carrying with it all
vestiges Of the Garden of Eden, which some
scientists say must have been there. as that
portion of the earth was first fitted for the
genesis of organic life. Enough sand and con-
glOmerate rock were droppedin this locality to
furnish material for the building Of consid-
cradle city, and some of the rocks were piled
heterogeneously furnishing shelter Tor wild
animals and
PREHISTORIC MAN.
and for the scouts of a century ago who
watched the motions of the children of the
forest, and gave notice to the settlements of
whites of intended scalping forays.
Under Mr.. Knopf's directions it was not diff
cult to find the place A few yards distant
from the rocks is a cave which can be pene-
traitor traitor must get on his knees
TO make the journey. Under some
large projecting rocks are various inscriptions
chiseled with some iron or steel instrument
probably the latter, as the rock is very hard.
The rock still shows the smoke stain left by the
fires at which the scouts warmed themselves.
1t is so overgrown with hchenS that some OF
the inscriptions must be guessed at. In three
. seu- fate places is cbiseled the word Left" in
Der 'E. E. b. l7Sl" Again Baxter left
fsn BAXTER some and SAY Would T09 naRs TeQuirs rs
application of a steel brush to
nine, owing to the persistency with
the lichens cling to the rock. Mr.knopf
homestretch of his earthly pilgrimage, states
there IS no doubt of the antiquity by the in
scriptons, as they were a tradition in his in
fancy and look as fresh now as then. Within
yard is a white oak tree, which reminds one of
the famous Charter oak, but it is evident the
hollow Of its trunk, as though it is
some so inches in diameter it is still
hale and it is doubtful whether it is los years
old. II may have been sappling in l1Sl, but
from what is related of the first growth of
Indiana county, it is more likely to have been
only the suggestion of
AN NCIPIEET ACORN
when the inscriptions were made. In $500
Indiana county was covered with a robust
forest growth, though history says that 175
years ago the county was covered with rank
but succulent grass similar to that which now
covers the Somerset glades. When the writer
first noticed the inscription Left" on the left
hand side of the entrance, he was inclined TO
think it a sort of Billstumpshismark affair
carved by some wag who aimed to puzzle arch
biologists but in a few minutes he became con-
vinced that it bore antiqultys stamp, and II
made by practical joker he mus be a very
old one by this time. 1t is true the Coraopolis
boys tell of Moon township man whom they
say, by his own account is 175 years old, and
they say they know he tells the truth, for as
Thaddeus Stevens said. they have it from his
own lips, but that man has never been known
TO even allude to the cavern and its inscrip-
tions.
At the date of these inscriptions there were
but few olearings in Allegheny county forests.
The explorer started when underneath the
leaves in the cavern he noticed bit of what
appeared to be piece of very ancient
yellow newspaper. He had already begun
TO feel somewhat -Van-Winklish and
SeorTe sSeopS III. em or George George washington % when
the fragment caught his eve. The paper proved
to be comparatively modern, and was found to
contain announcements that Maine had surely
gone Republican, assuring the election of Har-
risson and Morton; advertisements OF Lairds
shoe,store. Royal baking powder and Keech's
removal to Penn avenue etc.
Five years later than the date of inscriptions
Pittsburg only boasted of 36 log houses, one
stone and one frame house and five small stores
and its population was not more than 500 The
those days were
RATHER FRAGMENTARY
being composed largely of the remains of the
six nations, a Heterogeneous crowd of Shawnees,
Ningoes, Mohicans (probably among the last of
the iarUer), Senecas, Musies and Sanduskies.
They never ceased troubling until Mad Anthony
knocked the stuffing out of them IL years later.
Had it not been that whisky was good and
cheaper than milk now is, the condition of the
pioneers would have been insupportable Very
few people then considered the moderate use of
spirits sin, and whisky was legal tender for
all debts, public and private, save customs
duties Even preachers were known to receive
il for salary.
The deep glen at the head of which these
chiseled rocks are found is but eight miles
from our Court House. Even in this prosaic
work-a-day age it is still suggestive of the
fancies in which the ancient Greeks reveled.
One might easily imagine Diana in charge
with Naiads sporting about its bubbling brooks
and fountains. The hills on each hand are
sufficiently lo1ty to support the fancy of
footed Pau. and there can be no doubt what
ever that the Zephyrs, brothers of the Stars,
shin in the shades of evening. and as they
pass
Lack not for love fair objects, whom they WOO
With gentle whisper.
There is only one drawback in this pleasant
nicture. and that is the stray copperhead that
lies in the covert of moist logs ready to strike
his fapgs into the calf of explorers, but the
serpents are getting sc2rcer year by year, as
with an the wisdom imputed to them in the
Bible they do not seem to have sense enough
ID keen the domain that man has subdued, and
here
THEY COME TO GRIEF.
Itfnad been stated that these Inscriptions
were made bv Indians, or the Mound Builders
hut this illusion was suddenly dissipated by
their Character. The Indians that sported
about here 100 years ago did not belong to that
class of dam literary fellers" that gave the
old Winnebago chief at Harrisburg perturba-
non. Their traditions were not soul satisfying
and they were innocent of literature. Though
there may have Deen more or less glamour |
thrown about their feats when related by our
grandfathers, yet there is no doubt that
Colonel Brady and other noted scouts |
who kept guard hereabouts, met with more |
thrilling adventures than those by the recital |
Of which OtheJJoS won the gentle heart of |
DesoeDaon0. Though their skill was equal to |
TfrT Tnls -. wnfT