USA > Pennsylvania > Historical register : notes and queries historical and genealogical, chiefly relating to interior Pennsylvania. Volume II > Part 10
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all this settlement I would not live here-for two such settle- ments-not for five hundred a year.
Tuesday, August 1. At prayers this morning we had these In- dians. They sat motionless during the exercise. Oneirreverent hunter, too, a white man, lay all the time of prayers on a deer skin on the floor. We had a room full of one and another, all were quiet. Mr. Boggs tells me he knows of no families westward of these and but one higher upon the creek.# Some of the Indians here have the outside rim of their ears slitted and it hangs dangling strangely. Some have rings and others drops of silver in their noses and cars ; ruffled shirts, but many of these very greasy. On the trees near their camps are painted with red and black colors many wild and ferocious animals in their most furious gestures. It is only eight miles distance to the foot of the Allegheny, but it rises gradually and long. In this neighborhood (if I may be allowed to call it so) is a large quantity of spruce pine, the bark is black and fine; it is a straight tall tree; the leaves are thiner, longer, and of a deeper green than other pine. It makes an excellant ingredient in table beer. After ten I took my leave, crossed a gap of Muncy ridge t and rode eighteen miles through wild barren woods without any trace of an habitation or road other than the blind unfrequented path which I tracked at times with much diffi- culty. Two or three forsaken Indian camps I saw on the creck's bank, and a little before sunset I arrived at Captain James Pot- ter's # at the head of Penn's valley. This ride I found very un- comfortable, my horse lame, with but one shoe, a stony road. I lost my way in the gap of the mountains, but was casily righted. More than ten miles of the way I must go, and my poor horse without water. I let him feed, however, in the woods where
* This was Thomas Parsons, who lived on the creek seven miles above " the nest," near where the line between Huston and Union townships crosses the creek.
+ Gap in Muncy mountain, between Milesburg and Bellefonte.
ĮMr. Fithian's route was across Nittany valley and over Nittany mountain by what is now known as McBride's gap, where he lost his way, then down Penn's valley to Captain (afterwards General James) Potter's who lived then near the present " Old Fort " tavern in Potter township, Centre county ; by the present direct road the distance would be about twelve miles.
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there is plenty of good, wild grass. I fed myself, too, on huckle- berries. In these woods are very beautiful flowers and in a great quantity, especially large orange colored lily, spotted with black spots. I saw here the first aloe; it grows on a small bush like the hazel, ripens in the winter, and is now like a heart cherry. In these woods are great plenty of wild cher- ries, growing on low spray bushes, which are just now ripen- ing.
Wednesday, August 2. How pleasant is rest to the wearied body ! How balmy is peace to an agitated mind! In the gracious bosom of both of these I retired when I laid myself down in bed last night. An elegant supper; a neat home- all expressions of welcome. Not a flea; not a chinch, as I know of, within eighteen miles, so that this morning, by God's mercy, I rise in part recruited from the ruins of many days' distress. Captain Potter* took me walking over his farm. He owns here many thousand acres of fine land. Some, indeed, I saw in most fertile walnut bottom. One great inconvenience, however, attends this place-the want of water. Some few springs there are of good water and in plenty, but there ought to be many never-failing brooks. Oats and flax here are not yet ripe, and it is now the greatest hurry in getting in the wheat and rye. Afternoon I rode down the valley five miles to a smith ; t he would not charge me anything for shoeing my horse. The people seem to be kind and extremely civil. In- dians are here, too. It was evening before the captain and I returned. We must pass by their camp. Ten sturdy and able- limbed fellows were sitting and lying around a large fire, hello- ing, and in frantic screams, not less fearful than inebriated de- mons, howling until we were out of hearing.
Thursday, August 3. I miss here the shady, pleasant banks of the Susquehanna. It is forty-two miles to Northumberland
*Gen. James Potter, at his death, Nov. 27, 1789, owned six (6) thousand acres of land in the heart of Penn's Valley. The road from Spring Mills to Boalsburg ran seven miles without an intervening owner through one portion of his possession, all good farms still.
¡ Daniel Long, a blacksmith, then lived near Penn Hall, on the place now owned by S. J. Herring, Esq., where many cinders mark the site of Long's shop.
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and Sunbury; eight miles to the nearest place where Penn's creek is navigable with canoes ; almost surrounded with hills and mountains ; on a few, and some of these few, temporary springs. The low bottoms now have scare water sufficient to moisten a hog, which in winter are continually flooded. Cap- tain Potter has tasted, in times past, some streams of the Pier- ian spring. He has here a number of books-Justice Black- stone's celebrated Commentaries, Pope's writings, Hervey's Meditations, many theological tracts, &c. Over these I am rambling to-day with a very bad headache and oppression in my breast, the effects of a deep-rooted cold which I have taken some nights past when I was fighting with the fleas.
Friday, August 4. I am less pleased with the valley and my stay is more irksome, though I am as well and better treated, in- · deed, (more genteelly and from better ability) than in most of the places where I have been. Perhaps the weather makes me dull; it is now, and has been for some time past, cloudy ; aguish or melancholy, or the want of company ; not a house is there within three miles.
Saturday, August 5. Yet cloudy and dull. It is muster- day ; the captain goes off early. I am not pleased with the captain's plan of farming; he has too extensive a scope of business-four men-servants; two boys ; more than two hundred acres of ground now cleared; much more cutting down; two ploughs going in a tough rye stubble, one pair of oxen in one, two horses in the other, both too weak. A large field of oats is ripe, some flax too ripe, and not yet pulled. But it is difficult to be nice in so rough a country.
PENN'S VALLEY.
Sunday, August 6. I rise early, before any in the family except a negro girl. Just at my bed-head a window, under which stands a table. Here I had laid my clean linen, finished last night by Mrs. Potter. The night had been very stormy. When I awoke I found a large dog had jumped in through an open light of the window, and had softly bedded himself, dripping with water and mud, among my clean-washed clothes. At first I felt enraged. I bore it, however, with a Sabbath
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day's moderation. We have this morning a most violent storm. At one I began service in Captain Potter's house. Only eight men and not one woman beside our family present. I preached two sermons with only ten minutes' intermission. The most conflicting and burthensome Sabbath I have had since I began to preach ; troubled with a bad cold. A most turbulent, boisterous day. I hope my words were not wholly without effect. My little audience heard me with eagerness. Captain Potter tells me there are now only twenty-eight fami- lies in the valley. Of these twenty-two are subscribers, and they have raised £40 on subscription as a fund to pay supplies. I am the second preacher who has been in the valley. Mr. Linn* was here two Sabbaths past first of all, and I, by regu- lar appointment, next. It rained, without intermission, all dav.
Monday, August 7. I must stay another day in this valley. To-morrow I am to have company over the mountain. Miss Potter, the Captain's sister, invited me to ride; after breakfast we rode down the valley to one Mr. McCormick.t
I like this part of the valley better; there is a brisk creek- and good bottoms. It is encompassed with mountains. One of the people, while we were there, brought in a fine deer. They have plenty of venison; I see no other meat. I write these lines sitting on a log, on the back of my pocket-book, and it upon my knee, under a large spruce tree upon the banks of Penn'screek, which runs on the north side and at the very foot of Egg hill, which appears to me to be a tall, pine-covered mountain. The creek runs foaming by me, en- larged by yesterday's great flood. Near Mr. McCormick's is a fine spring. It is bottomless. It rises about fifteen feet
*Rev. Mr. Linn, then pastor at Big Spring, Cumberland county, (Newville.) Dr. Linn had been a classmate (1772) of Mr. Fithian at Princeton College. See Egle's Notes and Queries, part 4, page 141, for a biographical notice of Dr. Linn.
+George McCormick came into Penn's yalley in 1773, and settling where the town of Spring Mill now is, built the first mill erected at that place on Penn's creek, near the deep spring alluded to by Mr. Fithian. He died in 1814. One of his descendants, William M, Allison, lives within sight of the place.
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square from under a great hill in a large body; I think full sufficient in steady course to turn a grist-mill. "No, madam ; I must dry the butter first." Mrs. Potter's girl was bringing a plate of butter yesterday from the spring-house. It rained, and butter will retain the drops on its surface. Innocent miss, therefore, with great care for neatness, was holding the butter close to a large fire. "What are you at there?" says Mrs. Potter to Peggy. "I am drying the butter, madam." In this valley are large open plains, cleared either by the Indians or accidental fire. Hundreds of acres covered with fine grass, mixed with small weeds and a great variety of flowers. Some conjecture that hot blasting fumes, which rise from acres of brimstone, have destroyed the timber; and they have found in places fine unmixed brimstone that will burn quite away, without leaving any dross.
Tuesday, August 8. Captain Potter paid me for my supply twenty-five shillings. Mr. Thompson* came, we breakfasted, and set out. But the first mountaint we had to climb by far exceeded all that I had yet gone over. It is a long steep, the ascents, however, are trifling, for the road lies alongside of the mountain and winds gradually upwards; but the rocks cast- stones of every size and shape, make it not only troublesome but, in fact, dangerous to go over them. On the top of this -oh, murther! another still higher. One who, like me, has been little used to go over such high hills. can have by bare description no conception, not even an idea, of the rough, ro- mantic prospect here-a long view, more than forty miles over the top of pine ridges through the long, narrow valleys. The highest tops of very tall trees are apparently 200 and 300 feet below us and within gun-shot of us. I was, indeed, afraid my horse would miss a step (which would be of other conse- quence than me walking a minuet) and blunder; for in such case we should surely have trundled down the hill like Sysi- phus' always receding stone. On we rode over the other
* Thomas Thompson, who died in Potter township in 1795.
i They were crossing the Seven Mountains between Penn's and Kishacoquillas valleys, now dividing line of Centre and Mifflin counties.
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mountains, and the other, and the other, eighteen miles. Ou the summits of these hills is yet great plenty of large, sweet huckleberries. My advice to all who in future pass over these hills-and I give it as a friend to them soul and body-is to enter the journey armed with an uncommon share of patience and perseverance. Being feeble, fallen sinners, they may, like the Israelites long ago, commit sin on these American high places and swear. At last we came in view from a lofty, airy ridge, of our desired Kishacoquillas valley. We stumbled down into it ten miles from the east end, and rode quite across it to the south side under the mountain to one Fleming's." We trotted gently along; I was still busy viewing the broad . level country between two such high hills. We met a woman ; said Thompson to her, "How are your family, 'Marget?'" "Thank you, Tom," said she, " they are all on their feet, thank God." She meant simply, they are all in health.
- Wednesday, August 9. To-day I visited Esquire Brown.t I should make his house my home by appointment of Presby- tery, but where I am my horse is well and carefully fed. The Squire lives on a pleasant spot on the creek, and very near the mountain. There is a gap, too, through which runs the creek . and the public road to the Juniata. He has a grist-mill, saw- mill, and a large farm, and is carrying on an extensive course of business. I have heard no news from below since I left Chillisquaque. The Squire has some. He tells me that a ship has been brought into Philadelphia loaded from Britain with powder and arms, destined to the southward for the negroes. That there is nothing material since the skirmish at Bunker Hill. In one of Mr. Fleming's fields is a natural curiosity
* John Fleming, who, according to Dr. Samuel Maclay, came into that valley in 1764; subsequently (when Rev. James Johnston was called as pastor, March 15, 1783) an elder. Mr. Fleming died in 1820, aged 86.
¡ William Brown, Esq., settled at Reedsville (where Mr. Fithian visited him) as early as 1760. On the organization of Mifflin county he was its first presiding justice, commissioned November 17, 1789, and remained associate judge until his death, September 14, 1825, at the age of eighty-eight years. He was the father of Mrs. Judge Potter, Mrs. John Norris, and Mrs. William P. Maclay.
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worthy of remark. In a level spot, clear of stones also, and at a good distance from either a brush or stump, is a small hole in the earth eight inches in length and five in breadth, of an oval form. Its depth is the curiosity. Take a small stone the size of a man's fist and let it fall into the hole, it will go clattering down as among stones and be near a minute falling. It must, in my judgment, descend more than one hundred feet.
Thursday, August 10. Cleanliness and smartness are visi- ble in our little hamlet. All is suitable, but this going to bed and rising in the same room and in full view of the whole family. This, to be sure, often puts me to the blush. Our breakfasts are milk, with bread and butter; with these, at dinner, we have the addition of cymbalines," and for supper we have only pastet and milk. It is a rich repast, and we have with this health and vivacity. I feel fresh and vigo- rous. Thompson, who came over the mountains with me, is a droll. Last night our fire was almost out. " Peggy," quote he, " bring in some bark to save the fire." "Indeed, Tom," answered the girl, "I am tired pulling flax all day, I can't." " Well, then," quote Tom, "run out and call in the neighbors to see it die." I observe among the people here, and Mr. Fleming tells me it is universal, the greatest plainness and familiarity in conversation. Every man, in all companies, with almost no exception, calls his wife, neighbor, or acquaint- ance by their proper name-Sallie, John, James-without ever prefixing the customary compliment, my dear, sir, Mr. They have in this arrived at high singularity. In the afternoon I walked over to Mr. Culbertson's -- half a mile. He has a large and well-improved farm. This present season he reaped nine hundred dozen sheaves of wheat and one hundred dozen of rve. One of his sons is an alumnus of Fair Nassau Hall .; He is now at home a doctor of physic. Seems to be an intel- ligent, pleasant, improved youth. How pleasant it is to talk of pleasant times ! We enumerated all the exercises, amuse-
* Doughnuts.
f Boiled thickened milk, alias pap.
Dr. Samuel Culbertson, class of 1768. (Princeton.)
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ments, and fooleries we all took part in; our sorrow, too, and reluctance at leaving it. but chiefly parting with our brother-grown classmates. Among others he asked if I knew John Beatty .* I let him know that I had seen him. "In- deed," says young Culbertson, " he has two fine sisters, Polly and Betsey. They lived in Bucks county in this Province. I was there a week after I left college. Their father was in Scot- land.+ The girls led us as brisk a country dance as we were able to follow all the week through. They have a curious musical clock. They live genteelly. Our sport was, how- ever, stopped by the presence of a clergyman, one Green .; He came to preach, and Betsey told me he had something more in his head than preaching. He was a slim man, wore a very large wig, said little, and read his sermons. I took my leave on Monday morning, with this Green, of the two un- commonly merry Miss Beatty's, and rode down to Philadel- phia, and have never heard of Jack or either of his sisters since." I told him that John was a doctor in physic, but I concealed wholly my having any further knowledge of the family. I wrote a letter to Mr. Barker, of Northumberland, to be forwarded by Mr. Culbertson and his mother, who are to set out next Monday for Albany-a long, hilly journey to be performed on horseback by a woman more than fifty.
Friday, August 11. This morning. between twelve and three, there happened a considerable eclipse of the moon-ten digits. After dinner I again walked to Mr. Culbertson's. Took a walk to the side of the mountain with Miss Nancy and Fanny. They
* Gen. John Beatty, class of 1769, died at Trenton, N. J., May 30, 1826.
¡ Rev. Charles Beatty and wife sailed for Europe in 1767, August 18, for medical aid for Mrs. Beatty, who was afflicted with cancer of the breast. Mrs. Beatty died at Greenock, Scotland, March 22, 1768, and Mr. Beatty did not return until July 20, 1769.
# Betsey was right. Rev. Enoch Green, class of 1760, married Mary Beatty June 7, 1770. He served as chaplain in the Revolu- tionary army, but soon died of camp fever, December 2, 1776. Mary died May 2, 1842, aged ninety-six years, and is buried corner of Pine and Fourth streets, Philadelphia. Betsey, after Mr. Fithian's death, married in 1780 his cousin, Joel Fithian, Esq., of Greenwich, N. J., where she died August 6, 1825, aged seventy-five.
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were chatful enough, which is rare here with these lovely vir- gins. I drank with them socially a dish of coffee and returned to my cabin by dark.
Saturday, August 12. It is wonderful to take notice in this long jaunt how much real fondness exists between me and my horse. He, poor brute, will follow me from the house to the stables and field, all around the pasture, and from the fields home submissive and obedient as a well taught spaniel. There are found under the earth in several parts of this valley frag- ments of useful fossils, parts of which I have seen, viz: crys- tals and brimstone. The crystals are found a little below the ground of many sizes. Their shape is mostly in columns or pil- lars with double pyramids, having five or six smooth sides and clear, some of them will cohere. The brimstone is found low in the earth in veins in a hard white stone. It is very pure and of the brightest yellow. The piece which I saw was in the stone and burned very clear and entire.
EAST KISHACOQUILLAS VALLEY.
Sunday, August 13. A fine day. I rose early. At Esquire Brown's we held worship. There is a large society," and it makes a good appearance. We were in the forenoon in a large barn; it was too small and we went out into a fine meadow un- der a high western hill. We had the shade and irere comfort- able. I think, by appearance, there were more people than I had ever seen at any place on the Susquehanna. Very many women of all sizes, and dressed in plain, good taste; and sev- eral men who, in their dress, made as important a figure as I should wish to see in town. I am told the people of this val- ley are all united in religious matters; all Presbyterians and all orthodox, new light, primitive Presbyterians, too, all except about eight sour, unbrotherly seceders, and one sociable and agreeable Churchman, Mr. Laundrum ; and they come gener- ally out to the sermon, which is very good and give themselves the character of being easily pleased. For my part I must de-
*The members of East and West Kishacoquillas congregation called their first pastor, Rev. James Johnston, March 18, 1783, eight years after Mr. Fithian's visit, sixty-nine members signing the call. Wil- liam Brown, Esq., heads the list.
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clare that I am highly pleased with their manners and appear- ance, so far as my observation can extend. This afternoon and night I spent with Esquire Brown.
Monday, August 14. I am here very much mortified with . observation on people who have settled here from our Pro- vince. Generally they are on the lowest part of fortune's wheel, grovelling in low matters, and yet always, when the scurviest opportunity offers, they are feebly, meanly tricking" their neighbors; taking all liberties. Wherever I have been on the Susquehanna or here, their character is mean, dishonest, and irreligious. A Jerseyman and an impertinent, every-way- troublesome scoundrel, seem to be words of nearly the same meaning. Sometimes, on these accounts, I have had thoughts of naming myself from a more dignified colony. I was to-day walking by the side of a fine brook of water. At last I came to a place where the whole water sank at once under ground. In our level country this would be thought a wonder; here, and in all limestone lands, it is common. Large brooks suffi- cient, in some cases, to turn a grist-mill, will sink, and, at a few miles' distance, again rise in the coolest, purest springs. I was again at Mr. Culbertson's ; spent the day. It passed brisk and noisy. "The wife," as the people say here, has a free, un- shackled, woman-gifted tongue. The young ladies, too, are pleasant. After coffee in the evening they bantered me on a vulgar custom-I mean the telling of fortunes from the leaves of tea or from the grounds of coffee. This evening I caught one of the true musical cácadás. It is a large insect of the grasshopper kind that sings upon trees in the evenings all the latter part of the summer. The sound is made by its wings on the upper part of its back. In the evening I returned to the Squire's, where I see much company. It is the most thronged gap of the mountains; all from the lower counties enter here.
Tuesday, August 15. For my supply the Squire gave me 20s. 9d. After breakfast he invited me to ride with him and see the valley's natural curiosities. About three miles from his house, toward the east end and near the middle of the valley, in a large wood, at a considerable distance from any house, is a vast and surprising cavity in the ground. It will
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contain one hundred and fifty persons. It is on a spot of ground almost level. The hole, I apprehend, has in time been arched with stone and covered with timber. A part, however, has now mouldered away and fallen in, which makes the ragged, craggy, and, in appearance, dangerous entrance. The bottom of the cave was originally sandy and smooth; now many tons of rock are lying over more than half of the bottom. It is very sonorous. I am told a violin sounds through it with ex- quisite delicacy. I took its dimensions with as great accuracy as I could. The entrance is an imperfect arch whose base is twenty eight paces, or eighty-four feet, and height ten feet in the highest part. From the middle of the entrance to the farthest part thirty-five paces or one hundred and five feet. Length within the large part forty-five paces, one hundred and thirty-five feet; line across these measures thirty-paces, ninety- six feet. At the entrance from the top of the arch upwards to the bottom of the mould or earth is forty-five feet, all which is solid limestone rock. On the whole it is the most curious and remarkable work of nature I have yet seen. Squire Brown and others say that they have seen and handled ice brought out of this cave in July. There is no ice now, but last winter was uncommon mild. All was still but the noise of the drops of water seeping and falling through the rocks. These drops of water in a strange manner and degree do actually petrify- harden into stone. This hardened water stands in many places through the cave in tall, slim, very white stone. Some dun marble-colored and beautiful columns four, five, and six feet high. Some have most delicate grain-pure white, like the best refined sugar, and soft- some rough and hard. On our return we called and entered another, which is a watery cave. Mr. Alexander's house stands over water where a boat of two tons would float.
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LETTER-BOOK OF MAJOR ISAAC CRAIG. III
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[To Gen. Edward Hand, Lancaster, Pa., April 18, 1792.]
I have this day received your favor of the 13th ultimo, to- gether with four chests containing fifty rifle-guns in good order. I shall inform Gen. Knox by next post of their arrival at this place.
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