Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/429

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��HISTORY OF EICHLAND COUNTY.

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��Joseph Floro, Section' 16, and Mr. Inks, Section 17. The latter erected a " tavern " on the old State road, at a point on Friends Creek, where several roads now cross. The place is now owned by Johnson Boggs, whose father was also among the earliest settlers. Inks only kept the hotel a short time, when he died. A Mr. Gates married the widow, and continued the business many years. Israel Long also erected a log tavern on this road, for the ac- commodation of the teamsters and travelers. This building stood on Section 34, near the (Terman Reformed and Lutheran brick church, directly in front of the present residence of Hezekiah Kohler. These two " taverns " were noted resorts in early days, public gatherings and militia musters being held in the vicinit}' of each.

Some of the later settlers were John Kendall, who came from England, in 1825, locating where he now resides, on Section 20 ; the Tay- lors, Crums, Ralstons. Powells and others.

Jacob Cline erected a distiller}' near his cabin, on a spring. This gave the earliest set- tlers a market for their corn and smaller grain, which Mr. Cline purchased and made into whisk}', sending part of it to the lake, but dis- posing of most of it to the settlers at 1 5 or 1 8 cents per gallon. This was not the poison now retailed by saloons and drug stores, but honest whisky, which would make a man drunk, but would not murder him.

The forests of Franklin Township were filled with wild game of every description, and was a paradise for the white as well as the red hunter. It is said that the Indians were in the habit of going down to what is termed the " Big Hill " for their lead for hunting purposes. It is a little strange that this lead-mine has never been discovered. The old settlers of to-da}' can, many of them, remember the little chunks of lead, in its crude state, they frequently saw in the hands of the Indians. The Indians guarded their secret with jealous care, and would never

��revefll the place of this lead deposit ; the set- tlers, however, were under the impression that it was in the vicinity of the Big Hill. It is stated that, whenever white men were taken to the vicinity of this mine, they were " blind- folded."

Man}^ black bears lived in the swamps and "windfalls" of Franklin. Their cubs were fi-equently captured by the settlers and re- tained as pets. Many a hunt was made by the settlers, with guns and dogs, after the black- wooled depredators, who had, the night before, disturbed the peace of the pig-pen or tres- passed among the tender vines of the garden.

In the winter of 181 7, a light snow being on the ground, Peter Pittenger, James Furgeson and his sons came upon the track of a bear near the present site of Wolford's Schoolhouse. The}' followed it eastward until the trail stopped at the foot of a hollow tree by Pal- mer's swamp. They began cutting, and, when the tree was half cut down, bruin, doubtless taking the hint, came suddenly down among the dogs and men and ran away along the edge of a swamp. The dogs soon overtook him, and Tige and Jowler made demonstrations in front, while Trip and Penny proceeded to attack the enemy's works in the rear. The men came up quickly, but in the excitement had left their guns behind and found them- selves upon the battle-field where bruin was standing on the defensive, fighting the dogs, with no weapons except an ax and hatchet. These they were unable to use lest a blow at the bear might be equally disastrous to a dog.

When the men came up, the bear again attempted a retreat, when Peter Pittenger seized it by the rump and gave it three deep cuts in the back with his tomahawk. Ho w^as compelled, however, to release his hold, and the wounded animal continued the retreat two miles further, but was finally overtaken on the Pao-e farm near Windsor, and shot.

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