The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-20

It was B. s. Parker. an Old friend,
and one of Indiana,s famous poets.
who immortalized in song, 1.-THE Cab
IN In the Clearing, Tine Old Rail
Fence" IAN Autumn Leaf The Old
Blazed Road" and many other pleas
ant scenes and customs of pioneer
life that are rapidly passing, and but
Tor these pictures in verse would
soon be forgotten.
The cabin Parker pictured was sur
rounded by the wilds. of indiana more
than half a century ago. The cabin
here pictured still nestles in the foot
hills Of the Ozarks, and the attending
features of both are very similar
how to fully appreciate the witness,
ahe hardships, the toll and pastimes
of such a life.
At the age of twenty I abandoned
the many comforts OF the nest in the
5ioosier state to become u settler in
the mountains of Arkansas. -
I took squatter's claim adjoining
those Of my two older brothers and
homesteaded 1t when became of age.
4 had nearly double the land surface,
on that EGO acres, of any homestead
TO be found in the state of Florida,
For much of it stood on edge, and
had never seen SO much as $50
acres OF timber in one pody before
Fifty acres made a big woods in our
section of Indiana, and being moth
FRS boy" I was seldom away from the
neighborhood.
had never seen wild hogs or range
cattle and had never seen a wild ami
NAL In its haunts. larger than coon
Or poesum. / had never seen a noun
tain or forest fires, and had never
known what 1t was to be miles from
any human being.
Told Of Great Game.
i had been told OF a bear being
killed on our mountain, now it ran
q quarter OF mile after being shot,
and when skinned there were fourteen
bullet holes in the hide. / had been
told OF great flocks of wild turkeys
that frequented my" land and that az
many as seventeen deer had been seen
In one herd. That wolves. wildcats
and foxes ranged the hills and that a
large panther had been killed at
my" springs after carrying off colt
down the river.
Being raised the petted baby of the
family this change was a tremendous
leap for one who knew so little of the
outside world. had traded for gun,
a 50-calibre Remington aud had the
1iHc QlcoSCu Out anu uLIeu WIFI DTdSS
shells so could shoot either shot or
ball
After the longest journey l had ever
taken by rail. leaving the home place
all wrapped in snow and ice, | landed
at Little Rock, amid flowers AMI leaf
ing trees with still eighty miles be-
fore ane, most of which had to be
made through the woods alone and
afoot.
A Bear Hunt.
To describe an incidents of this
trip would require more space than is
at my command. But as this is to be
q bear story and the last few miles
of the trip led up a mountain after
night without even so much as a
faint trail part of the way and with in
etructions to keep on the highest
ground for a guide. it might be inter-
esting to note how many bear I saw
on the way. 1t il safe 70 say that
] carried nv r-Ip ~'~r~ 90 rullv ex-
r,ed to meet wild animals on the
trip. Night Overtcci. me rs | entered
Clinton, the county seat, at the foot
of our mountain. three and a half
miles from my destination. and after
1nquiring the way / was soon climb
ing and looking for danger
Many Imaginary Bears.
had not gone far unriI I saw what
appeared To he a black bear standing
beside the road ahead as if cilalleng-
ing me. I halted with gun at my
shoulder ready to fire If 1t made an
advance, but determined not to fire
unless I had to. As it remained still
advanced slowly until could see