Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 19

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I > Part 19

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

days. On June 16th 3.17 inches of rain fell.

Snowfall

81/8

.14

4.59

May 28

.98

1859

CHAPTER IX BEASTS AND BIRDS OF INDIANA COUNTY

The reader need not expect that this chap- fellows, in his immediate neighborhood at ter will contain a list of all the beasts and least. In the advanced state of the disease birds which were tenants of the western wild- these animals lose their native wildness, leave erness at the time of its first settlement. We

their dens and thickets and seek the flocks shall only briefly notice a few of those classes and herds about farmhouses, and in some in- which have totally or partially disappeared stances have attempted to enter the houses themselves for the purpose of doing mischief. from the country, together with those which have emigrated here with our population. This enumeration, so far as it goes, will serve to make a distinction for the natural his- torian, between those beasts and birds which are naturally tenants of the wilderness and refuse the society of man, and those which follow his footsteps from one region to an- other, and although partially wild yet subsist in part upon his labors.

The buzzards, or vultures, grey and bald eagles, ravens, or, as they were generally called, corbies, were very numerous here in former times. It was no uncommon thing to see from fifty to one hundred of them perched on the trees over a single carcass of carrion. All these large carnivorous birds have nearly disappeared from our settlements.

The wild turkey, which used to be so abun-

The buffalo and elk have entirely disap- dant as to supply no inconsiderable portion peared from this section of the country. Of of provision for the first settlers, is 'now rarely seen. the bear and deer, but very few remain. The wolves, formerly so numerous and so destruc- The different kinds of woodpeckers still re- main in the country, with the exception of the largest of that genius of birds, the woodcock, which is now very scarce. tive to the cattle, are now seldom heard of in our older settlements. It may seem strange that this ferocious and cunning animal, so long the scourge of the mountainous districts of Europe, should have so suddenly disap- peared from our infant country. The saga- city of the wolves bids defiance to the most consummate craft of the hunters, many of whom, throughout life, never obtained a single chance to shoot at one of them. Sometimes. indeed, they outwitted them by pitfalls and steel traps; but no great number were killed by either of these means; nor had the price set upon their scalps by the State Legislatures any great effect in diminishing their number and depredations. By what means then did their destruction happen ? On this subject we will hazard the opinion that a greater num- ber of them were destroyed by hydrophobia than by all other means put together. animal so ferocious as a wolf, under the in-

The black and grey squirrels still remain in the country. These beautiful but destructive little animals gave great annoyance to the first settlers by devouring large quantities of their corn in the fields before it was fit for gathering. There is something singular in the history of the squirrels. Sometimes in the course of a few years they become so numer- ous as to threaten the destruction of whole crops; when, as if by common consent, they begin an emigration from west to east, cross- ing the river in countless numbers. At the beginning of their march they are very fat, and furnish an agreeable article of diet; but towards its conclusion they become sickly and poor, with large worms attached to their An skins. After this emigration they are scarce for some years, then multiply, emigrate and fluence of madness, bites everything he can perish as before. The cause of this phenome- reach. Of course the companions of his own non is unknown. It cannot be for the want den and thicket are the first victims of his of food, for the districts of countries which rage. Hence, a single wolf would be the they leave are often as fruitful as those to means of destroying the whole number of his which they direct their course, or more so.

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

The terrible panther, as well as the wild near Chestnut Ridge. This ridge is the most cat, has also taken leave of us.

Thus, in far less time than it cost the Jews to rid themselves of the serpents and beasts of prey which infested the "hill country of Judea," we have freed ourselves from those which belonged to our country. Our flocks and herds are safe from their annoyance, and our children are not torn to pieces by a "she bear out of the wood."

In return for the beasts and birds which have left us, we have gained an equal num- ber from the Atlantic side of the mountains which were unknown at the first settlement of the country.

livened with the matins and vespers of a great variety of singing birds, which have slowly followed the emigration from the other side of the mountain.

The honey bees are not natives of this country, but they always keep a little in ad- vance of the white population. We formerly had some professed bee hunters; but the never considerable, owing to the want of a sufficient quantity of flowers to furnish it.

Crows and blackbirds have of late become very plenty. They were not natives of the wilderness.

Rats, which were not known here for sev- eral years after the settlement of the country, took possession of it, in its whole extent. in one winter season. Children of twelve years old and under, having never heard their names, were much surprised at finding a new kind of mice, as they called them, with smooth tails.

Opossums were late comers into the coun- try. Fox squirrels have but a very few years ago made their appearance on this side of the mountains,

Thus our country has exchanged its thinly scattered population of savages for a dense population of civilized inhabitants, and its wild beasts and large carnivorous fowls for domesticated animals and fowls, and others which although wild are inoffensive in their habits, and live at least partially on the labors of man.

western range of the Appalachian chain in Pennsylvania, entering the State from the south about the middle of the southern boun- dary of Fayette county and terminating a short distance east of the place of his oh- servations. At this point it becomes nothing more than a series of broken ranges of hills which to the northward finally disappear into the general level. The elevation of this part according to the contour map of the United States Geological survey is 1,500 feet, but there is good reason for believing that to the southward the ridge attains a height of 2,000 feet, since the town of Ligonier, sitnated east known to be 1,748 feet above tide.

Our mornings and evenings are now en- of the range in Westmoreland county is

He found this locality poorer in conifers than the Buffalo creek region which he had visited, and was told that they predominated only in the northern and eastern parts of the county, Pine Flats, fourteen miles east of In- diana, being said to be the western limit of their abundance here. No pines were dis- amount of honey obtained from the woods was covered and the hemlock was confined to the

bottomlands of the Twolick and Yellow creeks and even there they occurred only at intervals. However, where it was found, it was very often to the almost complete exclusion of other forest trees. Progress through such gloomy tracts of woods would have been practically out of the question had it not been for an oc- casional cattle path or a small stream flowing through the midst, so dense were the thickets of lanrel and rhododendron beneath. This growth, as well as that of the hemlock, often extended a short distance up the adjoining hillsides, especially if they were steep and had a northerly exposure, though the laurel in places composed thickets by itself, while the rhododendron was not found outside the shade of the hemlocks.

These tracts of hemlock forest in the creek bottoms, with their undergrowth of laurel and rhododendron interspersed with small pools of stagnant water, were far more prolific in bird life than the hills and uplands above, although of so limited extent in comparison. Black-throated Blue, Black and Yellow Black- burnian, and Blue Yellow-backed Warblers. were the characteristic birds of such cool and shady recesses, within which they were abun- dant, but outside of which they were not found. Several other species were more or

The following information was obtained in an investigation made by Mr. W. E. Clyde Todd, the ornithologist of Carnegie Museum, Pittsburg, Pa., who spent four days, June 22 to June 25, 1892, in Indiana county. His less common also in such situations.

stopping place was a farmhouse two miles east The high hills in which Chestnut Ridge ter- of the village of Twolick on Twoliek creek, a minates are clothed from base to summit with few miles south of the town of Indiana, and a deciduous forest of which oaks of several

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

species and chestnut are the most prominent county and did considerable damage in the trees. The latter seemed to be more abundant grain fields; on several occasions nests with eggs are said to have been found. near and on the summit than lower down. Black-throated Green Warblers were numer- MOURNING DOVE .- Common everywhere except in the deep woods. ous throughout this woodland, where about the only other birds found to any extent were SHARP-SHINNED HAWK .- One observed near the Red-eyed Vireo, Golden-crowned Thrush, the summit of Chestnut Ridge.

Black-and-white Warbler, Wood Thrush; and White-breasted Nuthatch, but none of these was nearly so common as the species which were confined to the hemlocks. At some points twice.

where the original forest had been cut and second growth and tracts of bushes and scrub had taken its place, the Chestnut-sided Warb- ler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Brown Thrasher and Cat Bird were found as well as a single individual of the Cerulean Warbler, which species was otherwise observed only in the open woods of the uplands outside of Chest- nut Ridge. The cultivated districts were found almost altogether in these uplands, the birds of whose orchards, fields and woods did not differ materially from those found in like situations in Beaver county.

In considering the faunal relations of the locality he found that three species occur which are usually considered to belong to the Canadian fauna, namely, Dendroica caerules- cens, Dendroica maculosa, and Dendroica blackburniae. It is a noteworthy fact that all these birds, which are abundant here in suit- forest. able situations, are rather uncommon in the Buffalo creek region.

Sixty-four species were observed during his stay, of which the following is a list.

SPOTTED SAND-PIPER .- Common at certain favorable points along Twolick creek, but observed also about marshy spots in the up- land.

BOB-WHITE .- Quite abundant in the upland meadows and grain fields.

RUFFED GROUSE .- Met with but once, in the laurel and rhododendron thicket of Yel- Homer City.

low creek bottom.

WILD TURKEY .- On the last day of his in and about the upland streams.

stay, a wild turkey hen, accompanied by three young, less than a week old, appeared near the house. It is quite possible that there were more young, but these were all that could be found in orchards about the houses.

found. They were captured and taken into the barn, with the object of decoying the parent inside and capturing her also. She refused to enter, however, but presently flew to the roof, and afterwards lingered about for some time, and doubtless was in the vicinity when he arrived on the scene, but he was pre- vented from making a search by lack of time. Wild turkeys were tolerably common in this

RED-TAILED HAWK .- A pair seeen circling over the summit of Chestnut Ridge.

YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. - Observed but

BELTED KINGFISHER .- Found along Yellow creek on one occasion. From the lack of banks suitable for nesting purposes, it is judged it was not numerous.

DOWNY WOODPECKER .- Found in the for- est.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER .- One individual noticed in the upland, between Twolick and Homer City.

WHIP-POOR-WILL .- Several were heard.

CHIMNEY SWIFT .- Seen but once.

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD .- An indi- vidual observed along Twolick creek, at the village.

KINGBIRD .- Common. Found in orchards and at some points along the streams.

CROOKED FLYCATCHER .- Not common.

PHOEBE-BIRD .- Common.

WOOD PIERCE .- Common in the deciduous

ACADIAN FLYCATCHER .- This species was fairly abundant throughout the forests of the creek bottoms and was often found higher up along courses of smaller streams.

LEAST FLYCATCHER .- A single pair was ob- served in the trees surrounding the house where I was staying.

BLUE JAY .- A few observed.

CROW .- Abundant.

COWBIRD .- A small party was noticed in an upland pasture between Twolick and

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD .- Found commonly

MEADOW LARK .- Not uncommon in the up- land.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE .- Two or three were

CROW BLACKBIRD .- Found in the same sit- uation as the last species, but more common.

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH .- Numerous every- where except in the forest.

VESPER SPARROW .- Common in the pastures and along the roadsides.

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW .- One pair was met with frequenting a pasture field across the road from the house.

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

CHIPPING SPARROW .- Common and familiar with the last species and, like it, confined to as usual.

FIELD SPARROW .- Numerous in waste past- ures and in the bushy growth along fences.

SONG SPARROW .- Abundant. Found in its I found the Cerulean Warbler quite common usual haunts.

TOWHEE .- Common in briery thickets and on the edges of the woods.

CARDINAL .- Several pairs were found, all in second growth and bushy thickets, both in creek bottoms and on the hillsides.

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK .- The rose-breast- ed grosbeak is one of the most abundant birds

of this region. It does not affect the oak woods hillside. There is reason to believe that species

of Chestnut Ridge nor yet the denser parts of the hemlock forests but prefers the rich woods that border this last, as well as the up- land woods near streams and tracts of second growth interspersed.

INDIGO BUNTING .- This bird was found commonly in its usual haunt of bushy, briery thickets along the edges of the woods.

SCARLET TANAGER,-Another very abun- dant species specially partial to the hemlock.

CLIFF SWALLOW. - Observed about farm buildings, but not so numerous as the next species.

BARN SWALLOW .- Abundant about farm buildings.

RED-EYED VIREO .- Very abundant through- out the woodland in the bottoms and on the hilltops.

WARBLING VIREO .- One pair was noticed in an orchard surrounding a farmhouse.

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER .- This species was one of the very few that were uniformly common in the hemlocks in the second growth and in the oak forests of Chestnut creek.

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER .- But one ob- served on the edge of the woods on the bank of Twolick creek.

PARULA WARBLER .- Very common in the hemlocks, where its humming note could be heard continually. It usually kept high up in the very tops of the trees.

YELLOW WARBLER .- Found mostly in the orchards about farmhouses; two nests, one containing young, were discovered in a growth of willows fringing Twolick creek just behind the village.

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. - This warbler was confined to the hemlock forests of the creek bottoms, where it was abundant and in full song, haunting the dense laurel and rhododendron thicket beneath, though sometimes mounting to the trees.

MAGNOLIA WARBLER .- Equally abundant

the hemlocks and undergrowth below, where its sprightly song was constantly heard.

CERULEAN WARBLER .- Much to my surprise,

and musical in the dry, open woods of the up- lands, though the only specimen secured was taken in a tract of dense second growth on a creek hillside.

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER .- Only two in- dividuals noted, both males in full song, ob- observed in a shrubby patch of briers, bushes and young trees, fringing a forest on a creek was more common than it appeared to be.

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER .- Another of the relatively northern species found exclusively in the conifers of the creek bottom, where its flaming breast flashed in and out of the hem- locks.

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER .- This bird would be expected to occur most common- ly in the hemlock forest, and though it actually was found on the edges of this to some extent, it was more numerous throughout the high oak and chestnut woods that cover Chestnut Ridge from base to summit, always keeping high in the treetops.

OVENBIRD .- A very common species found throughout all kinds of woodlands.

LOUISIANA WATER THRUSH .- A single pair recorded as frequenting a small stream flow- ing through the laurels and rhododendron growth in the hemlock forest of Yellow creek bottom.

MARYLAND YELLOWTHROAT .- Quite common at intervals in the waste ground along the banks of Twolick creek.

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT .- A few pairs of this distinctly southern species were noticed in the thickets to which it is always so partial.

CATBIRD .- Common in briery thickets.

BROWN THRESHER .- One pair accompanied by their young were seen in a thicket.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH .- Rather com- mon throughout the woodland.

TUFTED TITMOUSE .- A pair observed on one occasion in the yard around the dwelling.

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE .-- Two noticed with the pair of Tufted Titmice mentioned above, and later another accompanied by their now almost full-fledged young.

WOOD THRUSH .- Common throughout the the woodland.

ROBIN .- Abundant as usual.

BLUE BIRD .- Several observed in an upland pasture on one occasion.

CHAPTER X

NUMBER AND VARIETY OF SERPENTS

Among the plagues of the Jews, at the time generally fell to pull the flax. The flax patch of their settlement in the land of Canaan, was commonly near the grain fields. While that of the serpents, which abounded in that country, was not the last. In like manner the early settlers of this country were much annoyed by serpents. Of the poisonous kinds they had but two, the rattlesnake and the copperhead, both of which were very numerous in every section of the country, but especially the rattlesnake. There were also different kinds of blacksnakes, but these last were not poisonous. The bite of the rattlesnake was

frequently mortal, always extremely painful; with which the girls were well pleased. that of the copperhead not much less so.

Let the reader imagine the situation of our first settlers with regard to those poisonous reptiles, when informed that a harvest day seldom passed in which the laborers did not stances a man never does this, as he has no meet with some of them. The reaper busily one to depend upon for protection but himself. employed with his sickle was suddenly alarmed Some women were so overcome with terror at by the whiz of a rattlesnake at his feet; he the sight of a rattlesnake as to become almost ineapable of moving.

instantly retreated, got a club, and giving the snake a blow or two finished the execution by striking the point of the sickle through its head and holding it up to the view of the com- pany. It was then thrown aside by the root of a tree, or in a bunch of bushes, and labor recommenced. This often happened a half dozen times in a single day. This was not the

the men were reaping the grain, the women were pulling the flax. The rattlesnakes were often met with among the flax. When this happened the women screamed with all their might. A race then took place among the younger reapers to decide who should have the honor of killing the snake. In the race each one picked up a club, and the first to reach the serpent instantly dispatched it. This was a little piece of chivalry Very few women had the hardihood to attack and kill a rattlesnake. At the sight of one they always gave a loud shriek, as if conscious of being the weaker vessel; in similar circum-

Every season, for a long time, a number of people were bitten by these poisonous reptiles. Some of them died; those who escaped death generally suffered a long and painful confine- ment, which left some in an infirm state of health for the rest of their lives.

In the fall these reptiles congregate in cav- worst. Owing to the heavy dews and the ities among the rocks, where it is said that growth of rank weeds among the small grain, they remain in a dormant state during the it was necessary to let the grain lie in grips winter. These dens were common all over the a day or more before it was bound up. The country, and many of them well known to the rattlesnake often hid themselves under these people, who much dreaded the egress of their poisonous inhabitants in the spring of the year, not only on account of themselves, but also on account of their cattle, many of which were killed by the bites of the snakes. handfuls of grain, and hence it often happened that they were taken up in the arms of those who were employed in gathering and binding them. Even if the laborer happened to be an old man stiffened with toil and rheumatism

A rare piece of sport among the children he dropped all and sprang away with the on a warm day in the spring of the year, when agility of a boy of sixteen, and however brave

they knew the snakes to be out among the in other respects it was some time before the leaves sunning themselves, was ' to encircle tremor of his limbs and the palpitation of his the den, which included several acres of heart wore off. ground, parting the leaves to prevent the fire from spreading through the woods, and then

Terrible as the serpents were to men, they were still more so to women, to whose lot it setting fire to the dry leaves inside the cirele

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

In a short time the snakes would be jumping is some physical ageney employed in this mat- and writhing in the blaze of the leaves. After the burning was over they collected a con- siderable pile of burnt snakes.

ter, although we may not be able to ascertain what it is. If there be no such agency em- ployed in fascination by serpents, it must be In an attempt to destroy a den of snakes in the Allegheny mountains, by the time the settlers had killed about ninety of them they became so sickened by the stench of serpents that they were obliged to quit the work, al- though there were still a great number of them effected by a power similar to that which superstition ascribes to charms, amulets, spells and incantations, a power wholly imaginary, unknown to the laws of nature, and which philosophy totally rejects as utterly impos- sible. On this subject we hazard the opinion in view. Another attempt to demolish a snake that the charm under consideration is effected den took place in the State of Iowa. The by means of an intoxicating odor which the snakes had chosen one of the old Indian serpent has the power of emitting. graves, composed mainly of stone for their residence. They gave such annoyance in that neighborhood that the settlers assembled for the purpose of destroying the den. In doing so they found several hundreds of snakes, to- gether with a vast quantity of the bones of those which through a long series of years had perished in the den. These were intermingled with the bones of those human beings for whose sepulture the mound had been erected.

Do these reptiles possess that power of fas- cination which has so frequently been ascribed to them ? I have never witnessed an instance of the exercise of this power. I have several times seen birds flying about them, approach- ing close to their heads, and uttering noises which seemed to indicate the greatest distress ; but on examination always found that the strange conduct of the bird was owing to the approach of the snake to the nest containing its young. That such cases as those are often mistaken for instances of the exercise of the power of fascination is quite certain ; never- theless that this power exists, there can be no doubt. The greater number of the early set- tlers say that they have been witnesses of the exercise of this power, and their testimony is worthy of credit. It seems from some re- ports worthy of belief that even mankind, as well as birds and beasts, are subject to this fascinating power of the serpents.

This power of fascination is indeed a strange phenomenon. According to the usual muni- ficence of nature, the poor miserable snake, which inherits the hatred of all animated nature, ought yet to have some means of pro- curing subsistence as well as of defense. He has no teeth or claws to aid him in catching his prey, nor feet to assist him in flight or pursuit. Ilis poison, however, enables him to take re- venge for the hatred entertained against him, and his power of charming procures him a seanty supply of provision. But what is this quence. The same observation may be made power of fascination? Is there any physical with regard to alcohol, the basis of ardent ageney in it? It must be admitted that there spirits, the habit of using which induces a

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 19

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930