The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-01-03
JEM FOUNDERS TREASURE.

JEM FOUNDERS TREASURE.
The pioneer who pushed out into the
wilderness during the latter part of the
18th century, and the early part of the
18th, was a hardy specimen of humanity,
long since disappeared from the stage of
action. That hardy race nobly did the
work assigned to them. 1t was they who
conquered the wilderness and planted the
field, town and city we now enjoy. Only
IN the memory of the oldest citizens fingers
the humble cabin in the cleared patch"
IN the forest, surrounded by stunps of
fresh-cut trees, with the great wood, like
an interminable green wall rising between
the isolated home and the world beyond.
This was the beginning of life in what
was then called the West, but which is
now the Middle States.
The cabin home in the wilderness had
its pleasures as well as discomforts. This
cabin usually consisted of one room,
which answered for bedroom, kitchen,
dining-room and parlOr. The house was as
lowly as the frontiersman was lofty in his
views. The tall, strong pioneer was often
compelled to stOOp on entering the door TO
save his head from a knock.
Summer was usually dull enough in the
cabin home, and one may SurmiSe what
the Winter would be. Trackless forests
covered with snow, the earth with 4 white
carpet of snow all over it, and the great
dead tree which stood on the banks of the
creek, south of the house, on which the
owls would sit and boot on moonlight
nights, had been wrapped in winding
sheet of pure white. There were dim out
lines of tracks made in yesterdays snow,
but the snow was still falling and had al
most obliterated the footprints. Great
feathery flakes were coming slowly down
from the dull clouds, seeming to halt in
Tlid-atr If in mi xt-ha 20,
or not, but finally yielding to the force of
gravitatiOn and settling noiselessly to the
earth. The air was full, the forest full
and the earth covered, and still it fell.
The small log cabin in ''the clearing"
seemed isolated from all the world. The
great dark forest, with its lowering sky,
seemed to cut off communication with any
other portion of the known universe. From
the "stick-and-mud" chimney there issued
thin volumes of smoke, which soon min
gied with the clouds, or was lost in the
falling snow. The cabin had drear and
cherries aspect without. There were few
outhouses. A sort of shed, covered over
with coarse wild grass, contained a miser-
able, Shlyer1ng COW, too uncomfortable to
chew her cud. An ancient wagon stood
out in the weather" and under another
addition Of the shed pair OF very. thin
horses were nibbling at the coarse hay and
fodder from which they were to make
their meal. A well, with about three feet
OF hollow log for curbing. showing above
the ground, was near the house, and on
the southeast corner was pile OF wood, a
chopping log, with an AK by the side of
1t, all coated on one side by thin mantle
of snow. The blade of the ak was com
Pletely concealed by the snow, but the
haudle protruded above, and though cover
ed on the exposed side with the white
winding sheet, preserved its perfect out
line.
81 This was the exterior of the home of
Jem Bounder, the Cornish fisherman, who
had emigrated from Perth Amboy to the
region of the Ohio. 1t was typical home
of frontiersmen of that day-ease and
comfort unknown and danger despised 1t
was not romantic life and will hardly be
remembered a century hence. 1t was an
age of toll, the very dawn of civilization in
the great West Jem BOunder had emf
grated from Perth Amboy several months
before, and. had become permanently es-
tablished as u frontiersman. His boats,
nets and lines had been exchanged for
horses, COW, wagon, pillow, and material
for a frontier farmer.
Entering the cabin from the light of the
sun or cleaning snow one was almost
blinded. 1t was a small apartment, so
5imly lighted that one could scarce see on
his first entrance. The north window
was completely blocked up by bed. In
the east side Of the cabin was the broad
fireplace, taking mp almost one whole side
of the house. The only door was in the
south side Of the house. When one en-
tered the cabin, blinking his eyes in the
darkness, he found a rivalry between
the light of the fire in the big fireplace and
the small four-pane window in the west.
On trundle bed, half drawn from under a
taller bed, four children, ranging from one
year to eight, were playing with c0rncobs,
bits Of wood, bright pebbles, and such toys
as were known to pioneer children
Ii was washing day. OF all days of the
week the child most dreaded washing day
1t was specially noted for Immature, and
mingled with other unpleasant remem-
ORANGES were boxed ears and spanks. No
wonder the children had taken the trundle
bed for their playground, for there was
hardly a dry spot on the floor. Jem
Bounder, with his short black pipe in his
mouth, was sitting with his hands in his
pockets and his legs drawn up under his
chair on 4 very small, desolate island, ~
ing about midway in an ocean of soap and
water. The solitary window had been
cleaned, the walls had been cleaned, the
bed and chairs had been cleaned, and
everything was wet and shining with soap
and sand, the smell Of which dry-saltery
impregnated the air.
A sort OF extemporized rack was In one
corner, on which hung numerous freshly
washed garments spread out to dry, and
giving out an odor Of soap and warm
water. An artificial fog from the boiling
water filled the room with pleasant re-
minders to the fisherman of his early life
on the Cornish coast, when he could scarce
steer his vessel through the mist.
Dimly seen through the steam and fog,
by the side Of the great washtub. her
Eeeves tucked up to her shoulders and her
Erms frothy with soapsuds and smoking
Nth hot water, was Mrs. Bounder, shak-