The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-14
UNIQUE IlUCKLEBERRY HILL.
a RUSTIC PANTY FAIR Nv THE POTTER
COUNTY WILDERNESS

thei- Tents-rn spite OF Big and Ugly
Rnttiesnake. and Broiiing SIM. They
Pick Huchieberries. White Bands Play,
Dancer. Dance. Fakirs Fake. and Drunken
= Eushwhnekers Carouse and Fight.
ROULETTE. Pa, Aug. 13-Whcn the first set
tiers came into this part OF Pennsylvania or
into that division OF It which Is Potter county.
they found bears a-plcnty. and panthers. and
herds Of deer and ok. but no huckieberries.
There wore endless fore is Of Pine and hem
lock. md OF sugar maple. beach and oak, but
no huckleberrins. There wore overlapping
mountains and delightful sweeps OF virgin
valley, through which crystal streams courscd
sweet and swift, but 10 hucklcborrics. To tho
pioneer families whJ came hore from north
eastern PENNSYLVANIA and Now England. and
the eastern hills Of New York State where this
toothsome wild fruit grew in abundance.
the sitter absence Of this great bounty was
both surprise and n bitter disappointment.
But knowing that in tho hucklebcrry coun-
tries they had lot tie bushes bearing this
berry Invariably camo into existence whore
Dine timber had been cleared away and the
ground burned over they lived in tho assur-
ance thatthey would see tho familiar foliage
rrringn: from the soil after they Ind cleared
their mountain land and pat 1t to tho fire.
Such result did follow down on tho Sinnamn-
honing and other waters flowing Into the Sus-
ouchanna. hut nowhere OH the watershed OF
tho Allegheny River. embracing the greater
port Of Potter county. did the eager
iy awaited huckleberry bushes appear.
Why this should have been no one has "a yet
given any satisfactory explanation. But the
early settlers solaccd themselves with tho
congrat ulation that il they hal no buckle
berries. they Mt the same time escaped the
annoyance and danger OF rattlesnakes. ac-
certing as true the apparent fact that wher-
ever there arc buck lebcrries there will rnttle-
snakes 10 found as well. There is not now,
nor has there ever been. q rattlesnake along
the Allegheny waters in Potter county. whiis
over the dividing rapids. along the Sus1ue-
hanna waters. that venomous reptile seeme to
And congcniul home.
It is now IL quarter OF n century since the
last of the great pine forests Of Potter county
disappeared. and among the last OF them to
tt1' was the vast tract that lay between Pine
Creek on the south and southwest. the Gene
see Fork on the west. and Phoenix Creek on
the east, in Pike township. This forest crowned
the steep mountain that rises in that broad
area. its summit being table land many
thousand acres IN extent. Tho great canons
OF Pine Creek are on one siue and tho deep
deiiles OF Phoenix Crock on the other This
mountain has AN elevation of 800 feet above
way O: nll their giant fellows in the region. a
second growth OF pines grew rapidly
in their places. but OF an entirely
different variety They were known as
jack pines. and were so full OF pitch
that they were cut and converted into tar.
hundreds Of tar kilns being erected ut the
summit. the ruins of which are to-day found
among the brakes and rocks, With the disap-
pearance OF the iack pines this great noun
tain hccame u deserted. treee>s barren. u
prey for brush fire. that no one could control:
Then the discovery. was, made utter one of
these early spring fires, had swept over the
pine barren. that hue kieberry bushes had
Somsup through the black ashes the fire re had ,at
genuine, rich-pu ped. full favored early blue
llckleberry: thHnsanhs nn23n thousands IA ., 81
Eio1 The n1 sfio,n sss ca % e t *5
the berries had persstcn,ly refused to grow
h'forc. thus sudden appearance OF the bushes
tna %t tSse 81 wss
enormous. and in no season since then has
the hucklenerry, crop on the great nh failed
name OF luckleherry Till. and as such 1t Is
known today; standing UNIQUE in its isola,
years. from ABOUT the middle Of July. until
sSE' mSN ss6 SPS S! ins H
the sun that blazes on thetreeless summit all
day long and n srits OF the tedious 1ourne ne
been thu daily Mecca Of hundreds OF men.
women. and children. drawn thither BY tho
The annual pilgrimage to this hilltop is
now Al its heiGA IT. Tho berry crop was never
sea son tho barren has been one great. busy.
froimking. b'i~ter"hs. sweating camp. in
Mhich there have been at no time loss than
day The gathering is Increased to more than
loo. THO scores q o. tents that whiten the
Of or q, iHs military it
remain two or thee DAYS on the ground. pick
ing berries for their own domestic uses. and
and phsfss @
season is over These pickers frequently con :
sist Of entrr families. ranging from the gray,
big enough to pick berries. and alert enough
okeep an exc ont for rat;lcsn9kes. Tents are
breaking camp; Dnt other campers are con-
stanty arriving to axe their places; and thus,
mains essenti9lly, the same from the begin.
ming to the end OF tho season; =.
Of TRs:s SHf T ss wnfs
and that is by the I'D road tho !umbcrmen
cut ln tho side Of tho ill years ago 70 get the
climb to an elevation u 500 feet. On ons
nitchcs down 10 tn" vaiIey. with but a foot OF
two hctws"n i and the otter lge Of tho road a.
mr." oa"r a lat TIL 5ys t6s al is
road. This thoroughlaro is SO narrow that II
T. Impossible for teams 10 pass one another,
AMI ,i- couvryancss OF all kinds are constantly
arriving rom every, direction, laden With
res, baskets aud nails. and seeking
nassaGe from the valley nl the gfoat
hill; and as other con~eyances that have come
bsIoFr and 30 'ursd thor loads OF berries aro
Just asr"nstnntly seeking passage down the
hill t. the valley. not much progress could be
mgts by either going or retnrnin G caravans IL
Il war not tor u pe,i lar law OF right OF way
which has oeon "stanl,-hea;, During certain
hour teams going M tho hill have this right 81
Way, and teams hetied for HON" must walt
until tIat hoar j. up before they may start
down. man mt tn. bot ON Regulates the up
ward rain Of wagons. whi!ea man at the top
Of tho NIL holds tn. downward trains In check:
When the Aour is up. no wagon IL permitted
f. start up the hill. no matter how many may
20 waiting nj tho bottom. The ensuing
lour ,eion:s t. the down-"oming teams and
DO they 20 and come. every Other hour. "A
many as thirty teams hnve been asSnd up tho
hill in aa nOur Some Of these rame from tho
farihcst boundaries Of the rruni y, and from AZ
fHrna tiis Sew iotk state border many trav-.
Cling gll through the night to reach the spot
IN good season. DIriN. the recent nsu'fera-
bly, hot days when most penp" were melting
In Ia. an .l.Et l., th..u a n,,l l,,,