The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-31
Jerry S Adventure
With the Deer
By ELLIS c. OTIS.

Nearly a hundred years ago. in that
part Of the State Of Ohio which is known
y as the Western Reserve. there lived a
family named Fairchild. In company
with some of their friends and neighbors
from Connecticut, this family had come
into the Ohio wilderness to make a new
home. The spot these pioneers selected
for that purpose was a heavily wooded
tract of land a few miles from the south
ern shore of Lake Erie, wonderfully
beautiful region fresh from the hand Of
nature. for until their coming no white
man had occupied it.
At that time there were not many In
dams in that part of the country. Gen.
Harrison and his soldiers had given them
such a whipping when. a few years be-
fore. they had taken sides with the Brit
ish in the War of 1872. that most Of the
tribes had sought other hunting grounds.
The few who remained were IN no con-
dition to be troublesome. and so 1t was
that the colony from Connecticut had lit
tie to fear from the redskins.
Although these early settlers were not
compelled to face the fearful trials which
had fallen to the lot of their ancestors in
New England. and were in no danger of
massacre or any other of the terrible ex-
periences connected with Indian warfare,
it must not be thought that there was
nothing to cause them uneasiness. that
their business of making a cultivated spot
in the heart Of the great Ohio forest was
an easy matter to accomplish. It is
true. there were no hostile redskins lurk-
ing in the depths of those forest reaches,
but it is equally true that they were in
habited. and that the jewellers in them
were scarcely less to be feared than the
'Streacherous red man.
These Ohio woods were literally tenn
ing with big game-bears, panthers. wild
cats. wolves. and a host of lesser ami !
mails not agreeable to encounter if one
were unarmed or not a good shot. They |
were so plentiful that il seemed that all
!. the species which had been driven out of
Bthe eastern country by the advance of
civilization must have taken refuge in |
the Ohio forests.
..
and even the girls-in this new settle
ment to learn how to protect themselves
from these fierce creatures that regarded
them as trespassers and were prepared to
dispute the ownership Of the region with
all the savage resistance they could COM
mand.
From their earliest childhood the young
Fairchilds were taught by their elders
that one of the most important things
for them to bear in mind was the fact
that at any moment they might be called
on 10 defend themselves against wild I
beasts. and that it was absolutely neces-
sary for them to keep a sharp lookout
against unexpected attack, and to know
how to act when the danger arrived.
There were three of these children
John. the eldest. a sturdy and resource
full boy of II, well up in all matters be-
longing TO life in the woods and afraid
Of no four-footed animal that walked:
Jack. whose real name was Andrew
Jackson. and who was 15-year-old copy
of his larger brother, and Jerry, who was
not at all what the name seems to i'm
ply but a girl of 10 whose actual name
was Geraldine, and who was quite as
competent to take care or herself in the
great woods as was either of her broth
ers
1t was very fortunate for Jerry that
she was so well prepared to look out for
number one. for the time came when she
was compelled to put her bravery to a
severe test. 1t came. too. when she was
mot expecting it. and at a moment when
she was unprepared to meet it. Had II
not been for her brave little heart and
the training she had received it would
probably have resulted in a very desper-
ate business for her. As It was. it was
quite serious enough while it lasted.