The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-05-04

The season of the year being favor
able for his forward progress, he made
very good headway. Camping out
at nights, the only cover necessary
was to keep off the night dews and
the mosquitoes from molesting him.
Near the close of the fifth day after
leaving the fort, and when but a mile
or two from the traders cabin, he was
forced to seek a place of shelter in
order to escape a thorough drenching
from heavy rainstorm. Fortunately
just as it began to rain he discover
ed large tree which had been lying
upon the ground for some time, and
which at the largest part of the trunk
had hollow or cavity of sufficient
size to admit of his body, into which
he speedily crawled in order to avoid
the rapidly descending rain. The shell
ter he found to be quite a sure re-
treat from the storm, and enjoyed its
protection with a measure of graft
tude.
Shortly after the rain ceased to fall,
and when the clouds had dispersed,
Mr.. Westfell crawled out from his
place of shelter and again proceeded
on his way toward his destination.
He was aware from directions given
him, and from descriptions of the
country which he had received from
hunters and others who had penetrat-
oH fhocp x,i1lc ho htit oh
distance from the traders house, at
which place he intended making his
headquarters until he had studied the
general characteristics of the adjoin-
ing country, and had made himself
familiar with the historic points and
also events which had transpired in
the immediate vicinity.
He had gone but little way for
ward when his eyes were greeted with
a faint light coming through a small
opening in one end of the cabin which
served as a window, being probably
two feet wide and one foot high. Af-
ter approaching sufficiently near, the
traveller could plainly discern the out
line of the building as it stood in a
small cleared space of ground, and
it was with a degree of pleasure to
himself that he was shortly afterward
greeted with a hearty welcome from
the trader and his family, who were
always glad to receive and entertain
those who passed by, whether they
intended settling there or were scour-
ing the country in order to find good
after
AS before stated this cabin stood
just above the high water mark, and
was, what was then known as the dou-
BILE log cabin, very common thing
at that time in the west one end of
which was used as a storehouse and
contained such articles as were neces-
sary for trading with the Indians and
settlers in exchanging for furs, pei
tries, etc. The other part of the house
was used as a dwelling, and the oc-
cupants consisted of the head of the
family, stout, hearty man about
bhiL ~ yCoiS VI dSSS MS WIFE, d III COLu-
panion, and two children; the Oldest
boy, probably six years old, and the
youngest a girl three years of age
The furniture of the house was in
common keeping with the age and sur
roundings, having been Tor the most
part constructed by the proprietor
himself. The table was large
puncheon hewed out of a split half
of tree, having legs set in auger
holes; the chairs were blocks of wood
with legs similarly set, and the otner
articles of furniture were equally rude
and primitive.
On the north side of this cabin the
ground rises abruptly to a height of
one hundred feet or more, and then
stretches away in level plain for a
distance of half a mile, when it again
rises to hilly and broken country for
several miles in extent. Properly
speaking, a large chain or range OF
hills from four to six miles in width
extends over very large portion of
iIOI OulOs oI the SOuIU ana
west from the cabin plain varying
in width from one mile at places to
four and five miles at other points,
running parallel with the Tuscarawas
river, extending to the termination OF
the river at Coshocton, near forty
miles southwest from the cabin. On
either side of the plain the ground
rises to a considerable height At
some points the hills are very steep
and require great labor and exertion
on the part of the tourist to ascend
them. Along some parts of the valley
on either side, the scenery is grand
and picturesque, and the person in
search of the beautiful in nature can
find an abundance here to crafty his
longing. The southern and western
parts of Ohio are comparatively level,