The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-07-20
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near Cumberland and became prosperous
as farmer, but it was in woods life
that he was at his best. Even when
late in life he would take long excursions
into the new country in company with
one or two hardy souls who. like him
self, loved the freedom of the great
wilderness.
On one of these expeditions he and a
friend had wandered far into the
Indian country. AS it was in time of
peace, they did not hesitate to go into
little Indian village which they came
across, and to call upon The head man
of the village, Their intentions were
friendly, but they had forgotten that
by the provisions of the treaty then in
force no whites were allowed to 90
armed in the Indian country. The
chief, of course, knew this, and saw IN
this visit of the white men a chance to
secure two rifles for himself. They
had sat in the lodge and talked a while
in very friendly way, when the chief
asked the other white man to let him
see his gun. 1t was given up readily
enough and examined with great
interest, but it was not returned.
Thomas suspected from this that the
savages intended something hostile and
he shifted his piece so that the chief
was covered by it. When the demand
was made to see his rifle, he told them
to give his friends back to him. As
this request was refused, he cooked his
piece and aimed it at the one who held
the other gun.
Nov, " he said, you give up that
gun, or you'll get what's in this one. ="
The red-skin had nothing to do but
give up the rifle, for the white man
evidently meant what he said. Then
the two white men hastily left the
village before any further hostile de-
monstrations could be made. By the
exercise of that wonderful woodcraft
lof WHICH IHOiHdS Was nOIeu, tney
evaded pursuit and arrived home safely
Had Thomas acted less quickly and with
less determination, it is probable that
he and his friend would have been
killed before they could have left the
vicinity.
Of his hunting experiences we have
heard much in a general way, but few
incidents have been related. He was
quiet well known as successful hunter.
but was probably not as famous as his
son Thomas.
In everything Thomas II was a most
remarkable man. No danger daunted
him; no fear knew him. His determine
ton and bulldog grit were evident in
all his interchangeable was not a man
to fail. His restless spirit of adventure
took him into all manner of perilous
situations from which his GOODNESS and
good judgment extricated him. He
won position among his fellow men by
his sheer worth. Such men were re.
quired to conquer the wilderness.
THOMAS III.
The third Thomas Wilson was born
in Frederick county. Maryland, April
"a, 1777. He received an elementary
education in the common schools, anc
later, by home study and perhaps under
the instruction of some practiclnp
surveyor, he acquired a knowledge OF
practical surveying. This, however,
he followed more as fad than as a
profession. From early youth tc
extreme old age he spent much of his
time in the woods and in his prime he
was noted as one of the best hunters in
the country.
Being close observer of the actions
of wild animals under different cir
cumstances, he soon mastered their
habits. and to this may be attributed
his great success as a hunter. During
his hunting days. the woods abounded
not only in deer and bears, but also IN
panthers, catamounts, and wolves. Men
of the present day who consider them
selves devoid of fear would probably
rest uneaslly If they were to sleep out
by themselves under a great hemlock
or in a pine thicket far from any human
habitation, with the wolves making the
night hideous and now and then a
panther or wildcat screaming dire
warning to every living thing in hear
ing. Yet. time after time, Thomas III
went through this very experience and
thought no more of it than we think of
camping out with a party of friends
where we know full we'll there are no
dangerous animals, But this COM
munion with danger was part of his
daily life, and we are told that famili-
arity breeds contempt.
Fortune was kind to him when he
went wooing, for it gave him to wed
Susan Bowman, maid of beauty and
character. That these two were well
suited to each other is proved by the
fact that they lived together peaceably
through more than half century. Susie.
as he fondly called her, lived to the
great age of ninety-seven years and at
her death left three sons and nine