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AN OHIO PIONEER.
Following is a series of letters de
scriptive of the journey of a Vermont
farmer who emigrated with his wife
and family to Ohio in the autumn of
1817. These letters are a vivid picture
of travelling before railroads, 'steam
boats and canals were constructed. The
letter-writer is a good specimen of the
sort of men through whom New Eng
land stamped her Image on Ohio that
second New England.
At the time of removal the writer
was fifty years old; had an ailing
wife and many children for whom he
eked out, or extorted, a scanty sup
port from what Is termed a "hard
farm" in Pittsford, a town of western
Vermont Preparatory to starting he
sold his farm, had his whole family
vaccinated, bought a new wagon, and
laid in extra clothing for his house
hold. Quitting his old homestead ear
ly on Mbnday, September 30. 1817, af
ter proceeding a few miles he met in
a solitary place his brother, who had
come from Rutland to bid a tearful
and prayerful farewell to those west
ward bound. The letters were ad
dressed to his brother, from whom the
emigrant now parted, to see his face no
more.
Lowdon, Franklin Co., Pa.,
October 23. 1817.
Dear Brother:
Through Divine Goodness we have
reached this place; all in health, no
unfortunate accidents worth naming;
but blessing on blessing follows us.
I wish we were thankful to the great
and good Disposer of all events for His
mercies.
The reason of our coming so far
south is to cross the Alleghany moun
tains In a turnpike that Is very good.
We have been used very well by our
fellow creatures, both low Dutchmen
and high. I have not found it as you
once thought it would be, namely, that
stage drivers would drive over me; on
the other hand, I being on the right
of the road as the law directs, and that
being the best as it happened, they
take their side at a respectful distance;
and so also with the great Massachus
etts wagons, with five or six great
horses and great loads, who on seeing
us take to their own side. Those go
ing never overtake us, our horses be
ing good and in good trim.
For about a week we have fallen in
company with a family from the dis
trict of Maine, and the town of Gardi
ner on the Kennebec. They seem
clever people.
I think I have some sense of my sit
uation, and had before I started. The
miserable circumstances I was in
seemed to warrant the undertaking. I
am happy In having a clear conscience
in the affair.
We have had very good weather; but
two rainy days. This state Is a beau
tiful country with the appearance of
great wealth. The greatest trouble we
have Is going so far from so good
friends. May Almighty God show
mercy on us all through the merits of
Christ our Savior.
Your affectionate brother,
A. B.
Six Miles East of Pittsburg.
Nov. 13, 1817.
Dear Brother:
I wrote per mail to Montgomery.
N. Y., and at Conncltown, Pa., at the
east side of the Alleghany mountains.
Till then we got along finely; but in
crossing the mountains we had rather
a tedious time, owing to rain and the
badness of the roads. My wife has
been almost beat out, but through the
goodness of God has got well. The
children are and have been well good
health myself. Some of my horses
got hurt and as it were beat out.
On the 9th we reached this place. I
have been to Pittsburg, and for sixty
dollars bought a boat that will hold
my five horses, wagons, effects, family,
and the Kennebec man's family the
man I wrote you of in my last very
clever Methodist people.
All people, or almost all, that go
this way do so now that is, go down
the river in boats. We have had noth
ing stolen yet mercifully preserved
as yet.
Our boat is to be all ready for us
tomorrow at 10 o'clock a. m., at which
time we expect to embark to descend
the river Ohio. The boat is some like
a mud-scow; it has a house, too, with
a fireplace in it; three-quarters of it
has a deck battened. I am told that
when I am done with It I can sell it for
forty or forty-five dollars; that It Is
fit to go to New Orleans with a load.
To tell the truth, dear brother, I am
at a loss to determine whether to go to
Athens, where Squire Gilman lives,
and have the advantage of his advice,
or to proceed to Cincinnati, as great
things are said concerning the country
at from twenty to thirty miles from
that place well watered, fertile,
healthy, pleasant, and New England
people. Peter (his oldest son) is fierce
to go Cincinnati way. Whenever I
make a stop I will inform you by let
ter, and then shall be in hopes of the
favor of one from you.
I can say for myself, I do not re
gret my undertaking as yet; neither
from what they say do I think my
wife and children do. I wish we were
more thankful for all the mercies we
have experienced "in all that long and
terrible way." At times it looked very
black, and then I found the consola
tions of a clear conscience In trie un
dertaking. I will instance one: I came
to Laurel Ridge, three miles up and
four down, no inn for seven miles, and
it rained. So I put up. Next day it
rained. On the third it seemed as if
It would come fair poor accommoda
tions, the road thronged, emigrants
from Ireland and Germany flocking in.
I felt it clear to start wife unwell
rained some had to double the team
slow work. When the sun was about
an hour high, had gained but two
miles; there was no tavern, and but
one house for five miles except turn
pikers' huts (for by the way there 'is
about twelve or fifteen miles of as good
turnpike as any in the United States,
and all the way it appears to be under
way). I proposed to my people and the
eastern man to encamp, to cut holes In
crotches, to cover them with my
painted wagon cloth, to build a fire
against an old log. None of the party
had slept in the woods. I had fire
works, axe and hatchet; so shortly my
sick wife was in a snug apartment,
and rested better than for several
nights. We had provisions with us,
and oats for horses.
It may seem strange to you, but my
wife from that time began to mend.
Blessed be God for His mercy. You
may well think my oldest daughters
were filled with dismay when they
saw the tent preparing, and to them
it seemed like enchantment to see their
mother so well off in so short a time.
The night was of a pitchy darkness
with fine rain, the two faithful dogs
keeping watch. The company were
in health the next morning, which was
pleasant, and we left our habitation
with feelings I trust of thankfulness.
You would be surprised to see the
great number on the road some very
poor swarms of old country emi
grants. The climate is very different on this
side of the mountain from what it is
on the other side. It is as warm here
or warmer than the summer before
last In Vermont. There Is something
very agreeable in the air.
November 13.
After sealing my letter I thought I
would add the following: I am cred
ibly informed that the navigation to
Cincinnati in such a boat as mine is
safe and healthy; that after about fifty
miles any man that ever steered a
boat could do it. I have a journeyman
of sober habits recommended to me as
a pilot, who wants to go to Cincinnati
for a trifle over his living. The dis
tance by land is three hundred and
by water five hundred miles. I am
almost determined to go to Cincinnati
that is, to try to; then go twenty
turned a point, were out of sight, and
have not been heard from since.
Presuming you have received my
previous letters, I go on with a short
abstract of our adventures. In the
neighborhood of Pittsburg I got ac
quainted with the man at whose house
I put up, and showed him the certifi
cate that Captain Lord handed me
from the Royal Arch chapter. After
he had been to Pittsburg, he told me
that if I was in distress there was $300
at Pittsburg and quarters for myself
and family at some of the best houses
in town. I answered that I thanked
him and them, but through the good
ness of God was not in distress, and
had spending money enough to carry
me where I was going that all I
wanted was civil, honest treatment for
my money, and that I felt grateful to
the gentlemen of Pittsburg. This
man's name is John Grove. He went
about Pittsburg, advised me what boat
to buy, helped us in with our horses
and other load, and Is very friendly.
Said he formerly had followed the
river business, gave us all the infor
mation he could, that for eight miles
(that is as far down as Wheeling)
there was some danger of getting
aground, so that we ought to have a
pilot so far; then from Wheeling to
Cincinnati the safest navigation in the
world; so safe that he had many times
gone to sleep in the night and let his
boat drift with the stream without
accident He looked about for a pilot,
but could not find one he knew; ad
vised us to start as the river was fall
ing fast; to stop nights and inquire
which side of islands to steer.
We shoved off, after taking a fare
well of our friend Grove, who would
take nothing for his assistance; he
very soon called to us that a stranger
who said he was a seaman wanted to
go to Cincinnati and would do the best
he could for his passage. He being a
decent-looking man, I went with my
skiff and took him on board; the bar
gain was made in a minute. He turned
out to be a very civil man of about 40
years looked 35 born in Cambridge
down by Boston, a ship-carpenter and
seaman, had been round the world
and helped take the Jura. I put him in
pilot and bade the others mind him.
With great skill and faithfulness and
civility to myself and family was his
behavior till we parted, so that on
Monday about noon, the 24th of this
month, we, through the goodness of
God, safely landed in Cincinnati a
trip of 500 miles; thence we proceeded
to this place.
I have been in situations both by
land and water which one would think
would awaken seriousness in a wretch.
The descent of the Laurel Ridge, four
miles down the hill, fills me with hor
lor vhentver I think of it; the road
bad in common times, but owing to
Kipling's Impressions of Yellowstone
Canon.
Of the Grand Canon of the Yellow.
stone, Rudyard Kipling writes: "Ail I
can Bay is that without warning or pre
paration I looked into a gulf 1,'00 feet
deep, with eagles and fishhawks circling
far below. And the sideB of that gulf
were one wild welter of color crimson,
emerald, cobalt, ochre, umber, honey
splashed with port wine, snow-white,
vermillion, lemon and silver gray in
wide washes. The sides did not fall
sheer, but were graven by time and
water and air into monstrous heads of
kings, dead chiefs men and women of
the old time. So far below that no
sound of its strife could reach ue, the
Yellowstone River ran, a finger-wide
strip of jade green. The sunlight took
these wondrous walls and gave fresb
hues to those that nature had already
laid there. Evening crept through the
pines that shadowed us, but the full
glory of the day flamed in that canon as
we went out very cautiously to a jutting
piece of rock blood-red or pink it waB
that overhung the deepest deeps of
all. Now 1 know what it is to Bit en
throned amid the clouds of sunset as
the spirits sit in Blake's pictures."
Join the Burlington's specially con
ducted excursion to Yellowstone Park
and see this grandest and most beauti
ful of nature's marvels. Leaves Omaha
Tuesday, August 20. Gets back on the
morning of the 29th.
The entire expense of the trip will be
less than 8100. Information on request.
J. Francis,
General Passenger Agent,
810-2 Omaha, Nebr.
A Great Newspaper .
The Sunday edition of the St. Louis
Republic is a marvel of modern news
paper enterprise. The organization of
its news service is world-wide, complete
in every department; in fact, superior to
that of any other newspaper.
The magazine section is illustrated in
daintily tinted colors and splendid half
tone pictures. This section contains
more high-class literary matter than
any of the monthly magazines. The
fashions illustrated in natural colors are
especially valuable to the ladies.
The colored comic section is a genuine
laugh-maker. The funny cartoons are
by the best artists. The humorous
heavy rains uncommon bad the loose BJriea are high-class, by authors ofj na
rocks worn by wagon-wheels and tional reputation.
horses ten or twelve perhaps fifteeu
feat the path of one horse three feet
lower than the other at times the
horses growing frantic with rage; but
we got down safely and to a tavern
before aipht We were also in danger
of smallpox, for Peter went into a
tavern where a man had it badly; it
also was thick at Pittsburg; when we
were there I saw a little child green
WHi it in the street not forty rods
from where wc ?ot Into the boat
On the water we were sixteen souls;
not one of us had ever been on the
Sheet music, a high-class, popular
song, is furnished free every Sunday in
The Republic.
The price of the Sunday Republic by
mail one year is $2.00. For Bale by all
news dealers.
FOR A SUMMER OUTING.
The Rocky Mountain regions of
Colorado reached best via the
Union Panifln nrnvirla la,.:nhl., .. llii
or thirty miles up the Miami river, river before, after leaving the village health of the invalid and the Dleasure of
nire a small farm for a while, and r whn- ,,., u.j ij. ? .. L ,nvua ana pleasure oi
look around. The people here say the
Miami country is the best in the
United States. I think of these lines:
"The world was all before them where
to choose their place of rest, and Pro
vidence their guide." I am told that
on the swell the Ohio has now, a good
pilot will take my boat to Cincinnati
In six days.
Your affectionate brother,
A. B.
Fort Hamilton. O..
Nov. 30, 1817.
Dear Brother:
Through the goodnes of Divine
Providence we reached this place a few
days ago in health not a child sick
or hurt in the way.
We have heard dismal accounts of
misery, death and broken bones that
some people experienced on the land
or of those that were drowned in the
river Ohio. We were witnesses to some
distress.
It is thought by some that one or
two families perished in the Ohio about
a week before we descended as they
were seen last upon deck men, wom
en and children calling for help when
Boae could be afforded. They soon
cf Wheeling, having head winds in
the day time but calm, bright moon
'.'cht we sailed by night I had some
serious hours while at the helm, my
little ones locked in sleep afloat five
or six miles an hour down a current I
knew not whither. But out of all
danger we have been delivered.
As yet I can tell you but little about
the state of Ohio. In the southerly
part little but rocky hills is to be seen
from the river. The twenty-five miles
I have travelled from Cincinnati to
Fort Hamilton is like the garden of
Prion T finvo CAan ctma fftrmti T plinnlJ
rather have than half of Pittsford 0NE FARE FOR THE ROUND TRIP
or, indeed, the whole .and be obliced P'ub$200 from the Missouri River, in
to live in Vermont Peter Is charmed.
He will stand and gaze at them, and
say he hopes we shall have one some
time. Hence I believe not one of us
wants to come back.
Still gratefully remembering the
many kindnesses I have received of
you, I remain, your affectionate
brother, a. B.
tue tourist. Amid these rugged steeps
are to be found Borne of the most charm
ing and restful spots on earth. Fairy
lakes nestled amid sunny peaks, and
climate that cheers and exbilerates.
The
SUMMER EXCURSION RATES
put in effect by the Union Pacific en
able you to reach these favored Iocali
ties without unnecessary expenditure of
time or money.
This letter was mailed near Cincin
nati, December 5th, and was almost a
month la, transit to Rutland,-Vermont
effect June 18th to 30th. July 10th to
August 31st, inclusive.
The Union Pacific will also sell tickets
on July 1st to 9th, inclusive, September
1st to 10th, inclusive, at,$15.00 for the
round trip from Missouri River points
Return limit October 31, 1901.
Proportionately Jo rateB from inter
mediate points.
Full information cheerfully furnished
upon application.
8-31 E. B. SLOSSON, Agent.
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