The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-07-31
"REMINISCENCES.

In these days of rapid transit, ofswift
running railroad cars, tearing across
the continent in three or four days,
trains in every State, and in nearly
every county of some states, of mighty
steamers, sailing four hundLed miles Il
day all for the purpose of affording pleas
ure, profit or amusement for the people,
to bring them commodities and neces-
sities from other States and countries,
to carry them away, or to bring them
home, we seldom stop to think of the
hardships, and trials, snd perils, and
privatiOns our forefathers had TO un-
dergo when they opened up this coun-
try. 1t is possible the younger, or the
older people, of this country, many of
them, could hardly be able to tell what
a packtrain would look like yet some
thing over a hundred years ago, goods
of all kinds were carried to this coun-
try on packhorses, long trains of which
climbed the mountains or descended
the hills. There would be dozen or
more horses in charge of one man, and
perhaps a half dozen or more men.
They carried several hundred pounds
on one horse, loading east somewhere,
with different things, and loading west
with salt, and whatever they could get
that would be needed. a packtrain ran
through Addison township, probably
following the route of one of the roads
to some extent, and coming down the
mountains on an easy descent close to
Mr.. Arch Birds place. The mountain
is known all over the country as Pack
horse" and has an apex or 'hoeback, F"
about the width OF good wide wagon
road, but at some places much narrow
er. This road or trail must have gone
| i'm the direction of where Confluence
now stands, as that part of the country
was settled long before this. There
was an Indian village at the confiu-
ence of the rivers, and a blOckhouse or
fort in which the writer's paternal
grandmother was born i'm 1913. During
the Revolutionary war there We're four
soldiers from this county, among Others,
who were known only to the writer 10y
knowledge from his parents. They
were Capt. Tissue, grandfather of A.
y. Tissue of Confluence, a Mr.. Tame
hill, Mr.. Jennings and James NJ Itch
ell, grandfather of David and Alfred
Mitchell. The old fellows would often
meet at the house Of the writer's grand
father. who was Mitchelrs brother and
fight their battles over, a. was, and is,
| the custom with old veterans. Mitch
ell was great hunter, as well as q
good soldier and a man of wonderful
physical strength, but not quarrelsomc,
and after the war closed, he located on
the farm now owned by David Mitch
ell, not so much, perhaps, because OF
the location, although the farm is pro
| ductive, as because the hunting was
good; bear, deer, turkeys and all kinds oi
game being very plentiful in that vi
cinity then. The old man frequently
took to the woods on a hunting trip
and stayed for days at a time, as he
loved the quiet and solitude of God:
first temples"
One one of these occasions, while II,
was away, train of packhorses came
along. and with it was a man o
great strength and skill az a fighter
He said he had heard of Mitchell ant
he concluded the right thing to do wa
for Mitchell and him to have fight
to see which was the better man. Blu
Mitchell was away, and, after waiting
couple of days for his return, the
packmen, with their train, left on thei
way to Cumberland, the fighter leav
ing a challenge for Mitchell to NEE
him in fistic combat.
Mitchell came home in a day or so
and was told about the paekmen, an'
the challenge left by the strong man
OF course, the old veteran could neve
let thing Of that kind pass it woul'
be stigma on his prowess that coul'
never be efiaced; so, against the wishe
of his family, he followed their trai
eastward, and overlook them at Cum
berland. He found the wouldbe fight
er easily, and in the encounter tina
shortly followed, Mitchell came on
with flying colors. The other fellow
acknowledged Mitchell the better man
and they parted better friends thai
they had been before they saw eacl
other. These packmen were as mucI
opposed to the proposed pike, as tn
''pikeboys" were, later on, opposed {
the making of railroads. The life the
led was free and easy, and, when tn
weather was good, they had yer
nice time. 1t is possible that pacl
trains passed over the ''Old Road q
times, when ii became impossible
wagons, from the depth of tn
mud, as il certainly must have done
rainy weather.
Prior to, and during the revolutions
ry war. and possibly some time aftel