USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Brookville > A pioneer history of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania and my first recollections of Brookville, Pennsylvania, 1840-1843, when my feet were bare and my cheeks were brown > Part 17
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" As the settlement increased, the sense of loneliness and isolation was dispelled, the asperities of life were softened and its amenities multi- plied ; social gatherings became more numerous and more enjoyable. The log-rollings, harvestings, and husking-bees for the men, and apple- butter making and the quilting-parties for the women, furnished frequent occasions for social intercourse. The early settlers took much pleasure and pride in rifle-shooting, and as they were accustomed to the use of the gun as a means often of obtaining a subsistence, and relied upon it as a weapon of defence, they exhibited considerable skill.
" Foot-racing, wrestling, and jumping matches were common. The jumping matches consisted of the ‘single jump,' backward jump, high jump, three jumps, and the running hop, step, and jump.
" A wedding was the event of most importance in the sparsely settled new country. The young people had every inducement to marry, and generally did so as soon as able to provide for themselves. When a mar- riage was to be celebrated, all the neighborhood turned out. It was customary to have the ceremony performed before dinner, and in order
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
to be in time, the groom and his attendants usually started from his father's house in the morning for that of the bride. All went on horse- back, riding in single file along the narrow trail. Arriving at the cabin of the bride's parents, the ceremony would be performed, and after that dinner served. This would be a substantial backwoods feast, of beef, pork, fowls, and bear- or deer-meat, with such vegetables as could be procured. The greatest hilarity prevailed during the meal. After it was over, the dancing began, and was usually kept up till the next morn- ing, though the newly made husband and wife were, as a general thing, put to bed in the most approved fashion and with considerable formality in the middle of the evening's hilarity. The tall young men, when they went on the floor to dance, had to take their places with care between the logs that supported the loft-floor, or they were in danger of bumping their heads. The figures of the dances were three- and four-hand reels, or square sets and jigs. The commencement was always a square four, which was followed by 'jigging it off,' or what is sometimes called a 'cut out jig.' The 'settlement' of a young couple was thought to be thoroughly and generously made when the neighbors assembled and raised a cabin for them."
PIONEER EVENING FROLICS, SOCIAL PARTIES, PLAYS, AND AMUSE- MENTS-HOW THE PIONEER AND EARLY SETTLERS MADE THEIR LOG CABINS MERRY WITH SIMPLE, PRIMITIVE ENJOYMENTS.
In the pioneer days newspapers were few, dear, printed on coarse paper, and small. Books were scarce, only occasional preaching, no public lectures, and but few public meetings, excepting the annual Fourth of July celebration, when all the patriots assembled to hear the Declara- tion of Independence read. The pioneer and his family had to have fun. The common saying of that day was that " all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." As a rule, outside of the villages, everybody lived in log cabins, and were bound together by mutual dependence and acts of neighborly kindness. At every cabin the latch-string was always out. The young ladies of the " upper ten" learned music, but it was the hum- ming of to " knit and spin ;" their piano was a loom, their sunshade a broom, and their novel a Bible. A young gentleman or lady was then as proud of his or her new suit, woven by a sister or a mother on her own loom, as proud could be, and these new suits or "best clothes" were always worn to evening frolics. Social parties among the young were called " kissing parties," because in all the plays, either as a penalty or as part of the play, all the girls who joined in the amusement had to be kissed by some one of the boys. The girls, of course, objected to the kissing, but then they were gentle, pretty, and witty, and the sweetest and best girls the world ever knew. This was true, for I attended these parties myself. To the boys and girls of that period-
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
" The earth was like a garden then, And life seemed like a show,
For the air was rife with fragrance, The sky was all rainbow, And the heart was warm and joyous ; Each lad had native grace, Sly Cupid planted blushes then On every virgin's face."
The plays were nearly all musical and vocal, and the boys lived and played them in the " pleasures of hope," while usually there sat in the corner of the cabin fireplace a granddad or a grandma smoking a stone or clay pipe, lighted with a live coal from the wood-fire, living and smoking in the " pleasures of memory."
The plays were conducted somewhat in this way :
A popular play was for all the persons present to join hands and form a ring, with a dude of that time, in shirt of check and bear-greased hair, in the centre. Then they circled round and round the centre person, singing,-
" King William was King James's son, And of that royal race he sprung ; He wore a star upon his breast, To show that he was royal best. Go choose your east, go choose your_west, Go choose the one that you like best ; If he's not here to take your part, Go choose another with all your heart."
The gentleman in the centre then chose a lady from the circle, and she stepped into the ring with him. Then the circling was resumed, and all sang to the parties inside,-
" Down on this carpet you must kneel, Just as the grass grows in the field ; Salute your bride with kisses sweet, And then rise up upon your feet."
The play went on in this manner until all the girls present were kissed.
Another popular play was to form a ring. A young lady would step into the circle, and all parties would join hands and sing,-
" There's a lily in the garden For you, young man ; There's a lily in the garden, Go pluck it if you can," etc.
The lady then selects a boy from the circle, who walks into the ring with her. He then kisses her and she goes out, when the rest all sing,-
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" There he stands, that great big booby, Who he is I do not know ; Who will take him for his beauty ? Let her answer, yes or no."
This play goes on in this way until all the girls have been kissed. Another favorite play was :
" Oats, peas, beans, and barley grows ; None so well as the farmer knows How oats, peas, beans, and barley grows ; Thus the farmer sows his seed, Thus he stands to take his ease ; He stamps his foot and claps his hands, And turns around to view his lands," etc.
Another great favorite was :
" Oh, sister Phobe, how merry were we The night we sat under the juniper-tree, The juniper-tree, I, oh. Take this hat on your head, keep your head warm, And take a sweet kiss, it will do you no harm, But a great deal of good, I know," etc.
Another was :
" If I had as many lives As Solomon had wives, I'd be as old as Adam ; So rise to your feet And kiss the first you meet, Your humble servant, madam."
Another was :
" It's raining, it's hailing, it's cold, stormy weather ; In comes the farmer drinking of his cider. He's going a-reaping, he wants a binder, I've lost my true love, where shall I find her."
A live play was called " hurly-burly." "Two went round and gave each one, secretly, something to do. This girl was to pull a young man's hair ; another to tweak an ear or nose, or trip some one, etc. When all had been told what to do, the master of ceremonies cried out, ' Hurly-burly.' Every one sprang up and hastened to do as instructed. This created a mixed scene of a ludicrous character, and was most prop- erly named ' hurly-burly.'"'
TREES, SNAKES, AND REPTILES.
Our forests were originally covered by a heavy growth of timber-trees of various kinds. Pine and hemlock predominated. Chestnut and oak grew in some localities. Birch, sugar-maple, ash, and hickory occupied
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
a wide range. Birch- and cherry-trees were numerous, and linnwood-, cucumber-, and poplar-trees grew on many of the hill-sides, butternut, sycamore, black ash, and elm on the low grounds.
In all, about one hundred varieties of trees grew here. These forests have become the prey of the woodman's axe. There has been no voice raised effectively to restrain the destruction, wanton as it has been, of the best specimens of the pine which the eye of man ever saw. The growth of hundreds of years felled to the ground, scarified, hauled to the streams, tumbled in, and floated away to the south and east and west for the pal- try pittance of ten cents a foot ! Oh, that there could have been some power to restrain the grasping, wasteful, avaricious cupidity of man, of some voice of thunder crying, " Woodman, woodman, spare that tree ! That old familiar forest-tree, whose glory and renown has spread over land and sea, and woodmen hacked it down !"
But they are gone, all gone from the mountain's brow. The hands, also, that commenced the destruction are now mouldering into dust, thus exemplifying the law of nature, that growth is rapidly followed by decay, indicating a common destiny and bringing a uniform result. And such are we ; it is our lot thus to die and be forgotten.
Reptiles and snakes were very numerous. The early pioneer had to contend against the non-poisonous and poisonous snakes. The non- poisonous were the spotted adder, blacksnake, the green-, the garter-, the water-, and the house-snake. The blacksnake sometimes attained a length of six and eight feet. But dens of vicious rattlesnakes existed in every locality in the county. In the vicinity of Brookville there was one at Puckerty, several on the north fork, one at Iowa Mills, and legions of rattlers on Mill Creek. The dens had to be visited by bold, hardy men annually every spring to kill and destroy these reptiles as they emerged in the sun from their dens. Hundreds had to be destroyed at each den every spring. This was necessary as a means of safety for both man and beast. Of copperheads, there were but a few dens in the county, and these in the extreme south and southwest,-viz., in Perry township, in Beaver township, on Beaver Run ; and two or three dens in Porter township, on the head-waters of Pine Run,-viz., Nye's Branch and Lost Hill. Occasionally one was found in Brookville.
The copperhead is hazel-brown on the back and pinkish on the belly. On each side there are from fifteen to twenty-six chestnut blotches or bands, that somewhat resemble an inverted Y. His head is brighter and almost copper-colored on top, and everywhere over his back are found very fine dark points. The sides of his head are cream-colored. The dividing line between the cream of the side and the copper of the top passes through the upper edge of the head, in front of the eye, and involves three-fourths of the orbit. The line is very distinct.
He is commonly found wherever the rattler is, but he does not live
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quite so far north. He has a variety of names,-upland moccasin, chunkhead, deaf-adder, and pilot-snake among the rest. It is agreed that he is a much more vicious brute than the rattlesnake. He is more easily irritated and is quicker in his movements. It is said that he will even follow up a victim for a second blow. On the other hand, his bite is very much less dangerous for a variety of reasons. In the first place, he is no more than three feet long, and his fangs are considerably shorter than those of a rattler of the same size, while his strength is less, and the blow, therefore, less effective. So he cannot inflict as deep a wound nor inject so much venom. The chances of his getting the venom directly into a large vein are proportionately less.
Rattlesnakes, copperheads, and other large snakes do most of their travelling in the night. "Snakes, it appears, are extremely fastidious, every species being limited to one or two articles of diet, and prefer- ring to starve rather than eat anything else apparently quite as tooth- some and suitable. Individual snakes, too, show strange prejudices in the matter of diet, so that it is necessary in every case to find out what the snake's peculiarities are before feeding him."
Rattlesnakes eat berries for food, hence they avoid ash and sugar, and live on barren, rocky, or on huckleberry land. They like to bathe, drink, and live in the sunshine. This, too, makes them avoid ridgy, heavily timbered land.
The bigger the reptile, of course, the more poison it has. Further - more, it is to be remembered that of all American serpents the rattle- snake is the most dangerous, the copperhead less so, and the water- moccasin least. It is a fact that the poisonous snakes are proof against their own venom. That this is true has been demonstrated repeatedly by inoculating such serpents with the poisonous secretion from their salivary glands. It is believed that there exists in the blood of the venomous snake some agent similar to the poison itself, and that the presence of this toxic principle is accountable for the immunity exhibited.
One safety from the snakes to the pioneer and his family was the great number of razor back hogs. These animals were great snake- hunters, being very fond of them.
RATTLESNAKES FIRST KILL THEIR PREY, THEN SWALLOW IT WHOLE.
The rattlesnake is not found anywhere but in America. It belongs to the viper family. There are twelve species and thirteen varieties. They vary in size and color, one variety being red. A rattle is formed at each renewal of the skin, and as the skin may be renewed more than once a year, rattles do not indicate the exact age. They live to a ripe old age, and have sometimes as many as thirty rattles. Some writers call our variety the " banded snake." In the natural state the rattler sheds his
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skin but once a year, but in confinement he can be forced to shed the skin two or three times annually by giving him warm baths and keeping him in a warm place. Rattlers are unable to climb trees, are fond of
A
Dr. Ferd. Hoffman and rattlesnakes.
music, and do not chase a retreating animal that has escaped their " strike."
The rattlesnake of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, is the Crotalus horridus, or North American species, and is the black variety, somewhat spotted. Our snake attains the length of five feet, but usually only four and one-half feet, and they inhabit the barren, rocky portions of our
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county, formerly in immense numbers, but of late years they are not so plentiful.
Dr. Ferd. Hoffman, of our town, celebrated as a snake-charmer, brought a rattlesnake into our store one day, in a little box covered with wire screen. The snake was small, being only thirty inches long and having seven rattles. Desiring to see the reptile eat, and know- ing that they will not eat anything but what they kill themselves, we conceived the idea of furnishing his kingship a repast. Mr. Robert Scofield went out and captured a large field-mouse (not mole) and brought it in, and, in the presence of myself, Scofield, Albert Gooder, 'Squire Mclaughlin and brother, and Frank Arthurs, dropped it into the box under the screen. The box was fourteen inches long and seven inches wide. The snake, being lively, immediately struck the mouse back of the head. The mouse gave a little squeak of terror and ran fourteen inches, then staggered fourteen inches, the length of the box, then was apparently seized with spinal paralysis, for it had to draw its hind limbs with its front feet to a corner of the box. It then raised up and fell dead on its back. After striking the mouse, the snake paid no attention to anything until the mouse dropped over dead, then his snakeship wakened up and apparently smelled (examined) the mouse all
over. £ Satisfied it was healthy and good food, the snake caught the mouse by the nose and pulled it out of the corner. After this was done, the snake commenced the process of swallowing in this manner,-viz. : He opened his jaws and took the head of the mouse in one swallow, pulling alternately by the hooks in the upper and lower jaw, thus forcing the mouse downward, taking an occasional rest, swallowing and resting six times in the process. He rattled vigorously three times during this procedure. It is said they rattle only when in fear or in danger. This rattling of his must have been a notice to us that he was dining, and to stand back.
I am informed by my friend Dr. Hoffman, of Brookville, Pennsyl- vania, that the rattlesnake is possessed of both a high intelligence and a memory ; that he can be domesticated, and in that state become quite affectionate and fond of his master, and that snakes thus domesticated will vie and dispute with each other in manifestations of affection to and for their master. He also informs me that rattlesnakes are unlike in dis- position,-some are cross and ugly, while others are docile and pleasant.
He also informs me that the rattlesnake can be trained to perform tricks, as he has thus trained them himself and made them proficient in numerous acrobatic tricks, such as suspending a number by the head of one on his thumb, the forming of a suspension chain or bridge, and per- mitting them to kiss him, and many other tricks too numerous to relate.
To my personal knowledge, he has educated or trained the rattlers in numbers to perform in the manner indicated here, and without removing,
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in a single instance, any poisonous tooth or sac. These trained rattlers will fight any stranger the moment he presents himself ; but if the master or their acquaintance presents himself, the rattlers will at once recognize him, and to him be kind, docile, and affectionate.
The snapping-turtle, the mud-turtle, and the diamond-backed ter- rapin existed in great numbers in the swamps and around the streams, and formed a part of the Indian's food. The tree-toad, the common toad, common frog, lizard, and water-lizard lived here before the pioneers took possession of the land.
The tools of the pioneer were the axe, six-inch auger, the drawing- knife, the shaving-knife, a broadaxe, and a cross-cut saw. These were "all used in the erecting of his shelters." The dexterity of the pioneer in the "slight" and use of the axe was remarkable and marvellous. He used it in clearing land, building cabins, making fences, cho pping fire- wood, cutting paths and roads, bridges and corduroy. In fact, in all work and hunting, in travelling by land, in canoeing and rafting on the water, the axe was ever the friend and companion of the pioneer.
The civilized man in his first beginning was farmer, carpenter, mason, merchant, and manufacturer-complete, though primitive, in the indi- vidual. But he was a farmer first and foremost, and used the other avo- cations merely as incidentals to the first and chief employment. Less than half a century has elapsed since the spinning-wheel and the loom were common and necessary in the home.
SOLDIERS OF 1812 WHO PASSED THROUGH PINE CREEK TOWN- SHIP TO FIGHT GREAT BRITAIN-AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA WHICH MARCHED OVER THE OLD STATE ROAD TIIROUGH BROOKVILLE AND WITHIN TWO MILES OF WHERE REYNOLDSVILLE NOW STANDS, WHILE ON ITS WAY TO ERIE.
George Washington never passed through any portion of Jefferson County with soldiers ; neither did Colonel Bird, who was stationed at Fort Augusta in 1756; neither was there a "road brushed out for the purpose of transferring troops to Erie." In 1814, early in the spring, a detachment of soldiers, under command of Major William McClelland, travelled through our county, over the old State Road (Bald Eagle's Nest and Le Bœuf road) to Erie. They encamped at Soldiers' Run, in what is now Winslow township, rested at Port Barnett for four days, and en- camped over night at the "four-mile" spring, on what is now the Afton farm. Elijah M. Graham was impressed with his two " pack-horses" into their service, and was taken as far as French Creek, now in Venango County.
Joseph B. Graham gave me these facts in regard to McClelland.
These soldiers were Pennsylvania volunteers and drafted men, and
12
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were from Franklin County. Major McClelland, with his officers and men, passed through where Brookville now is, over the old Milesburg and Waterford Road. Three detachments of troops left Franklin County during the years 1812-14 at three different times,-one by way of Pittsburg, one by way of Baltimore, and the last one through this wilderness. All of these troops in these three detachments were under the supervision of the brigade inspector, Major McClelland.
N. B. BOILEAU TO WILLIAM MCCLELLAND.
" HARRISBURG, February 1, 1814.
" TO WILLIAM MCCLELLAND, EsQ., Inspector Second Brigade, Seventh Division.
"SIR,-By last evening's mail the Governor received a letter from the Secretary of War, requiring a detachment of one thousand militia to march to the defence of Erie. He has it in contemplation to order them from the counties of Cumberland, York, Adams, and Franklin. The Governor directs me to give you this intimation in order that you may make arrangements to execute as promptly as possible the orders which which will be sent to you in a few days.
" Very respectfully, sir, " Your obedient servant, "N. B. BOILEAU."
NOTE .- Similar letters were written to George Welsh, James Lamber- ton, and Archibald S. Jordan.
GOVERNOR SIMON SNYDER TO N. B. BOILEAU.
" GENERAL ORDERS.
" HARRISBURG, February 7, 1814. " To N. B. BOILEAU, Aide-de-Camp.
" In compliance with a requisition by the President of the United States, I do order into the service of the Union one thousand men, rank and file, of the Pennsylvania militia, and a competent number of officers, to be composed of the quotas of the First and Second Brigades of the Seventh Division, and of the Second Brigade of the Fifth Division, desig- nated for the service of the United States, under general orders of the 12th of May, 1812, to rendezvous at Erie on the 5th day of March, then, or as soon thereafter as possible, to be organized into one regiment, and to be agreeably to law.
" SIMON SNYDER, " Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
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N. B. BOILEAU TO WILLIAM MCCLELLAND.
" HARRISBURG, February 24, 1815.
" To WILLIAM MCCLELLAND, ESQ., Inspector of Second Brigade, Seventh Division.
"SIR,-In answer to yours of the 21st ult., to the Governor, I am directed to state that in case your first draft does not furnish a quota suf- ficient when added to those from Mr. Lamberton's and Welsh's brigades to make one thousand men, rank and file, then you put under the direc- tion of Major Lamberton the number you may have ready to march, and proceed to make another draft to make up the deficiency of your quota, and march them on to the general place of rendezvous as expeditiously as practicable. You will make an arrangement with Mr. Lamberton as to the point where your detachment will join his. A sufficient number of tents, together with those at Carlisle, to accommodate the whole detach- ment, are now on the road from Philadelphia, and will be at Carlisle on Saturday next.
" By order of the Governor.
" N. B. BOILEAU."
I quote from an early history of Franklin County, Pennsylvania :
" In the early part of the year 1814, the general government having made a call upon the State of Pennsylvania for more troops, Governor Simon Snyder, about the beginning of February of that year, ordered a draft for one thousand men from the counties of York, Adams, Franklin, and Cumberland, Cumberland County to raise five hundred men and the other counties the balance. The quota of Franklin County was ordered to assemble at Loudon on the Ist of March, 1814. What was its exact number I have not been able to ascertain.
" At that time Captain Samuel Dunn, of Path Valley, had a small volunteer company under his command, numbering about forty men. These, I am informed, volunteered to go as part of the quota of the county, and were accepted. Drafts were then made to furnish the balance of the quota, and one full company of drafted men, under the command of Captain Samuel Gordon, of Waynesburg, and one partial company, under command of Captain Jacob Stake, of Lurgan township, were organized, and assembled at Loudon in pursuance of the orders of the Governor. There the command of the detachment was assumed by Major William McClelland, brigade inspector of the county, who con- ducted it to Erie. It moved from Loudon on the 4th of March, and was twenty-eight days in reaching Erie. According to Major McClel- land's report on file in the auditor-general's office at Harrisburg, it was composed of one major, three captains, five lieutenants, two ensigns, and two hundred and twenty-one privates.
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" Captain Jacob Stake lived along the foot of the mountain, between Roxbury and Strasburg. He went as captain of a company of drafted men as far as Erie, at which place his company was merged into those of Captains Dunn and Gordon, as the commissions of those officers ante- dated his commission and there were not men enough in their companies to fill them up to the required complement."
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