The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-08
A Pioneer Story

One hundred years ago young cou-
n left virginia, crossed the Allegheny
rntains and settled In Henderson
ounty. Ky. 1t was a wild country In
nosa days. but very beautiful. nature
eeming to tempt the pioneer with Its
,rgin scenery, its immense trees. its
-o,us,on OF wild flowers. And such
.r,ntation was necessary. The settler
arer knew at what moment the yell
= the savage would break the still
oss ~ the wilderness or when he AMI
h,s family might be cut down by /
omahawk without even a whisper of I
Earning These were the inducements |
nd the drawbacks to settlers In the /
aw country, though there is fascina- !
ton IN danger that drew the fearless.
rehn Aborn and his wife Mary jour
reyed 10 their new home down the
Ohio river on the only means OF in-
lapl navigation known at that time, q
eatboat. and on reaching their destina-
ton went ashore, entered quarter
section of land. built log cabin and
nroceeded TO make living by the cul-
tiyation Of the soil and hunting. Chill
dreu we're born to them As more
room was needed their cabin was ex-
tended. and within a few years the
Iocatlon assumed the semblance OF civ
llization.
Aborn brought with him to Ken
tucky few slaves and bought Others
from time to time, for we must re-
member that In those days the only
hands a farmer could obtain were his
own negroes The community lived
on game. Of which there was abun.
dance near at hand; the grain they
raised and nuts and berries. which
grew plentifully on tree and bush.
Each family was unit bound togeth-
er by the strongest ties.
But afte- time the game was not
so plentiful about the settlements on
the river bank. and the hunters We're
obliged to 20 farther inland to provide
meat for their families. Then 1t was
that the Aborns' troubles commenced.
In the wilderness still inhabited by
the deer and the wild turkey were
many dangers. Besides the Indian.
thcrc was the wolf. and there were
tleSpcradoes. who. whenever new
ahlrv Is settled. on account OF the
at caac ~ government find 1t flno
fYr their lawless operations. Nev
~ clpss every autumn John Aborn
a obliged to go into the unsettled
n ous in order to bring back sup
plt OF icat sor the winter consump
ta Sometimes he would 60 with /
patty Of his ncighhors, sometimes will
a nsle friend and sometimes alone.
one October morning he set out OF
his annual hunting tour IN compan!
with Alexander Swift, the neighbo
with whom he was most intimate
Wien Aborn embraced his wife an
children before departing they clun
10 him with unusual reluctance to lo
him 90. Whether this was due to
presentiment that evil might happe
to him or that he must now go farthe
and remain longer than ever before
the fact remains that he and his fan
lily were loath to part Finally. tearin
himself away from them, he spran
into the wilderness with his friend.
When 1t came time for the husban
and fathers return his wife and chi
eren watched for him eagerly. q
had usually been away two weeks. b'
On this trip he purposed to be goI
three. This was because with the Sc
Ting of the country he was obliged
90 farther from home. He had s.
out on Monday and had promised
be back on Saturday, two days befo
the third Monday following All th
day his wife and children watched f
him, but he did not come. The ne
and the next day they felt sure wou
bring him, but he disappointed thel
The wife and mother began to
troubled. but concealed her anxiety
wei as she was able from her ch
aren. When another week had pass
and neither Aborn nor his compani
returned Mrs. Aborn felt sure th
both had met with misfortune. L
most reasonable supposition was th
they had been killed by Indians.
A month passed, and still meth
Aborn nor his companion return'
ihen the other hunters Of that regi
organized band to 60 and look
tne missing men. A week later tn
returned. reporting that they had co
upon the body of Alexander Sw
pierced with arrows and scalp
They had found no trace whatever
Aoorn. 1t seemed probable that
TWO men had been attacked by IndiaI
mat Swift had been killed and ABB
csptured, in which event he must hi
met worse fate than his compani
Inc rains had washed out the trail
me redskins as well as that Of th
captive.
Ine party before their return def
ed what report to make to Mrs. Abb
~ 10 the probable fate Of her husbs
ana agreed that IL would be best
.el her that her husband had doubt