The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-06-26

through the hills and forests, the
houses usually being removed two or
til ece miles from each others
The dense forests were unbroken save
for the occasional patches OF newly
cleared land, containing from one to a
dozen acre5,N and the only highways
we're the rough, winding roads laid out
by the farmers, with blazed trees on
either side to mark their courses
TIC only public place in the settle
ment was tiroomer's mill, and though at
that time thought tia wonderful town,
as | recall 1t now 1t appears to have
been an extremely insignificant point.
II contained general merchandise
store, a blacksmith shop, a half-dozen
houses, and last, but not least, Groom
'er's mill, from which the town got its
name.
i This mflI was one OF those 1ong-since
obsolete horse ls-that is, 1t was run
Nv horse power, and each customer was
required tofurnish his own horses, and,
as ii took two horses to run it, each
customer who carried a turn of corn to
TTtff WITS Obliged to lead a second horse
with him, r.
ABOUT the only striking popularity
chat can remember about this mill was
its wonderful facility for killing time. !
don't think ] ever saw any thing to
equal il in that respect, and distinctly
recellcet that the phrase 'sAs slow as
Groomer's milf got to be proverbial in
the settlement at that period. ~
slowness Of the mill, for many and many
We're thenights that sat up there from
dark tfntildawn awaiting my turn, and
very often A, inSconnection with other
hoys who were waiting, parched and ate
so much corn that 1t really looked as
ii there would he little left for the grist
by the time tic mill had worked its way
up % i.
did al the milling for our family,
and every second week carried a
..,tern' Of corn to the mill, always
riding astride of the grain on one horse
and leading another. j usually left
home at daylight, but sometimes when
the night was not too dark | started
earlier, even as carly as midnight occa-
sienally.
Al whatever hour ] started, | went
: preparcd-to remain all day and al l
night so the folks at home were never
uneasy on account of my protracted alb
scnce
never had any fancy for the long,
solitary night rides through the dark
woods and ! think very few boys of my
age would have had, for the situation
was gloomy and forbidding enough 10
give an older person the ''creeps."
10 make the matter worse with me.
the neighbors were always relating in
mY presence stories ola panther having
been seen prowling about in the settle
ment, sometimes in one place and
y0mHttnes n anott1er,. ind not iRfre-
qncptly in the neighborhood 81 the mill
road
do notvknow whether panther had
ever been seen in the settlement, and |
rather suspect, one neverSh5m, ana OF
the oPiHienss hat some pcrsonS III ought
he mad Seen onos@and, 5rclating his ex--
perience, set the people to tallcing pnd
got up a sort of rivalry among them
which let to many such accounts, all of
which were imaginary or willful mis-
rcprescntations.
But be that as it may, the stories had
Their effect ON me, and ] never passed
- through the. woods after night that my
laind. was not filled with thoughts of
; .aaRthers, and IexPeeted every minute
--terbe attacked and torn to pieces by the
savage beasts.
Any little noises such as@the crack
ing OF a twfg, the rustling OF the leaves
or the falling of nut, was sufficient