Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/614

602 hind legs, and received the dog with a blow that injured, for the time being, his fighting qualities. Mr. Sirpliss, having an ax, was about making an attack, when the bear bounded away and escaped, just before the arrival of the brother with his gun.

The first road through the township was the "State road" from Mount Vernon to Bellville and Mansfield. This wais for a long time but a mere trail, and the only stopping-place on this trail, between Mansfield and Mount Vernon, was at McCluer's, near the site of Bellville. This was one of the first settlements in the county; and this trail was established some time before the township was settled. Soon after the first settlement, a second road was cut from the vicinity of Lexington toward Bellville.

The first public-house in the township was opened at a very early day, hy Thomas Laughlin, on the State road, about six miles south of Mansfield, near the center of the township, and near the present Oberlin place. The majority of the earliest settlers entered the township by this road, and settled in the vicinity of and to the east of it, near where Washington Village was afterward laid out.

The township does not appear to have contained any permanent Indian encampment, but was not excelled as a hunting-ground.

The first schoolhouse was built on the State road, near the "tavern," about the center of the township, on Section 16. It was one of those Avell-remembered, primitive schoolhouses, described in another chapter, which have disappeared from this country with the Indian and deer, and will yet be occasionally found with the Indian and deer, in the Far West. The first teacher was John Barnett, who came from Guernsey County. He taught six months, and received as wages $2 per scholar, for a term of three months. Sally Braden also taught school about 1818. She probably taught the summer school in the same building, following Barnett. One evening, while the school was engaged in

prayer, just before the time for dismissal, a large yellow rattlesnake raised its head through a crack in the puncheon floor, and took a survey of the scene. No one dared to move, however, until the prayer ended, when the boys dispatched his snakeship.

As early as 1820-21, this township was troubled with a company of horse-thieves, counterfeiters, etc. Their operations extended into the adjoining townships and counties. Several of the gang; were well-known residents of this township, others lived in the direction of Perrysville, and others near Fredericktown and Mount Vernon. Two men, named Gardner and Black, and two sons of the former were suspected. This band was quite numerous, and, for a time, had things their own way. It seemed impossible to convict them, although generally known. After losing several horses and much other property, and the insecurity continually increasing, the settlers finally organized, for the purpose of self-defense, what they called the " Black Cane Company." The company was composed of the most prominent settlers of the different neighborhoods molested by these ruffians. Each member carried a black cane, made out of the wood of a crab-apple (sic) or blackhaw ; the bark being peeled off, and the canes burned black, after which they were oiled to give them a glossy appearance. A few of the names composing this company were Capt. Thomas Coulter, William Irwin, A. Rice, Isaac Martin, Thomas Martin, David Coulter, C. H. Rice, David Ayres, Charles Tannehill, Lewis Oliver. T. W. Coulter, John Capel, Solomon Gladden, Melzer Tannehill, Jonathan Coulter, James Irwin. Nathan Stearns, Harry Hill, David Hill, Reuben Hill, John Latty, Levi Taylor, John Coulter, and some others, whose names are not recollected.

By vigorous exertions, this company succeeded in clearing the neighborhood of the villains; and peace and security reigned until about 1833, when their services were again