The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-09-13

would wonder how the people could
possibly make a living Here they
,sd clapbosrd roofs with weight poles
10 keep them in place on their log
stables They also have wooden or
leather hinges to the doors. You do
not see any brick chimneys to the
houses. but all are made of stone with |
FIRE places both mp and down stairs
two story chimneys call them. Very
few of the houses are painted. They
NOW partly by machine and partly by |
hand. They were in tine midst of their |
hay harvest of timothy and red top
mixed. Next morning we went to
church and when we got there all the
people were outside. Wondering rs
to the cause, we saw a swarm of yell
low jackets at the side of the door.
They were going in and out at the
side of the casing so we went in the
back way. Both men and women
came to church on horse back. 1t is n
nice thing to see n party of young folk
come cantering to church in this way.
After church we went short dis
tance for dinner. and after dinner We
went to services to a school house with
plank benches and no desks. weather
boarded with rough boards just as
they come from the mill, and not
plastered inside.
/ picked and ate some fine black
berries and huckleberries along the
road not more than twenty feet from
the school house. In travelling through
these mountains a Buckeye would
wonder how anyone could make liv
ing. but when you are let into the SO
cret you can easily see how it is
done.
After services at the school house l
started for a climb mp the mountain. and
when / reached the top of one of lowest
of them to my surprise 1 found large
grazing plateau with a fine cost of
grass and plenty of fat cattle and
sheep. also buckwheat fields and
meadows. This place is thirty-five
miles from q railroad and the whole dis
tance mountains. AS you psss the
very humble homes and look at the
surroundings of the mountaineers your
heart goes out in sympathy for them.
but at the same time they have car
loads Of cattle and sheep to drive out
to market each year. When you come
10 their tables they have plenty to eat
with nothing to buy but sugar. coffee
and salt. They raise all other things.
Some have bees and plenty of honey
They have sugar trees from which
they get sugar and molssses-
Many of the well to do farmers of
the valley take their cattle out TO
the mountains to Craze in summer. for
which they paw from 81. 80 to $500
per head for the season. The owner
does not need to look after them at all
They are salted and looked after twice
a week by the man who takes them to
Craze. One prominent farmer and
cattle owner informed me that he had
had cattle to gain as much as 400
pounds in a single season. About SOC
pounds is the average.
On our return we came n different
route which was much rougher thar
the way we went out. We came Oh
the top of the mountain to a point
where was the state line and the cor.
ner of two counties. l walked around
it and in less than thirty seconds wa.
in.two states and three different Uoun
ties. Also from this point we could
see six men and boys moving will
scythes in q meadow of ten acres ol
more. and not a machine in sight
They stack all their hay in rounC
stacks, and can do this to perfection
/ never saw as nice hay stacks any
where as / saw in these mountains
This hay is fed to cattle in winter a.
it would be almost impossible to hau
1t to market. In coming down tn,
mountain we came to where vas
amount of timber had been cut ant
Ipseled last spring for tan bark. ant
teams were hauling it out over road
which l doubt we could get our horse
over without any load.
| l also saw a portable saw mill a
La place where thought it utterly i'm
Ipossible to move traction engin,
lover the road necessary to be travers
led, but there was the engine and th'
only road for its passage as evidence
In coming down North River Ga
we came to the terminus of railroad
where company had erected say
mill of 100, 900 feet capacity and 30
horse power engine. but for some caus
or other it was never started. Thi
mill was built three years ago. Fror
the railroad terminus up the ravin
there is five miles of the roughest roa
ever saw or Travelled. with plenty @
mud holes full of mud as thick as moi
tar. half hub deep and rocks as big a
peck measures right in the. road. a
of which there is no possible means c
dodging.
Il For fear this will occupy too muc
space, / will close.
JACOB II. SwANK.