USA > Indiana > Rush County > History of Rush County, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory, and the State of Indiana > Part 30
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George Nipp erected a saw mill on Flat Rock at an early day on land now the property of Purnell Bishop. Some years later Adam Ammon put up a grist and saw mill, which is now known as Nipp's mill. A Mr. Carr had a mill also on Flat Rock a mile above Raleigh. In Posey Township Jacob Reed built the first mill, and soon after Jonathan Ball built a grist and saw mill. These were the mills that were sufficient to supply the wants of the early settlers, but as the country became cleared up and its resources de- veloped there was a demand for larger and better mills and factories of various kinds, which have now been abundantly supplied.
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Old Settlers Meetings. - As years rolled on, and one after another of the gray haired pioneers, the fathers and the mothers of the present prosperous people, went to their rest, and their voices, that had so often thrilled our hearts with their stirring narratives of early times, became hushed forever, an earnest desire and determina- tion arose to perpetuate the memory of these noble pioneers and their herculean labors, which have transformed the wilderness into the present happy, prosperous and beautiful County of Rush. To carry out this pious determination Old Settlers' Meetings were in- stituted, where the veterans of the past could meet and enjoy a reunion with their old comrades, who had stood shoulder to shoulder with them in their days of labor, of hardship, and privation, where they could recount their experiences, adventures and the incidents that make up the history of our county. In 1869, after one or two preliminary meetings, the Old Settlers' Association was organized, with the Rev. D. M. Stewart as President, and the first regular meeting was held the third Thursday and 19th day of August, at the fair grounds. The committees, who had charge of it, had done well their part; a very large crowd of the Rush County citizens were there, with well filled baskets prepared to spend one day in the enjoyment of social intercourse with their friends and neighbors, and in listening to the tales of other days as told by the grand old patriarchs, who yet remained among us.
A number of distinguished men from a distance came in re- sponse to invitations. Among these were Governor Baker, Col. Blake, James M. Ray and Dr. Ryland T. Brown, from Indianapo- lis. The President, Rev. D. M. Stewart, called the meeting to order, at 10 A. M., and Elder John P. Thompson invoked the divine blessing and guidance on the exercises of the day. Letters from Elijah Hackleman and John Tyner were read, expressing their regret at not being able to be present on this joyful occasion. The President invited the old settlers to come forward and give some of the incidents and reminiscences of the early days of our county. Col. Joseph Nichols, J. P. Thompson and Col. Blake en- tertained and instructed the audience by relating their personal ex- periences in frontier life. The meeting now adjourned until 2 P. M., and a dinner, such as Rush County maids and matrons always get up, was heartily enjoyed by all, in the free open air, beneath the grateful shade of the beautiful grove. The meeting having again been called to order, Harmony Laughlin and Peter Looney exhibited a number of interesting relics of olden times. J. M. Ray gave a sketch of the settlement of the country between White Water and White River. Dr. R. T. Brown then addressed
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the meeting, and, among other things of interest relating to our county, said that he had taken the first census of Rush County. Isaac Pattison, George Davis, Wm. Williams and A. M. Kennedy then made remarks suitable to the occasion. On motion of Rev. D. M. Stewart, the third Thursday in August was adopted and consecrated to the memory of the brave pioneers of Rush County. Since then this has been a sacred day to our citizens.
Perhaps a full account of one of these meetings of later date, would give a better idea of their general tenor, and the spirit per- vading the proceedings, than any general description. I here pre- sent the report of the eighth annual reunion of the Old Settlers, held on the third Thursday of August, 1876: "The audience was large and appreciative, the speeches very interesting, being the narratives of personal experiences and recollections. The statisti- cal mortuary record, read by the Rev. D. M. Stewart, showed that since the last meeting in August, 1875, some forty of the old settlers have departed this life and have gone to try the realities of the unseen world. This shows how rapidly they are passing away. The result of the election for officers was, Dr. John Arnold, Presi- dent; Dr. W. H. Smith, Secretary; T. N. Link, Treasurer; and Rev. D. M. Stewart, Statistician. The Rev. Samuel Houshour gave a graphic and very amusing description of his, failures in var- io us financial speculations, but referred with just pride to his suc- cess as a teacher, and wound up by a few most forcible and appro- priate remarks addressed to the youth present, reminding them of their great obligations to their parents, who by industry and econ- omy, had started their children on the journey of life under circum- stances so much more favorable than they had themselves enjoyed. Mr. A. M. Kennedy, Mr. Jesse Thomas, Uncle Peter Looney and several others, gave interesting life experiences of early days, house raisings and log rollings, from eighteen to twenty-five days during one season, besides doing their home work. The amount and se- verity of the labor necessary for clearing off the forests was clearly shown.
" Mr. Charles Loehner, of Indianapolis, made a speech amusing and instructive - a combination of humor and good sense. Dr. John Arnold, upon taking the chair as President, delivered the fol- fowing address: 'Ladies and gentlemen - With unfeigned grati- tude I thank you for the honor conferred in choosing me to preside over the meetings of the Old Settlers of Rush County for the ensu- ing year. I appreciate the honor, for the subject matters there dis- cussed are consonant with my fondest feelings and deepest sympathies, relating as they do the reminiscences and experiences of the brave pioneers of this country. It is meet and proper that
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we should do as we have done to-day, assemble occasionally and review our recollections of the interesting incidents, the bitter pri- vations and incessant labors of those who have preceded us, by lis- tening to the true, the unadorned, and the deeply touching tales of the venerable survivors. It is a grateful privilege to listen to the words of these brave men and women, who more than half a cen- tury ago entered the then unbroken wilderness, animated by the hope and the determination to make for themselves and their chil- dren a home in this rich and pleasant land. Nerved by this heroic motive, they were undismayed by toil or hardship, and by their en- ergy and perseverance laid broad and firm the foundations of our present moral and social prosperity.
. ""' Though mere words can never pay the debt of gratitude we owe them, still let us show these venerable representatives of a past generation that we heartily appreciate their services and will honor and perpetuate their memories. Every year their number is becoming less. Every year the pioneers of Rush County, in re- sponse to the roll call of death, are passing, one by one, to that " undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns." But they are content to go, for they have lived long enough to witness the full fruition of their fondest hopes. During their lives the most marvelous changes have been effected. With retrospec- tive gaze they can look back to that time when the mighty forests covered all the land, a forest in which the rich luxuriance of vegeta- tion shaded every foot of the teeming soil. For in addition to the heavy growth of lofty trees, the dense and almost impassable under- growth of spice brush, pawpaw and other shrubs, was seen a pro- fusion of weeds and flowers of a hundred varieties, which have now disappeared, trod out by the foot of civilization.
" 'Bounteous nature still smiles, the same fertile soil, the same broad plains, the same mighty rivers and murmuring rills, greet them to-day, whispering many a pleasant tale of youthful happy times. But, in all else, how changed! The rude log cabin has given place to the splendid residence, with all its surroundings for comfort, convenience and beauty. The small, stumpy clearing to the broad farm, with its highly cultivated fields of grain and its rich pastures, stocked with the finest varieties of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. The blazed trace and the Indian path to the well- kept road, the turnpike and the railroad track. The saddle has been superseded by the carriage, and where our parents picked their devious way through the dim forest paths, we, reclining in luxurious ease on cushioned seats, roll along the broad, smooth, straight roads in carriages, whose every motion is as gentle as that of the infant's cradle. The school-house and the church, those best evi-
,
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dences of American progress and American civilization, and the only true safeguards of a free government, are thickly scattered over our land. But it is unnecessary to dwell longer on this topic, for the present is an open volume, which all may see and read for themselves, but of the fading past- the almost forgotten past - we must acquire all our knowledge from the lips of those gray- haired pioneers who yet survive to amuse and instruct the present generation.
"' You cannot wonder that my feelings, my sympathies and my associations are indissolubly connected with those early days, when I tell you that it is now over fifty-five years since I first planted my foot on the soil of that farm, which has ever since been the home of our family, and which I am proudly happy to call my own. It is endeared to me by a thousand tender and pleasing associations of childhood, youth and mature age. There is not a spot, a hill or a valley, a stream or a spring, and scarcely a tree or a shrub, with which I am not perfectly familiar, and I can hardly separate the idea of this farm from my own personality. The thought of sell- ing it -of allowing it to pass into the unappreciative hands of strangers - is repulsive to every feeling of my heart and every in- stinct of my nature, and I hope to live and to die on it, surrounded by the many mementoes of the irrevocable years that have passed since I first knew and loved it - this home of my heart.
"' I am gratified to see so large a number here assembled, in spite of the very unfavorable weather. Had the day been fine we should have had an unprecedented crowd, composed of the very best ma- terial of Rush county. I would, in conclusion, respectfully invite every one here present, to be with us again at our next meeting, on the third Thursday in August, 1877, and to bring all their friends and families with them, for we hope to make that occasion one of profit and social enjoyment -' a feast of reason and a flow of soul.'"
Reminiscences - A Squatter and his Home .- Jacob Dewey was a squatter on the fraction north of the Alger cemetery, in early days. He was a rich study. He was as poor as a man could be, but always happy, always cheerful, always patient under the sharp and often well-merited reproaches of his better half, who would expatiate on his indolence, improvidence and recklessness in language more pointed than polite. He came from Fayette County, but what spot claimed the honor of his birth I know not, but presume he was a Yankee from the consummate skill displayed in the work- ing of a bovine team. A pair of bulls was his most valuable and, indeed, almost his only worldly possession. With these he rolled the logs in the clearings, or with a rude sled hauled the rails for the fences of his neighbors, and thus eked out a livelihood, mainly
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obtained by his dog and gun, for he was a skilled hunter. He was a wild looking fellow, scarcely ever wearing anything to cover his long, tangled tawny locks except a fox-skin cap, with its pendant tail behind, with his buckskin breeches rolled up to his knees, and his shirt sleeves rolled up above his elbows. The furniture of his cabin was scanty and of the rudest description, fashioned by him- self with axe, auger and drawing-knife. The walls were orna- mented with the skins of wild animals shot or trapped by him; but the crowning ornament was the skin of a tremendous yellow rat- tlesnake, with eighteen or twenty rattles, so well stuffed with moss that it represented the terrible reptile with startling effect. By the side of it hung the head and claws of a bald eagle. But what- ever might be the poverty of his surroundings, his table was always bountifully supplied with the best of venison, wild turkey, etc.
He did considerable work for Mr. John Arnold, who was much amused and interested by the quaint sayings and doings of this child of the forest. Early one spring he was hauling and rolling logs for him in the creek bottom, and, having run his handspike under a large log, then passed his arm under it to draw the chain through, when he exclaimed that there was ice under there, and as soon as it was rolled over, lo! there lay three large moccasin snakes, whose cold bodies he had mistaken for ice. Fortunately for him there had not been sufficient heat to arouse them from their winter torpor, and it was this that enabled him to pass his naked arm over those vicious reptiles with impunity. Under his rough, unpolished and sometimes reckless manners, was concealed a generous and a manly heart. He was ever ready to assist any one sick or in distress to the utmost of his power. He possessed a large share of that friendly fraternal feeling so common among the early settlers, and the loss of which we hear so frequently bewailed by the hoary headed patriarchs, who enjoyed its pleasant warmth in their youth, and now contrast it with the cold selfishhess of the present genera- tion. When John Harlock was killed by the fall of a tree, he was among the first and most earnest to offer his services to do any- thing that was in his power for the distressed family. Mr. Harlock had a large lot of hogs, which, like all others running in the woods, had become almost as wild and savage as the natural denizens of the forest. These Dewey spent several days in hunting up and driving home prior to the sale, and it was about as disagreeable a job as can be imagined, and when asked his charge felt and ex- pressed great indignation that any one should think him mean enough to take pay from a poor widow for a few days' work. In the bosom of this uncultivated backwoodsman flowed as true a spirit of chivalry as ever animated the lofty paladins of the court
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of Charlemagne. Dewey lived in this neighborhood some three or four years, until it became too crowded to suit his taste, when he pushed farther west, where the clearings were not so numerous and the game more abundant. He seemed to have no desire to own land and make himself a permanent home, and he doubtless lived and died a very poor but a very happy man.
Perhaps a few extracts from papers contributed to the Rushville Republican, in 1875, entitled, " Reminiscences of an Old Settler," by Dr. John Arnold, will help to give correct ideas of early times. The first is from paper 18th, dated December 18th, 1885:
"At the head of the carnivorous animals stood the panther, alike dangerous from its cunning and ferocity. Its lithe, graceful form, formidable teeth, terrible claws, and fierce eyes are familiar to all who have visited our menageries, but they can have but a faint conception of its wild and savage character when roused to fury in its native woods. The bravest hunter attacked it with cau- tion; made sure that the priming was in the pan and that his flint was in good order, and that his long hunting knife was loose in its sheath, for, he well knew, that if his ball failed to strike a vital part, the wounded and ferocious beast would inevitably attack him, and that perhaps after one blow with his rifle, his life rested on the cool and effective use of his sharp knife, and even then could not hope to come scatheless from the desperate conflict. Unless wounded they seldom attack a grown person. In the wild woods the panther successfully hunts the fleet deer, and their mode of cap- turing their prey exhibits their innate craftiness. Crouching him- self on some overhanging tree, above the path leading to some lick frequented by the deer, he silently and patiently awaits his victim, and as soon as within reach, springs upon it with a wild scream of fierce triumph. On the borders of the settlements he is fearfully destructive of calves, hogs, sheep, etc., and has no objection to a child when it comes in his way. His sharp, peculiar scream at the midnight hour, echoing through the forest, is no pleasant sound, expressing the unappeasable ferocity of the beast, and suggestive of danger and death.
"I shall never forget one winter night, when my father, having butchered his hogs, took a basket full of the fresh meat to my uncle Isaac Arnold's, I as usual, accompanying him. At that time I had a powerful dog called Ring of the native breed of mongrel hounds, valuable for its hunting propensities: a bold, courageous fellow, never known to quail before an animal of any kind. until that night. It was about a mile to my uncle's, the night was cold and starlight. Just after dark my father and I started, followed, I was going to say, by Ring, but the word is not correct, preceded would be
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more appropriate, for he went before, taking wide circuits, scour- ing the woods in every direction, in quest of game. We had gone but a short distance, when we were startled by the distant scream of a panther. In a little while it was repeated, but evidently nearer; this appalling sound was repeated every few minutes, evidently rapidly approaching us. After the third cry, Ring came rushing to us, following closely at our heels decidedly frightened, growling fiercely, but utterly refusing to go one step in advance of us. I
know not whether, at some past time, he had a taste of the quality of the panther's teeth and claws, or whether his instinctive sagacity told him that there was something to be feared, but nevertheless, though scared, I believe he would have fought to the death, if we had been attacked. We had now gone more than half the distance, and retreat would have been as hazardous as advance, and my father decided to go on, and if the animal showed himself, to set down the basket of meat for his supper, and while he was devour- ing it, we would without standing on any ceremony, go on to Uncle Isaac's. But still the situation was not pleasant, and grew more exciting as we approached the clearing, and the savage beast rapidly nearing us, still emitting those wild and peculiar screams. At last he was so near, that we could occasionally hear the crack- ing of the brush, as he walked a short distance from, and parallel with us, and we momentarily expected him to make a decisive rush, but he did not do so, but just as we entered the gate he uttered a prolonged scream, the most intense and fearful of all, as it expressed, his rage and disappointment. This animal was doubtless attracted by the scent of the fresh meat, which induced him to treat us to such a serenade. After remaining an hour or so, we started for home, my uncle having provided us with two shot guns, heavily loaded with coarse shot, so that we were pretty well prepared to . give the panther a warm reception if he should molest us, but we neither saw nor heard anything of him. He had probably gone away, or if he still lurked in those dark woods was silent. After remaining in the neighborhood, for some days, and committing various depredations on stock, he departed and we heard of him no more."
The following is from the 19th paper of " Reminiscences of an Old Settler, " Dec. 24, 1875:
There were a few wolves occasionally seen in this part of the country for several years, after its first settlement, probably coming from the wilder regions of the northwest, where the axe of the pioneer had not yet disturbed the solitude of the primeval forest. A young calf or a pig was a tempting feast that they could not pass by, but mutton seemed to be the favorite flesh above all others,
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and the settlers who had a few sheep, whose warm fleeces, when transformed by the patient labor of his wife, into flannel, jeans and linsey, should clothe and protect his family from the frosts of winter, had to see that they were up every night and securely enclosed in a high pen near the cabin. Spite of all those precautions, they of- ten fell victims to their natural enemies to the great loss and re- gret of the owner.
The long, dismal howl of the wolf, uttered at intervals during the night, is not cheerful music to listen to, but does not in- stinctively terrify, as does the fell cry of the panther coming to the ear, fraught with the irrepressible ferocity of that animal. The dogs will eagerly pursue and readily attack the wolf, though there are few that willingly dare the terrors of the panther's claws. The wolf was not only destroyed by the rifle ball of the hunter, as he sought him in his hiding place in the dense and thorny thickets of the swamp, but the trap also did good service, frequently contain- ing one of those fiercely snarling and snapping beasts. The trap was built of substantial logs and bated with venison or some other fresh meat, which was securedly fastened to a trigger, which be- ing moved, brought down the trap, securely holding the frightened and furious wolf, in spite of all his desperate struggles. Another method, and one from the sport afforded and the success attending it, perhaps the most popular, was the fall of a snow, for the hunters to turn out with dogs and guns and taking his track, tirelessly and relentlessly pursue to his death. Unless the rifle gave him his quietus, he fought desperately to the end, the quick snap of his powerful jaws, armed with their sharp teeth, making fearful wounds on the fiercely yelping pack surrounding him.
It is a popular belief that the wolf has a peculiar penchant for the odor of assafœtida, and that if a person carries it about him, it will attract any within reach of its penetrating perfume. I have heard it stated by old hunters, that if a man rubs this fetid gum on the soles of his shoes, and then walks through the woods, where they are lurking, that in a short time, they will be scenting and following in his footsteps, and that by making a circuit back on his track he will be enabled to get a shot. I shall never forget while memory endures, a startling interview I had with one of these shaggy monsters. It was in the autumn of 1823, that for some two weeks, the nights had been made hideous by the melancholy howls of a wolf, who also made his presence known by various depredations on the stock of the settlers, who had hitherto failed to discover his hiding place, and give him his deserts. There was a young woman, living in our family, whom my mother had brought from England, named Jane Richardson. She, on account of some.
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nervous affection, constantly carried, in a small bag suspended by a ribbon around her neck, some assafœtida, and being aware of the popular belief on the subject, had a perfect horror of wolves, being firmly pursuaded that if she ever encountered one he would attack and destroy her.
One day, day being sent on some errand to my uncle Isaac Ar- nold's, and being accompanied by me, when we had got about half way there we heard a rustling in the dry leaves, and look- ing in the direction of the sound saw a gigantic wolf, with his fore-feet resting on a log, deliberately surveying us. He was not more than thirty or thirty-five yards from us. Poor Jane gave one look, then uttering scream after scream, fled for home as fast as her legs, under the stimulus of overwhelming ter- ror, could carry her. I felt disposed to follow her example, but remembered that I had heard Swanson, a famous hunter, a few days before say, that the wolf would not attack even a woman or child if they boldly faced him, but that if they turned and fled it would be sure to kill them. Now as Jane had got such a start and could probably out-run me, I concluded that if any one had to be eaten up it would be me, and that my only chance for safety was to put a bold face on the matter. These thoughts flashed through my mind quick as lightning, and I instantly picked up a handspike that had lain there since the rolling of the logs out of the road, and holding it perpendicularly before me with both hands, slowly stepped backwards, still keeping my eye on the wolf. He seemed to look at me with supreme indifference, neither manifesting fear nor anger, but turning his head, so as to keep his eyes on me as I retired. All at once he stepped off the log, threw his head back and gave one long loud howl and deliberately trotted away. I pre- served my defiant attitude until he had disappeared and I could no longer hear the rustling of the dry leaves as he moved away, when dropping the handspike I turned and ran, and I can truly say that I experienced ten-fold more fear when running than I did while facing the foe. Long before I reached home I met my father and George Stretch (a hired hand), with their axes in their hands, run- ning with all their might, my father wild with fright, for Jane had told him, as she ran past where he was at work, that a wolf had killed me. We hurried home, where Jane had preceded us, with the same wild tale, and found my loving mother almost frantic with that agonizing anguish, which only a tender mother can feel, when she hears of the terrible death of a child by sudden violence. When the wolf moved away so deliberately through the woods, I never expected to see him again, but in this I was mistaken, for in about a week afterward he was killed by an old hunter, named
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