The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-06-16
cAApTER .,.

CHAP len H.as
wherein IL Brief Account NJ ssundry
Curious Characters Met on the Road.
At Utica they bought provisions
and . tin trumpet for Joe. and a doll
with real porcelain face for Betsey,
and turned into the. great main thor
eughfare Of the North leading eastward
to Boston and westward to "a shore
Of the midland seas. This road was
once the great trail Of the IroQuois,
by them called the Long House, be-
cause it had reached from the Hudson
to Lake Erie, and in their day had
been well rooted with foliage. 4
Soon they came In, view OF the
famous Erie canal, hard by the road.
Through 1t the grain Of the Far West
had just begun moving eastward in
tide that was flowing from April
to December. Big barges, drawn by
mules and horses on it's shore, were
cutting the still waters Of the canal.
They stopped and looked at the barges
and the long tow ropes and the tug
ging animals. ah
There Is q real artificial river,
hundreds O miles long, hand made
Of the best material, water tight, no.
snags or rocks or other imperfections,
durability guaranteed" said Samson.
1T has made the name of Dewitt
Clinton known everywhere"
II wonder what nextw Sarah ex-
claimed.
They met many teams and passed
other movers going west, and some
prosperous farms on road wider
and smoother than any they had trav-
sled. They camped that night, close
by the river, with a Connecticut fam
/ fly on its way to Ohio with great
load Of household furniture on one
wagon and seven children In another.
So they Jared along through Canaan
daigua and across the Genesee to the
village Of Rochester and on through
Lewiston and up the Niagara river
to the falls, and camped where they
could see the great water flood and
hear it's muffled thunder. When near
4 ing the latter they overlook family
Of poor Irish emigfants, Of the name
of Flanagan, who shared, their camp
site at the falls. The Flanagans
were on their way to Michigan and,
had come from the old country three
years before and settled in Broomes
county, New York. They. too, were
on their way to land of better prom.
ise. Among them was a rugged,
freckled, red-headed lad, well along
in his teens, OF the name Of Dennis,
who wore q tall beaver hat, tilted
saucily on one side Of his head, and
ragged blue coat with brass buttons,
rs he walked beside the oxen, whip
in hand, with trousers tucked in the
tops Of Ibis big cowhide boots. There
was also a handsome young man In
this party Of the name Of John Nc
Neil, who wore ruffled shirt and
swallow.tail coat, now much soiled by
the Journey He listened to Samson's
account Iof the Sangamon country and
said that he thought he would 70
there. I
A Sarah gave the Irish family good
supply Of cookies and jerked venison
before she bade them good-by.
4 When our travellers left, next morn
Ing, they stopped for q last look at
the great falls. /.
"Children,n = said Samson, II want
you to take good lock at that. It's
the most wonderful thing In the world
and maybe you'll never see It again"
''The Indians used to think that the
Great Spirit was In this river" said
Sarah. l y
"Kind !o' seems to me they were
right" Samson remarked thoughtfully;
"Kind o. seems as II the great spirit
u America was in that water. It
moves on 10 the way 1t willis and no
thing can stop 1t. Everything IN its
current goes along with It" s3s.s
"And only the strong can stand
the journey" said Sarah.
These words were no doubt inspired
a by an ache In her bones A hard seat
and the ceaseless jolting Of the wagon
through long, hot, dusty, days had
wearied them. Even their hearts were
getting sore as they thought Of the
endless reaches of the roads ahead.
Samson stuffed a sack with straw and
put 1t under her and the children On
the seat. AT word Of complaint he
was wont to say: "
Il know it's awful tiresomc, but we
got to have patience, We're goin' "a
get used to 1t and havesa wonderful
lot Of fun. The time'll pass quick
you see.n Then he would sing and
get them all laughing with some Gu
rious bit Of drollery. They spent the
night Of July third All IA tavern 4 ~
Buffalo. then busy, crude and rapid
growing center for the shipping easi
and west.