The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-07-25

Here as well as at other places
near the waters in those early days,
was a great deal of malaria to be en-
and one of the Indians
methods employed in its cure was as
Just across the river from
the village inside the township line on
the summit of the bank was a sweat
pit or hole which the Indians con.
structed. This was circular hole
about five feet in diameter, dug poss-
IDLY three feet deep and then banked
up with earth around until it was at
least six feet in depth. In this fire
was built and kept burning until the
walls of earth were heated to a very
high temperature, when the Goals
were removed and the sick person
went into the pit; the top was then
covered over with a blanket and the
man remained in until his body was in
state of profuse prespiration, when
he would emerge from the pit start
down the bank which was quite steep
and then plunge headlong into the
river. The reaction which resulted
from the extreme heat of body from
sweating and EMERSON in cold water
was supposed to be effective in throw
ing off disease.
This sweathole was in state of
almost primitive perfection until about
five years ago, when some person dug
down its walls in hopes of obtaining
treasures or trinkets to keep as SOU
venirs, and thus its contour was de-
stroyed.
The great Indian trail from San
dusky to Fort Pitt, Pa, crosses the
three southwest sections of the town
ship, when 1t turns south east, enters
Tuscarawas county, crosses the Mem
ishillen Creek about fifty rods above
where II empties into the Sandy Creek
and from thence in pretty direct
line 1t continues on to its place Of ter
burg In going northwest from the
junction of the Sandy Creek and Tus.
carawas River, its line Is through
Wayne county a little south of Woos.
ter, crossing the Killbuck north of
the bridge on the Ashland road; from
thence west through Reedsburg,
Johnstown, Wyandot town to Fort
Sandusky on the Sandusky bay, q
distance of 240 miles. This was evi.
IDENTIFY a much travelled rout long
prior to the settlement Of the country
by the white man.
Colonel e. Ball in his notes on the
pioneer history of Stark county says,
that during and prior to the war of
large numbers at the Old Delaware
Capital, and in many temporary en-
campments throughout Stark county,
and it was a common thing to hear
them boast of their exploits on the
border, of how many white men they
had killed, or how many had suffered
death by torture at their hands. Some
of them proudly displayed dry tongues
or scalps, stating that such had been
taken from white captives. 1t is re-
lated that on one occasion, when one
of the Indians had displayed string of
dried human tongues, and had boasted
of having killed the white men, he
was followed by Mr.. Harter. Of Plain
township and after that the Indian
was never seen again. Mr.. Harter is
said to have stated significantly after,
ward, "He will never show those
tongues again."
In giving Col. Balls version of the
Indian showing the dried tongues,
and his subsequent death at the hands
of Mr.. Harter, we are forced to this
conclusion;; that either the event
mentioned has been changed through
the oft repeated stories of it's occur.
ance, to giving Mr. Harter' the credi,
for ushering into the Happy Hunt
ing Grounds" the Indian who dis.
played the human tongues, instead OF
the true actor Mr., Snellbaker, of
Sandyyille, Tuscarawas county, or
that similar occurrence (Which is not
at all improbable) took place in which
Mr.. Harter was the actor who started
the Indian off on a prolonged leave
of absence.
The story as we have learned 1;
has been given us, not further re-
moved than second hand from three
different persons; one of whom was
present at the time when the occur
ance in part, took place, and was
then nine years old; the second was
given by a son Of Mr.. Snellbaker 1.-THE
actor,) and the third by one then
living not more than two miles from
soon in quite a hilarious candition
1t was probably about the year 1917
that a company Of the early settlers
were assisting one Of their number to
erect log cabin on the west bank OF
the Sandy Creek just opposite where
the old dam had been built, and but a
few rods south of the line between
Pike township and Tuscarawas Coun
ty. 1t was usual upon such occasions
there was an abundance of whiskey al
hand to keep up. the spirits of the mer
at work. About 8 O'clock In the fore