The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-05-08

Mr. 00O0Ioy morgan OjoTk OI flko
county. delivered 90 interesting lecture
In Petersburg recently on "Pioneer
Days 10 Pike and Dubois" which 10
published In tho Petersburg Press, and
from which W Gull the following:
From 1886 to le4O the two counties
named were very sparsely settled. There
was large section Of territory, unin-
habited, that was covered with dense
forests OF choice timber, over which sec
tIons roamcd immense herds Of deer,
turkeys and wild hogs, together with .
sprinkling OF wolves. foxes,
Ietc. To give you some idea OF the
quantity OF deer. cay In 1901 was
clerking for Judge Foster II the sime-
during the fell and winter Of that year
we bought 800 pair OF veOison hams for
which We paid from IS to 373 cents per
pair, In trade; but further. al the other
morchants were buying at the came
time, for ct that period the hams aud
hides Of the deer were staple article Of
trade. The deer hNms were shipped
south on fIat boats with pork, corn, etc.
At that period nearly every man was
Z hunter, and many women, too, and
long flint lock ri6e-we bad no percus-
sion caps in those dsys-was On essen
tial, yea, an Indispensable article 10
every household. 1t being, cure
means Of supplying the family With ell
kinds Of game and pork for Wild hogs
we're usually regarded ~ common prop
'erty. With the proceeds Of the sale Of
the deer hams and their hides and other
Wild animals, they supplied themselves
with their powder, nint and lead and
such groceries q they needed.
This, IN connection with . few acres
Iof corn for bread, I hax patch. TO be
converted into clothing BY the women,
lconstituted the means Of living Of . ma
jority OF the citizens OF this and Dubois
counties 10 those days. And there was
no person in those days that suffered for
food, for the people were bospits Bile and
!, ,neighborly. and we're ever ready 70 help
the sick and distressed. Meat anc bread
\ were abundant and all were bouutifully
supplied. consequently We bad no poor
h0uses nor township trustees. Those
Expensive luxuries seem 70 be the pro-
duct OF our modern civilization.
/ 10 16l2 | flnd that there we're 5000
acres OF land that had been purchssed
from the government 10 Pike county
leaving nearly 10000 acres Of govern
lment land. Id that year there wese
|only no polls that 4 men beevoeo 81
|ood 50 yooeo n oor cooney. This lofgl
.|Doe>Ioo oe or eoooey ocln9 govorumool
..lIand & eosbIod uon 70 ooelIo o. ~sQuat'
ion these lands, build log cobln, clearing
"a few acree OF ground; and they did
!. this IL perfect security; Tor no mss
|. would have dared 10 buy from the gov.
'ernment those holdings without having I
!, perfect understanding with the squstteT
and paying him for bic improvements
This was great advantage 10 poor men
|, In fact 1t enabled every man who woult
|, work TO supply himself and family will
!. the neceessries OF life; and frequeDtl.
enabled the "sQuatter" 10 buy govern
Iment land BY selling bic improvemente
And their wants were com mparstivcly fev
Z and easily supplied. There Was no
half the work done 10 those days q :
!. the present time-that is, By men.
: n the wheels OF time could b turne'
z back and We could occupy the position
of the pioneer fathers 10 1910, after hsv
!, ing enjoyed the advantages Of the rai'
4 road, the telegraph, and telephone
e which have virtually annihilsted dis
I. tances, and the many c0mforts and con
q venieuces, the result Of modern improve
q ments and civilization-which We poi
4 sese. We could then begin to properl
4 appreciate the wonderful age in whic
1--WE are permitted to live and its gran
q possibilities In the near future. w
Inow realize that human progress and ID
vention ere marching forward with irrt
sistable power, and that Il will sccou
pIish greater sesults 10 tho next twent!
10 i've years than has been accomplishe
IL from the birth Of time until the presel
Dt hour.
vi AZ further illustration Of the disas
10 vantages that people Iabored under g.
., In 1874, there was : very exciting pres
! ;dentiai election. have seen noue moi
10 90. except, perhsps, the campaign
164O. Ii was elk long weeks after q
ltelectiou before We knew whether Pol
.. or Clay. had been the euccessful cand
D. date. The few travellers who visited o.
stown ware eagerly interviewed o
Dt election news.
'n When 1 came 70 Petersburg In 10;
u Uncle Henry Miley hsd horse mill
WuoS - INV 8SU<sS Sssy 0oS - - -~s'~
HIll--but its proper name d Morgan
,f Addition 70 the Town Of Petersburg,
d plsce noted for its health, and morsIit
! For the information OF those who hs'
e never seen such : mill and are une
% qusInted with the rules By which tn
% sre run. will ssy that esch person VI
stl wished 70 have his corn ground he'd
10 furnish two horses to create the pow
Ito grind, I have seen - many a 6G
horses, and men and boys q that o
mill waiting their turn TO grind. MAJ
\ would have to walt day and night b
= FORE their turn would come. Wheat ~
p ground &C AathwsyS mill q Winslo'
= and q Kinks mill q : place calle
Wheeling, ID Gibson county, but su'
flour would not be used q all in the
'o modern dava. nor could it 10 sold. The
Y was no baking powder Or soda IN th
?. time. but ealeratue. which was used
. such generous quantities that the bi
cutie we're - yellow o pumpkins ana
hard as brick-bats, that 70, hgurative
speaking. But W had excellent col
IN $3.50 t-1~~l 4 49, sxxH eaotod a0v noi