Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1896-03-06
Baon. q. -. Eldred's Experience
fan q SNOW storm, when but .
Youth.
By request. I


In much after the fashion Of the
present. Snow began to fall.early in
december, and remained on the
ground, and BY New Years day
everybody who could, prepared to
enjoy the merry season. In fact on
every road
"5leigh bells jingled. or that they
Were each one fitting for the sleigh"
and consequently the bitterness en-
gendered by tLe late election and
appointment of new President
Judge was for the moment forgotten.
Williamsport was then but q small
town, polling only about 230 votes,
but the war of words which had been
going on betveen the Gazette and
Chronicle. the only two Democratic
papers at the time Published in the
county, made it a point of general
observation. A New Years address
written by journeyman printer by
the name of William Piatt, a great
genius, but an eccentric character,
who spent his time alternately be.
tween setting type and sky -larking,
was issued by the Gazette. which
created considerable of sensation
because of its "hings" at certain
opposing politicians This address
had been revised and corrected by
Judge Lewis and Gov. Packer, and
was looked upon, rot as the simple
utterances of the ''devil, "who osten"
sibly fathered it, but rs being inspir-
cd by higher authority, as indeed it
was. Nevertheless, it proved only
nine days' wonder, and was soon
forgotten, like its author, who de-
sirved a better fate. Alas, poor
Piatt II knew him WELL"
But ! intended the foregoing re-
marks as only a prelude to rash
adventure OF my own. l was at
that time boy of seventeen. Wish
ing to visit my parents, living near
the Bradford county line, at the
head-waters of Loyslsock, north>
east of Williamsport, and being ac-
customed to walking, I determined
TO set out and make the trip on foot,
and accordingly arranged for the
purpose. To subtract something
from walk Of forty miles, ! conclud-
ell to take the stage at Joe Halls
hotel and ,ide to the Muney Farm,
now Halls station, q distance of
eight niles, and at midnight Of JAM
aary 6, 1884, boarded it, in the
midst Of a furious snow storm which
had set In few hours before. On
reaching the Pennsville road, four
miles north of Muncy, I found, on
leaving the stage, that the new snow
was about four inches deep, with no
abatement of the storm, At the
end Of the next half hour | was at
VIM. Robb's, mile east of Goose
town, as it was then called, and after
awakening some of the family, and
requesting an early breakfast, l re-
tired for a short mp. Daylight
found the storm as virulent as ever,
and the new snow fully foot deep.
A mail was then carried on horses
back across the Allegheny Mountain
once a week, and back, and I was in-
formed that this was the day for it
to go north, which it did whilst !
was at breakfast. But on following
the trail short time, | found the
continued rapid fall of snow soon
obllterated, or at least made it of no
avail as help to pedestrian.
Whilst jogging along at very mod
crate rate, about midway between
Rabbittown and Joseph Webstsr's, a
grey wolf walked into the road just
before me. The animal seemed daz-
ed or slow to understand why any
human being should be out in such
storm, for it stopped and observed
me for several seconds before it trots
ted off and left me a free highway.
had expected on leaving Williams
sport to reach Hillsgrove for dinner,
but / was glad enough TO take that
meal at Joseph Webster's, near the
present Huntersyille post-oflice.
Webster, whose nature was full of
the milk Of human kindness, strongly
dissuaded me for attempting to
cross the Allegheney that day, as the
storm was not yet over, and the
fresh snow already some fifteen
inches deep; but learning that a team
had just come over from Hillsgroye,
and hoping to meet others, I ventur-
/