and came to the conclusion to take from thence a north course.
This led us upon to the top of a hill, now known as the Tug
Hill. We were entirely ignorant of the face of the country,
and of the most eligible route to })ursue, and therefore took the
one which seemed the most direct, not knowing the obstacles
to be encountered. We had l)efore come down by water, and
on this route there was not even a marked tree. It was the
duty of the survc\vors to pi-ecede us, mark a road and chain it.
Mr. W. started in advance of us for this purpose. It was a
beautiful, clear morning and we followed on, progressing
finely until tlie middle of tlic afternoon, when Ave came to a
gulf, and an abundaiiee of marked trees. We went over the
gulf Ijut could find no more trees marked. Wc^ then made a
fire and took out the stoppings from oui' bells, and suifered
A pioneer's hardships. 157
our cattle to feed around the fire, while we set ourselves to
search for marked trees, over the gulfs and up and down, but
could find no place to cross, or marks by which to determine
what course the surveyors had taken. In this predicament
we })repared to construct a shelter for the night of hemlock
1 )0ughs.
The next morning the sun came up clear and bright, and
I called a council. I told the men how much damage it would
be to me to return, how great a loss not to proceed, and asked
them if they were willing to come on. David Starr replied
that ho would go to li — 1, if I would. Though no way desirous
of going to the latter place, even in good company, I deter-
mined to come on, if such, a thing Avere possible, without a
compass or guide. We then set ourselves to work, and felled
trees, with which we made an enclosure, into which we drove
our cattle, and then shoved them down the precipice, one after
another ; they went up slantingly on the other side, and much
better than we got tliem down, so tluit finally they were all
safely over, after much toil and trouble. 1 then agreed to
pilot tlie company down, took otf the ox bell; and carried it in
my hand, leading the way, and steered a north course by the
sun and watch. We had the advantage of a bright sunshine.
We had to cross a number of gulfs, and one windfall, which
was the worst of all. We continued to travel upon the sum-
mit of the hill, where we found much fine table land. The
caUlc would travel as last as F could lead the way. One man
drove them, and aiiolher followed, axe in hand, to niaik the
trees, and leave ti'accs Ix'hind us, so that if we couM not ad-
vance, we could trace oui' steps.
We descended the hill l)ef()re ivaehing Deer River. The
latter we struck and crossed above the falls — not far from
where the village of Copenhagen now stands — and coming on,
158 A pioneer's hardships.
we succeeded in finding the town line, which was identified l)y
marked trees, not far from where the toll-gate now is, on the
Champion and Copenhagen Plank Road. We then changed
our course, following the line to the Black River, at Long-
Falls, where we arrived before night. We there found Mr. W.
and men. They had not arrived more than an hour before
us. When seeing us, Mr. W. exclaimed :
"How, in the name of God, have you got here? " I re-
plied :
"You scoundrel! you ought to be burnt for leaving
us so !"
It was a most rascally piece of business, their leaving us
as they did. But I suppose the truth was, they tliouglit it
impossible for us ever to get through with ..ur cattle : l>iit this
does not excuse them for not having marke
for that they were sent— and if others could not follow, they
were not answerable ; but their duty was plain before them.
My boat, which I had dispatched from the High Falls,
soon after arrived, with my provisions, yokes, chains, and
cooking utensils. The next day we left one to watch our
effects, while the others were searching for a desirable location.
In a few days I selected the farm upon which I now live,
principally for the reason that it was the centre of the town-
ship, rather than for any peculiar advantages it possessed over
other portions of the town. Yet the soil has i.r(.ved good, and
sufficiently luxuriant with proper cnhivalinn. This was what
I sought, a good agricultural location, rather than one possess-
ing hydraulic privileges.
Not one tree had been cut here for the pu]-i)Ose of making
a settlement, nor was there a white man settled in what is now
the county of Jefferson, when I came here. I was the first
white settler in the county. I remained here through the
A PIONEER S HARDSHIPS. 159
summer, and until October, engaged in making a eleai'ing.
We then returned to Steuben, where my family was, to spend
the winter.
During the summer, some families had come into Low-
ville, and Mr. Storrs hud caused a road to be marked from
there to the Long Falls, and by that we returned, driving our
cattle home again. These had become fat, by running in the
woods, during the summer, and I sold them for beef. 1 would
mention here, though rather out of place, that I found a living
spring of pure water, a few rods before where the public house,
in Champion, now stands, which had its influence in deciding
my location. Near it I built my first house, and there I kept
" bachelor's hall " two summers, being myself "chief cook."
My first habitation was a cabin, erected in a few hours' time,
with the aid of my men. It was a rude structure, but served
our purpose. AVe first set some posts, and then, having felled
great trees, stripped them of the bark, and, with this, covered
the roof and three sides of our dwellhig, the front was left
opened, so that it may truly l)e said, we kept 0])en house. The
covering was kept firmly in its i)lace l)y witbes of bark, .\fter
the completion of our house, tlie next most necessary thing,
was an oven, in which to bake our bread, for bread wo must
have, it being the stafi' of life. This was soon made, with two
logs for a foundation, and a flat stone thereon, the super-
structure was soon ivared with smaller stones, eementeil
together by a mortar of muck, from the side of the spring, and
crowned by a Hat stone. This answei'ed my |»ui-pose as well as
one of more elaborate construction. For a door, wesphl oii( ;i
l)lank of basswood ; and for a kneading-trough, we again Iirnl
recourse to the basswood, from whence we cut a log of thi'
required length and dimensions, split it, anil IVum one half,
dug out, with an axe, and an instrument named a howell,
1(30 A pioneer's HAKDSTilPS.
which we had brought for such purposes, m a short time, A
trough, which answered our purpose very well. I brought
some yeast with me, to make my first batch of bread ; after
that, I used leaven, kept and prepared after directions given
me by my wife, before leaving home. Whatever may be said
of our cooking, in general, I am sure none ever seemed sweeter
to me, or was eaten with a better relish by others ; labor
sweetened every mouthful. We had cows and plenty of milk.
We sometimes washed dishes, when we could not remember
what we last ate upon them, but oftener turned theni the
bottom side up, there to remain until wanted again. Some
even pretend to say, that when our table needed scouring, we
sprinkled salt upon it, and put it out for the old cow to operate
upon. However that may be, I am sure, if we ever did do it,
it must have come from under her scouring apparatus exceed-
ingly white. But the whole story is rather aprocryphal.
Early in the spring, 1799, I sent on two men, to make
sugar, before I came on myself. They commenced making
sugar, and one day went out hunting, leaving their sugar
boiling. The consequence was, the house took fire and burned
down, with all of the little it contained. During the winter,
the Indians had stolen all the cooking utensils I had left, and
the potatoes which I ha
Thus my riches were taking to themselves wings, and flying
awav. I came on soon after. This spring. Esquire ^lix and
fomily came on ; John and Thomas Ward, Ephraim Cham-
berlain, Samuel and David Starr, Jotham Mitchell, Salmon
Ward and Bela Hubbard, David Miller, and Boutin, a
Frenchman, came to Carthage. The above were all young,
unmarried men, save Mix. We continued our labors through
the summer of 1799, but not with that spirit which we should
have done, had not a rumor reached us of the failure of Mr.
A i'TO\K|.:i;,*,s ii.\i;i)si!i)'s. jcj
Storrs, and tlio probalnlity that we slu.ul.l lose, lu.t onlv all
our labor, but the money Mdiich I had advanced for my land
But I will not enter into particulars here— let it suffice that I
could not afford to lose all I had done and paid, and conse-
quently entered into a compromise with him, to save a moiety
of what was justly mine— of not only what I had actuallv paid
for, but of what I was to have had, for leading the way in this
first settlement of a new country, and subjecting myself again
to all Its discomforts and inconveniences. Consequently, in
view of making this my permanent home, I moved my faiiiily
here in the autumn of 1799. Wo had a very unfavorable
time, to come. There had been a snow storm, in which about
SIX inches of snow had fallen. We were obliged to (ravel on
horseback, the horses' feet balled badly ; we had sloughs to go
through, and altogether, it was very uncomfortable traveling
m that manner, with children. We arrived at Mr. Hoadley's
the first night, and our ox-teams and goods the next day.
From there, we came to the High Falls, where I had a boat
awaiting us, which 1 had caused to l)e built for my own use.
Here we embarked with all our goods and cliattels, <,f all
kinds, loading the boat to its utmost capacity, so that when all
were in, it was only about four inches out of water.
We spent one night at the Lowville landing, wheiv a
family were living. During the evening, there came in a
number of men, wet, cold and huiigiy. Among (licm, was
one named Smith. He went to pull olf (he boots ..f one of Ids
companions, wliich was very wet aii
pulled with all his miglit— the other bniciiig himself against
liim as firmly as possible. All at once, and with unexpected
suddeness, the boot came off, and poor Smith was si'iit wit I
bare feet, into a bed of live coals. There was botl
dancing for one while.
IS
162 A pioneer's hardships.
AVe arrived at the Long Falls, about noon, the second
day from our embarkation. The weather had by this time
become warm and pleasant. Our oxen arrived soon after by
land, we unloaded our boat, put our wagon together, loaded it
with some of our effects, set otf, and, before night, reached our
" wilderness home.' My wife said in view of the difficulties
in getting here, that if she had anything as good as a cave to
live in, she would not return in one year at least. She, of
choice, walked from the Falls here, a distance of four miles
through the forest. We arrived on the 17th of Nov., 179i).
The vveatlier continued pleasant until the 27th, when it com-
menced snowing, the river soon froze over, the snow, of which
a great quantity fell, and continuing to fall, lasted all winter,
and we were entirely cut off from all intercourse with the
world. 1 kept fifteen head of cattle through the winter, by
browsing them, and they wintered well. Isolated though we
were, yet I never passed a more comfortable winter. We had
a plenty of provisions ; my wheat, I had raised here, a very
tine cro}) from seed sown in the autumn of 1798, and my poi'k,
etc., was fattened in ' >neida (Jounty, and brought here by boat.
And take it altogether, 1 ))erliaps settled this country as easy
as any one ever settled a new country, as completely isolated
<;s this w;;s at that time, and easier than I settled in Steuben,
IS miles from Utica. At that time we had to go to I'tica or
W'hitesborDUgh for provisions, and it always took one day to
go out, and another to rtiturn, increclible as it may now seem.
in the spring of ISOO, peoi)le began to tlock into the country
hy hnndreds, and, as my log house afforded the only accom-
modation for wayfaring men, we were obliged to keej) them,
whether we would or no ; sometimes, and that very often, my
floors were sti'ewn with human beings as tliiek as they could
lie, some so near th(> huge fire place as not to i)ass unscoi'ched ;
A pioneer's PIARDSIIIl'S. 1 63
one man in particular, it was said by his coniiianions. luid liis
head baked, by too close a proximity to the oven. This rush
continued two or three years, and was full ot incident and
interest, but at this distance of time -^ can not recall these in-
cidents with sufficient accuracy to detail them here. The
town settled rapidly with an intelligent and energetic class of
people. The society was good ; it might be called good any
where. Perhaps there was never a more intelligent and
interesting people congregated together in an obscure little
inland town, than in this, within a few years from its first
settlement. I can not state the order of time in which they
came, but the names of a few of them I will record,
that in future time, when this place shall have sunk into
insignificance, as it too probably will, before the greater lights
arising around it, it may be known that we were once honored
by having in our midst such men as Egbert Ten Eyck, after-
wards first judge of the court, who was then a young lawyer,
and married here, to one of our beautiful maidens; Olney
Pearce and wife, Hubbel and wife, Judge Moss Kent, brotlu'r
of the late chancellor, Henry R. Storrs, who opened an oflice
here, and afterwards became one of the most distinguishctl
lawyers of the state. Dr. Baudry, a Frenchman, Di-s. Durkcc
and Farley, and many others, too numerous to mention, as
well as many ladies of grace and beauty, whom it would be
invidious now to [)articularize. Common schools \vci-c soon
established. Religious me(^tings were held on llie S;d>l»a(h.
aftei- old Deacon Carter came into the town, and in a very few-
years, I think as early as 1805, the Rev. Nathaniel Dulton
came. He was sent out by some missionary society at the
east, to form churches in this western world, and coming to
this ])lace, was invited to remain, which h(> did, and continuei]
here until the close of his valuable life, in Sept. IS.". "J. and for
1h4
A PIONKEK S HARDSHIP.*!.
tlie greater part of that time was tlie pastor of the Congrega-
tional church, which tlourished under his ministrations, and
enjoyed many powerful revivals of religion.
Folk=Stories.
The following stories, some of them worn threadbare in a
past generation will come back to oldei- readers like the sweet
voice of a bird in the desert. What memories the almost-for-
gotten anecdote revives! Golden vision of days when the
heart was young, and sympathy, ])Ui'c, deep and tearful ruled
the soul. A sympathy that wept with the new homesick
puppy ; released the imj)risoned motlier hen fussing in her
coop, or removed the })ebble from a struggling shoot. The
simple, unselfish mind of a child that makes a confident of
the domestic animals, and gives the creeping vine a lielping
hand to a new or firmer hold. A sympathy alas! all too soon
hardened by experience and self interests.
Every person had, as a child, his or her favorite story
told over and again, and at each re})etition a new scene was
mirrored upon the curtain of childish imagination. 'Hie good
old story of how a chief tested the (■oiilidcnce of a leading col-
onist has gotten into print and is thus delightfully I'datcil in
Pansy, though differing slightly in detail.
H.\N YKHKV.
Old Ilan Yerry, was an Indian rhief of the Oiici.la tribe,
who lived in the northei'ii part of New York Slate a hundred
166 FOLK-STORIES.
years ago. He had fought with the king's party against the
colonists ; but, after the war, when Judge White came to found
the town of Whitesborough, he sought to make friends with
them. The judge was the first white man to form a settle-
ment there. He was surrounded by Indians, but was kind
and good, and soon won their love. He lived in a small log
house, with his married daughter and a little grandchild, who
was about two or three years old.
One day, old Han Yerry, with his squaw and a mulatto
servant, came from Oriskany, three miles away, to 'pay the
judge a visit and renew their friendship. Before going, the
chief said :
" I like you and have confidence in you. Do you like
me and have you confidence in me? " To which the judge
replied warmly that he liked him and had confidence in him.
" Then prove it to me, " said the old chief, " My squaw
loves your papoose. Let us take her back to remain all night.
I will return with her in the morning. "
The baby's poor mother sat speechless with terror at the
thought of trusting her darling to these savages, and, as she
saw signs of yielding in her father's face, threw herself dis-
tractedly at his feet. Without looking at her distress, he gen-
tly took the child from her close embrace, and told her she
had nothing to fear from their good friends, who would surely
bring her back sately and well. Then, placing the child in
the squaw's arms, lie said : " I trust to my friends all tliat I
hold most dear. "
Though he looked calm and smiling, he deeply felt the
sacrifice he was called upon to make in order to save the col-
onists, who would have perished had the request been re-
fused.
All night they kept vigil, and in the first gray light of
FOLK -ST OKIES. 1()7
(lawn strained their eyes np the road for sion of aiiv liuinaii
l)eino- ; but there was none. The hours eaiiic and went — inton,
afternoon. Still no sign. In silence and prayer, with (hirk
foreboding, they kept wateli. Sometimes the poor mother,
through grief and fear, would try to lush up the road in
search of her darling, l)ut was restrained by hei' jathei-. who
knew that such a breach of contidence would cause its death
and that of the defenseless settlers, while reliance on their
word would increase friendliness. So, hand in hand, they
waite
At last, as the sun sank behind the hills, some figures a|)-
peared in the distance. Almost breathlessly tliey observed
them approach. As they drew nearer, with a cry of delight,
the keen eyes of the mother saw Blossom perched on the
shoulders of the old chief, dressed out in all the gorgeousiu'ss
of an Indian princess, instead of her own little clothes, smiling
and happy, as if she had had the best of times, as indeed was
the case ; for the Indians had been very kind and tender in
their efforts to amuse the little " Pale Flower. ""
Judge White was wise to show thi' Indians this great
trust, for they never forgot it. From that time they did all
they could to aid the wliite settlers at Sedaghquate, aiterward
called Whitesborough. and to show their love and respe<-t for
them.
A COUKT OF RECORD.
An act was passed, April, LSOG, directing thivt leiins of
the court of common pleas to be hel(l in .Jefferson and Lewis
counties. Tradition savs, that, after ftirmal adjourmeiit. tlie
168 FOLK-STORIES.
first court, which was held in the school house, on the ground
now covered by the Universalist Church, became a scene of
tun and frolic, which has since been seldom equaled. The
greater i)art of the settlers were young or middle aged men,
some indulged in habits of intemperance ; the custom of the
day did not discountenance practical joking, and athletic
games were invariably the accompaniment of all gatherings.
Moreover they had been just organized, and must have
business for their courts, else what the need of having courts?
Should any one evince a disinclination to join in these pro-
ceedings, they were accused of "sneakism, " and arraigned be-
fore a mock tribunal, where, guilty or not guilty, the penalty
of a " quarter, " was sure to be imposed for the benefit of the
crowd. Among other charges w^as one against Esq. H., of
Rutland, a man of very sober and candid character, who was
charged with stealing. Conscious of innocence, he offered to
be searched, when a quantity of dough was found in both
pockets of his coat. Thus implicated by circumstances which
he could not explain, he was fined. Another was accused of
falling asleep, and fined a shilling, and another was fined a
like sum for smoking in the court room. After paying the
penalty, ho resumed his pipe, and was again arraigned, when
he entered his plea that the fine was for a pipe full, which he
had not finished, an
for discussion, that elicited the research and ability of the
lawyers present. As tlu^ avowed intention was to make busi-
ness for all the new officers, one was stripi)ed ;iii(l laid out on
a board, loosely covered with a cloth, and a coroner sent for,
who commenced a bona fide examination, that was interrupted
by some one tipping over the board, when the "subject" of
tlie hoax jumped up and fled. There had not thus far been
any business for the sheriff, but this was at length macle, by
FOLK-STORIES. 1(39
their finding one who had crept into the oarrot for conceal-
ment. He was dragged before their tril.mial. wlicrc it was
decided that his failing was a disease, rather tliaii a criiiic, and
required a specific. This carnival was coiitimird the second
day, and although the officers of tlie court aircctcd to al.slain
from these frohcs, yet judicial dignity oifcml n<. cxmipti.in
from them, and all parties, whether willing or unwilling, were
compelled to join. Companies, distinguished by i)erson'al pc-
cuUarities, were paraded under officers selected iv.r tlic pi'onn-
nence of these traits, as " long noses, " etc., while the little
short men were organized into a party and charged with tlie
duty of "keeping the cats ofi". " These follies may be con-
sidered puerile, but not more so than the annual carnival in
some European countries, and their record is interesting from
illustrating the custom of the times, when athletic games were
fashionable, and men seldom met in numbers witliont havinu
"a regular train. "
A MKiHTY NI^rROD.
The following encounter witli a panllier, in IS]!), was
related by Jairus Rich, the hunter: It occurred near ilvde
Lake, about three miles tVom the village of I'lessis. lie had
Sethis traps for wolves, and had anivcd within a few rods of
one of them, when he observed a panther -.|,i'ing up and run
with a trap to one (.f his hind legs. lie hivd. but missed the
mark, and his game made off into the thi(d
returned to a house nearly a nn'le distant. j.i-ocnre(l a small
dog, and having again ivpaii-ed to the place, and slalioiied
170 FOLK-STORIES.
himself where he could start the entrapped animal, he ob-
served the head of a panther emerge from the bushes about
tive rods distant, upon which he fired and killed him instantly.
He soon found that this was not the one in the trap, and a
heavy shower of rain coming on, he found it difficult to load
his ritle again, which he at length did. The dog, meanwhile,
had engaged the other panther, upon which he tired and
wounded him, and finding he could not reload, on account of
the rain, he threw down his piece, and seizing his hatchet,
sjirung u|)on him, when there ensued a fearful stri>ggle, in
wliich, finally, the beast got under, with one of the man's
liands in his mouth ; the hatchet was lost, but with the other
hand he drew from his pocket a knife, opened it wdth his
teeth, and finally succeeded in cutting the throat of the
ferocious animal. The hunter was badly torn, but made
out to crawl to tlie nearest house, where, after many weeks, he
recovered, but carrie(l the scars of the contiict with him to the
gi'ave. The bounties for the destruction of wild animals were
then so great, that the inducements for gain led to ingenious
measures for securing the rewards, and it is related of the same
])ei-son, that having trailed a she wolf to her den, and killed
her, he found in the cave ten young whelps, but too small to
be entitled to the bounty. He accordingly built a pen in the
forest, and fed them daily upon wild meats which he obtained
in hunting, until tluy were grown. He became strongly at-
tached to one of them, who would follow him Hke a dog, but
the temptation of |50 was too strong to resist, and he slew his
fa vorite pet to gain the premium. This breeding wolves for
the market,liad its par.dlel in an instance in tnis town, in which
a hunter, to gain tlie reward that might be offered for the
secret, ])rofessed to know of a salt spring, to which he was in-
duced to conchict a certain p(>rson, and in which he had a little
FOLK-STORIES. 171
previous . buried a bag of salt. The water l)eiiig duly