The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1910-03-02
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MRS.
SARAH HUNTER.
[Continued from last week J
BY HERSELF.

my mother and her father and brother
went to Maryland horse back, which
place they reached In seven days and in-
tending TO return in three weeks, but
owing to the conclusion of some relatives
to return with them they remained three
months in which time |, OF course, was
presiding housekeeper, which consisted
in doing the work for father and four
children. l milked the two cows, chuTned
the butter, and did the cooking, took
care of my little sister, and the neighbors
would often come in and say that every
thing looked so neat and clean. | have
told you we had to wear home made linen
and will tell you how washed. AS |
had no soap to wash with, l would rub
them with my hands and l had a small
bag of ashes which l boiled with the
clothes; then would iron aud give the
children clean clothes every Sunday. BY
this time our neighbors had commenced
to mark out roads. The roads were
marked by taking an ak and blazing or
cutting the bark of on one side of the
tree. Our neighbors were kind and in
tlax-pulling they would unite and help
each other pull flax. In 1909 | went TO
school three months. In 1910 my brother
James was born. Also this year one of
my fathers best horses was bitten by a
snake and lived but a short time. After
il was bitten this left him again with but
one horse, but having pair of two-year-
old steers he would yoke them up and
hitch the horse before them and have me
| ride the horse, which made quite team,
but as l did not know which way haw or
gee was he tied red string around my
thumb so ! could tell. When my brother
James was very sick and came near dy-
ing at this time, Rev. Jacob Grover
preached at my grandfathers, distance
& sI,a Il.
mother took James to the meeting and
had him baptized and from that time he
soon regained his health. The preacher
also gave him a small rattan riding whip,
which the little fellow considered very
nice playthng, and which from his
speedy recovery to health impressed my
father with the idea that this little whip
possessed great healing efficacy and was
highly priced by him. Whenever any of
the children were sick he would immedi-
ately give them this whip, believing in
so doing they would soon be restored to
health.
The 18th of October after, remember,
was a very pleasant day; we were dig
ging potatoes. On the night following we
had a severe snow storm, the snow fall
ing foot deep and did not go off until
the next March, which prevented us from
digging all our potatoes and during the
winter the deer came on and paved most
of the remaining potatoes up. In 1872 /
lad another sister born. In 1913 the cir
cult preacher found his way to our house
and preached. He was from the Balti-
more conference. Also in June of this
year my mother was bitten by copper
head snake, but it did not prove serious.
In August following my father was draft
ed to 20 to Erie, but the day after the
draft my mother was again bitten by
snake, which prevented father from go.
ing. In January, 1914, my father was
drafted again and taken to Erie, leaving
us to do the best we could. We had
sheep and wool, so l learned to spin. We
also had geese which supplied us with
feathers, so we could make beds, there
fore, we were able to get along quite COM
fortably. A little incident occurred
when / was twelve years old which l
will relate here. My uncle went out and
killed large bear and he tcld me if
would pull the fur out of the BEARS skin
and spin it and knit him pair of stock
ings and mittens be would give me dol
| lar a pair, which offer | accepted, and
upon presenting him with the stockings
and mitteus | received the two dollars,
which was the first money ever earned.
In 1914 had brother born, also in this
year l, with eight others, Joined the NJ.
E. church in Richsnd In 1915 my
brother John was badly bitten by snake
while carrying water in the field, but not
fatally. In 1916 my father made up his
mind to sell and move up the river. Ac-
cordingly he came up and hired what is
known as the Winter Island in Tionesta
and sowed 1t with oats. Some time after
old Mr.. Hunter sent his son William
Hunter down to tell father he must weed
his oats. Accordingly father prepared to
go and when nearly ready to start young
Hunter wanted to know if Sally could
not go along with them. Father consent
ed and we three started out horse back to
perform the necessary work. After our
return young Mr.. Hunter paid us
another visit Everything being
satisfactory, we struck the bargain
and were married the 9th day of August,
1916. The next day we started out on
horseback 10 visit his folks, who were
living about thirty-five miles away. And
now the thought comes home, ~ must
paddle my own canoe" My parents
we're we'll pleased with the match and
gave me very good setting out, which
consisted of three year-old colt, a COW,
two sheets, feather bed and chair. In
February we concluded we would go to
housekeeping. Accordingly we built us
slab house. 1t contained one door, a
fire place and one window. We built it
upon the west side of the river, the same
place where George Hunters house now
stands. There we commenced house
keeping and cultivated what is now
known as the Hunter Island. At that
time large quantities of lumber were
transported down the river in RATS at
times of high water, at which times my
husband acted as pilot and on his return
would often bring me home various arti.
cles of merchandise. l rememb ber the
first calico dress received My husband
purchased 1t in Pittsburg and paid fifty
cents per yard for it.
In August of the same year our daugh-
ter Jane was born. In 1918 David Hun
ter built the grist mill on the same site |
where now stands the Hunter grist mill |
During that time l boarded aud did all
the work for the hands employed on the |
mill. On February 18th of the same year
| went to prayer meeting in TiOnesta,
distance of three miles, and there
gave my heart to the Lord and promised
| Him if He would forgive me | would
never forsake nor leave Him, and my
mind is the same now. 1t was there in
1919, April 10th, John Hunter was born.
In those days we raised fax and wool, |
which material l worked into clothing
for the family. In 1920, June 18th, Ann
| Hunter was born. We still lived in the
old house and cultivated the island. In
1922, March Sth, Margaret Hunter was
born. In 1923 we bought one hundred
acres of land for which we paid two hun
dfed bushels of corn in payments of fifty
bushels each year. We moved on our
new place the next spring and there we