The Republican., 1900-09-13

|
nor beast nor will he suffer either to
insult him." But the panther lis
great sneak" and to be scorned-
''cowardly, treacherous and cruel.n
He had killed about SO panthers and
catamounts, 400 bears and nearly
1000 deer, and the survivors respect
ed him as a true sportsmen and a
gentleman.
In Browning's time-say 80 years
ago-the delightful valley inclosed
between the great Backbone noun
tain and the western hills of the
Youghiogheny river, and known as
the "Glades, was the paradise of the
woodsmen and rangers of his clan.
| All the waters on the eastern side of
the Backbone fall into the Potomac
| and those on the western side into
the 1oughiogheny, which delivers it's
stream to the Ohio river. The
| Glades were clear, level meadows,
clothed in high grass, the blades set
very thick on the stock, to the height
OF three or four feet. There were
many hundreds of acres of this lordly
grass growing where ragged bushes
hold all the ground now 1T was
grand sight''-across the great valley
says Browning, ''to watch the tall
grass, rolling in great waves before
every passing breeze, and the herds
OF deer skipping and romping with
each other Now and then great
lubberly bear invaded their happy
playground, or wolf prowled behind
the screen of herbage, sneaking for a
fawn." And to April, May and June
hundreds of wild turkeys went chas-
ing grasshoppers across the great
glades, flying, running in picturesque
diversity of action and sport.
| Browning lamented the invasion of
men from Pennsylvania and Virginia,
who, attracted by the charm and
oppulence of the pasturage, prevail
ed upon the settlers to grass" their
cattle in great numbers, and so from
April to September they overran
| the beautiful glades, trampling, de-
vouring, defiling. The herders, often
stupid and brutal, were forever
shooting at the deer, until all but the
sucking fawns abandoned the glades
and hid in the mountains. Some
proving ruflian, worse than bear or
wolf, would bleat like a fawn, and
| when the distressed mother came he
shot her down and left her poor little
fawn to starve.' The settlers, after
appealing in vain to the Legislature
| for relief, killed the cattle at night
| and drove out the herders, but later
| the pernicious pratice was resumed,
to the grave detriment of the little
mountain republic
The early settlers were thrifty and
provident. They made their own
clothes of the linsey, wooden and
| linen that their women spun and
| wove from their flax and wool. .. Lin
sey, pork, beef, honey, corn, some
times sheep or a pig, the skin of q
bear, deer, coon, or even wolf
scalp-these constituted their circu-
lating medium; with these they
traded; with these they paid their
hired help" If a man wore pair
of boots he was a gentleman: If an
unmarried woman was gorgeous in
calfskin or morocco shoes she was
belle.
The settlers lived in cabins and fed
| their children on bread honey, but
ter and milk. Tea and coffee were
Injuries, but bear meat and venison
were so plentiful as to be lightly
esteemed. The people of the,country
west sof Cumberland were notably
hospitable and generous, especially
to the stranger and the wayfarer,
who were freely piloted by the
hunters many miles on their way by
devious bride paths;and trails.
When Browning who was born in