The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-02-09
A Pioneer Story

pie left Virginia, crossed the Allegheny
mountains and settled In Henderson
county, Ky. II was Wild country In
those days, but very beautiful. r.ature
seeming to tempt tho pioneer with its
virgin scenery, It's immense trees. its
profusion OF wild flowers And such
temptation WINS necessary. The settler
never knew at what moment tho yell
OF the savage would break the still.
ness Of the Wilderness or when he and
his family might be cut down by a
tomnhawk without even whisper OF
warning. These were the Inducements
and the drawbacks TO settlers In the
new country, though there Ia a fascina.
ton In danger that drew the fearless.
John Aborn and his wife Mary jour
neyed to their new home down the
Ohio river on the only means OF In
land navigation known at that time, a
fntboat, and on reaching their destina-
ton went ashore, "enteredr n quarter
section OF land, built log cabin and
proceeded 10 make living by the cul-
uyation Of the soil and hunting. Chill
dren were born 10 them As more
room was needed their cabin was ex-
tended. and within few years the
location assumed the semblance OF civ
ilization.
Abora brought with him TO Ken
lucky few slaves and bought others
from time tn time for we must re-
member that In those days the only
hands farmer could Obtain were bis
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.
or by the strongest ties.
But after time the game was not
20 plentiful about the settlements on
the river bank. and the hunters were
obliged to go farther inland TO provide
meat for their families. Then II was
that the ,Aborns' troubles commenced.
In the wilderness still inhabited by
the deer and the wild turkey were
many dangers. Besides the Indian.
there was the wolf and there were
despendocs, who. whenever new
country IA settled, on account q the
absence Of government find II fine
held for their lawiess operations. New.
ertheless every autumn John Aborn
was Obliged 90 go into the unsettled
regions In order TO bring back sup
ply Of meat for the winter consump-
don- Sometimes he would go with
party Of his neighbors, sometimes with
single friend and sometimes alone.
One October morning he set out on
his annual hunting tour I'm company
with Alexander swirl, the neighbor
with whom he was most intimate
When Aborn embraced his wife and
children before departing they chung
70 him with unusual reluctance TO let
him go. Whether this was due to a
presentiment that evil might happen
TO him or that he must now go farther
and remain longer than ever before,
the fact remains that he and his fam
lily were loath TO part Finally. tearing
himself away from them, he sprang
into tho wilderness with his friend.
When It cnme time for the husband
and fathers return his wife and chill.
dren watched for him eaeeriy. He
had usually been away two weeks, but
on this trip he purposcd TO be gone
three. This WINS because with the set
Ting Of the country be was obliged to
go farther from home He had set
out on Monday and had promised to
be back on Saturday, two days before
the third Monday following. All that
day his wife and children watched for
him, but no did not come. The next
md tho next day they felt sure would
bring him, but he disappointed them.
The wife and mother began to be
but concealed her anxiety as
well as she was able from her chill
1ren. When another week had passed |
and neither Aborn nor his companion
returned Mrs, Aborn feit sure that
both had met with misfortune. The
most reasonable superstition was that
they had been killed by Indians.
A month passed, and SIN neither |
Aborn nor his companion returned. |
Then the other hunters Of that region
a band 10 go and look for
the missing men. A wee1r later they |
reporting that they had come
upon the body Of Alexander Swift |
pierced with arrows and ecafped. /
They had found no trace vtmterer Of I
Aborn. II seemed probable that the
.wo men had been attacked BY Indians;
hat Swift had been killed and Aborn
In which event he must have
net worse fate than his companion.
Tho rains had washed out The tran OF
he redskins as well as that Of their
saptive.
The party before tiieir return debat-
q what report to make 10 Mrs. Aborn
10 to the probable fnte Of her husband
md agreed that 1t would be best to
ell her that her husband had doubtless
been killed by the Indians not men
Joining that he had been first tortured.
As the Aborn family had increased
he father, who at times had been
roubled with insomnia, had slept In a
Dom by himself. MIRA Aborn, who did
,ot reiinquish al hope that he would
'oturn, kept this room always ready for