Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/851

 MONROE TOWNSHIP.

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��A. died of heart-disease, April 30, 1875, in the 46th year of his age; they were both buried at Perryville. Charles Young, father of Mrs. Rachel Gladden, emigrated to Harrison Co. in 1810, and thence to Richland Co. in 1814, and entered land in Mifflin Township, near where Yaman's mill now stands. Mr. Young was of English origin ; Mr. Gladden was of Scotch-Irish descent. He, in common with all the pioneers of this county, passed through many dangers, endured many hardships, toils and privations, and surmounted many difficulties. The red men had not as yet entirely forsaken this favorite hunting-grounds and burial-place of their an- cestors. On one occasion, two of their braves, Momus and .Jonnycake, came to his cabin and asked for some- thing to eat. After partaking of a hearty repast, they went on their way rejoicing. Mr. Gladden asked one of his little boys, a lad about 3 years old, how he liked the looks of those men : " I don't know, they had leather on their faces, so that I could not see them," was the inno- cent reply. Abraham Baughman, a neighbor of Mr. Gladden, bought a calf of an Indian on one occasion. The next spring, the Indian came to Baughman's, saw that the calf had grown and improved, and remarked, "Say, Baughman, calf growed much; want more money."' Baughman thought it was best to gratify the Indian, and did so. The next spring, the Indian again returned, making use of the same language. Baugh- man again yielded, but to prevent a like repetition the following year, he fatted the calf and killed it. That singular and eccentric being familiarly known as Johnny Appleseed, but whose real name was John Chapman, very frequently called at the cabin of Mr. Gladden. He spent many nights under his roof. He would never accept of a bed, however, though many times urged to do so. He said the floor was good enough for him. He came to their cabin on one occa- sion, and found Mrs. Gladden assorting bee-bread from the honey. He asked her if she had any buttermilk in the house, she replied that she had, and, at his request, she tilled a coffee-pot with it and gave it to him. He then asked her if he might have some of the bee-bread to eat with it. " Oh, no," said she, " not that ; I will get you some wheat-bread." " No thank you," says .Johnny, " I would rather have this," and he actually ate a hearty meal of bee-bread and buttermilk. In those early times domestic animals, such as cattle, hogs and sheep, were very scarce, whilst wild animals were numerous ; so that the pioneer farmer had to depend upon his rifle for his supply of meat. Many were the trials, dangers and difficulties attending i.his manner of obtaining food ; for, on one occasion, Mr. Gladden, being in need of meat, mounted his horse and started out in quest of a deer. He had not proceeded but a short distance from his cabin, when he saw a fine large buck. He drew up bis gun and fired, when the deer started off at a rapid rate through the dense forest. Mr. G. struck the trail and knew from the flow of blood that the deer was severely wounded. He urged on his steed as fast as the nature of the route would permit, hoping to keep the animal in view, knowing that the blood would cease to flow before the deer would fall, and that it most probably would hide, so that he would not be able to discover and obtain another and more exact fire. In his hurry, he laid his rifle across his horse in front

��of him. The horse made a sudden turn and ran be- tween two saplings breaking his rifle and rendering it entirely useless for the time being. Owing to this ac- cident, he lost his deer, and, for the want of a gun, he passed many a hungry day. He had to go to Wooster, twenty-five miles distant, to get his gun repaired.

Mr. Gladden had a military spirit within him ; the sound of the fife and drum sounded more pleasantly to his ears than the sound of the piano, harp or organ would have done. He loved the tented field and the study of military tactics ; he therefore raised a rifle company, composed of the hardy sons of tjie forest; he was elected Captain of this company, and served in this capacity for many years. When the threatened trouble between Ohio and Michigan called for action, he was elected Colonel of a rifle regiment belonging to this county. Volunteers were called for, and the call was responded to by many of the hardy sons of toil. The regiment was ready to move at short notice, but, happily for all concerned, Congress adjusted the matter in dispute amicably and without the shedding of fraternal blood.

Mr. Gladden served as Justice of the Peace for fifteen years in succession ; he served as Commissioner of this county six years ; he also served in the General Assembly of the State of Ohio one year. A few in- stances may here be stated to illustrate the rude and uncultivated state of society at that early day : One fine day in June, the Esquire was called upon to marry a couple of young Dutch folks. He met them at the appointed time and place, and proceeded to tie the knot. He asked them to arise, which feat they accom- plished without much difficulty; but when told to join their right hands, the groom, with his left hand, grasped the bride by her right. Again they tried to obey orders, but succeeded no better. The third at- tempt resulted in their joining their left hands. The magistrate, seeing that further attempts would be fruit- less, proceeded with the ceremony, varying it to suit the occasion. After the ceremony had been performed, the Justice sought the kitchen tire to light his pipe. Here he met a lady guest, who laughingly remarked, " Squire, did you notice that the darned Dutch fools were married left-handed?" On a similar occasion, the wine having flowed so freely that many of the guests were in high spirits, a bachelor guest, who had indulged pretty freely, undertook to carve the turkey. He accomplished the feat in the following scientific manner : Grabbing the fowl by its legs, he tore off one of these members, and, throwing it on the bride's plate, remarked, " There, Sal, that is for you." Then, tearing off the other leg, he threw it on the groom's plate, with the expression, "There, Bill, take that." So much for the etiquette of early times. In those early times, wild cats were numerous and troublesome, and bears would frequently make a raid on the sheep- folds and pig-pens of the settlers. On one occasion, Mrs. Isaac Applegate was returning from a visit at the cabin of the Gladdens, when she saw a huge bear walk- ing leisurely along in front of her with a pig in its mouth. She hastened home and told her husband what she had seen. Mr. Applegate was not long in arousing a few of his nearest neighbors ; David Craw- ford, Joseph Applegate, Solomon Gladden, Hugh and

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