The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-03-01
THE PIONEERS
The Early Settlers Of
Stark County.


have been much interested in the
accounts published in your interesting
paper of the early settlers, written by
John Danncr and the correspondent
from Louisville. We all like to know
of the beginning of the now populous
and busy towns, but would it not be
appropriate in telling OF the first set
tiers to not only say where they were
located and what particular business
was conducted by them, but to speak OF
their bravery in enduring the priva-
tions of pioneer life of the pathos that
was often found in their experiences
and of the humor too that was not al
together repressed by their crude sur
roundings? ! fear these things are too
likely to be lost sight of.
The pioneers of Stark county were
from nearly all the original states Of
the union and many were from Great
Britain and Germany. making up a
citizenship of oddly assorted members,
The Virginians were in their own esti-
nation all members of the +. F. VS.
of that state, and the Pennsylvanians
and those from New Jersey were conf
aent that to them belonged the hom-
age of their less favored neighbors, and
sometimes ludicrous things happened.
A man from Virginia had bought 40
acres Of land and part oc it was cleared
and sowed in wheat. A Pennsylvania
had several sons, one of them splend-
| Id specimen of manhood as far as ply
sical development was concerned, but
not very well balanced. He had q spite
al the Virginian and his sons and spar
ed no opportunity TO show it. II so hap
pened that the next neighbor to the
Virginians had employed the young
Pennsylvania to cradle his wheat
about eight acres, and the Virginians
were cutting theirs in the adjoining
field the same day. When the situa'
ton dawned on the young Pennsylvan-
ian he started around the field level.
ing the wheat with the stroke of his
cradle at an incredibly swift rate. and
every time he drew near the Virginians
he sang out in stentorian voice
I"Hurrah for hoe cake and possum sop
Then around the field he would rush
again like a cyclone leveling the wheat
faster than two men could rake ant
bind it and he would have cut the whole
eight acres in single day If the own
ers had not stopped him. He ate hi:
supper and left singing at the top o
his voice as he passed the Nirginians
house, "Hurrah for hoe cake and pos
sum sop" Some time after the Penn
sylvanians dug a well. 1t stood opel
over Sunday and the young man wen
out to water the horses in the after
noon. He mounted an old nag ant
started for nearby stream, but wheI
he came near the oper well the poo
blind beast began to back and stumbled
right into the open well. The youn.
mans length of limb was all tina
saved him from a perhaps fatal acci
dent for catching with one foot on tn
other side of the well, he slipped OF
and the poor beast went down SOM
twenty feet or more to the bottom.
had TO be shot before ii could be ex
tricated. or course II was a serious
matter, but 1t afforded amusement 70
the neighborhood although sorry TO
his loss. There are many chapters @
THE short and single annals of tn
poor that If written would be very in
teresting.
PETER MILLER
Marlboro, Feb. %.