The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-07
IN THE WILDERNESS.
Reeolieetsoss OF the Days when rionesrs
Had TO stru sgie for Existence.

/
interesting living relic Of pioneer days An
northwestern Pennsylvania Is Joho X. Burt OF
| Burtville. three miles from this village. who
| enjoys the distinction OF having been tn hrst
white child born in tho region between the
Suspuchnnna settlements. nearly hUhure"
miles 20 tho. southwark. the Cownncsiue Na'-
ley. forty miles on tho east, the New York state
| counties, twrnty miles distant on the h"rtn'
and the hills OF Mexican county on thr wes''
| He was bora in hastily rreparci Hs
calin. his mother having travelled on horse
back through wilderness m"st OF tho way
with her infant frst.born son. hiisha. h''u III
her arms. from her homo IN distant ChemanG
| coun,y y T. Her husl au1. BENJAMIN Burt.
travelled IN foot at her side. lhey arrived at
the Mace where their fUt !r" nome was TO Do
in May. 1911. aud not lUuG forward their
second son was born. almost On the site ot tho
house where lie lives now
| ~ aver persons cradle was the woods.
,,irn vas."M Mr. Bart said. My nursery songs
wore the howl Of the wolf anl thu yell OF tho
,,nthe-. There were not moro than IL score ot
| ,or.,,,. I'm the whole IT Potter county wnen |
! was horn and they had been there loss than n
! v.,- tn. families OF Major Isaac Lyman and
/ Mr. Ayers fourteen miles away. Tho main
/ .usicnarce OF my parents for long time WAS
Wild lreSs. ncttles. and COW cabbage ~ tho
. swarlps. and vensun and bear meat. Snow
/ .ell seventy days daring three months OF the
! first winter. twenty-five of those days BEING
! during the first month. Provisions. other than
The wild products OF the forest. had to be
packed in from Jersey Shore. down on the
Susluehanna. eighty mlcs through the woods
The journey occupied from eighteen days to
three wteis going and coming. For sixty
miles Of that distance there was not single
sign VI human habitation. In making tho trip
they had to cGlnr out in the woods at night.
mud in the winter tim, NJ QUO attcnptcd to
undertake the journey alone. "a no would
surely have persisted. SO deep were tho SHOWS
and 80 Intense the cold.
By tho time my father got his first grain on
his cleariu. Major lyman had built little
grist mill, but ns it was fourteen miles away
and the way to 1t almost .mnnssable. nv father
pounded his corn III m INDIAN samp mill. but
atterward made "A rude hand mill. the stones
Of winch wer. used 10y, many others years
niterward. This method OF getting meal to
r7oviI" tor tn" ncr!s ~ his family was at
seIsed t" take $50 some sr to YIN. M MIL ard
from all accounts It was baiy needed. He
started with an OK team ona waters day. 1t
was tho fourth day after that before he re-
turned. IA have often heard him relate Il.
the weathe. was terribly cold the snow more
had to wade them. carrying the bags oi corn
witch I'll the s @ss hSse wn HF" Save
sunk with their weight: Tho ire. iroze to his
clothing 10 SuCn Il thickness tndt the BURDEN
! Of 1t was as great as the weight Of the corn
BY constant toll II this kind he managed to
max seven miles Of the Journey ty night OF
the first day soon after my parents and nv.
self came into the Wilderness family named
Pet nnd moved Ii, Il and settled Hear where
| than the SPOT my father had reached on that
days journey toward the mill. Night had in
and father, was forcet to Leave his slow oxen
and make his way on to Poets to save himself
| from ireS:!ng to death. Next morning he
went back found his and al the
| journey; He reached tho mill at dark that
ns s tns
He was compelled to do it. for his wife and
sh e.ns TsF Of at hon Nothing but
Our nearest neiSnboIs, the Poets had lust
Among the things that he brought into the
wilderness With him was broken slate, One
traded the slate to Que OF. Malor Lynlan's boys
for a fawn skin. ont of it Hrs. Pest made a
grew it. and her little sistertook It till she out
! grew IT, when !. third daughter came on aud
/ wore it until fourth appeared. who fell heir
Although my wife. now dead these ton
Sh,age- in the iackw"ohs in this part Of Penn m
sIlvnnit had heen so Few that she was almost
Lyman. the original upncer He led on
| tie hanks Of the Allegheny at what is now
Ronlet'e.an,l his barn. ,nniit the same year my
! wife WAS uurn. il Sanding yet. a. good az it
/ was when built. .sry-nty-iour years ago with
ont eryn shn-iie having oeep renewoI. Her
| Journey I. Jersey shore for supplies tina. my
years. and the .neccs s:ies ~ his family CON.
Iel!"d one Of the trips when she was. only a
with hcr two haiie-.. Her main depeaIenss
| Tor food. especially for thu children. unit!
h Ln lMs ,s sho"iH return Ws On the
large to obtain their own >ust"nauce.
| ll.tl n rIlN l,nl at lrI
make their APPEARANCE. Ms. lyman waited
| into tn. woods to look Tor tho cows. Mt DIR.
ing TO leave her children alone in the cao,n
ing the other on her arm. she wat.d the rivr-
uni went in thu woods to hunt L = the COWS. 1t
sound % the bell ono of the cows wors. and
She found the cattle two or three miles from
s@ Them IN was as "s at as nf I y Tnsn shr
as they We're contrary about crossing.
and ,he was hammered by tbs burden 81
n.-s she laid the bnh". which was asleep. at
tAe loot Of a tree. while she got the cattle
her habv She thotsht she could go straight
:" the SPOT where she left it in ,si,ite Of the
pitch harSn.se. but she was mistaken. She
c,'nl,!nt find the tree whcr, she had lain the.
rhlt on the ground. To Nd to her agcnT and
,',kiog her hale tho wolves Began to howl on
| tue hill, and Il Ira-tul thunder storm arose.
Aa%sr wiiS With sriet ard ts"T nt the
while he .rries, of the So!vcs came nearer
I Ind tho thunder crashed and the light
| Mag i,ashcf among III" forest trcos. At last
almost overcome. she was about 70 sink to .he
ground in DESPAIR. when vivid ha-n ii light
Ming lit ur m. tpresr. na'i shove her the lost
taE'y snnc%'ei IT, the root - tho tree and
souah aslreI With Il cry Of ioy she seized il.
| hurried 20 ths river and wade! b;.ct: 10 her
lone cabin. 81 til" q rae Sh. hal reached tho
cnhr 'h' wolves Were hp%liug IN the ogpo-
site bank {" the river. She ha'. fo.nG the
chin an back not a MINT. too s5Dr.
me h""iihT o. wolves w"s ns lam.lInr
sound 7" me VIXEN was hcy. ard long uftec
became :! man. aS The barking Of dogs is now.
| ana i was as "omihnn - be wax 80 ~ pan
t ther yell a. 1t Is row. almost. hy roOsttr'-
! Growing. mover came into close contact with
apRnfh"r. though. "Srelt once, ] was about
| - years old. W. had a -h-uh.rd dog that
| used tr"" CONS. one night | heard him
paIGir: suv"r@l t:rlr- turia. the nj :ht on the
I hill right over yonGer. ! iMaLEIt he had u
coon w. tTIe and A. soon n II got to re light
| c;.t ii the tee. When | arnron,,hpd the tree
| where the dog wa, | -lw 'snr'.,b;,,, AK