,F247 !W37D6 ,/%, ■ ■A* 0(^. <>. '^• u %% O _,. " ^^^ .^^ t>v/ ^p. s ^"'■v. ...*-. /^^^^ :3oe^> 'k%i.. /h. ^r*- ^y. m MOCCASIN TRACKS and OTHER IMPRINTS BY WILLIAM CHRISTIAN pODRILL ("RATTLESNAKE BILL") \/y3 7VL Copyright by W. C. DODRILL 1915. LOVETT PRT>T'''ING CO., CHAr.l^ESTON. 1 16^ AUG 16 1915 ©CI.A4H193 William Christian Dodrill To the memory of my dear mother, Rebecca (Ham- rickj Dodrill, to whom, I oiue so much, this volume is affectionately dedicated. By the Author. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Biographical Sketch 8 Introduction 13 Moccasin Tracks 15 English Settlements in America 17 The Indians of West Virginia 35 Exploration and Settlement of West Virginia 43 Geography and Topography of Webster County- __ 55 Miscellaneous Sketches 61 The Hamrick Family 73 An Imaginary Trip in 1849 77 Superstitions of Pioneer Days 80 Short Sketches 84 Formation and Organization of Webster County __ 87 Education 105 The Carpenter Family 119 Murder of the Stroud Family 123 Religion in Pioneer Days 125 The Dodrill Family 130 The Killing of the Tunings 134 The Murder of Ferrell 135 The Lone Grave 136 The Gregory Family 137 Geographical Names 140 The Woods Family 142 The Sawyers Family 143 The McElwain Family 145 The Morton Family 148 Tracklets 151 Table of Contents (Continued). Other Imprints 157 The True Grandeur of Nations 159 Echoes 165 The Cemetery 170 Chronicles of an Oak 17.3 Number One ' 175 Number TVo 181 Number Three 188 Influence of the Christian Religion on Civilization 194 Governm^ent 199 Birds and Flowers 205 The Stork^s Visit 212 Semi-Centennial of West Virginia 213 Business and Civit Honesty 219 An Oration Delivered at Eichwood, July 4, 1909__ 230 School Eoom Smiles ^^___ 238 Halley's Comet — A Burlesque 242 The Bachelor 247 From the Williams to Lake Erie 253 Winter Bird Friends 260 The Eagle 281 The Crisis of 1861 286 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. William Christian Dodrill, the author, was born on Birch river in Nicholas county, Virginia, (now West Virginia), September seventh, 1861. He is the third son of James Walton and Rebecca H^amrick Dodrill. At a time when a new state had recently been brought into being through the heroic surgery of war, he was receiving his first impressions amid surroundings that were necessarily forceful in directing the bent of his mind and shaping his future career. Nichola^s county, then larger than now% lay among the western spurs of the Alleghanies, where crude condi- tions of commerce and travel had sadly retarded social and intellectual intercourse among the people, but the region claimed unusual advantages in the beauty and majesty of its mountain scenery and the clean lives and high ideals of its inhabitants. War had scarcely disturbed these conditions, although it left not a few of its scars in close proximity to the author^s boyhood home. The forests were virgin, full of game and res- onant with the music of a large and varied bird life. The rivers and creeks held in great abundance the varieties of fish common to the middle temperate zone. Then, much more than now, the youth were in very truth, "children of the outdoors," living in all seasons very near to the heart of Nature. Amid surroundings such as these, the boyhood of William Dodrill was spent, working on the farm as occasion demanded, but when opportunity afforded, wandering along the rivers or through the woods, learn- ino^ those nature-lessons, for which one mav read all AND Other Imprints. 9 books in vain, and because of which he acquired the ability so valuable to him as a teacher and writer in the after years of his life. Nor did he neglect to read with avidity and understanding the few books at his command; and it may be possible that a few good books, read over and over again, thoroughly assimilated through long hours of study and contemplation, may be more valuable than hundreds lightly scanned and more lightly thrown away. The author remained at the home of his father and mother until he reached the age of twenty-one, and during that time, so meager were the educational ad- vantages in his community, he was enabled to attend school less than four months in each year. How well he overcame this serious and to eo many, disastrous, obstacle, may be judged from the fact that from the time he began teaching in 1882 at the age of twenty- one, until the present, his success was immediate and so marked that his services were soon in wide demand in central West Virginia. Mr. Dodrill taught in his native county of Nicholas until 1895, and since that date he has resided in Web- ster county, where he is acknowledged by common con- sent to be the leader of his profession. He was prin- cipal of the Camden public schools in 1910 and 1911: principal of the Webster Springs graded school for three terms, 1912, 1913 and 1914, and a teacher in the Normal department of the Webster Springs high school for the spring term of 1915. He has taught also, and made a specialty of training schools for teachers. In 1908 he became a member of the Amer- ican Historical Association and in 1910 he joined the 10 Moccasin Tracks Knights of Pvtiiias and is a loyal member of Camden Lodge No. 137. While the author justly enjoys this high reputation as a teacher and instructor and has kept in the van- guard of the progressive men and women of his profes- sion^ he has rendered services to the people of Nicholas, Webster and the surrounding counties, indeed to the whole state, quite as enduring and permanent, in our judgment, as his valuable work in his chosen profession. Not only has he kept up the study of Nature as an adjunct to his work, but he has pursued that study with such zeal and success that he is everywhere recog- nized as a commanding authority on West A^irginia animals, fish and bird life. His knowledge of the fish thait. inhabit W^est Virginia waters is not cursory or superficial but final and authoritative, acquired through years of study and contact. He is an expert angler; no one in the writer's knowledge will excel him. Be- cause of these facts we confidently assert that no West Virginian is more competent as a writer and critic upon these and kindred subjects. The pioneer history of .the mountain counties of West Virginia has been neglected to such an extent that it seriously interferes with the preparation of an orderly and sequential history of the state. The citizens of the elder counties, reclaimed from the Indians along the wide valleys of the great rivers and on the contiguous uplands, do not appreciate the dangers and well-nigh insurmountable difficulties that confronted those hardy fathers who builded homes in the narrow and canyon like valleys of the Elk, Holly and Birch rivers, and on the precipitous mountain sides surrounding them. In AND Other Imprints. 11 the ceaseless struggle for existence it was impossible to preserve history while it was current and many of the stirring traditions of the early days, if not wholly lost, have been very imperfectly preserved by the only means possible, the relation of the story by the pioneer to his immediate descendants. In the resurrection and preservation of this early history of Webster county and these splendid traditions, Mr. Dodrill has spent much of his time during many years. His close contact with the people as teacher of the various schools has enabled him to acquire at first hand from the older citizens, many of whom have since passed away, much valuable information which should be, and, thanks to his energy and perseverance will be, made accessible by his book to every student of the his- tory of his native state. The value of his work in this direction lies in the fact that soon, very soon, all the sources from which this history can be gleaned will be gone. No other West Virginian possesses it at first hand. For several years past he has been writing articles for the press that have attracted wide attention, in v\^hich he depicts the struggle of the early settlers and traces the gradual development of this difficult terri- tory. The large families that are descended from the pioneers and are now widely scattered over the Union, with interests diversified and numerous, have gratefully paid him tribute for renewing the recollections of these heroic men and women. One of the chief criticisms directed by Europeans against America is the fact that we have no traditions ; that time, only, can create mighty memories; be it so; but we can meet that criticism 12 Moccasin Tracks and multiply those mighty memories by appreciating men like William Dodrill who give years of pains- taking effort and patient study to the end that none of our traditions may be lost. "Moccasin Tracks and Other Imprints/' reflects the versatility and personality of its author. Mr. Dodrill is a facile and brilliant writer, an eloquent and force- ful public speaker. His powers of description can hardly be excelled, while as a narrator of events he commands the willing attention of his reader as he con- ducts him through the orderly, logical succession of events. He is a controversialist of superior type, nor does he, in his writings, make the always fatal mistake of trans- forming learning into pedantry. He is a master of that directness of Anglo-Saxon speech which one may acquire only after long and diversified study of our language. We bespeak for this book a gracious reception, not only by the people of West Virginia, interested as they are in the traditions of our beloved Commonwealth and the minutest details of its splendid history, but by the people everywhere who want to know and to treasure all that may be known of the history and. the tradi- tions of the Republic. W. S'. Wysong. INTRODUCTORY. Many school boys and school girls decide to write a book when they become men and women. I was not accustomed to building literary air castles in Spain during my school days. My teachers did not require me to write on any subject. Neither did they require or encourage original thought. Lessons were assigned on certain pages of the text, and the pupil who could recite in the language of the book was commended for proficiency. These two facts indicate the deplorable condition of the free schools thirty-five years ago. The material of which this volume is composed has been of slow growth. A number of the sketches were published in the local papers a few years ago under the" pen name of "Eattlesnake Bill." These waifs have been revised or entirely rewritten. They have been living precarious lives in newspaper files, scrap books, and other out of the way places. * It was thought by the author that these almost nameless, and unowned chil- dren of his brain, were entitled to more congenial sur- roundings, and if properly dressed they could appear in more genteel company. I have been impressed for years with the fact that the young people of Webster, Nicholas, Braxton and other nearby counties know so little of the history of their immediate ancestors. Boys and girls of sixteen do not know the names of their great-grandfathers or great- grandmothers. If this information be delayed much longer, it will be too late to start an inquiry. "Moccasin Tracks" was begun to arouse an interest in pioneer history before all the sources of information have been 14 Moccasin Tracks closed. No attempt has been made to give a consistent, connected narration of the pioneer history of Webster county. Material available at this time is too meager or too chaotic for such an undertaking. Some of the "Other Imprints" contained in this volume have been written in connection with my school work or to amuse a friend in an idle moment. Others are public addresses delivered at divers places and under various circumstanees. Many were written expressly for this volume and are here published for the first time, The author places this volume before the public with some misgivings as to the manner of its reception, but he hopes that it will be received in the spirit in which it is given. It is offered as a. small contribution to the great stream of literature flowing from the pen of American writers, by an author who has neither fame nor literary merit to commend his work to the public. W. C. DODRILL. Webster Springs, West Virginia. June 15, 1915. Moccasin Trackj I. ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS IN AMERICA. In order to get a correct understanding of the early history of Webster county, it is necessary to take a hasty view of the first English settlement in Xorth America as to time and place. Webster, because of its geographical position and its isolation from navigable rivers, was one of the last West Virginia counties to be occupied by white men. It will also be necessary to take a more extended notice of the first settlements in the state which occurred many years previous to the occupation of the Elk and the Gauley valleys. Transportation of necessity was made by pack horses over rough mountain trails, and this not being a very desirable mode of travel, greatly retarded the settle- ment of localities remote from more populous com- munities. The real settlement of Webster county did not begin until after the close of the Eevolution, although the territory had been repeatedly visited and some cabins had been built previous to that time. Virginia. In 1606 James I, King of Great Britain, granted a patent for territory in America to a corporation of men known as the London Company, whose main object was to establish an English colony somewhere between the thirty-fourth and forty-fifth degrees of north latitude. The company sent out a colony consisting of 105 ad- venturous gentlemen in three small vessels which em- barked from London, in December, 1606. After a 18 Moccasin Tkacks most tempestuous and dangerous voyage, tliey entered 1 Chesapeake Bay and after some delay sailed up a. dis- tance of fifty miles. Here they landed on May 13, 1607, and began a settlement which they called James- town in honor of the English sovereign. The site chosen was low and marshy: it was infested with mosquitoes and nuilaria ; it was not easy for the settlers to defend tlieniselves against the Indians, who attacked them within two weeks after their arrival. This border warfare begun, in i()OT, between the Mrginians and the Indians, lasted for one hundred and eighty-eight years. The early history of Virginia was a history of famine, disease, desperation and death; of 630 early colonists 570 died within the first two and a half years. In later years two terrible Indian massacres occurred, one in 1622 and the other in 1644, in which more than live hundred persons were slain. These English peo- ple had left their home and friends, and had braved the dangers of a long sea voyage to face an unknown fate in the wilderness that they might establish homes for themselves and erect a state on the continent of North America. This is the oldest English colony es- tablished within the present limits of the United States, although for some time it seemed as if it would prove a failure like the one begun in the state of Maine in May, 1607. The colony was saved through the untiring efforts of Captain John Smith, who procured corn from tlie Indians, and taught the colonists the necessity of ]al)or. These peo|)le made the mistake that is ever the case in all ])ioneer settlements: they thought that sudden wealtli conh! bi' obtained from mineral product^, and AND Other Imprints. 19 they neglected their gardens and their farms — the only things they could rely upon for their support^ for the alluring hope, of finding gold. In a few years many desirable families came to Virginia. The forest was cleared by them and they gTadually pushed tlieir way to the foot of the Blue Ridge. A very notable event occurred in 1619. This was the election of twenty-two "burgesses," who met in the church at Jamestown and framed laws to govern the colony. This vras the first free, representative govern- ment in America, and was far-reaching in its effect upon the establishment of a republican form of govern- ment in the Western Hemisphere. Another event of great moment occurred in the same year. A Dutch maurof-war exchanged twenty negro slaves with the planters of Jamestown for provisions. This was the beginning of ^egro slavery in the United States, which proved a great source of trouble until its abolition in 1863. It made the cultivation of tobacco a very lucrative employment in Virginia and in a very sliort time it became the leading industry of the colony. Virginia became a royal province in 1624, and the rights of the people were taken from them. Arbitrary ride wa^ substituted. Navigation laws were passed that had a direct bearing on the great American Eevolution : the King gave the entire province to two court favorite? for a period of thirty-one years. Governor Berkeley, be- longing to a company having a very profitable trade with the Indians, failed to protect the settlers from these savages; the colonists had no homes they could call their own, and their taxes were burdensome. When the Indians began ravaging the frontier, in 1676, Gov- 20 MoccAsix Tracks ernor Berkeley refused to send aid to the endangered colonists. They chose Nathaniel Bacon, a young planter^ for their leader, and marched against the In- dians and defeated them. Berkeley declared Bacon a rebel; civil war ensued and Jamestown was burned. Bacon soon afterwards died of a fever contracted while camping in the swamps and about twenty of his ad- herents were executed by order of the governor. One hundred years after that time, the descendants of these men met at Williamsburg almost in sight of the ruins of Jamestown, and declared that Virginia was a free and independent state, and no longer an integral part of the British Empire. THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES. Massachusetts. The English King, in the same year that the grant to the London Company was made, gave to the Ply- mouth Company the territory extending from the Hud- son river northward to Newfoundland. This em- braced the country between the thirty-fourth and thirty- eighth degrees of north latitude. As previously mentioned the first attempt at settle- ment within the limits of North Virginia was made in the State of Maine, in May 1607, but proved a fail- ure and no further attempt to establish a colony was made for thirteen years. At the beginning of the seventeenth century relig- ious toleration was not recognized by the English Constitution. All classes were required to pay a tax to support the clergy of the established church. Those AND Other Imprints. 21 who refused to do this were fined or imprisoned. A body of persons calling themselves Puritans came into existence during Queen Elizabeth's reign. Out of this movement, the Separatists came into existence, who would not remain in the established Church of England. Many Puritan ministers were refused the right to hold religious services. When their congregations were broken up, about three hundred of these Separatists, now called Pilgrims, emigrated to Holland. These God-fearing and industrious people found themselves exiles in a strange land where they greatly feared that their children would not adhere to their religious beliefs, and the manners and customs of their English ancestors. Acting under the advice of their pastor, John Eobinson, they decided to seek a place of settlement in America. They borrowed a large sum of money from their friends in England, and also secured a patent to settle on the land of the London Company. On September 6. 1620, the Mayflower, carrying one hundred and one of the exiles, left the harbor of Ply- mouth bound for the Hudson river country. After a stormy voyage of three months, they landed off Cape Cod, hundreds of miles north-east of their destination. This was on land belonging to the Plymouth Company. Having no patent to settle on that Company's land, they drew up a compact on board the Mayflower in which it was agreed to form themselves into a civil body politic for the purpose of government, and John Carver was elected governor. This little band of exiles landed on December 21, 1620, near a large bowlder, now called Plymouth Eock. The winter was unusually severe and the food unwholesome. Before spring one-half the 22 MoccAsix Tracks number had died. Fortunately for this brave little band, Indians were few and not very hostile. Miles Standish, the doughty little captain, defended the colony from those who were disposed to be troublesome. The Mayflower pilgrims were men and women who- had known hardships and privation in their native land, and the hostile climate and the scarcity of food did not discourage them. Deeply imbued with a relig- ious feeling, they went to work with a will that pre- saged success. "What sought they thus afar? Bright jewels of the mine? The wealth of seas, the spoils of war? They sought a' faith's pure shrine. Ay, call it holy ground. The soil where first they trod, They left unstained what there they found, Freedom to worship God." Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled at Salem, in 1628, by John Endicott, who was a Puritan of the strictest kind. He wished to establish a place of refuge for those of his own faith only. By the year 1630 a great tide of emigration flowed into the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies. John AYinthrop, a wealthy Puritan, with a fleet of eleven vessels brought over a colony of seven hundred persons with horses, cattle and all other things neces- sary for the establishment of a colony in the wilderness. This colony was established on a peninsula called by the Indians Shawmut but the English called it Tri- mountain. This was afterwards called Boston. With- AND Other Imprints. To in the next ten years, twenty thon^^and emigrants came to Xew England. Among this nnmber were men of wealth and education — ''the very flower of the English Puritans.'' For the first two years the colony was governed by a council called the Court of Assistants. In 1634 the towns sent representatives to the legislature, or General Court, which made the laws, and the right of suffrage was restricted to church members. In a few years the Puritans became as intolerant as the English Church had been toward them. Eoger Williams, Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, and others were banished from the colony. Education very early in the history of Massachusetts received the attention of the people. Provisions were made as early as 1635 for the establishment of a pub- lic school in Boston. A law^ was enacted in 1647 which provided instruction for every white child in the colony. The colony of Massachusetts laid the founda- tion for the free school system of the United States. The first college Avas established in 1636 and was named in honor of Eev. John Harvard. An event occurred in 1643 that was destined to wield a. decided influence on the political history of the United States. This was the union of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, Connecticut, and Xew Haven colonies for mutual defense against the Indians, the Dutch, and the French. This new England Con- federacy was maintained for nearly half a century, and was a presa.o-e of the union of the thirteen colonies against British aggression and tyranny wliich occurred about one hundred years after its dissolution. The colonies of Plvmouth and Massachusetts Bav united 34 MoccAsix Tracks in 1G92 and formed the present State of Massachusetts. Other New England Colonies. The English government in 1623 granted to Sir Ferdinand Gorges and Captain John Mason a large tract of land between the Merrimac and Pisquatiqua rivers. This region was called Maine^ or the Mainland. The first ijermanent settlement was made by English emigTants at Dover about 1627. The land was divided between the proprietors; Gorges took the country east of the Pisquatiqua which was organized as a separate government and admitted into the Union as the State of Maine in 1820. Mason took that portion of the grant lying west of the Pisquatiqua which he called Xew Hampshire. Peligious exiles from Massachusetts settled at Exeter in 1638 under the leadership of Eev. John Wheel- wriglit. Scotch Irish emigrants settled at Londonderry and introduced the manufacture of linen. Daniel Webster, the noted statesman and orator, was a descend- ent of one of these industrious Scotch settlers. New Hampshire became subject t'o Massachusetts upon petition from the people of the first named col- ony l)ecause of its inability to protect the outposts from Indian depredations. The colony became a royal province in 1679 and remained so until the Ee^'olution. Both the Dutch and the English made an attempt to get possession of the Connecticut Valley. A number of settlements were made l)y emigrants from Massachusetts. Wethersfield and Windsor were founded by people from the vicinitv of Boston in 1635. In the same year a AND Other Imprints. 25 company that had obtained a charter for the territory, sent out John Winthrop as "Governor of the Rivers of Connecticut/^ He built a fort at Saybrook to prevent the Dutch from ascending the river. The next year the Eev. Thomas Hooker left Mas- sachusetts with one hundred men, women, and children bound for the Connecticut river. They traveled on foot through an unbroken forest, driving their cattle and hogs before them. The minister led the way carrying a hoe on his shoulder to show his people the necessity of agricultural pursuits. This band finally reached Hart- ford, where a small settlement of English had previous- ly been made. A war declared against the Pequot In- dians in the spring of 1637 resulted in the destruction of that Indian tribe.' In 1639 the inhabitants of Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford met in convention and drew up the first written constitution in iVmerica. No mention was made either of the King of England or the Company which held a royal grant of the land of Connecticut. It was expressed in this constitution that its object was to maintain the peace and union of the colony. The Xew Haven colony was settled in 1638. Eev. John Davenport was one of the leading men and the laws drawn up for the colony were based upon the teachings of the Bible and they were called "Scripture Law^s." Connecticut never became a Eoyal colony but con- tinued to be governed by the charter granted by Charles I'until 1818. Andros, the tyrannical royal gov- ernor of Massachusetts, tried to secure this charter in 26 MoccAsix Tracks 1687 but the friends of popular government hid it in a hollow oak where it lay until better days. Rhode Island was settled at Providence under the leadership of Roger AVilliams in 1636. The province of Rhode Island was founded on the principles of soul liberty or liberty of conscience. This w^as a new idea and was thought to be dangerous doctrine, and it was freely predicted that it would soon cease to be popular^ but it had a rapid and sure growth until it was written in our Xational Constitution as a part of the funda- mental law of the United States. William Coddington, in company with Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, bought the island of Rhode Island and planted the colony of Portsmouth. Newport was settled by them in 1639. Roger AVilliams, in 161:1:, went to England and obtained a very liberal charter which united all three colonies into one province, and gave them full power to organize a government suitable for their needs and conditions. With slight modifications this charter was the fundamental law of Rhode Island until 1812. Vermont, formerly a part of Massachusetts, 1)ought her freedom from that state and was admitted into the Union in 1791, being the first state to be admitted by an act of Congress. Xo section of the United States exerted a .'greater influence upon the destiny of the Xation than the six state? of Xew England. The sturdy sons of these states have found homes in every portion of the coun- try, and with them they carried the Xew* England idea of government and religion. AND Otheu Imprints. 27 New York. The Dutch built Fort Amsterdam and established a tradiiiig post on Manhattan Island in IGl^t. Xine years later a settlement was begun at that place, and also at Fort Orange, where Albany now stands, by the Dutch West India Company which sent over about thirty families. Peter Minuet, who became governor in 162G, purchased the island of Manhattan from the Indians. The Swedes in 1638 had established a colony west of the Delaware which they called Christina. This region was claimed by the Dutch, who made a conquest of New Sweden under Governor Peter Stuyvesant in 1655, and reduced it to submission. Xew Sweden was annexed to New Xetherland. But the Dutch triumph was of short duration. Great Britain claimed the territory occupied by both the Dutch and the Swedes. The Eng- lish King, Charles II, granted the Dutch possession to his brother James, Duke of York. In 1664 an English fleet was sent against New Netherlaud which resulted in its capture. The Dutch province of New Nether- land became the English province of New York named in honor of the Duke of York. Maryland. The English king granted to Lord Baltimore a tract of land comprising about 1200 square miles of territory north of Virginia called the ''Northern Neck." The grantee was a Catholic nobleman of excellent character and ability who wished to establisli a colony in the New World for his oppressed brethren, and for all others Vho were persecuted for conscience's sake. 28 MoccAsix Tracks Two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, brought the first settlers to the province of Maryland in 1734. The col- onists, numbering two hundred, sailed up the Chesapeake Ba}^ and landed at a place which they called St. Mary's. From this small beginning the great State of Mary- land has grown. Baltimore city was begun in 1729 and had a very rapid growth. In the course of a few years the Protestants, who were welcomed by Lord Baltimore, overthrew his gov- ernment and established the Church of England as the government church in Maryland. The fourth Lord Baltimore, who had become a Protestant, was made proprietor and governor in 1715. He and his descend- ants continued to govern the province until the be- ginning of the Eevolution. Maryland was very early in her history the home of a liberty-loving yeomanry who did their full share in resisting the injustice that Great Britain perpetrated upon her American colonies. The Carolinas. Charles II granted a large body of land south of Vir- ginia to a company composed of Lord Clarendon and seven associates. This .grant was made in 1663. Settlers from Virginia, New England, and the West Indies had moved into that territory before the grant was made. In 1663 these people were organized into a settlement known as the Albermarle colony. The Clarendon colony was founded in 1670 on the Ashley river. A few years after, it was moved to the present site of Charleston. A very elaborate form of government was framed which was known as the "Grand Model." This gave the AND Other Imprints. 29 common people no rights in the government because it recognized a kind of feudal system which was not suit- able for a backwoods settlement. This "Fundamental Constitution" was abandoned after twenty-one years of failure. The colony was divided into Xorth and South Caro- lina in 1712, and each was subject to a governor ap- pointed by the crown until the Declaration of Inde- pendence. The Carolinas early engaged in the manufacture of tar^ pitch and turpentine. In 1793 the cultivation of rice was begun. In later years (1741) indigo was in- troduced, and proved very profitable. The cultivation of rice and indigo gave rise to a large foreign commerce and made Charleston the leading commercial city of the South. Pennsylvania. William Penn, a devoted Friend or Quaker, received a tract of forty-eight thousand square miles of territory in America, from Charles II, in payment of a large sum of money which the king owed Penn's father. The king very generously named the province Pennsylvania, which means Penn^s woods. The first colonists were sent over in 1681 under Ed- ward Markham. Nearly one-third of the number died from smallpox on the voyage. The good ship. Welcome, cast anchor where New Castle, Delaware, now stands. Penn himself came over in 1682 and laid out the cilry of Philadelphia. Penn's scheme of colonization was the best of any in America and was attended with marked 30 MoccASix Tracks success. B}' judicious management, he secured the good will of the Indians, who ever after remained the staunch friends of William Penn and his people. The colonists were given the liberty to enact their own laws and they were protected in their worship of God and no one was compelled to subscribe to a creed in which he did not believe. Philadelphia had a very rapid growth and it was the largest and most important city in the colonies at the outbreak of the Eevolution. Delaware. The history of Delaware is closely allied with that of Pennsylvaiiia. By reference to the sketch of Xew York, it will be learned that Delaware was settled by the Swedes under the name of New Sweden. This land was purchased in 1682 from the Duke of York by William Penn. It was called "The Territories" or the "Three Lower Counties on the Delaware." It was governed as a part of Pennsylvania until the Eevolution when it became independent under the name of Delaware. This was the first state to ratify the National Constitution. New Jersey. The territory now embraced in the state of Xew Jer- sey was claimed by the Dutch, who began a settlement at Bergen in 1617. After the English had conquered the New Netherlands in 1664, the Duke of York gave tiie whole country between the Delaware and the Hud- son rivers to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Cartaret. An English colony was begun at Elizabethtown. Lib- eral terms were given the colonists and each one was And Other Imprints. 31 given a share in the government. The province was divided into West and East Jerseys. West Jersey was sold by Lord Berkeley in 1674 to some English Quak- ers, and some time after, Penn, and others, bought East Jersey from the heirs of Sir George Cartaret. The two Jerseys were united under the jurisdiction of ^ew York in 1702. New Jersey became a separate province in 1738, and was ruled by a royal governor until the colony became independent of Great Britain. Georgia. Georgia is the yomigest of the thirteen original col- onies and was settled under the leadership of Gen. James Oglethorpe. The object of that colony was two- fold. South Carolina was exposed to attack on the south by the Spaniards. It was thought necessary to have a Ijody of men so placed that the commercial in- terests of Charleston could be protected. The second object was a very benevolent one, and was designed to alleviate tlie sufferings of the debtor class of England. At the beginning of the eighteenth century the jails were full of men who could not pay their debts. It was pro- posed to select the most deserving, pay their debts and bring them to America, where they could begin life anew under more favorable circumstances. A charter for a tract of land between the Savannah and the Altaraaha rivers was obtained and a settlement was begun on the Savannah river which was called Savannah. This was in 1733. Because of certain restrictions in regard to slavery, rum, religion, the law of descent, and the law-making 33 MoccAsix Tracks power, the progress of Georgia was very slow and vac- illating. Upon the modification or removal of these regulations the progress was very rapid and a flourish- ing commerce with other English colonies and the West Indies came into existence. John and Charles Wesley, the founders of Method- ism, came to Georgia. John came as a preacher and Charles as private secretary of Oglethorpe. Rev. George Whitefield, "the silver tongued orator/' came over and established an orphan asylum near Savannah. In 1752 Georgia was changed from a proprietary to a royal colony. These thirteen English colonies ex- tended from the Spanish possession of Florida to the Bay of Fundy on the north, and extended far into the western wilderness. In some instances the claim ex- tended to the far away Pacific Ocean. They were slowly but surely gaining strength, which was greatly needed in the impending conflict with the wilderness and the Indians west of the Appalachian mountains. The majority of the colonists Avho ' sought homes be- tween the Alleghany mountains and the Ohio river came from the province of Virginia. The distance from Jamestown, the first place of settlement, to the base of the Blue Ridge, is about two hundred miles. Xearly seventy-five years were required to push the outposts of civilization to that point, and that, too, across a country comparatively level, and, in the main, but lit- tle infested w4th hostile Indians. This advance was at a yearly rate of less than six miles. In later years the outposts moved westward at an average yearly rate of seventeen miles. This westward movement was almost irresistible when AND Other Imprints. oo it began and it carried the tide* of emigration across the mountains, hills, and valleys of West Virginia to the Ohio, and still the tide flowed on to the Mississippi and the Great Plains beyond. A royal proclamation could not stop the great army of pioneers as it emerged from the western base of the Alleghanies. It will bt^ of interest to trace the extent of territory claimed by the English colonies to the westward. The boundaries of the colonies on the west were very indefinite. The charter granted to the London Company was thought to have extended the western limits of Virginia to tbe Pacific. Four states at the close of the Revolution claimed the territory bounded by the Ohio, the Missis- sippi and the Great Lakes. These were New York, Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The other nine states objected to this exclusive ownership, and asked for a part interest. Thomas Paine, in a pamphlet entitled the "Public Good,'' in his masterly skill argued that the whole TTnion should control all ungranted lands^ because this was the legitimate successor of the British government.. The four states concerned being influenced by this ar- gument, and a protest from the state of Maryland, generously yielded their claims to the Congress of the United States. New York ceded all of her claims west of her present western boundary in 1781. A^irginia gave up all claims to the Northwest Territory, except ownership in the Virginia Reserve Military Bounty Lands, in 1784, Massachusetts yielded all claims west of New York in 1783, and in 1786 she gave up to that state her claim to govern the western part, but retained ownership in the land. Connecticut ceded her claim to Congress in 178G, with the exception of a strip of land 34 Moccasin Teacks one liundred and twenty miles long south of Lake Erie just west of Pennsylvania. This excei>tion was known as tlie A\^estern lieser\e and was given to the United States in 1800. The territory soutli of the Ohio known as the South- west Territory was liarder to adjust than the territory north of that stream. To Virginia was left the Dis- trict of Kentucky, wliich remained a part of that state until it was admitted as a state in 1792. Xorth Caro- lina claimed Tennessee, including tlie Watauga settle- ment, but in 1790 this claim was relinquished in favor of the United States. South Carolina ceded her claim to a narrow strip lying between western North Carolina and Georgia in 1787. Georgia claimed all the land be- tween the present state and the Mississippi and did not consent to her present boundaries until 1802. This vast extent of land lying west of the present boundaries of the thirteen colonies^ including the states of Kentucky and West Virginia, was admitted into the Union as sovereign states and the inhabitants thereof enjoyed all the rights, privileges, and immunities as those of the original states. The region now embraced in the states of Ohio, Indi- ana, Illinois, AVisconsin, and that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi, was under the jurisdiction of Orange county, Virginia, in 1734, and in 1'738 it be- came a part of Augusta county. After the conquest of this territory by George Rogers Clark, in 1778, it was organized into the county of Illinois by legislative enactment of A'irginia. The Northwest Territory was the home of the In- dian tribes that made such disastrous incursions into northwestern A^iriiinia for a period of fifty years. II. THE INDIANS OF WEST VIRGHSTIA. In order to I'lilly under stand the pioneer history of West Virginia it is necessary to know something of the roving tribes of Indians who hunted and fished in the territory between the Alleghanies and the Ohio. Be- sides these occupations they waged a relentless war against each other and were ever ready to dispute the right of the white settlers to the country. It will not be necessary to enter into an extended account of the Mound Builders. It is evident from the great earth works, called "Mounds/' that a race in many ways superior to the Indians at one time dwelt in the Ohio valley. But a correct answer to the question, Who were they? will probably never be given to the satisfaction of ethnologists. That the Indians were here when the continent of Xorth America was discovered is a fact of history, but from whence they came is still an unsolved mystery. That they exerted a powerful influence on the history of every county of West Virginia is unquestioned. From a geographical standpoint the study of the Indians is most fascinating. The grandest mountains and the noblci^t rivers of tlie state are known by nam.es of In- dian derivation. Appalachia. as applied to the great chain of mountains, means ''the endless mountains." Alleghany, as applied to the greatest range of these mountains, signifies "the place of the foot print," be- cause of the early and late snows in that region. Ohio means "the river of biood," because of the great amount of Indian blood that flowed in the wars for tbe reten- t'lru (»r ibis l)cautiful and mo-t important river. The 36 Moccasin Tracks Great Kanawha in the Shawnee language was Ivenin- sheka, meaning "the river of evil spirits''. The Shawnees called the Elk Tiskelwah, "'river of fat elk". The Delawares called it Pequoni, "the walnut river". The Gauley was called by the Delawares, Tokobelloke, "the falling creek". The present name of that stream is of French derivation. The Shenandoah was "the river of stars'^ and the Potomeck has been changed to Potomac. While the Indians spoke a guttural lan- guage, yet the names of our mountains and rivers de- rived from their language are very pleasing to the ear. The West Virginia counties of Kanawha, Logan, Mingo, Monongalia, Ohio, Pocahontas and Wyoming have names of Indian derivation. It is to be regretted that more of these names are not to be found on the map of the state. Xo tribe of Indians really possessed the soil of West Virginia when the first white man visited the region. A few scattering wigwams in the best fishing and hunting grounds belonged to temporary sojourners, who expected to remain for a short timo only. There was a time when West Virginia was the permanent home of the savages, but they were either driven out or exterminated. The conquerors were the Mohawks, a warlike tribe of Indians, whose home was in New York. They carried their conquest into many regions by means of firearms furnished by the Dutch, of N'ew York, between the years 1656 and 1672. A tribe of Indians, believed to be the Hiirons, occupied the country from the forks of the Ohio southward along the Monongahela and its tributaries to the Great Kan- awha and the Kentucky line. According to the ac- counts of the missionaries who were among them, not AND Other iMPraNTS. 37 a Huron was left in the state. If a remnant escaped, none returned to occupy the land of their fathers. The conquerors did not choose to permanently occupy the subjugated territory. From this time until the final subjugation of the Indians by the whites, in 1795, many different tribes resorted to West Virginia during the spring, summer and autumn, but they returned to their homes, with few exceptions, beyond the Ohio, or to the northward into Pennsylvania or Xew York, upon the ap- proach of winter, and did not again return until the following spring. Each tribe had certain indefinite boundaries, confining them to particular territory. Bloody battles were often fought when one tribe was found on the territory of another. This occurred when game wa,s scarce in one part of the state and more plenti- ful in another section. Feuds of long standing and fancied wrongs of other years were settled on the hunt- ing grounds of West Virginia. The Cherokees, whose home was in the southeastern part of the United States, claimed that part of the state lying south of the Great Kanawha. The valleys of the Guyandotte and Big Coal rivers were hunting grounds that rivaled in excel- lence those of Kentucky. The Shawnees occupied the basin of the Great Kan- awha. This was a fierce, warlike tribe and was re- sponsible for many of the massacres perpetrated upon the frontier settlers. This tribe was the most perma- nently located of all the tribes in the state. They had towns in both Greenbrier and Mason counties. The Mingoes, located in the state of Ohio, claimed the territory between the Little Kanawha and the present site of Wheeling. These Indians were responsi- 38 MoccAsix Tracks ble for much of the border warfare. Logan, noted for his friendship for the whites, was a Mingo chief. The Delawares occupied the valley of the Mononga- hela, while the eastern panhandle was considered the home of the Tuscaroras. The last named tribe was driven out of N'orth Carolina in 1712 by a neighboring tribe, and migrating to the north, they became the sixth member of the Five Nations, with whom they claimed kinship. Thus constituted, the Six Nations, comprising thfe Mohawks, Tuscaroras, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and S'enecas, became the most powerful Indian confed- eracy in America. As formerly stated, the Mohawks of this confederation conquered all the territory now em- braced in West A'^irginia. All the tribes roaming over West Virginia acknowledged the supremacy of the Six Nations, in the territory between the Alleghany moun- tains and the Ohio. West Virginia was a favorite hunting ground for the Indians. The rivers were full of all kinds of fish : vast herds of buffalo, elk, and deer were found; the black bear, wild turkey, and ruffled grouse were in abundance. It is not at all strange that the Indians resented the encroachments of the white settlers upon this hunters' paradise, and that they waged a war of extermination against them. Webster county seems to have been a favorite resort for the Indians. The saline properties of the water of the "fork lick^' attracted large numbers of ruminating animals to its vicinity. The savage hunter laid in wait for his prey along the paths leading to the "lick", or else concealed himself in the bushes and killed the ani- mals when thev came to drink. AXD Other I]\[prints. 39 Arrow heads, stone hatchets, fire stones, pipes, broken pottery, and many other implements of aboriginal manu- facture have been found in all parts of the country. Under a large, overhanging rock across the Elk river from the mouth of Mill run a great many arrow heads have been picked np. Seventy-five years ago these arrow heads were found by the score hidden in the crevices of the rocks. A spring of cold, sparkling water flows from under this rock, and the Indians used this as a camping ground and as an arsenal for storing their surplus supply of implements of the chase and of war. The materials from which these arrow heads, or ^^darts'^ as they were locally called, were brought from the regions of the Kanawha and the Great Lakes, and the manufacturing was done in the home while not eng^aged in hunting or fishing. In many places small chips or spawds of flint strew the ground. Defective or broken arrow heads are also found in the same vicinity. Masses of flint weighing as much as eight or ten pounds have been found on the Elk, the Gauley and the Birch rivers. Each shows unmistak- able signs of being chipped by some human agency. At the mouth of Cooperwood run is a large bottom that was once the site of an Indian camp or village. This bottom has been cleared for probably fifty years, and when recently plowed many implements of Indian manufacture were found, including broken pieces of clay pottery. Some of these pieces had ears on the sides, indicating that these receptacles were manufac- tured with some degree of skill. Other relics were found, including arrow^ heads, broken pieces of pipes and stone axes. The darts were parti-colored. Some 40 Moccasin Tracks were white and red, while others were dark brown or black. In a low gap on Point mountain on a divide between the two Baltimore runs, more arrow head=> are to be fonnd than in other localities in the county. Tliese are especially plentiful in Steps Low gap, al)out three miles from the Charles McDodrill farm. Large quantities of chips and arrow heads can be picked up at this place. These conditions can be ac- counted for from the fact that this was the greatest hunting ground in the country when first visited by white men. The low gap was a crossing place for the game that wished to pass from one locality to another, and the Indians lay in wait by the side of the path until his intended victim came along, and he shot it at short range with an arrow tipped with flint. There are but few Indian graves and no mounds in the country. The Indians did not bury, those who died in battle. The absence of graves conclusively proves that tlie savages did not permanently occupy the territory cml)raced in Webster county. There were two Indian trails leading through the county. The tribes living 1)eyond the Ohio visited relatives in Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Eandolph counties. A small band of Mingoes lived at Mingo Flats, in Randolph county, about the time the whites began to occupy the Greenbrier, the Monongahela and the Kanawha valleys. This band was frequently vis- ited by friends froui what is now the state of Ohio. They traveled by way of the Little Kanawha and reached the Elk l)y way of the Flat woods country. The trail crossed the Elk at the mouth of Laurel creek and led up that stream and crossed the divide midway AND Other Imprints. 41 l)etween Cowen and Upper Glade. It crossed the 'Oauley at the old Indian Ford near the Jones mill. From that point it crossed the mountain through the low gap on the Gallogly place, and continued up the Williams river to its source. A branch of this path led up Elk river by way of the fork lick, but it. was not so well marked as the other one. When the first settlers came to the county these two trails could be easily traced, and the one passing through the Glade country can be located at this time, although it has not been traveled for more than one hundred years. Another route traveled by the Indians visiting Webster county was up the Gauley from the Kanawha. It left the Gauley at the mouth of Little Elk and pro- ceeded up that stream, crossing through a low gap to Peters creek and led on by the way of Beaver and Strouds creeks to the Gauley at Allingdale. But few Indians visited this section after 1750. Had Webster county not been an interior county the history of Indian depredations would have been very •different. Savage fury fell with the greatest violence on the .settlers who lived nearest the permanent homes of the Indians. It is ever with a feeling of sadness that the his- torian writes of a conquered and vanished people. The strife and hatred that existed between the Indians, the unlettered children of the forest, and the white men, who in many ways were their superiors, were of such a character that the great-grandchildren of the con- querors still harbor a feeling of resentment against the. subjugated people. This is but natural, when it is re- membered in what a cruel manner the Indians treated 4:2 Moccasin Tracks their captives — many of \yhom were the immediate an- cestors of the present generation. The print of the moccasined foot of the Indian is nai longer seen along the banks of our rivers. The oldl pioneer with whom he fought is no longer seen in the? door of his rude cabin on the lookout for the approach i of his mortal foe. The buffalo, the elk, the deer, the^ bear, and the wild turkey have been driven from their accustomed haunts. The hunting ground over which s the contending parties quarreled and fought has ])een ! converted into farms and is now being tilled by the pale faces. Populous cities, busy with the hum of in- dustry, occupy the place where once stood the humble dwelling of the Indian. Where he buried his kindred and covered the grave with stones to prevent the body from being devoured by wild beasts, the white farmer, after removing the stones, cultivates his crop unmindful of any desecration. The whistle of the steamboat is heard on the streams over which the Indian silently but simply paddled his birch-bark canoe. The off- spring of the savages who occupied the territory now embraced in the state of West Virginia is today living on western reservations and dress and live like the white men, who are their neighbors. They have fine churches and commodious school houses. They are al- lowed the right of suffrage after they have broken up their tribal relations, and when they have adopted the white man's mode of dress. III. EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT OF WEST VIRGINIA. It was twentj'-iive years after the tide of migration had reached the base of the Alleghany mountains be- fore any one attempted to cross them. The region beyond was but little known, and no roads led across them, Here and there Indian trails and buffalo traces led across their black summits. Even after explorers and other adventurous men had penetrated the vast region beyond, the home seeker was slow to follow. The venturesome explorer was very early in the his- tory of Virginia' attracted to the Trans-Alleghany region, and many hastened into the land of the setting sun to make discoveries and to explore the country. As early as 1670 Henry Batts crossed the mountains and reached the Xew river valley. The party under his leadership was sent out to search for gold and silver. Batts reported the discovery of a new river four hun- dred and fifty yards wide flowing due north, and he expressed the opinion that the white cliffs and towering mountains bej^ond this river might contain silver* and gold. In 1671 the governor of Virginia sent out an- other exploring party to continue the work, and they passed within the territory of West Virginia into what is now Monroe and Mercer counties. The stream these explorers reached was called the New river, because it was not located on any of the maps of Virginia. In 1669 John Lederer, a German, was commissioned by Governor Berkeley, of Virginia, to make explorations to the westward. On one of his exploring expeditions he crossed the Blue Eidge near Harper's Ferry and 44 MoccAsix Tracks continued his journey until he probably arrived at thee Cheat river. This was sixty-two years after the settle'| ment of Jamestown. He was probably the first whit( man to visit that region, and he made a map of thee country visited. This map is still in existence. Robert de La Salle, the most noted French explorer,, heard* of a large river to the west. He started fromi Canada and traveled by way of New York, accompanied I by Indian guides. He reached the Alleghany, which he descended to its junction with the Monongahela, in 1669. He floated down the Ohio to the falls, where Louisville, Kentucky, now stands. Here he was deserted by his Indian guides and was compelled to return. This expedition resulted in the French claim to the Ohio valley. The most noted of these exploring expeditions was led in person by Alexander Spottswood, governor of Vir- ginia. In 1716, at the head of a party of thirty horsemen, he left Williamsburg, the capital of the Yirg-^nia colony, and entered the western wilderness for the purpose of crossing the mountains. The Blue Eidge and the Shenandoah river were crossed, and still the party pressed forward. In the month of October the little party, surrounding their leader, stood on one of the highest peaks of the Appalachian moun- tains, which was most probably in Pendleton county. West Virginia, and drank a health to the English sovereign, Geoge I. On his return to Williamsburg he instituted the Trans-Montane Order, or Knights of the Golden Horseshoe, for the purpose of inducing emigra- tion to the regions beyond the Alleghanies. He pre- sented each one of the party who accompanied him on AXD Other Imprints. 45 he ex23editioii a miniature horseshoe, bearing a Latin n.-eription, which meant ''thus he swears to cross the aiountain'\ These were given to any one who would iccept them, with the understanding that the recipient would comply with the terms implied in the inscrip- tion. This induced many persons to cross the mountains, and when they had beheld the fertile hills and valleys beyond, each greatly desired to make a home there for liimself and his family. John Van Mater, a Dutch trader, who had his head- quarters with the Delaware Indians, in Pennsylvania, traveled towards the south in 1725 to trade with the Indian tribes on the Potomac. When he returned to New York he gave a very glowing account of the land visited and advised emigration to the South Branch. This led to the Tan Mater patent of forty thousand acres of land received from Governor Gooch by his sons, Isaac and John. A portion of this grant was in Jefferson and Berkeley counties. The first white settler within the present limits of West Virginia was Morgan Morgan, who, in 1727, built a log cabin on Mill creek, in what is now Berkeley county. He was a native of Wales. Later in life he became a. minister of the gospel and was appointed the first justice of the peace when civil government was instituted west of the mountains, in 1743. In 1728 some Germans from Pennsylvania crossed the Potomac at the "Old Pack-horse Ford", and estab- lished the village of New Mecklenberg. The name was afterwards changed to Shepherdstown, in honor of Thomas Shepherd. This is the oldest town in West Virginia. 46 MoccAsix Tracks The \'an Maters, in 1731, sold a part of their land,; wliieli bad been patented in 1730, to Joist Hite. Ini IVo'i tbe Joist Hite colony, consisting of sixteen fam- ilies, settled near Winchester, now Frederick county, Virginia. They came from York, Pennsylvania. While tbis colony was not within tbe state of AVest Virginia, it greatly influenced the settlement of tbe Eastern I'anliandle. Tbis western movement along tbe borders of Penn-i sylvania. Maryland, and Mrginia greatly incensed tbe Indians, who made incessant war upon the settlers. A commission was named by the three colonies to treat with tlie chiefs of the Six Xations. A treaty was signed in 1741: at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in which the region lying between the Alleghanies and the Ohio was ceded to the English. During the next decade many events transpired that bad a tendency to attract attention to the regions of the west. George Washington, a lad of sixteen, Avas employed l)y Lord Fairfax to survey that portion of his land lying between the Blue Pidge and the Alleghany monntains. • This work was done in 1747 and 1748, Heretofore the settlements bad been made in the 1 Potomac and Shenandoah valleys east of the great Alle- \ ghany range, but now this great barrier was to be crossed and settlements made beyond it. Between 1748 and 1751 three important companies, the Ohio Com- pany in 1748, tbe Loyal Company in 1749, the Green- brier Company in 1751, were formed and each received a large land grant in West Virginia. Many of tbe most illnstrions men in the Virginia colony were mem- bers of these companies. They were formed for the AND Other Imprixts. 47 purpose of speculation and to induce emigration to the country west of the Alleghanies. Tlie Ohio Com- pany was instrumental in preventing the French from getting possession of the Ohio valley. The first emigrants followed well defined Indian or buffalo trails across the mountains. These in many places were widened by them and logs and other ob- structions were removed. There were six well marked paths or trails followed by the settlers who crossed the Alleghany mountains. The most northerly of these was the Xemacolin trail, located by Colonel Thomas Cresap in 1750. It extended from Cumberland to /Pittsburgh.' 'Colondl Cresap employed an IndiaUi named Xemacolin to mark out the best route from Cumberland to the Ohio, hence the irame. Four years after, George Washington widened the path while leading an army which was >^ent against the French. The next year General Brad- dock im])roved the road and extended it to Braddock's Field. This road influenced the history of West Vir- ginia only indirectly. Tlie first trail south of Xemac- olin's in West Virginia was McCullough's. This path was followed by a trader by that name, who traveled it between Shenandoah and the Ohio. It extended from Moorefield on the South Branch across the Alleghanies, by the way of Mount Storm, into Maryland and con- tinued into Preston county, where it was known as the Eastern trail. From there it continued to the Ohio. General Washington followed that trail in his mem- orable journey to the Ohio, in 1784. The Horseshoe trail was about twenty miles south- west of the McCullous^h trail. It crossed the Cheat -18 Moccasin Tracks rivor ;U ;i phuv (.'ailed the **liorseslioo''. This path braiicluHl t'loiu the Mt'Cullough trail near where the Town of (Jonnan. in Grant county, is now located. 1 1 crossed the dividing ridge not far from the Fairfax stone. It crossed the Chi^at river, passed over Laurel hill to the X'alle.v river, two niik's below Philippi, and contiiuuHl to the Ohio. Thirty miles south of the Fairfax Stone was the Seneca trail, which was also called the Shawnee trail. This is the trail followed hy that tribe of Indians after the massacre of the whites at Fort Seybert nnder Kill- buck, in .1758. It led from the mouth of Seneca creek, in Pendleton county, across the AUeghanies to the Dry Fork of Cheat, and from thence to Tygarts valley, where the town of F]lkins now stands. It fol- lowed the Tygarts valley almost to its source, and then crossed over to the Little Kanawha, and on to the Ohio. The Pocahontas, or Dunmore trail, was thirty miles south of the Seneca. It crossed the Alleghanies to the headwaters of Greenbrier river. One branch led into Tiandolph county, and another one led to the Kanawha. The Greenbrier trail was south of the Pocahontas trail. It led from the Greenbrier river across the Alleghanies into Virginia. It was over these trails that the first white men entered the region west of the Alle- ghany mountains. The first settlers in Preston county entered that region by way of McCullough's trail; following the Horseshoe trail, they found homes in Tucker, Barbour, I^pshur, Lewis, and Harrison counties. Thomas Par- sons brouo-ht the first wacfon that crossed the Alio- AXD Other Imprints. 49 ghanies by way of this trail. Randolph eoimty was set- tled by people who came across the mountains by fol- lowing the Seneca trail. Soldiers in Dunmore's War of 1774:- followed that trail to their homes in Hamp- shire county and the Valley of YirgiDia. The Pocahontas trail was a thoroughfare for settlers entering Pocahontas county or for those who wished to enter the Kanawha valley. Xeither of the above men- tioned trails passed directly through Webster county, but the people, or their ancestors, who eventually found homes wit]] in its limits, traveled one of these Indian trails. The French, the great commercial and territorial rival of England, was attracted to the rich lands of the Ohio valley and at once recognized the importance of occupying the country and fortifying their positions before they were assailed by their English rivals. This occupancy of the Tipper Ohio valley by the French threatened to dispossess the English of the fairest por- tion of Xorth America. The English prepared for war, and sent an army to America under General Edward Braddock. He, accompanied by Colonel George Wash- ington and the Virginia troops, marched against the French forces stationed at Fort Duquesne by way of the eastern portion of West Virginia. His utter defeat on the Monongahela, ten miles south of the fort, left the frontier unprotected from Indian ravages and violence. Instigated by the French, the savages waged a relent- less war, and hundreds of the settlers were either killed or carried away into captivity. Many forts were built along the frontier and whole settlements sought protec- tion and safety within their friendly walls. The French 50 MOCCASIX T HACKS and Indian war closed by treaty in 1763, but tlie In- dians, under Pontiac, a powerful Ottawa chieftain, continued on the warpath for more than a year. General iiouquet, in 17GJ:, led a large force of Penn- sylvanians and Virginians against the Indians and de- feated them in a bloody battle at Brushy run, Pennsyl- vania, and with an army of fifteen hundred men marched beyond the Ohio and made a treaty with the Indians. By this time the tide of emigration had almost reached central West \'irginia. The first attempt to settle the upper Monongahela valley was made in 1754. David Tygart, in company with a man named Files, built cabins in the vicinit}' of Beverly, in Eandolph CiOunty. They found it very difficult to procure provis- ions for their families and they decided to move east- w^ard. Before this decision could be carried into effect the Files family was attacked by Indians and all were killed, except one small boy, who was some distance from the house when the attack was made. He hastily warned the Tygart family, all of whom were saved by flight. The Echarly brothers, in 1756, settled on Cheat river in what is now Preston county. Thomas Echarly was a physician of German ancestry from Pennsyl- vania. These three brothers reared their cabins on Dunkard bottom, not far from Kingwood. After a resi- dence of about two and a half years, the doctor went ca^^t for a su|)ply of salt and ammunition, which lie obtnined in the Shenandoah valley. On his return to Cheat he sto})ped at Fort Pleasant on the South Branch. When he told about his residence in the far west he was AND Other Impeints. 51 not believed. He was thought to be a spy in the service of the French. A guard was sent with him, and when the cabins were reached his two brothers were found murdered and scalped by the Indians. Thomas Decker and others began a settlement at the mouth of Decker's creek, a tributary of the Mononga- hela, in 1756. One winter wa,s spent there, but, on the coming of spring, the settlement was attacked by the Indians and nearly all the settlers were murdered. In 1761 William Childers, John Lindsey, John Prin- gle, and Samuel Pringle left Fort Pitt and ascending the Monongahela river passed over to the Youghiogheny. They spent the winter on that river and in the spring the Pringle brothers separated from the others, and journeying eastward reached the Looney creek settle- ment in Grant county. This was then the most west- ern settlement in northwestern Virginia. They spent some time in the glades of Preston county, where they were employed as hunters in 1764 by John Simpson, a trapper from the South Branch of the Potomac. A misunderstanding arose among them and a separation took place on Cheat river. Simpson, after crossing the mountains to Tygarts A'alley river, passed on to another stream which he named Simpson's creek. Further on he found a small tributary of the Monongahela, which he named Elk creek, at the mouth of which he built a house in 1764. This was the first cabin erected on the present site of Clarksburg. The Pringles reached the Cheat and ascended it to the mouth of the Buckhannon river. They proceeded up that stream to the mouth of Turkey run, three miles 52 Moccasin Tracks below the town of Biickhannon, in Upshur county. Here they lived in a large hollow sycamore tree from 1764 to 1767. John then left his brother and went to the South Branch for ammunition. On his return he told his brother that the French and Indian war had closed nearly five years before. Both then returned to the South Branch and brought a number of settlers to the vicinity of Buckhannon. The settlement of the Greenbrier valley had a greater influence on the pioneer history of Webster county than any other settlement in West Virginia. The Greenbrier river was the gateway to the Kanawha valley. The path followed by the traders on their way to the Ohio passed through that county and for that reason the Greenbrier valley was very w^ell known to the whites at a very early date. The Greenbrier Company employed John Lewis to survey their lands in that region in 1749. The land was very fertile and settlers soon followed the surveying party. During the French and Indian war the Indians attacked the settlement and killed many. Those who escaped crossed the moun- tains. It is thought that no settlers were found in that region in 1758. The first white settlers to reach the upper part of the valley were Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell, who settled at Martin's Bottom, now the seat of justice of Pocahontas county, in 1749. Sewell, moving farther west, was killed by the Indians. A settlement made in Greenbrier county in 1761 was utterly destroyed by the Indians in 1763. In 1769 a number of families again settled in Greenbrier county. John Stewart, who became a noted soldier and Indian AND Other Imprints. 53 fighter, came with these colonists, being but nineteen years old. From this time settlers moved in very rapidly and Donnally's fort, erected ten miles northwest of Lewisburg, became a refuge for the people during Indian incursions. Ebenezer Zane, together with his two brothers, Jona- than and Silas, settled on the Ohio, at Wheeling, in 1773. Leonard Morris, in 1749, became the first permanent settler in the Great Kanawha valley. He settled near where Brownstown, (now Marmet), in Kanawha county, is now located. Virginians who fought in the great F]*ench and In- dian war were given lands in the Ohio and Kanawha valleys. Many noted men, including George Washing- ton, located lands in these rich valleys. The land on which the city of Charleston is now located was granted to Col. Thomas Bullitt, in 1773, for services rendered in the above mentioned war. This land was afterw,ard transferred to his brother, Cuthbert, who sold it to George Clendenin in 1787. The next year George Clen- denin moved to the mouth of Elk. He M^as accom- panied by his father, Charles, his brothers, William, Eobert and Alexander. They erected a block house, which -afterwards served the purpose of court house and jail. The block house was later called Fort Lee and when, in 1794, the forty acres of land owned by George Clendenin was laid off in city lots, the town was called Charleston, in honor of the father of the founder. The battle of Point Pleasant, fought in 1774, between the Virginians and various Indian tribes, in which the latter were defeated, further opened up the Trans- Alleghany region for settlement, but immunity from 5-1: MoccAsix Tracks savage barbarity was not secured until after A\'ayne's great victory over the Indians at the battle of Fallen Timbers, in 1795. The population of the territory now embraced in what is now West Virginia was, at that time, about sixty thousand, which was but little in excess of the number of people living in Kanawha county according to the census of 1910. This was about six times the population of Webster county, as ascertained l)y the same census. A large majority of these people were native born and thoroughly American in manners and customs. When the tide of migration had reached the Kanawha and Ohio rivers, an eastern movement began. The trails follow^ed by the pioneers in their westward move- ment led either north or south of Nicholas, Clay and Webster counties. It was on this eastward migration that many settlers found homes in the above named counties. IV. GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF WEBSTER COUNTY. Webster county lies southeast of the central part of West Virginia, among the spurs of the Alleghany mountains. WeUster Springs^ the seat of justice, situ- ated near the center of the county, is thirty-eight de- grees and fifteen minutes north latitude and three de- grees and fifteen minutes longitude west from Wash- ington. It is bounded on the north by the counties of Braxton, Lewis and Upshur; on the east by Eandolph and Pocahontas ; on the south by Greenbrier and Nicholas, and on the west by Nicholas and Braxton. The area of Webster is four hundred and fifty square miles, which is almost the exact average of the fifty- five counties of West Virginia. It is ten square miles less in extent than Monroe ; ten more than either Wayne or Wetzel and twenty more than Lincoln. The surface is broken and uneven ; the smoothest parts being found in the Glades surrounding Cowen and in the vicinity of Hacker Valley. The rivers flow in a westerly direction. Between the streams extend long , parallel ridges varying in height from five hundred feet to two thousand feet above the river beds. The elevation above sea level varies from one thousand feet to four thousand three hundred feet. The Yew Pine mountains, among the head waters of the Gauiey, the Elk and the Williams rivers, are the highest points in the county. Point mountain, between the Elk and the Back Fork, is the next highest, and attains an elevation of four thousand feet. Other noted mountains of local prominence are Miller moun- 56 Moccasin Tracks tain, just north of Webster Springs; Hodam moun- tain, between Holley and Hodam creek, and Cranberry Eidge, between Williams and Cranberry rivers. The Little Kanawha and the Elk leave the county at a/n elevation of one thousand feet. The Gauley leaves at^an elevation of two thousand feet and the Cranberry crosses the southwestern part of the county two thou- sand two hundred feet above sea level. Following the boundary obliquely on the west from north to south the following streams would be crossed : Little Kanawha river, Left and Eight Forks of Holly river, the Elk river, Laurel creek, heads of Little and Big Birch rivers, Strouds creek, the Gauley river, and the Cranberry river. The principal tributaries of the Little Kanawha in the county are the Eight Fork and Buffalo run: those of the Back Fork of Holly are Laurel Fork, Hodam creek and Old Lick Eun ; those of the Eight Fork of Holly are Grassy creek, Desert Fork, and Laurel Fork. The chief tributaries of the Elk are Laurel creek, which rises in the vicinity of Cowen ; Back Fork, emptying its waters into the main river at Webster Springs, and Leatherwood and Bergoo creeks, flowing from the south. The Gauley river has its origin in the spruce and hemlock forests of Webster and Pocahontas counties. Its chief tributary is the Williams river, which affords more water where it empties into the Gauley than that strcjam itself. Its mouth is about six mile)? above Camden-on-Gauley. Other smaller streams flowing into tlie Gauley are Strouds creek and Big Ditch rini, com- ing from the north: the clear sparkling waters of A^TD Other Imprixts. 57 Turkey and Straight creeks unite with the Gauley from the south. The Cranberry, which empties into it in Nicholas county, flows through a portion of the south- western part of Webster. It will be seen from the foregoing enumeration of streams that Webster county is one among the best watered counties in West Virginia. All of the rivers are noted for the transparency of their water. They are swift-flowing and furnish excellent Avater power for turning machinery, but this power has never been utilized, except for saw and grist mill purposes. The Elk is the largest river and enters the county at Whit- taker Falls at an elevation of two thousand five hundred feet and traverses the county for a distance of fifty miles. It has a vertical fall in this distance of fifteen hundred feet, which is an average fall of thirty feet to the mile. The mountain sides bordering the streams are very precipitous and often high rocks project, making scen- ery of sublime beauty. The Webster county hills are greatly admired by hundreds of visitors who annually visit the county for the purpose of regaining strength and vigor or for pleasure and recreation. The western portion, locally known as '^^Glades", is a plateau-like region and is not so mountainous as other parts of the county. The climate is genial, salubrious, and bracing. On the higher elevations deep snows fall from November to April and a less amount falls on the hills and in the valleys. A record of the snowfall kept by Bowers Eose ia,t his residence near Bolair for the winter of 1910 and 1911 indicated a fall of seven feet. This 58 MoccAsix Tracks record was kept at an elevation of two thousand six hundred feet. Where the altitude is four thousand feet the amount of snowfall would have been about twelve feet. The winter above mentioned was an aver- age one of snowfall. The heat of summer is tempered by the cool moun- tain breezes and spring and summer are ideal seasons. The annual rainfall is somewhat above the average for West Virginia, which is forty-four inches. Doliver Hamrick, of AYebster Springs, kept a record of the rain- fall at that place for seven years, Avhich showed the following results: 1904, forty-eight and seventy-three hundredths inches; 1905, fifty-one and sixty hundredths inches; 1906, forty-seven and twenty-six hundredths inches; 1907, fifty-nine and twenty hundredths inches; 1908, forty-six and thirty-three hundredths inches; 1909, forty- five and fifty-seven hundredths inches; 1910, sixty and seventy hundredths inches. Average for the seven years, fifty-one and thirty-four hundredths inches. It will be seen that the greatest rainfall oc- curred in 1910, with sixty and seventy hundredths inches, and the least in 1908, with forty-five and fifty- seven hundredths inches. Reckoning by months the following was the result in inches for the year 1909 : January, three and forty- six hundredths; February, two and thirty-two hun- dredths; March, four; April, seven and fifty-five hun- dredths ; May, three and eighty hundredths ; June, nine and fifteen hundredths; July, two and thirty- three hundredths; August, one and seventy-five hun- dredths ; September, three and sixty-five hundredths ; October, one and seventy-nine hundredths; November, AXD Other Imprints. 59 two and Hfty liuiidredths ; December, three and twenty- seven hundredths. For the year 1910, January, three and forty-six hundredths; February, two and seventy-two hun- dredths; March, one and eight hundredths; April, five and fifty hundredths; May, five and seventy-three hun- dredths; June, eight and fifty-eight hundredths; July, four and sixty-two hundredths; iVugust, two and eighty-seven hundredths; September, five and sixty- seven hundredths; October, four and ninety-two hun- dredths; November, seven and thirty-five hundredths, December, eight and twenty hundredths. For these two years the least fall was in November of 1910, with only one and eight hundredths inches, and the greatest in June of 1909, with a precipitation of nine and fifteen hundredths inches. Protracted droughts are not of frequent occurrence, there being a sufficient rainfall for maturing all kinds of farm crops. Webster county is situated in the Transition life zone. This zone embraces most of the climatic condi- tions and products of the New England states. It is bounded on the north by the Canadian zone. This county has the characteristic types of animal and vege- table life of both of these zones. Of the Carolina types the sassafras, the poplar, and the pawpaw are typical trees; the opossum, the raccoon, the Virginia red bird, Carolina wren, and the tufted titmouse are animal types. The Canadian zone is represented by the hemlocks and birches, which are found in abund- ance throughout the county. Its animal life is repre- sented by the bay lynx, the red squirrel, and the white 60 MoccAsix Tracks rabbit. The Transition life zone extends north and east through Upshur, Barbour and Preston counties. The characteristic crops of this zone are apples, plums, cherries, potatoes, barley, oats, and buckwheat. The glade portion of the county is peculiarly adapted to the growing of cranberries. No soil better adapted to truck farming can be found than in the river valleys of Webster countv. Number V. Webster county is rich in historical materials, yet she has given to the world no son who has had the time or the inclination to weave them into historical narration. The moccasin tracks of the old pioneers have long since been obliterated by the march of modern civiliza- tion. Pioneer history never repeats itself. !ln this country it ceased with the subjugation of the hostile Indians, the partial clearing of the forests, and the introduction of modern methods in house construction. It ceased when men and women began to put aside their home-spun clothes and buy their wearing apparel made to order. What real tragedies and comedies could be written from the experiences of the first settlers who moved into the Elk and the Gauley valleys. They left their homes and their friends in the east and followed the course of the setting sun, braving the fury of the Indians and the many privations and hardships incident to pioneer life. They have left us a rich heritage, al- though their life was one of hardship and privation. They obtained their living chiefly from the forest and the stream. Game of all kinds w^as plentiful and the streams literally swarmed with fish. They obtained sugar and syrup from the sap of the maple. The spinning wheel and the loom occupied a prominent place in e^evy cabin. The women manufactured cloth from wool and flax. This was made into clothing by hand, sewed with flax thread of their own manufac- ture. The girls wore linsey-woolsey or tow linen dresses, colored with bark obtained from the trees of 62 MoccAsix Tracks the forest. These dresses were not cut according to the latest fashion plates depicted in the Delineator. The moccasin was made from tanned deer skins and was worn bj men, women and children. It was an excellent covering for the foot in dry weather. It, being soft and noiseless, was especially adapted to the foot of the hunter. The first white settlers in America learned how to make the moccasin from the Indians. The men wore leather breeches and a woolen hunting shirt. Their caps were made from the skins of the raccoon and the bay lynx, commonly called wild cat. The young men as late as 18J:0 were married in liome- made linen suits and deer skin moccasins. * * * Colonel Isaac Gregory settled on the Gauley just above the mouth of Beaver run in 1800. On the hill overlook- ing the Gauley, he erected a two-story log house of hewed timl)er thirty by thirty-six feet, with a cellar underneath, walled with cut stone. A large crowd of people came from Greenbrier, Bath, and Alleghany counties to "the hanging of the crane". The first meeting of Free Masons in C^entral West Virginia was held in the house at that time. After the meeting the women and children were invited in and all joined in a regular "Old Virginia hoe-down". To the music of' two violins playing such lively tunes as "Leather Breeches" and "Flat Foot in the Ashes" they danced until daylight. The Colonel becoming dissatisfied with his location, moved to Elk river, five miles above Web- ster Springs. He raised a company of soldiers and went to ^^orfolk to fio-ht the British in 1813. He reared AXD Other Imprixts. 63 a large family of children, whose descendants still live in the community where he settled more than a century ago. By numerous intermarriages nearly one-half of the people of the county forty years ago could count blood-relationship with this grand old pioneer. William Hamrick, a son-in-law of Colonel Gregory, lived on Elk near the mouth of Mill run. He was a noted hunter and always kept a well-trained pack of bear dogs, and it was very seldom that bruin could elude their pursuit. He often killed one hundred deer and fifty bear in one year. The skins were taken to New Market, beyond the Alleghany mountains, and sold. This was the nearest market until a trading post was later established at Lewisburg. * * '^ William Dodrill settled on Birch river, near Boggs, in 17i)9. He came from Greenbrier county and was a tailor by trade. He made buckskin clothing of a very superior quality. The coats and vests were lined with silk or satin, trimmed with gold lace, and stitched with ])right colored silk thread. The breeches had a very fancy silk fringe placed along the outer seam of the legs. These suits were sent east and were worn by military men, gentlemen of leisure. Judges, county offi- cers, and sometimes by Virginia state officials. * * ♦ The last elk seen in Webster county was killed in the Gauley river above the mouth of Straight creek, more than one hundred years ago. A man by the name of Cottle, who lived at Cottle Glade, in Nicholas county, vras returning from a trip to Greenl)rier county by the way of the Elk river. At the Che-tnut Bottom ford. 64 MoccAsix Teacks some distance above the mouth of Bergoo, he saw a large elk. He immediately returned to the nearest settlement for men, dogs, guns, and pack-horses. The trail was followed across- the headwaters of Bergoo and Leatherwood to a place on Sign-Board ridge, near where John E. Baughman now lives. The afternoon being far spent, the leashes were slipped from the dogs, and they started in eager pursuit, bringing their quarry to bay in the Gauley. The hunters followed as fast as the rough nature of the country would permit. When they arrived at the river their flint-lock rifles would not fire. They had been loaded and primed in the morning and had been carried in the rain all day. Cottle, who always carried a hatchet in his belt, waded into the water to his armpits, and seizing the elk by one horn, chopped with such good will that the huge animal was soon despatched and dragged to the ]>ank, where those engaged in the chase held a regular Indian war dance around the fallen monarch of the forest. The next day they had a sylvan barbecue. One of the hunters became deathly sick from eating too much marrow, but his life was saved after an application of the most severe remedies known in backwoods medical practice. In after years, when Cottle spoke of his ex- citing and dangerous adventure, he always remarked, *^'By the living Lord, I hewed him down". Buffaloes were probably the first distinguished vis- itors to the now famous Webster Springs. They came here in vast herds to drink of the saline water of the "Fork Lick." This lick, or spring, is just below the steel bridge that crosses the Elk. At the time in which AND Other Imprints. 05 the buffaloes visited the lick, the entire river flowed over by the '^Golden Shore" and the lick was in the bottom instead of in the bed of the river, as it is now. The buffaloes sometimes traveled almost a hundred miles to drink the water, making deep roads called "buffalo traces'^ by the first settlers. The space of more than a century of time has not entirely obliterated these roads in the clay soil and shale on the sides of the Elk moun- tains. AVhen the settlers found out the character of the water of the lick^ they boiled it in iron kettles and made a very inferior quality of salt, there being con- siderable quantities of iron and sulphur in the water. These salt-makers fomid scores of buffaloes quietly ruminating in the shade of the trees surrounding the lick. Their meetings were not always peaceable ones. Battles royal often occurred between the leaders of herds from different localities. They would remain in the vicinity of the lick for two or three d.ays before returning to the rich pasturage from whence they came. The last buffalo seen in Webster was kilh:!',! by Colonel Isaac Gregory between the Back Fork and the Elk just before the war of 1813. The place where he was killed has since been called Buffalo Bull Knob, in commemoration of the event. Immense numbers of elk and deer also frequented the lick. The liospitality of the early settlers was unbounded. Strangers were always welcome, as well as friends and relations. They were pressed to remain for days and w^ere feasted on hoecake, venison, bear meat, maple syrup, hominy, and honey. They were naturally of a ?ocial disposition. Log rollings and house raisings were- social events of no little consequence, and a wedding- 6{) MoccAsix Tracks bi ought together the people for miles •around. Every family received an invitation. After each of these funelions the young people, and many of the older ones ^ilso, danced all night in moccasins on a puncheon floor, Jn the later years, when they had an opportunity to hear the gospel preached, they became deeply imbued witli a religious feeling, and the Methodist circuit rider recei\'ed a royal welcome in every home. :l: >;,- * The days of the old pioneer have passed away. The moccasin tracks are gone. The first settlers who dared the dangers of frontier life in the unbroken wilderness of the Elk, the Gauley, and the Holly have crossed the great divide. Their achievements are only traditional history. Xo historian was present to record their actions in the subjugation of the wilderness. No Withers, Doddridge, or Kerchival has chronicled their ^.]ee(\f^ in burning words of perpetuity. Their deeds are living monuments in the memory of the older per- sons of the pi'esent generation. The younger members of the present generation know nothing of what the pioneers did or accomplished except what they have been told by the children of the actors in the great drama of the subjugation of the wild. T-he buffalo, the deer, and the elk, no longer visit the "Fork Lick.'' The dusky Indian no longer glides noise- lessly through the forest, nor does his blood-curdling war-whoop frighten the women and children. Their de- generate offspring has been removed to the far west, where they have long since discarded the dec^rskin moccasin, the tomahawk, and the scalping knife. Tn their uew home they are learning the vices as well as the virtues of their ]iale-faced conquerors. Number VI. There has been much discussion as to Avho first dis- covered the Fork Lick. Many persons have been given this honor, but no positive proof has been adduced to sustain any of these claims. The notes of a surveyor recently discovered in the A'irginia Land Office bearing- date of August 30, 1785, conclusively proves the name of the man who made the discovery. The survey was for a tract of two hundred and sixteen acres of land situated on the main fork of the Elk river, in Harrison county, granted to Samuel Hanaway and Joseph Friend, and was to include "the Fork Lick discovered by Abram Meirs''. The time of the discovery is left to- conjecture, but it was not long before the date given al)ove, as an entry would soon follow such a valuable find, even in this country one hundred and thirty years ago. One of the most noted lines made by a surveyor in West Virginia is what is known as the Greenbrier- Harrison county line surveyed by Thomas Douglas in 17(So. It extended from the top of the Alleghany mountains at the corner of Botetourt county to the Oliio river at the mouth of Pond creek. The general direction of the line is north fifty-five degrees west. 'I'lie surveyor made a corner at the end of each mile. 1 n after years a large number of surveys began at these corners and no land lawyer is thought to be well equipped unless he is well versed in these surveys. All territory in Western Virginia north of this line not embraced in any organized county was Harrison and 68 Moccasin Tracks south was to remain Greenbrier as organized in 1777. This line entered Webster near the forks of the Wil- liams, passing through Upper Glade and leaves the county on the divide between Skyles and Laurel creeks. The many difficulties, encountered by the men who established this line cannot easily be imagined. The Indians were hostile; deep, swift rivers had to be crossed; high mountains offered many obstacles; pack horses could not be used to advantage, and the food and camp fixtures had to be carried by the men. Game and fish were plentiful and could be had in any quan- tities, but the luxuries of life were few. Plates were made from large chips and could be duplicated at any camping place. The only knife used was the hunting knife carried by every man who went into the woods. * ♦ * Many deeds of heroism could be related of the early settlers of this country. While wild animals were neither so large nor ferocious as those of more tropical countries, yet a hand to hand encounter with a wounded bear or a seven-pronged buck w^as no easy victory for the hunter. Panthers, or mountain lions, as they are called in the A¥est, were quite numerous, but they would not attack a man unless they were mortally wounded Or in defense of their young. They fed almost ex- clusively upon venison, and a full grown panther would kill, on an average, fifty deer annually. The largest buck fell an easy prey to this rapacious animal. The panther lay in wait near a lick or deer path and- sprang unawares upon his victim, burying his formidable claws deep in the flesh. The jugular vein or the tendons of the neck were severed with the teeth. The only way AND Other Imprints. 69 in which the deer could free himself before this could be done, was to run under some projecting tree or log and drag the panther from his back. This but seldom occurred. , ♦ * ♦ William Barnett, a noted hunter, who lived on Birch river, had many encounters with bears. Among the many which I have heard him relate is the following: In the days before the Civil War many bears could be found on Skyles creek or Poplar run. Mr. Barnett, early one morning in the month of November, started on his usual bear hunt, but he did not tell his wife the direction in which he intended to go. It was a fine day for a hunt and with a light, springy step, he hastened to his favorite hunting grounds on the head of Poplar which was about five miles from his home. His faithful dog, his companion on all his hunts, a small but sagacious animal, followed close at his master's heels. The hunter perhaps thought of the many fine trophies he had secured in those w^oods, but he little imagined that this was to be the most adven- turous day in his hunting career of more than a quarter of a century. Late in the evening, as the shadows be- gan to creep over the landscape, the dog returned home with a bloody cloth tied around his neck. Mrs. Barnett with quaking heart hastily informed her neighbors, who at once entered the trackless forest in search of the missing hunter. Mr. Barnett had shot a very large bear and after reloading his gun, went up to where he was lying. Be- fore the hunter realized the danger, bruin seized him in his strong embrace and hunter and bear rolled down 70 Moccasin Tracks the hill against a log, where they were soon engaged in a life and death struggle. Unsheathing a large knife the gallant hunter struck again and again at the bear, but on account of his position, he could n^t reach a vital place. He struck the bear over the head until the brain was penetrated, and the decayed log breaking at this time the bear rolled down the hill, and not having sufficient strength to climb the ascent, soon expired while trying to reach the hunter. In the fight Barnett cut a large gash in his thigh, severing the muscles to the bone. He was completely disal)led. With his hands a mass of wounds, he bound up the cut with strips of cloth torn from his shirt. He tied a bloody cloth around the neck of his dog, that had done everything he could to assist his master in the fight, and after re- peated whippings, he started off in the direction of home. The luinter then crawled to the bear and took out the entrails. He built a fire, using flint, steel and tinder for the purpose. He was not found until about three o'clock the next morning. He had called for help until he bad become so hoarse that he could call no longer. He attracted the attention of his rescuers by waving a firebrand. He was almost frozen and the great loss of blood had made him almost delirious from thirst. The man who found him carried him water in his boot. He often said that this was the most delicious water he ever drank. He was carried home on a litter, and after lying in bed for many weeks, he recovered, but he was always somewhat lame afterwards. Many a bear in after years fell before his unerring aim, or felt the keen point of his hunting knife. William Barnett, the hunter, was a man among men. AND Other Imprints. 71 The world was made better because of his having lived in it. He was an exemplary citizen and merited the respect of all who knew him. He had a rich fund of anecdotes of the chase which being told in his droll, humorous way, made him a prime favorite with the boys. He was a gunsmith and a Barnett rifle was highly prized by all sportsmen. The name was a guar- antee for honest workmanship. He died full of years, honored and respected by all of his neighbors. George MoUohan and Joshua Stephenson were dev- otees of the chase when the great portion of Web- ster and Braxton counties were a part of jSTicholas. Mast very seldom failed and game of all kinds was ]:)lentiful and in prime condition. Tliese two men were brothers-in-law and spent much of their time together in the woods. MoUolum was a man devoid of fear. When lie was a young man, he attacked a full-grown bear Avith a "seng'' lioe and would have killed him had he not step]ied on a slick pole and his moccasins being wet, lie slipped and fell. The liear taking advantage of this mishap, made good his escape. On another occasion he found a yearling bear in a persimmon tree. Climbing the tree, he caught tlie bear and after choking it into insensilu'litv, be tied its montli with his suspenders and carried it home in triumph. Stephenson was not renowned for his bravery, })ut he wa- a very good hunter. These two men in the month of Xovember went to the bead of Little Birch to hunt. They- had not hnnted very long until a large he bear was wounded. They thought they would make him furnish his own transportation up a very steep moun- 72 MoccAsix Tracks tain. B}^ throwing stones and barking like a dog^ they drove him before them. When he showed fight, they let him rest for a while. In this way they reached the top of the mountain. Their surprise and chagrin can scarcely be imagined when the bear suddenly vanished from their sight as if hy magic. On investigation it was found that the bear had entered a cave, or den, where bears had been in the hahit of hibernating dur- ing the winter. Mollohan at once began preparation to follow^ bruin into the subterranean cavern. He made a pine torch and told Stephenson to shoot the bear when he drove him out. There was a short turn about twenty- five feet from the entrance to the cave and in turning the angle the hunter was greeted with an angry growl. Before he could shoot, the bear was upon him, and the torch was extinguished. There was not sufficient room for the bear to pass, and before Mollohan could reach tlie outer world, he was almost killed. There was scarcely a square inch of sound skin on his entire body. The flow of blood down his forehead almost blinded him. His clothing was torn to shreds. When Stephenson heard the fight hegin, he became so frightened that he ran some distance and climbed a tall tree. It is needless to say that the bear made his escape. Mollohan was carried home by sympathizing neighbors and lay in bed for a year. He went into the cave the following autumn and got his hunting- rifle. Tie afterwards moved to Braxton county and cleared a large farm, becoming one of the best farmers in the communitv in which ho lived. VII. THE HAMRICK FAMILY. Patrick Hamriek settled in the Maryland Colony in the days prior to the American Eevolution. He was the father of twelve sons, who moved with him and settled in Prince William county, Virginia. Some of these sons removed as far south as Georgia; some went to Kentucky. Benjamin and Joel settled in Greenbrier county, now West Virginia. Benjamin^married a Mc- Million'^and removed to Cherry Tree Bottom, where the town of Eichwood is located. From there he went to the Williams river, where he was informed of an intended Indian massacre. Hastily gathering together a few household articles and taking his family, iie fled to Donnally's fort, situate in Greenbrier county, ten miles northeast of Lewisburg. One of his children, a boy only a week old, was carried by one of the men in the back of his hunting shirt one entire day without sustenance. It was not known whether the child was living or dead until it was taken out at the fort late in the evening. It soon revived, but its collar bone had been broken. After the Indian danger had passed, he moved to the mouth of Big Birch and began an improvement at -a place called Big Elk. He was the father of four sons, William, Benjamin, '^David and Peter. The last named remained in Braxton county, and the other three settled in the Elk valley above Webster Springs. William and Benjamin married Jane and Nancy, daughters of Colonel Is'aac Gregory, and David married a Miller. William, the hunter, had four sons, Isaac, Adam, Benjamin and William G. The last named was. 7-1: Moccasin Tracks one of the valiant sons of Webster county, who responded to Lincoln's call for volunteers. He wa$ wounded at the battle of Winchester*, while acting as color-bearer, but he was with Grant at Appomattox and was the proud possessor of a heart-shaped piece of the apple tree under which tbe surrender was negotiated. The sons of Benjamin were Allen, Addison, A\'illiani, James" and Christopher. David's sons were James, Peter, John, David, Benjamin, George, Levi, and William. Interesting sketches could be written of each of these seventeen great grandsons of Patrick Hamrick. They lived active, industrious lives and left sons to perpet- uate their names. sj: Hs ^J: The three brothers above mentioned were the ancestors of the very numerous family of Hamricks now living in Webster county. It will be seen from the fore- going, that they are of prolific stock and the meeting so many stalwart Hamricks between Webster Springs and Whittaker Falls need not create surprise. This is by far the most numerous family in the county, tliere l)eing about four hundred representatives in Fork Lick district. The descendants of P'atrick Hamrick can be found in nearly every state west of the Alleghanies and in almost every county of West Virginia. The name is spelled in various ways in different localities. "Hamrick," "Hamric," and "Hambrick," are the three ffuins most generally used. 5lS Hi * James Dyer, Senior, c'ame from Pendleton county about 1810, and located above Fork Lick. His son James married a Sawyers and settled on the Gauley, AXD Other Impeints. 75 where he built a commodious house on a hill over- looking the river, at the mouth of Beaver run. He brought the lirst wagon to what is now Webster county, in 1837, from Alleghauy county, Virginia. He was the first Superintendent of Free Schools of Webster county, and made a most excellent official. John E. Dyer, now (1915) Clerk of the Circuit Court, is a great- grandson of James Dyer, Senior, the pioneer. His grandsons, Harvey, George, and Cyrus, are prominent citizens of Webster county. ♦ ♦ ♦ John E. Cogar came from Braxton county in 1842. He was a son of Jacob Cogar, who was a member of the company of soldiers, that went to Xorfolk in 1813 to fight the British. He was one of the last survivors of the Second AYar of Independence, having lived to the extreme age of one hundred and four years. Jolin E. married Mary Gregory and settled on the divide be- tween the Elk and the Gauley, in his twenty-first year. He cleared 'a, large farm, which he kept in a fine state of cultivation. As an orchardist he was unsurpassed and his apples would have brought a fancy price in any market. He was one of the hest bee hunters in the county, and after he had passed the allotted three score and ten, he still went into the woods in search of wild bees. He was also very successful in the pursuit of bears, deer and panthers. He killed a greater number of the last named animal than any other of the pioneer hunters. He was the father of a large number of hoys, wiio still live in the county ivhich their father helped to establish. 76 MoccAsix Tracks David Baughman settled on the Gauley one mile above Turkey creek in the latter part of the thirties. He was a farmer, a cooper, a millwright, a carpenter, and a blacksmith. He possessed real mechanical talents, and had he received a technical education, he would have become a master workman. He was very peculiar in many ways but his honesty and his veracity were never questioned. He, too, was an orchardist and his fine orchard still standins^ is a monument to his in- dristry and perseverance. When he first moved to the Gauley brook trout were very plentiful and could be caught in large numbers. In the spring, they would congregate below his mill dam in large schools, wait- ing for a tide to enable them to pass up stream. Some large trout may yet be caught at the Baughman mill. Number VIII. My readers are invited to accompany me on an imaginary trip from Skyles creek, the western limit of Webster county, to Mill run, five miles above Webster Springs, in the autumn of 1849. The distance is thirty- six miles and can be traveled in one day, if an early start be made, and the entire trip will be in Nicholas county, formed in 1818. Each one of the party must be accustomed to horse-back riding, as the roads are not suitable for carriages of any kind. The 1-oad is very narrow and it will be necessary for us to ride "Indian file." While there are no deep ruts in the road made by wagons, see that your saddle girths are well cinched, because some of the hills over which the road is made, are very rough and steep. Christopher Baughman, a man of German ancestry, lives near the starting place. He has lived here for several years and has cleared a small farm. His son John, who married Susan Dyer but recently, lives a mile above on the south bank of Birch river. He is the owaier of a small grist mill and has just begun cutting down the timber for the purpose of farming, but by in- dustry he will soon have a, good farm. One mile above lives William Barnett, the noted hunter, who recently came from over in Braxton county. We will not call at his home for it is most likely that he is in the woods in pursuit of game, for it is in the midst of the hunting season. When passing this way again, we will stop and par- take of his bear meat and venison which his wife Charlotte knows so well how to cook. Above here 78 • MoccAsix Tracks lives Henry Cutlip^ who came from Greenbrier county. These are the only persons living on Birch river at the time of our trip. We pass through the Welch Glatle country but find no one living there, but in that part of the county is destined to be located one of the busiest and most prosperous little towns in Webster. Austin Hollister, a typical Connecticut Yankee, lives three miles above Welch Glade. He married Margaret Given and selected a very pretty location for his home on a small eminence. He is a farmer and his sur- loundings show the true Xew England thrift. 8amuel Given lives at Upper Glade and his son. John lives in the same vicinity. Mr. Given moved from Batli county, Virginia. He served as county clerk of Nicholas county for seven years. It is now noon and we will have dinner with this excellent family renowned for hospitality. Our host entertains us to the entire satisfaction of each member of the crowd. Venison, bear meat, buckwheat cakes, and some excellent wild honey are greatly relished after the fifteen mile ride in tlie bracing November air. Samson Sawyer lives at Sand run. He is one of the best farmers in Nicholas. His fields are well tilled and barn and granary are filled almost to bursting with the products of liis farm. There is a neat and substantial gate in the entrance of each field. Adonijah Harris lives at the top of the mountain at what is now known as the McGuire farm. He is a blacksmith and a fine mechanic. He is a class leader in the Methodist church and is respected and loved by all who know him. We have arrived at Fork Lick, but we find no visitors or health-seekers. But one familv. AND Other Imprints, 79 Mrs;. Polly Arthur and her children, live here. Her husband, who died just previous to our visit, was the first person buried at Webster Springs. Thomas Cogar lives above Mrs. Arthur's and William Given lives at the Given ford. These were two of the old time settlers, and each left a numerous family whose de- scendants still live in Webster county. Adam Gregory lives on the old Gregory farm. The evening is far spent, and in the gloaming we reach our destination. William Hamrick lives on the north side of the Elk nearly opposite the mouth of Mill run. He is one of the old pioneers, having settled here in 1812. He is a noted hunter and always keeps a pack of well trained bear dogs. He has a large fund of anecdotes of the chase with which he will entertain us after supper. He will also tell us the sad story of a Mrs. Smith, who was murdered by the Indians at Miller bottom a short distance from where he lives. She and a Mrs. Drennan and a little son had been captured by the Indians near wh.ere Ed ray, in Pocahontas county, is now located and was being taken beyond the Ohio by way of the trail that led j^ast the Fork Lick. Mrs. Smith was not able to keep u]) with the party and she was tomahawked and scalped, and her body thrown into the river. We have traveled all day, and we have seen but fourteen dwelling houses, and we have passed but few people on the road. Should we take this trip today, we would scarcely, if ever, be out of sight of a farm house. We would pass seven ])ost offices and two thriving towns, not to men- tion the numerous saw mills surrounded by dwelling houses. Teams of all kinds would be met hauling lum- l)er to the railroads or merchandise for the stores. A 80 Moccasin Tracks sanitarium with all the modern equipment is located at Cowen, while in 1849 there was not a physician in the vast territory embraced in Nicholas county. There were neither mail routes nor post offices, and if a news- paper by chance was obtained by any one, it was passed from hand to hand until its contents had been read by the entire neighborhood. There were not more than three schools taught within the present limits of Web- ster in 1849 and 1850. Today there are two high schools, and more than a hundred primary and graded schools, being taught, and every boy and girl has an equ-al opportunity to get an education. * * * The people of this county eighty years ago were very supersititious. They believed in witches, omens, spells, magic charms, and incantations. This is not at all sur- prising, when it is remembered that among the most enlightened people of Europe less than two hundred and fifty years ago witches were publicly burned at the stake. In Massachusetts the most cultured and devout persons believed in witch-craft as late as 1692. Even today many persons, after three centuries of education and enlightenment, believe in the old-time supersti- tions. In pioneer times, if a person was stricken with some malignant disease, the cause was at once traced to some one in the vicinity who exerted an evil in- fluence over him, but now some of the modern religious sects attribute the cause of all diseases to the works of the devil. "Witch balls'^ were often found. These were small balls made from the hair of a cow, or other short-haired animal, and could be neither made nor unraveled except AND Other Imprixts. 81 by a witch or someone in league with his Satanic Majesty. The fact is that these balls can be made by any one who has the patience to work long enongh. A gnest, who balanced a chair on one of its legs and rapidly revolved it, was regarded as an enemy of the family, and was at once ordered off the premises. The pioneers believed most implicitly in lucky and unlucky days. No good housewife could be per- suaded to begin the making of any article of dress on Saturday. The person for whom it was intended would never live to wear it when finished. It was thought to be a family misfortune for a child to be born on Friday, the thirteenth of any month. If the child lived, which was extremely doubtful, it would bring Fhame and disgrace to its parents. If a hoe was carried through /a dwelling house, a death in the family would soon occur, unless it was immediately carried back with the handle pointed towards sunrise. This reminds one of the devout Jew and the Mussulman who faced Jerusalem and Mecca when praying. The rising sun to the old pioneer indicated the homes beyond the mountains where kindred and friends dwelt. Sassafras wood was never burned in the fireplaces of many cabin homes. The person who did this invited certain destruction of his entire household either by fire or flood. Dogs were often laid under a spell by a witch or some other person of evil nature. This was evinced by their taking the "back" track in a chase or running in the opposite direction when called. When a dog was so afflicted the Lord's prayer was written on a jiiece of .bear skin, and after being baked in a corn pone, was fed to the dog. The roasted fore-foot of a 8,2 Moccasin Tracks raccoon en ten liy the do^ would start him on the right v\u\ of a trail. Cows were bewitched and gave bloody milk, Or hutter conld not be made from it. The remedy for these conditions was to steal the suspected witch's dish rag and massage the^ cow's udder with it nine times when the moon was full. When a profuse hemorrhage occurred from a deep cut or other wound^ a certain verse in the Bil)le was quoted to stop the flow^ of blood. This was thought to be a most excellent remedy for both man and beast. It was considered very unlucky for any one who started on a journey to return to the home for any purpose, and the hunter wlio counted his bullets returned empty-handed from the chase. Misfortune followed in the footvSteps of those who saw the siher crescent of the new luoon for the first time through the treetops. If was equally unluckv for one to see the new moon in looking over the left slioulder. It was considered a crime to allow a baby niuler a year old to see its reflection in a mirror. Tt was tliought that many a pioneer youngster was hurried into an untimely grave by this pernicious practice. In the olden time a prosperous farmer put six hogs in a ])eii. and he made preparations to butcher them the next day. When he went to the pen next morning. ho found them dead. The blood was splashed against the sides of the |)en, but a thorough examination showed the skin unlu'oken. This was thought to be the work of an eccentric old lady who was accused by her neigh- l)ors of being a witch. This was the current belief for years by the ]H^o]ile of the entire neighborhood. Tlu^ mystery was so1v(h1 by tho old lady's son, who upon his AND Other Imprixts. 83 death .bed confessed that his mother had hired him to kill the hogs with a heavy club. Two elderly pioneers were talking of witches. One of them said that he did not believe they could bewitch a person. The other one thought that it could be done, and mentioned an instance in which a gun had been "spelt. ^' "Oh, yes," said his companion, with fine scorn, "such a little frivolous thing as a gun can be brought under their control, but with a person it is quite dif- ferent. It can't be done.'' Guns were often spoiled for present use, by a rival hunter, or marksman, putting a small pellet of resin in the barrel. This prevented ac- curacy in shooting, but could be easily removed by a gunsmith. A horseshoe was often nailed on the doorstep, or hung just over the door to keep watches from entering the house. They then could not enter and live. Number IX. The Glade country attracted the settlers very early in pioneer days. ]n imany places there were open spaces covered with native grasses which afforded ex- cellent pasturage for stock. The land was not so heavily timbered as the Elk, the Gauley, the Holly and the AVilliams river valleys. Game was more plenti- ful in that region than in any locality, except in the vicinity of the Fork Lick. The oak forests supplied an abundance of food for fattening hogs. During the autumn and winter hundreds of deer fed upon the acorns. They came from long distances to that feed- ing ground. Along the bluffs of the Gauley and the Williams bears could be found in large numbers. The Indians, as late as 1772, hunted in that region, and one of their principal trails in central West Virginia passed through this hunter's paradise. Game continued to be plentiful until after the (Hvil War, and in 1868 two hunters killed more than two hundred deer. The majority of the early settlers in the Glades came from Greenbrier county, following the Indian and buf- falo trails ^across the mountains. The McClures, the Duefields, the Dillys, and the Greens were among the first settlers. Later came David Hanna, John Woods, the Eaders and the Mortons. Descendants of these families are numbered among the most progressive citi- zens of Webster and Nicholas counties. * * * Samuel Given sold his farm in Pocahontas county in 1835, and brought his wife and five children across the AND Other Imprints. 85 Yew mountains by way of the Williams river. He camped the first night at the mouth of Tea creek. The scream of the panther and the howl of the wolf made the night hideous, especially for the children. The journey was continued the next day by way of Straight creek and the Gauley. The second night was spent with John Miller, who had settled a few years before near the mouth of Miller Mill run. This night was spent in better cheer than the previous one. They had the best of backwoods fare, and the soft skins of wild animals made them excellent beds. Mr. Miller was a good hunter and especially success- ful in a bear chase, as he always kept a number of the very best dogs. He was a good farmer and he owned one bottom containing one hundred acres. He broke the ground with an old-fashioned, wooden mold-board turning plow, much used at that time. On the third day the Given family landed at the farm purchased of the McClures. This land had been patented in 1786 and lay south of the Harrison-Greenbrier county line. Upper Glade postofFice is located on a part of the Given farm. = Given was a man of great industry and soon had his farm in a fine state of cultivation. He became one of the largest individual land owners in Nicholas county, but his land was situated in what is now Web- ster county. At the beginning of the Civil War he went to Augusta, his native county, where he died and was buried near the Mossy Creek Church, in which he worshiped when a young man. He was the father of eight children, four boys and four girls, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. 86 MoccAsix Tracks Austin Hollister, of Washington, Connecticut, mar- ried Margaret, a daughter of Samuel Given. He first settled in Pocahontas county in 1840. While there he purchased the Price land, being a part of a thousand acre tract patented by Arbuckle in 1786. The old Hollister farm, between Cowen and Upper Glade, is a noted landmark of the county. By purchase and patent lie obtained thousands of acres of wild land. He was Chief Justice of Nicholas county for three years. He was survived ])y five sons, whose names, from the simi- larity of sound, when used in pairs, have often proved perplexing to strangers. His eldest son, Walter, held many positions of trust in the county of Webster, and was recognized as being a surveyor of marked ability. X. FORMATION AND ORGANIZATION OF WEBSTER COUNTY. The early settlers of the Elk valley were far removed from a seat of justice. It was forty or fifty miles to the county seat of Randolph county and almost as far to that of Braxton county. A great many citizens were practically disfranchised, as it was twenty-five miles to the nearest voting place. In 1841 a petition signed by Benjamin Hamrick, James Hamrick, William G. Greg- ory, William Hamrick, Isaac G. Dodrill, William F. Hamrick, Isaac Hamrick, and Joseph Gregory, was sent to the Virginia Assembly, praying for specified changes in the lines of Braxton and Randolph counties so as to make the petitioners subject to Nicholas county. While this change did not bring them in close proximity to a court house, it gave them a better road over which to travel and obviated the necessity of ford- ing the Elk so mam times, which was* very dangerous during a flood. The movement for the formation of a new county ^ out of parts of Nicholas, Braxton and Randolpli began iij 1848. In compliance with the law of Virginia, a notice was posted on tlie front door of the court house of the three counties concerned, stating the intention of tJie citizens to ask the General Assembly for the creation of a new county. Tliomas Miller took tlie notice to Braxton county and Adonijali Harris posted the notice in Nicholas. It is not known who posted tlie notice in Randolph, but an affidavit made by Christopher Hamrick stated that he saw the notice posted in October, 1848. Polls were opened at the various voting precincts in Braxton in the autumn of 88 MaccAsix Tracks 1851. The election returns of but one voting place in Nicholas is available at this time. This election was held at the home of Mrs. Mary Arthur at Fork Lick on December 8, 1851. There were nineteen votes polled and each voter cast his vote in favor of the new county. The following- is a list of the voters: Benjamin Ham- rick, John Lynch, Isaac Hamrick. Robert Gregory, Mathew Given, George Cogar, Peter L. Cogar, Archi- bald Cogar, Thomas Cogar, John C. Paign (Payne), Joel Dobbins, Levi C. Hall, Thomas M. Eenals (Reynolds), Adonijah Harris, William Given, Addison M. Hamrick, Robert E. Given, John C. Hall, and A. M. Whitman. John Lynch, Adonijah Harris and William Given acted as commissioners of election. Addison M. Hamrick, clerk, and A. M. Whitman, sheriff. This was the first election ever held in Webster Springs. In 185? a petition signed by John Lynch, Jr., and about two hundred others was presented to the General Assembly, but it was rejected. Another effort for a new county was made in 1859. A few interested men took the responsibility of arranging the preliminaries. Such men as Adam G. Lynch, Wilson Arthur and Richard A. Arthur led the movement. Adam G. Lynch, at his own expense, posted the proper notices in Nicholas, Braxton and Pocahontas counties. This was no small undertaking in that day. The following petition was presented to the General Assembly in De- cember, 1859 : "To the General Assembly of Virginia, Assembled: ''We, the citizens of parts of the counties of Ran- (lolpli. Nicholas and Braxton Liveino- from forty to AND Other Imprints. 89 fifty miles from our Court Houses having mountains and Eivers very difficult to contend with, we ask your Honorable body to Grant us a new county out of parts of the counties of Eandolph, Nicholas and Braxton and the Boundary to be as follows towit. Beginning at the forks of Little Kanawha thence a Straight line to the corner of Upshur Kandolph and Braxton Counties, thence a straight line to the turkey Bone Knob thence a straight line to the \Aniiitaker Eock on Elk Eiver thence a straight Line By the way of the three forks of Gauley Eiver to the Pocahontas line and withe said line to a point opposite the mouth of Stroud's Creek thence a straight line by the mouth of Stroud's Creek to the mouth of Skiles creek on Birch Eiver thence a straight line to the Halfway point on Holly Eiver, thence a straight line to the Beginning. The county seat of said new county to be at Fork Lick on Elk Eiver Between Elk Eiver and the Back fork of Elk. AVilson Arthur, Adam G. Lynch, Sr., John Lynch, Jr., John Lynch, Sr., Isaac G. Lynch, Eichard Arthur, Alfred E. Miller, Eobert P. Miller, George W. Payne, Wm. Cogar, John W. Arthur, Zackariah Woods, Cur- rence Gregory, Wm. P. King, John C. Payne, Thomas J. Miller, Addison M. Hamrick, John Phares, Christopher Shrader, Samuel Tharp, Jeremiah Brown, Cornelius G. Cool, Benjamin Cogar, L. B. Cool, Chris- tain B. Ware, John B. McCourt, Thos. Belknap, I. W. Cool, Elijah Skidmore, Thomas Cogar, John McGuire, H. C. Moore, C. Hamrick, Benj. Hamrick, John E. Cogar, G. W. Miller, M. W. Howell, A. Cogar, James M. Hamrick, A. C. Hamrick, F. S. Cline, F. M. Payne, 90 MoccAsix Tracks Adam Gregory, Joliii Graiinen, Tliomas J. Cogar, George Dodrill, — Sutliermore, Solomon Grigsby, Xathaiiiel Arters (Arthur), Thomas M. Arthurs, John C Cool, Silas Cogar, Wm. E. Arters (Arthur), George Lynch, John L. Arthurs, Wm. E. Lynch, Perry Greg- or}-, John Skidmore, Allen Hamrick, Marshall Ham- rick, James Pritt, Wesley Pritt, I. Y. Gregory, \V. G. Hamrick, Fielding McClung, D. M. McLaughlin, A. G. J. Burns, Daniel H. Perdue, Samuel C. Miller, A. ¥. Fisher, Andrew Woods, J. E. Hall, Tobias Size- more, Franklin Pritt, Walter Cool, William W. Clif- ton, James Salisbury, Wm. Given, Archibald Cogar. George Cogar, Peter Cogar, Tobias Cogar, Jesse Payne, Isaac Mynes, Adam G. Hamrick, Arthur M. Bickel, Samuel Brady, -John W. Arthur, C. M. Dodrill, Wm. T. M. Chapman, Adam G. Gregory, Benjamin Hamrick, Wm. Griffin, James Harris, Adonijah Harris, Taylor Suttdn. It will be seen by a careful examination of the peti- tion that the pioneers were somewhat short on orthog- raphy, capitalization and punctuation, but they knew what they wanted, and they took the proper steps to get it. Xo vote was taken in the counties interested in the formation in 1859, because consent had been given in the election of 1851. The following is Chapter 47 of the Acts of the Virginia General Assembly .of the session of 1859-60 : An Act for forming a Xew County out* of parts of Nicholas, Braxton and Pandolph. Passed January 10, 1860. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that so much of the counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Pan- AXD Other Imprints. 91 dolph as is coDtaiiied within the following boundary line, to-wit : Beginning- at the main forks of the Little Kanawha river, above Haymond's mills; thence north with the right hand fork of said river, being the original line of Lewis and Braxton eonnties, and now the line be- tween Upslmr and Braxton comities, at the head of said right hand fork of Kanawha ; thence a slraight line to the eastern corner of the lands of Abraham Buckliannon; thence a straight line to the .Whittaker rock on Elk river; thence a straight line, by the way of the Three forks of Gauley river, to the Pocahontas line, and with said line to a point opposite the month of Strond'^ creek, thence a straight line by the mouth of Stroud's creek, to the mouth of Skiles' creek on Big Birch river; thence a straight line to the half way point on Holly river; thence a straight line to the beginning — be and the same is hereby established as a new county ; which shall be known by the name of Webster. 2. The court house or seat of justice of said county of Webster shall be located on the farm of Addison McLaughlin at the Fork Lick on Elk river, between the said river and the Back fork of same ; which said seat of justice shall be known by the name of Addison. 3. The following persons, to-wit, Samuel Given, Thomas Cogar, William Given, and Thomas Reynolds shall be and are hereby appointed commissioners, a majority of whom may act, for the purpose of select- ing a site for a court honse, jail and other public Iniildings for said county of Webster, who are hereby required to meet at Fort Lick on the first day of March, 92 MoccAsix Tracks eighteen hundred and sixty, or within thirty days from and after that day, and within ten days after their meeting ascertain and determine at what point or place on the farm aforesaid in the said connty it is most suitable and proper to erect a court house and such other buildings and fixtures as the convenience of the county requires, under the existing laws, for holding courts *and conducting business incident thereto, and lay off, in the most convenient form, a lot or lots of land for that purpose, not exceeding in quantity two acres, and shall ascertain the value thereof; where- upon, the said commissioners, or a majority of them acting in this behalf, shall make their report in writ- ing to the county court of Webster county, when organ- ized, the manner in w^hich they have executed their duties required of them by this act, and their proceed- ings in relation thereto, designating the point or place agreed upon, the value of the lot or lots of land, and the name or names of the owners thereof ; and the place so ascertained and determined upon by said commis- sioners, or a majority of them, shall be deemed and taken as the permanent place for holding the court of Webster^ now required by law to be holden for the several counties of this commonwealth, and the court of the county of "Webster shall thereupon provide for the payment of the valuation of the lot or lots of land so ascertained, in the manner now required by law, where lands shall not be already provided and apportioned for that purpose. The commissioners aforesaid shall also lay off the said county of Webster into three magisterial districts, select points at which elections shall be holden in each AND Other Imprints. ' 93 district, and appoint a conductor and live commis- sioners (any three of whom may act) to superintend the elections to be holden for the said county of Web- ster, on the fourth Thursday of May next. 5. It shall be the duty of all persons residing within the limits of said county of Webster, who are now en- titled to vote for members of the general assembly, to attend at the respective election precincts so selected by the said commissioners, on the fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and sixty, and elect a sheriff, a clerk of the county court, a clerk of the circuit court, a commissioner of the revenue, surveyor and Common- wealth's attorney for the county of Webster; and the voters residing in each magisterial district shall elect for that district four justices of the peace, one con- stable, and one overseer of the poor. The election of justices of the peace shall be certified to the governor of the commonwealth by the several commissioners and conductors superintending and conducting said election^ who, after they shall be commissioned and qualified according to law, shall meet at the house of Thomas Cogar on the fourth Monday in the next month after that in which they shall be so commissioned, and a majority of them being present, shall fix upon a place in said county of Webster for holding the courts of said county until the necessary buildings shall be con- structed on the site designated by the commissioners. 6. The said justices shall, at the first term of the county court of said county, choose one of their own body, who shall be presiding justice of the County court, and whose duty it shall be to attend each term of said court. 9-i Moccasin Tracks 7. The commissioners and conductors of the elec- tions aforesaid shall certify to the said county court of Wehster, at its first term, or at some subsequent term, as soon as practicable, the election of the said clerks of the county and circuit courts, commonwealth's attorney, surveyor, and commissioner of the revenue, who shall, after giving bonds and security, and being qualified according to law, enter upon the discharge of the duties of their offices, respectively. S. Tlie voters of the said county shall also, on the fourtli Thursday in May next, vote for a judge of the judicial circuit to wliich the county of Webster belongs; and the commissioners and conductors of the elections aforesaid shall superintend and conduct the election for judge and deliver to the officers conducting the election at or nearest the county seat of said county, witliin tliree days after said election, a certified state- nu^nt of the result of said election for judge of said county, as required by the thirty-third section of an act providing for the general elections, etc.. passed j\Iarch the thirteenth, eighteen hundred and fifty- eight. And the said conductors shall meet with the officers whose duty it is -to ascertain and declare who is elected judge of said judicial circuit, the time and ])lace re(]uired by law, and perform such other duties; as the law prescribes for an officer conducting said election at the court house of the county. 0. The commissioners hereinbefore appointed to lay off the county of Webster into magisterial districts, shall be allowed each a compensation of two dollar? pcM* day for their services aforesaid. 10. The term of office of the commissioner of the AXD Other Impeints. 95 revenue of the said county of Webster shall commence on the first day of February, eighteen hundred and sixty-one; and the commissioners of the revenue of the counties of Xicholas, Braxton and Eandolph are I hereby required to discliarg-e the duties of their re- ^])ective offices in that part of the limits of the said ll('^v county, that was taken from the said counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Kandolph, respectively, for the ])resent year; and they are hereby to keep the list taken by them in the said county of Webster, separate and distinct from the list of said counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Randolph, and return of the same in the manner now prescribed by law, in the same manner as if appointed commissioner of the revenue for the said county of Webster. n. The treasurers of the school commissioners in the counties of Nicholas. Braxton and Eandolph, re- spectively, shall be and are hereby required to pay to the treasurer of the school commissioners of the new county of Webster, upon the order of the commissioners last mentioned, out of the fixed and surplus quotas of the school funds of the said counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Eandolph for the present year, such sum as sliall seem to them to be in due proportion to the ])opula- tion of the said new county of Webster, taken from tile .^aid counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Eandolph, !es])ectively, including any balance now remaining un- ex])cnded, as also of the proportion as aforesaid accru- ing from said quotas, to which Nicholas, Braxton and Eandolpli countie> are or may be entitled to for any former year. And it shall be the duty of the second ;auditor to reapportion the fixed and surplus school 96 Moccasin Tracks quotas of the counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Ean- dolph for the next fiscal year and subsequent years, between the said counties of Nicholas, Braxton, Ean- dolph and the new county of Webster, agreeable to their respective numbers of white tithables which may be returned therein by the commissioners of the revenue for the, present year eighteen hundred and sixty. 12. It shall be lawful for the sheriffs of the counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Eandolph to collect and make distress for any public dues or officers' fees which may remain unpaid by the inhabitants of the said new county of Webster, in such parts of the said new county as were taken from said counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Randolph, respectively, at the time when this act shall commence and be in force, and shall be account- able for the same in like manner as if this act had never been passed. 13. The courts of the counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Randolph, respectively, shall retain jurisdiction of all actions and suits pending before them on the first day of July next, and shall try and determine the same, and award execution thereon, except cases wherein both parties reside in the new county; which, together with the papers, shall after that day be removed to the court of the county of Webster, and there be tried and de- terminer] . 11. The said county of Webster shall be in and at- tached to the fifteenth judicial circuit, and the circuit court thereof shall be holden on the twenty-third day of May and the twenty-third day of October of every year, and l)e with the same brigade district with the county of Nicholas. AND Other Imprints. [)7 15. The t?aid county of Webster shall belong to the same senatorial districts as that part taken from Nich- olas and Braxton voting with the senatorial district to which Nicholas and Braxton belong — and that part taken from liandolph voting with the senatorial dis- trict to which the county of Kandolph belongs, and shall belong to the eleventh congressional district, and the same electoral district for the purpose of choosing a president and vice-president of the United States, as the county of Nicholas; and the voters of said new county shall vote as they have heretofore voted for members of the house of delegates. 16. The county courts of said new county shall be holden on the fourth Tuesday in each month, and the quarterly sessions of said county shall be holden in the months of March, June, August,^ and November of each year. 17. The surveyor hereafter elected for Webster county, in the mode prescribed by law, together with the surveyors of the counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Eandolph, shall run and mark the boundaries of said county of Webster, agreeably and in conformity to the provisions of the seventh section of the forty-seventh chapter of the Code of Virginia. 18. The first county court for said county of Web- ster shall be holden on the fourth Tuesday in July next. 19. This act shall be in force from its passage. Bernard Mollohan, who was elected surveyor of Webster county on the twenty-fourth day of May, 1860, proceeded to survey the county lines in conformity with the act passed January 10, 1860, providing for the 98 ■ MoccAsix Tracks new county of Webster. He was assisted in the work by Milton Hart, purveyor of Eandolph county, Chauncey Hooker", deputy surveyor of Nicholas county, and William Hutchinson, surveyor of Braxton county. AVork was begun on October 2, I860, and completed on November 27 of the same year. Because of certain peculiar conditions existing in the line dividing Greenbrier and Nicholas counties, the line of tbe new county could not be made to conform with the act of 18G0 without annexing a part of Green- brier county, which the act forming Webster county did not authorize. This defect was cured by an act of the We^=t Virginia legislature in 1882 by annexing al)oui thirty square miles of territory under the juris- diction of Greenbrier and Nicholas counties to Webster county. This line, surveyed by Bernard Mollohan, as- sisted by James Woodzell and Isaac AY. Cool, began at the mouth of Stroud's creek and extending to near the head of Bannock Shoal run, on the divide between the Gauley and the Williams rivers. At the time of the passage of this act Webster county was represented in the legislature hy Charles McDodrill, who was instru- mental in securing its enactment. The commissioners, Samuel Given, Thomas Cogar, William Arthur, Thomas Reynolds and William Given, who were named in the act providing for the formation of AVebster county to select a site for a court house, jail and other public buildings, and to divide the county into three magisterial districts, proceeded to the dis- charge of the duties imposed upon them. Addison IMcLaugblin had transferred his farm at the Fork Lick to his son, Duncan, in the meantime. The commis- AND Other Imprints. 99 sioners selected and staked a lot two hundred and ten feet square on the hill above the Salt Sulphur spring- as a site for the court house and jail. This lot is now the public square of Webster county. Henry C. Moore surveyed the lot after its selection by the commission- ers. The town of Addison was also suirveyed and divided into lots by him at about the same time. The commissioners divided the county into Fork Lick, Glade and Holly magisterial , districts at their meeting in the dwelling house of Thomas Cogar in 1860. Hacker Valley did not become a district until 1877, at which time Holly district was divided by the county court. The following county officers were elected on the fourth Thursday in May, 1860: Sheriff, Walter Cool, of Holly district; clerk of the County Court, and also clerk of the Circuit Court, Albert J. Baughman, of Glade district; commissioner of revenue, Thomas Cogar, of. Fork Lick district ; surveyor of lands, Bernard Mollohan, of Fork Lick district, and attorney for the Commonwealth, David Lilly, of Eandolph county. The following justices of the peace were also elected : Fork Lick district, William G. Gregory, Adam G. Hamrick, Ezra B. Clifton and David Baughman ; Glade district, Edward Morton, Arthur Hickman, Thomas M. Eeynolds and Enos Weese ; Holly district, William H. Mollohan, A. G. J. Burns, Christopher C. Cogar and Ezra Clifton. Thomas M. Eeynolds was elected presiding justice of the county court by the other justices at their first meeting. Xot having suitable buildings on the newly selected lot in which to hold court and for the transaction of 100 Moccasin Tracks other public business, the justices held their first term of court at Thomas Cogar's, near where James AVood- zell now resides. A dwelling house in the process of erection owned by Elijah Skidmore was selected by the justices in which to hold court. This building stood near the residence of the late C. P. Dorr. In 1866, after Webster county' owed allegiance to the State of AVest A^irginia instead of the Commonwealth of A^ir- ginia, the board of supervisors entered into a contract with Bernard Mollohan for the sum of seventeen hun- dred dollars, providing for the erection of a frame building on the public square to serve as a court house. That building continued to be used for such purposes until it was destroyed by fire on the seventeenth day of June, 1888. The board of supervisors employed Patrick Carr to build a jail. In 1863 the legislature of the state of West A'irginia passed an act providing for the divisions of the several counties into townships and named three men in each county to perform the work. William G. Hamrick, Isaac H. Grifhn and William G. Gregory were ap- pointed for Webster county. The two first named were soldiers in the Federal army at that time and no meet- ing of the committee was ever held. The number and boundary of the townships remained the same as that of the magisterial districts, under the Virginia laws, formed hy the four commissioners in 1860. The constitution of 1872 again changed the }iame of the local unit to magisterial district. The Civil War heo-an soon after the new county was surveyed and it was not fully organized until after its AND Other Imprints. 101 close. At the time of its formation there was not a very numerous population, but there were a brave and hardy set of men who had known and had braved hardships and privations. They were, for the most part, the first and the second generations born in the territory settled l)y the old pioneers. The moccasin and the hunting shirt had been discarded by many, and they did not rely wholly upon the loom and the spinning- wheel for their clothing. It was at this time that Webster county received the sobriquet of "Inde- pendent State", an appellation often used by political speakers of today. It was said that Webster county had a full complement of state officers, with George M. Sawyers at the head with the title of governor. Mr. Sawyers was addressed as "Governor" until his death, which occurred on the Williams river about fifteen years ago. This is a very pretty story, but there is not a scintilla of evidence upon which to base the asser- tion. It is true that all governmental functions were suspended during the four years of the Civil War. Neither taxes were collected nor courts held. While it is true that Webster county was an integral part of both the Eeorganized Government of Virginia, with its capital at Wheeling, and the Confederate State Government at Eichmond, the functions of government of neither invaded her precincts. A law enacted by the West Virginia legislature in 1863 provided for the transfer of all suits of law and equity from Webster to Lewis county. But one election was held in Webster county during the Civil War period, and but one officer was elected. Moreover, polls were opened at but one precinct. Wil- 102 MoccAsix Tracks liain Gregory, at that time, lived at the mouth of Leatherwoocl, and the election was held in his residence in 1863. At this election Benoni Grifhn was elected a memher of the house of delegates for the fourth delegate dis- trict, composed of the counties of AYebster and Poca- hontas. But few citizens, besides a number of Federal soldiers, cast their votes. Many of the voters did not know that an election was being held. The following persons exited: Wiljliam G. Hamrick, William Mc- Avoy, Addison Fisher, James Green, James M. Cogar, xVddison Dodrill, Benjamin Hamrick, William G. Greg- ory and James Woodzell. The second general election held in the county of Webster occurred on the fourth Thursday of October, 1865. The following county officers were elected : Sheriff. William G. Gregory ; Prosecuting Attorney, David Lilly; Surveyor of Lands, Bernard Mollohan : Eecorder, Joseph Dodrill; Assessor, Arthur Hamrick: Clerk of Circuit Court, Isaac Mynes. Lilly and Mjnes could not prove their loyalty to the Union from 1861 to 1865, there- fore they were iueligible. Eobert Irwine. Judge of the Circuit Court, appointed Eobert G. Putman to fill the place of Lilly and Adam Gregory that of Mynes. The following were elected as Supervisor for each of the three townships: Fork Lick, James Hamrick; Glade, Thonlas Eeynolds; Holly, John E. Hall. Eey- nolds was elected president of the Board of Super- visors at their first meeting. The human mind can scarcely depict the chaotic condition existing in Webster county at the close of the AND Other iMrmxTS. 103 Civil War. -The firing on Fort Sumter in 1861 stirred the hearts of the people among the mountains ol' Web- ster no less than in more populous communities, either jSTorth Or South. An overwhelming majority of the people was in sympath}' with the South and scores of the best citizens hastened away to join the armies of the Southern Confederacy. Many deeds of heroism were performed by these ^'border boys'', as they were called by their comrades in arms from the Southern states. Many gladly gave their lives for tlie cause they so dearly loved. A very few, not more tlian twenty, volunteered under the Stars and Stripes, and the l)oys who wore the Blue distinguished themselves no less than their neighbors who wore the Gray. No battles were fought in the county, but many shooting affrays occurred between irregular bands of partisans, which were not always bloodless. Many refugee outlaws from other counties found a safe retreat in the mountains and ter- rorized the citizens with deeds of lawlessness. Many innocent men were taken from their homes and sliot for no other reason than giving aid to the cause which they believed to be just and right. Houses were plun- dered and burned and women and children left to shiver in the cold. Fences and farm buildings were destroyed. The farms became overgrown with briers and bushes. Eefugees, soldiers, and camp followers from the counties adjacent to the Ohio river went to the land of Dixie by way of the Gauley and Straight creek. This old war trail is yet visible where it was cut to a depth of two or three feet by the many horses that were taken across the mountain. General William Jackson ("Mudwall") transported a small cannon (a 104 MoccASix Teacks two pounder) on horseback by this route when he ad- vanced against Bulltown, in Braxton county. But the spring of 1865 brought a sigh of relief to the people of "Webster county, as well as to other war- oppressed communities. Xow. that the dove of peace had spread her wings over a devastated and wasted land, men began the work of regeneration and recon- struction. XI. EDUCATION. The material for writing the early history of edu- cation in the territory now embraced Avithin the limits of Webster county is very meager. The master who ruled with the ferule and the rod left no journal of his successes or his failures. This lack of written infor- mation must be supplied from the memory of the oldest inhabitants. But, most unfortunately, the col- lection of this data has been so long delayed that but few persons are now living who know anything about the first schools organized. It is not known that any schools were taught in this county before 1835. The first school house, of which I have any knowledge, was erected by two brothers, AYilliam and Benjamin Ham- rick, and James Dodrill, on the Elk nearly opposite the mouth of Wolf Pen run, six miles above Webster Springs. These three men employed William Griffin to teach three months, for which he was to receive thirty dollars and board. Spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic were the branches taught. The Bible was the text used in the reading classes. The older pupils had been taught spelling and reading by their parents. In arithmetic, if the single rule of three (now called simple proportion), was understood, it was thouglit that the person possessing the knowledge was competent to teach school. Frank Duffy taught the second school in the Hamrick school house. He was born and educated in Ireland. He was considered a most excellent teacher. His presence in a community opened up a new world to the people who listened to his wonderful stories about the sea and the European 106 Moccasin Tracks countries. He was well versed in ancient history, and entertained his auditors with Grecian and lloman mythological legends and historical stories. The school building was of the most primitive kind. The walls, which were about eight feet high, were made of round logs and the building was covered with clap- hoards held in place with heavy poles. Although tim- ber was plentiful, it was thought unnecessary to build it larger than twelve by fourteen feet, and no floor other than nature had provided was put in it. The spaces between the logs were chinked with pieces of split timber and daubed with mud. The door, a heavy affair, was constructed out of boards and hung on v.'ooden hinges. The seats were made by splitting a small log and putting legs in auger holes on the rounded sides. The chimney was a huge affair, built of split logs, and the inside walled up with stones and clay. A log cut out and the space covered with greased paper served for a window. A wide slab resting on wooden pins inserted in the wall in a sloping direction answered the purpose of a writing desk. Goosq quill pens were used, made by the teacher. Tn this building fourteen pupils were taught the first term. This was the only schooling some of them ever received, but they made such good use of that op- portunity that they made very good readers, and they could spell especially well. In the early days the discipline was most rigid, and the offender was flogged most unmercifully for the least infraction of the writ- ten rules, read by the teacher on the first morning of school. The teacher acted in harmonv with the views AND Other Impeints. 107 of Solomon^ that by sparing the rod there is danger of spoiling the child. Schools were soon opened in other neighborhoods and among the pioneer teachers may be mentioned the following: William Ivain, William and Samnel Given, Israel Clifton, Jonathan Griffin, Joseph Woods and Timothy Holcomb. One of the peculiar features of the schools in this county in the days of the moccasin and the hunting shirt was that the teacher sometimes allowed the pupils to vote on the question of an "open"'^ or "closed" school. If the majority voted for an open school, each pupil must spell and read aloud while studying his lesson. This practice was kept up by some old-time teachers as late as 1869. These subscrip- tion schools taught by the old-time masters paved the way for better ones, but progress was made slowly. No money was drawn from the Literary Fund, for the children of indigent parents, established by the General Assembly of Virginia in 1809. I^icholas county, of which a portion of Webster county was a part, had, in 1833, eighteen primary schools, in which ninety-nine poor children received instruction at a cost of one hundred and eighty dollars. Even in neighl^or- hoods where benefits were obtainable from this fund many poor children were denied the privilege because their parents did not wish them to bear the opprobrium of being educated at public expense. No schools were organized under the act of 1846, which practically gave to Virginia her first system of free schools. During the decade between 1846 and 1856 many per- sons who had received a very good education beyond the mountains, and in Greenbrier county, moved into 108 MoccAsix Tracks the Elk valley and the Glade country. They greatl}?}, aided in the establishment of schools in neighborhoods in which they settled. The old-time teachers weret usually deficient in educational qualifications, yet they} did a noble work and prepared the way for the intro- duction of the free school system of the state of Westt \"irginia. They and the Methodist circuit riders weree the advance agents of civilization that was to be in- troduced among the hills and valleys of AVebster county. The boys and the girls who were disciplined and taughtt in those primitive schools became the first teachers under the new system. Other men educated in that class of schools became justices of the peace, county officials, legislators 'and ministers of the gospel. On account of the disorganized condition of the ' county, brought about by the Civil War, the free school system Avas not carried into effect until 186T. James Dyer was the first county superintendent of free schools for the county. The acts of 1863 provided for the election of a Township Board of Education, to have full charge of all school matters pertaining to the town- ship. Legislative acts of 1866 provided for the election of three trustees in each sub-district by the patrons thereof. The auditor's report of 1867 shows that the levy for school buildings in Webster county was $294.91. The report of William Eyland White, State Superin- tendent of Eree Schools, for the same year showed that the county had 11 school districts: four log school houses and received from the state four hundred and seventy-five dollars: salary of county superintendent, fifty dollars : children of school age, males, three hun- dred and forty-four, and females, two hundred and AND Otfier Imprints. 109 ninety-six. The auditor's report for 1868 shows that the county received from the state seven hundred and sixty-six dollars and ten cents; paid in teachers' sal- aries, one hundred and sixtn^-five dollars; levy for buildings, five hundred and eighty-six dollars and eighty-two cents. The following are extracts taken from the report of tlie State Superintendent in 1868 : Entire expenses for school houses and school purposes, three hundred and forty-eight dollars and eighty cents; cost of edu- cation for each pupil for school year, four hundred and sixty dollars; number of school districts, eleven; log l)uildings, three; number of houses built that year, three; number of youths between six and twenty-one, uiales, three hundred thirty-one; females, three hun- (\n-d and three; total, six hundred and thirty-four; nviinber of pupils attending school, males, forty-four; females, seventeen; total, sixty-one; daily attendance, miale, twentj\^-f our ; female, five; total, twenty-nine; number of teachers employed, male, three ; female, one ; total, four; average monthly salary, twenty-seven dol- lars ; average number of months taught, three ; number of visits by county superintendent, four; number of ai)plieations for certificates, six; number of certificates granted, two. County Superintendent's Report of 1869: '^I did hope when 1 made my report twelve months since, that I would have a much more favorable report than it is possible for me to make at this time. When the commissioners and trustees believed that they were to receive pay for their services they were 110 Moccasin Tracks soniewliat interested^ but when they learned that they were to receive nothing, their zeal, if they ever had any,, abated to a fearful and distressing extent. I have traveled all over the county, and have gone to nearly every house, and I have talked a great deal and I tried to impress on the minds of the people the great: importance of a liberal education. I have made an effort to get the officers to go to work in good earnogt,, but they have failed to do their duty, except very few. It is a lamentable fact that there is not the interest taken and felt on this momentous subject that should be. Townships. This county is divided into three townships, Fork Lick, Glades and Holly. Each has a Board of Educa- tion, but Trustees are needed in some districts. Fork Lick is divided into four districts, and has two free schools and three subscription schools. District num- ber two has a free school. I visited it four tinies. I did not find it all that I desired, and I did all that I could to correct what I believed to be wrong, and the school Avas respectable. District Xo. 3 has one free school. I visited it twice and found it doing well. The teacher is well qualified for his occupation, and was industrious and very attentive. The scholars were very studious and made proficiency. There is prospect of a free school in District Xo. 4 shortly. Glades township is divided into four school districts and the Board of Education has made a levy of twenty cents on the one hundred dollars valuation for the support of free schools. There will no doubt be one free school commencinc]^ in a short time, and there is a AND Other Imprints. Ill probability of other schools in this township. There are four subscription schools. Holly has been divided into four school districts and a levy of ten cents for the schools. The Board say they will have public schools in a short time. Two subscription schools have been taught in the township. There is a general complaint in the county of high taxes and hard times. Well, it is true that many people in this county are in a distressing condition, and can with difficulty pay their taxes, but notwithstanding all this, if the Boards of Education and the Trustees will do their duty, something could be done for the education of the rising generation. I have, it seems to me, done almost every thing that I could do, to get up free schools all over the county, but have accomplished but little as yet. All that I can promise is to do the best I can in the future". James Dyer, County Superintendent. The following comment upon the above report is from Honorable William Eyland White, State Superintendent : "During my visits to this county, I could see the deso- lation that the recent war had made. Marauding parties, claiming to belong to either side as circum- stances suggested, plundered the inhabitants, and drove off their stock and burned their houses. The resources for renewing what was lost are few, and it will take a longer time for the people to get back to their former condition, than is required in less isolated sections. Yet the diffusion of knowledge is just what they need. 112 Moccasin Tracks Their many hills would become the pasture grounds f»t' immense herds, so well adopted is the soil for grass, and their giant trees, sooner or later, must supply the in- creasing demand for lumber. Educated labor must de- velop "Webster county, for nothing else will". General Superintendent. It will be seen by Superintendent Dyer's report that he had made a former report; no trace of it. however, can be found. It possibly consisted of a mere letter, as no free schools were in operation in 1867. Webster County Statistics. From State Superintendent's Report of 1869. Money received from state, six hundred twenty-one dollars and thirty-two cents; salaries of teachers, five hundred and seventeen dollars; salary of county super- intendent, fifty dollars ; money levied for buildings, eight3^Tthree dollars and seventy-three cents; expended for buildings, one Jmndred and twenty-five dollars : log school houses built, one; houses under construction, five ; value of school houses, two hundred and fifty dollars ; number of youths, male, two hundred and seventy-six, females^ two hundred and sixty-six; en- rollment, males, two hundred and fifty-nine, females, one hundred eighty; average attendance, males, one hundred fifty, females, sixty -nine ; number of seliool districts, ten ; number of common schools, thirteen : number of second grade teachers, three; third grade, four : fourth grade, one ; fifth grade, two ; numljer of applications for certificates, fifteen; number of certifi- AXD Other Impkints. 113 eates granted, ten; number of teachers, ten^ all men; number of months taught, twenty-three and one-half; number of pupils studying orthography, one hundred and eighty-one; reading, one hundred and eighty-one; writing, sixty-nine; arithmetic, thirty-two; geography, one; English grammar, six; algebra, one; other branches, eleven; salaries of teachers, twenty-two dol- lars; clerks, three; commissioners, nine; trustees, thirty-three; levy for building purposes, forty cents; for teachers' fund, twenty cents; amount collected for teachers' fund, one hundred and eighty-seven dollars and ninety-four cents. County Superintendent's Report, of 1869. ''Hon. H. A. G. Zeigler. State Superintendent of Free Schools : Dear Sir: — I have found great difficulty in procuring reports from the various townships, in consequence of the imperfections in the blanks for teachers. 1 have labored very assiduously to correct this deiiciency. The blanks for teachers should have, 1st Date of Entrance; 2nd Daily iVttendance ; 3d Age ; 4th A column to record the branches taught. This would enable the county superintendent to present to you a correct idea of the progress of educatioii and intellectual development. You could then measure development with expenditure, and see how much is returned to parents and guardians in the form of education. The Boards of Education of this county are deficient in duty ; the trustees in many cases are no better ; there- fore this report is very meager and unsatisfactory. T 11^ Moccasin Tilicks indulge the kope, however, that Webster will in a short time^ strive to realize the fall measure of the benefits of our school system. From observation and experience, I would recommend the abolition of the count v board of education, retain }'Our county superintendent, and have a board of three trustees for each school district. This would, with im- proved blanks for teachers, simplify the work and give a full statistical report. The board of education fail- ing to report the various branches taught renders it impossible for me to give you the number in the county. School Houses. In Fork Lick Township, we are building six school houses, one of them, logs, finished, another will be fin- ished this month ; the balance will be completed the ensuing winter; two of these houses are framed, and there are others that will be let out soon. In Glade Township no levy for building. None in either of the other townships of this county. AYe have obtained sites in Fork Lick township gratuitously throughout. James Dyer, County Superintendent, Webster County." ^'P. S. The Fork Lick township is deficient nearly one-half of its levy, growing out of the large tracts of land owned by non-residents of the county, but returns have been made for this township. The other town- ships liave made no returns. James Dyer.'" Names of applicants and grades of certificates : Second grade. James Woodzell, Thomas P. Coulter AND Other Imprints. 115 and B. C. Conrad. Third grade, Wni. P. Morton, J. H. Hardway, Francis G. Morton and W. M. Hayman. Fourth grade, A. W. Miller. Fifth grade, E. Brooks and E. Clifton. From these reports and statistics, it will be learned that free school prospects were not very flattering in Webster county in 1868 and 1869. There was a deep- seated opposition to the organization of the system by some very good citizens. The cause is not hard to dis- cover. People were slow to endorse any innovation, and more especially, if it cost money. The late war had impoverished the people, and money or its equivalent was not readily obtained. If men of today vote against the free school levy, it is little wonder that men were against it fifty years ago. The county was sparsely settled. Isolated families could not attend school and the district did not have funds sufficient to build addi- tional houses. It would be but natural for such persons to oppose being taxed to educate other children and their own grow up in ignorance. The teachers were not well equipped for their work, and they did not re- ceive sufficient wages to arouse much enthusiasm. In some of the districts abandoned dwelling houses were used for school purposes, or a part of a house was used while the family occupied the other. But a better day dawned about 1880. The log houses were replaced by frame buildings, and painted school houses were seen in many localities;. Opposition passed away when these better conditions appeared. Higher salaries and prompt payment attracted better equipped teachers. School terms lengthened from two and three mouths to four and five months in the various districts. 116 Moccasin Tracks The inevitable result followed — a tgreat .educational awakening and a larger number of pupils enrolled in the schools. Even as late as 1880, Webster county was isolated both commercially and educationally from her sister counties. Dry goods, groceries and hardware were transported by wagon from Weston and Gauley Bridge, a distance of more than sixty miles. No one talked much about education to persons living outside of the county, except for a week each year, when the teachers^ institute for the county was in session at Webster- Springs. When a Webster boy became of marriageable age, he did not select a wife because of her educational attain- ments, or because she was a good cook, or a neat and tidy housekeeper, but because she was a good "sanger'^ A young man living in one of the prominent valleys "l^^ the county, took unto himself a better half. The next day a neighbor met the father and said, "John, 1 heard Sam was married yesterday". ''Yes,'' said the father, "Sam is married^'. "'Did he get a good wife?'^ queried the neighbor. "Well, I should say", replied the father, "Polly is the best Sanger that ever ^sot' a foot in the woods." But in 1889 a history making event occurred. The whistle of a railroad locomotive was heard in Webster county. Its reverberations among the hills sounded the death knell of the sang digger and the log school house. AVebster county was now bound by bands of steel to her progressive sister counties of the northern part of the state.' Men came from these counties and brought their educational ideas with them. The school term leno:th- AXD Other Imprints. , 117 ened from five months to six months. Schools were graded and two-room buildings were erected at Erbacon, Camden-on-Gaule}', Wainville, and Cowen. Gauley Mills later joined the ranks of the five towns in erecting a two-room building. Higher education was scarcely thought of twenty years ago. If the boys- and girls were kept in the primary schools until sixteen years old, much was thought to have been accomplished. Now, there are Pligh Schools at Cowen and Webster Springs. Both schools are receiving a liberal patronage. Today the schools of the county are in good w^orking order and the prospects for even better conditions are very flattering. Webster Springs employs five teachers in the grades, and Cowen three. The following items are taken from Superintendent George R. Morton's report of 1914: i^umber of school houses, one hundred and one; number o£ teachers em- ployed, males, sixty-two, females, sixty, total, one hun- dred and twenty- two; number of youths of school age, three thousand six hundred and thirty-seven; number of pupils enrolled, males, one thousand four hundred and forty-four ; females, one thousand three hundred and fifty, total, two thousand seven hundred and ninety- four; average daily attendance, two thousand one hun- dred and twelve; average salary of teachers in rural schools, thirty-six dollars and thirty-three cents; total expended for school purposes, thirty-eight thousand five ihimdred and fifty-five dollars and twenty-four cents; total value of school property, one hundred and seven thousand two hundred and fifty-four dollars. Number of books in libraries, three thousand six hundred and twentv-five, valued at one thousand five hundred and 118 Moccasin Tracks fifty dollars; cost of education per capita based on enumeration, ten dollars and twenty-seven cents; based on enrollment, eleven dollars and twenty-six cents; based on attendance, twenty dollars and one cent. A comparison of Dyer's last report with Mr. Mor- ton's report will show the great educational advance- ment that has been made since the establishment of the free school system in Webster county. XII. THE CARPENTER FAMILY. Jerry and Benjamin Carpenter settled on the Elk in the vicinity of the mouth of Holly early in the history of the valley. They were brothers and it is thought that they came from the Greenbrier valley. Jerry had been carried into the region beyond the Ohioi by the Indians when a small boy. He remained with them until man grown before returning to civilized life. He settled on what was afterwards known as the J'ohn P. Hosey farm and Benjamin, his brother^ erected a cabin at the place now occupied by the little town of Palmer. A man by the name of O'Brien blazed a trail from the Ohio by way of the Trace fork of Steer creek to the mouth of Holly. It is not now known at what point he settled, but he marked the way because he did not know woodcraft well enough to travel without some other guide besides what nature had provided. The Carpenters having spent most of their lives in the ^v'oods could travel for days in any given direction without either compass or marks made on trees with an axe or hunting-knife. When they could not see the sun, they traveled in the proper direction by frequent examinations of the moss on the tree trunks near the ground. White men learned from the Indians that the moss grew in the greatest profusion on the side facing the north. It appears that the Indians did not know of the Elk settlement until they found the O'Brien trail and folloAved it eastward. They came to the house of Benjamin Carpenter and finding his wife and small chikl at home both were tomahawked and scalped. The husband was down under the bank of the river 120 Moccasin Tracks graining a deer skin. He was soon found and shot at by one of the four Indians in the marauding party, but the bullet flew wide of its intended mark. Car- penter ran to the house for his gun. He reached the door and was in the act of getting his rifle from its rack above the door when he was killed by one of the party concealed in the house by a bullet from his own gun^ which the Indian had obtained when the cabin was entered. K'ancy, a sister of the brothers, was taken prisoner and the party soon began their homewarc'i journey after the cabin had been set on fire. Some days before the Indians made their appearance- Jerry went to Fork Lick for the purpose of hunting bufl'aloes. He killed one and jerked a quantity of the meat. Building a rude boat, using the skin for the purpose, he arrived at the mouth of Holly a short time after the redskins had left. The cabin was still Inirn- ing and he was horrified to see his sister-in-law, who had been scalped and left for dead, walking in the yard in front of the burning cabin. She was tenderly taken in his strong arms a;id carried to the boat, but she died before the opposite bank was reached. Carpenter pre- pared to follow the Indians and rescue his sister. He was joined in the pursuit by a man by the name of Hughes, a. noted frontier warrior, and another man wliose name is unknown. They had no difficulty in taking up the trail and pursuing at a rapid pace. The Indians traveled with leisure because they probably thought that they would not be followed. They were overtaken on Steer creek and completely surprised by a well planned method of attack. Carpenter had told his AND Other Impeixts. . 121 companions that the first act of the savages^ when they were attacked, would be to kill their prisoner. The at- tack was stealthily made and three of the Indians fell before the unerring aim of the frontier riflemen. The fourth Indian before the reverberations of the rifle re- ports had died away threw a tomahawk at the captive woman, but she dodged the well-directed ])low. Snatch- ing up another tomahawk he started in pursuit of the fleeing woman, but Hughes like an infuriated wild beast sprang after him and buried his hatchet in his head before he got in striking distance. The Indians were not scalped, but Carpenter cut a strip of skin about three inches wide and two feet long from the back of one of them, beginning at the base of the skull and in- cluding a tuft of hair. This strip was afterwards tanned and used by him for a razor-strop. It became an heir-loom in the Carpenter family. It was in the possession of John L. Carpenter at the time of the Civil War. William Perrine carried it off, and, when he was captured by Federal soldiers that gruesome relic of the days of barbarity and savagery was taken away from him, but what disposition was made of it is not known. When Carpenter returned home, he was informed that another party of Indians were still on the east side of the Ohio. He took his wife and a scanty supply of necessary articles with him and went up Laurel creek to the mouth of a small run. Here he found a safe retreat under a large, projecting rock. His oldest son, Solomon, was born the first night spent in that strange habitation. This was most , probably the first white 122 Moccasin Tracks child born in what is now Webster county. The stream was called Camp run and still bears that name. It is not known when the Carpenter family was murdered but it was some years before Dunmore's war^ whitli occurred in 1774. They settled in the Elk valley soon after the treaty of Fort Stanwix in western New York in 1768, which opened up the region west* of the mountains to settle- ment. John L., a son of Sol Carpenter, married Xancy Perrine. They settled at the mouth of Missouri run where the town of Erbacon is now situated. He Ije- came the father of the following children: Dianah, Joseph, Agnes Jane, William Hamilton, Amos, Mary Catherine and Estelline. John L. was an herb doctor of splendid ability. He compounded his own medicine from plants and roots obtained by himself in the woods. He had a good farm and was an exemplary man, a model farmer, and a law-abiding citizen. MURDER OF THE STROUD FAMILY. Adam Stroud, a Clerman, lived on Stroud's creek aliout one mile from its junction with the Gaulcy at Allingdale. He settled there soon after the treaty with the Indians in 1768. One day in the month of June, 1772, when he was away from home, a party of Indians of the Shawnee tril^e murdered his entire family con- sisting of his w^ife and seven children. They also plundered his house and drove off his cattle. Captain Bull, a Delaware chief, and some other In- dians resided at Bulltown in what is now Braxton AND Other Imprints. 123 county. His original home was on the Unadilla river, an eastern affluent of the Susquehanna river in >s'e\v York. He was accused of plotting against the whites in Pontiac's conspiracy in 1763. He and five families of his relations came to the Little Kanawha after their 'New York homes had heen burned by the whites and lived in a little village located near a salt spring. Although it was known that Bull and his people were inoffensive, and very friendly to the whites, and kept np an intercourse with the settlers on Hacker's creek and the Buckhannon river, suspicion at once fell on these Indians because the trail led in the direction of Bulltown, as the whites called the Indian village. A party of five men consisting of William AMiite, William Hacker, Jesse Hughes, John Cutright, and possibly Adam Stroud, determined to proceed to Bulltown and avenge the murder of the woman and children. It was not known for many years just what occurred when they reached the Indian village. When they returned, they denied having seen an Indian in their absence. John Cutright died in 1852, when he had reached the age of one hundred and five years. On his death-bed, he told of the killing of all the Indians found in the village. Their bodies were thrown into the river. The massacre was as atrocious and revolting as any that had preceded or followed it in border warfare. The real perpetrators of the Stroud murder escaped to their homes beyond the Ohio without detection. These two acts on the jjart of the Indians and the Avhites had a direct bearing on Dunmore's war, which began in 1774, and resulted in a decisive defeat of the Indians by the Virginians in the autumn of that year. 1-24 MoccAsix Tracks Jesse Hughes was most probably the man who brained the Indian with his hatchet at the rescue of Nancy Carpenter on Steer creek a few years previous to the murder of tlie Stroud family. "He was a noted border scout^ but a man of fierce, unbridled passions^ and so confirmed an Indian hater that no tribesman, however peaceful his record, was safe in his presence/' says K. G. Thwaites, a western historian. Some of the most cruel acts on the frontier are by tradition at- tributed to him. He died in Jackson county at an ex- treme age. The murder of the Stroud family occurred on the last Indian incursion ever made into the limits of Web- ster county. Some Indians passed through, but they usually avoided the settlements, because they feared the whites almost as much as the whites feared them. They saw the chances of escape diminish as the number of settlers increased. It was a long road that led from We]3ster county to safety in the wilderness beyond the Ohio river. XIII. RELIGION IN PIONEER DAYS. The fact tlia^ persons who spend a large portion of their time in the forest are more devout and more deeply imbued with a religious feeling than those who spend their time in towns or more populous com- munities, is undeniable. They have daily ocular proof of the supreme power of the Creator as manifested in nature. The trees, the birds, the wild flowers, the seasons, and the babbling brooks teach them practical lessons in theology. This is particularly true of the early settlers in Webster county. Many of their ancestors had left the Old World because of religious persecution and amidst the profound solitude of the American wilderness fervent prayers and heart-felt thanksgivings were offered for the freedom of religious worship in a country where their actions were not spied upon by the minions of a bigoted hierarchy. This feeling was accentuated in the descendants and a more religious people did not exist than were to be found among the Webster hills. The Methodist circuit riders were the first ministers who preached within the bounds of the county. It was often many years after an immigrant arrived in his new home before he had an opportunity to hear a ser- mon preached by a regular minister. Soon after a settlement had been established the circuit rider ap- peared upon the scene and made arrangements for relig- ious services. The neighbors were gathered into the most commodious cabin and services were held once a quarter, as the Methodists would say, and sometimes oftener. depending upon the size of a circuit. A circuit em- I'^G MoccAsix Tracks braced as much territory as is now contained in three or four counties, and often much more. While these men did not measure up to the height of a Simpson or a McCabe, they were men of spiritual power. What they lacked in culture and education was amply compensated in zeal and religious fervor. Armed with a pair of saddlebags containing a change of linen, a Bible, and a hymnbook, they went forth preaching where a few families conld be gathered together. Their saddlebags also contained religious tracts which were distributed. These were eagerly read and passed from one family to another until Tead by the entire neighborhood. The circuit riders also acted as colporteurs. Such books as Baxter's Saints' Eest, Life of John Nelson, Fletcher's Sermons, Life of Hester Ann Eogers, Finley's Prison Life and John Wesley's Sermons were sold to the peo- ple living remote from book stores. This class of books exerted a powerful religious influence on the old pioneer families. They, in a large measure, molded their lives and characters. A class was organized at each preaching place and a leader appointed. Exhorters and local preachers were licensed at the quarterly conference. The leader some- tiuies walked five miles to meet his class. What a spirit of devotion was manifested in these pioneer class leaders I They talked to the class of an experimental religion, and of an upright daily walk with Christ. The women did not dress in the latest fashion but went to meeting, as they called religious services, in home- spun dresses usually fastened with leather buttons of their own manufacture. The men were not dressed in tailor made suits and linen cuifs and collars, but wore AND Other Imprints. 127 hunting shirts and moccasins. If they did not have a hunting-shirt they donned a linsey or tow linen shirt and wore wide woolen "gallowses" woven or knit by the women. These plain, unpretentious garments did not in anyway interfere with their religions duties, and what mighty shouts of triumphant victory went up from the religious gatherings of the old-time pioneer ! From a religious standpoint men and women of eighty years ago took a very lugubrious view of life. Their minds dwelt more on death, the grave, the resur- rection of the dead, and the judgment day than upon life and its achievements. The minister usually acted upon the principle that the fear of eternal punishment is a greater incentive to right living than the hope of everlasting life, or the conscious pleasure of doing one's bounden duty. They often forgot the influence of an all-powerful love, one of the basic principles of the Christian religion. They sang doleful hymns written in the minor key, which is appropriate for grave themes. This was a mild form of asceticism practiced by the Carmelite friars of the Middle Ages. The discipline of the Methodists in those early pioneer days was very strict. One who was uot a professor of religion was allowed to remain in the class room at but two meetings, and, if at the third meeting no disposi- tion of a desire to turn from the error of his ways was made, he was turned out and the door was closed against him. This was a very drastic measure but it often had a very salutary effect. A son or a daughter remained while the fatlior and the mother waited on the outside until the close of the meeting. One or both of the parents took part in the meeting and the grown up 128 Moccasin Tracks children were excluded. A separation of husband and wife often occurred. It was pathetic to hear an almost heart-broken wife beg the indulgence of the leader, and allow her impenitent husband to remain just one more time. This practice was an object lesson of the separa- tion that would occur beyond the realms of this life, if the impenitent did not change his way of living. The time and place of the first sermon preached within the present limits of Webster county is unknown, but Addison Hite was the first miiiister to preach in the vicinity of Webster Springs. He preached his first sermon in 1833 in a barn owned by Benjamin Hamrick, who lived on the Elk five miles above the beforemen- tioned town. This w^as three years after the original organization of the Methodist Protestant Church, and eleven years before that of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. His circuit embraced what is now a part of Webster, Braxton, Lewis, and Upshur counties. The many hardships which he and his successors en- dured can be inferred from the state of the country at that time. Roads in the greater portion of liis cir- cuit were but l)lazed trails; deep, swift, bridgeless streams were forded amidst floating ice, and, when benighted and far from the hospitable roof of a settler's cabin, he was under the necessity of passing the night under the sheltering branches of a tree. These old- time knights of the saddlebags deserve great respect and praise for their courageous and heroic efforts to plant the standard of Christianity among a wilderness people. A class was organized by Addison Hite at the Ham- rick barn, the first Methodist organization in Webster AXD Other liirEixTS. I'^l) county. William Gregory was appoiuted leader aud Adonijali Harris assistant leader. Mr. Harris lived at the McGuire Low Gap near Webster Springs, yet lie walked tlie five miles each fSimday to meet his class and his presence was made known by the zeal manifested in his work. The Kev. Mr. Cassett in 1834 preached at the Fork Lick, now Webster Springs, in the dwelling house of Mrs. Mary Arthur, who was a widow and the only resi- dent at that time. The rite of baptism was admin- istered. The author's mother, then a little girl oL' seven years, was one of the children baptized on that day. Samuel Black and Elijah A. Bing were the preachers in charge in 1835. Black afterwards joined the South- ern Methodists and became one of the best known preachers and church waiters in that denomination in the Western Virginia Conference. The quarterly meet- ings at the Hamrick barn attracted large crowds of people. They came from places as remote as Sum- mersville and Flatwoods. These meetings were pro- tracted for a week and resulted in many conversions. The hospitality of the people on these occasions was un- bounded. Many members of this class attended the Methodist camp meetings held annually on Peter's creek in Nicholas county. The first Southern Methodist minister to preach in the limits of Webster county was a man by the name of Protsman. He preached in the Hamrick barn soon after the division of the Methodist church in 1844. No class of that church was organized in the county until many years after that event. From these small l)e- 130 MOCCASTX TlJACKS ginnings the two leading Methodist churches of the United States have grown nntil they have neat, sub- sj'antial church buildings in each town and populous community in Webster county. The Baptist church was a later organization. Wil- liam Dobbins was a resident minister of that denomina- tion. He lived at Webster Springs in the years suc- ceeding the Civil AYar, and is remembered for many Christian virtues. The first Baptist church was or- ganized at Webster Springs in 187'?. THE DODRILL FAMILY. William E. Dodrill, known as ''English Bill;'- mar- ried Eoliocca Dougherty in Greenbrier county in 1784, and moved to the mouth of the Kanawha. The Indians l)eiug hostile, he almost gave away his large tract of laud and joined in the eastern movement spoken of in a former sketch. He settled on Peter's creek, where he remained four or five years. In 1799 he again changed his residence to the Birch river valley, settling at Boggs in AVebster comity. The original name was Doddridge, but a change was made in the orthography before he left Greenbrier county. The name, Dodrill, has been ado]^ted by all of his descendants. ""English Bill" was the father of eight children — four sons and four- daughters. His s'ons were James, John, George and AVilliam. The daughters were Martha, Mary, N'ancy, and Rebecca. James, the eldest son, married Elizabeth Gregory and located twelve miles al)ove the Fork Lick on the Elk. He was the father of six sons: Isaac, George, AA^illiam, Eobert, AND Other Imprints. 131 Charles, and Joseph. George married Levicy Given and settled about one mile below the mouth of Leather- wood. He was an exemplary man and left a reputation for honesty and integrity that should be more highly prized by his two sons than an inheritance of silver, and gold. Isaac married Maria Conrad, but left no sons to perpetuate his name. William married Levicy Mil- ler and afterwards Mary Hamrick. Eobert married Jane Hamrick. Robert was known to the older citizens of the county as the distiller of a fine quality of apple brandy. Charles married Margaret Given. At the time of his death, he was the best known man in Web- ster county. He had acceptably filled many important offices. His firm stand against the granting of whiskey license when he was a member of the county court made him very popular with the temperance people. His fourth of July orations for many years before his death were prominent features in celebrations at Web- ster Springs. If he had had the advantages of an edu- cation, he would have succeeded in any profession. But this was denied him in his youth. By industry and frugality he succeeded in winning quite a good living from his mountain farm, and each of his four sons was left by his will, or was given them before his decease, a sufficiency to start them well on the road to prosperity. John, the second son, married Margaret Lewis, of Greenbrier county, and resided on Birch river in Nicholas county. He, also, was the father of six sons: William, James Walton, Franklin, Martin, Arthur and Addison, William, James and Martin married Sarah, Rebecca and Isabel, dauo-hters of William Hamrick, the 132 MoccAsix Tracks noted hunter. Franklin and Arthur married Maria and Jane, daughters of Peter Hanirick, of Braxton county. Addison married Almira Gregory, a daughter of William Gregory, the class leader. William im- migrated to the west at the close of the Civil War and died in the State of Nebraska. Addison moved to Web- ster county and located at the mouth of Bergoo. The other four lived near neighbors to each other on Birch river, in Nicholas county, until their deaths. Each left a large family of boys and girls. They were hard working farmers, having moved into the woods and each cleared out a large farm. When a young man, George, the third son, went west to seek his fortune, and located in Pickaway county, Ohio. AVilliam, the fourth son, died in his twenty-first year. Of the daughters it was often said that none were fairer, or better dispositioned in the county. Each was renowned for her Christian virtues and each made an excellent wife. Martha married James Mollohan, of Braxton county. Her son Charles was a Methodist preacher of much ability. He took an active part in the great controversy in regard to slavery in the church, which resulted in the division of 1844. It was nuiinly through his leadership that many of the classes in Web- ster and Braxton counties were held intact. Wesley Mollohan, who was the best known, and one of the most successful lawyers in West Virginia, was his son. Mary married George Mollohan. It was he who en- tered the bear cave on the head of Little Birch. His brother-in-law, Joshua Stevenson, who married Xnncy, AND Other Imprints. 133 was with him on tliat hunt. Eebecca married Adam Gregor}^ of Webster comity, and lived in the vicinity of Mill run. Addison Dodrill is the only living grandson of Wil- liam Dodrill, the old pioneer at this time (1915). By what a slender thread this generation is bound to the past. He is seventy-six and in a few fleeting years at most the last of these grand old characters will have crossed over to the world beyond. XIV. THE KILLING OF THE TUNINGS. The Tuning boys, Al, Ered, and Jack, spent much time in AYebster county during the first years of the Civil war. They were Southern sympathizers but they did not belong to any regular military organization. They killed several Union men in AVebster and adjoin- ing counties. They were pursued by Federal soldiers but always made their escape. The people who believed in the sacredness of the cause for which the South was contending did not approve of their' conduct but they were helpless and the Tunings often stayed for days in the homes of this class of citizens, who dared not refuse them lodgement and entertainment. About the first of March, 1864, Al and Fred went to the home of James Dyer on the Gauley. The Federal soldiers who were in the county at that time were ap- prised of the fact and made preparations to capture them. The troops camped at the mouth of Sand run, about one and one-half miles below, on the night of the third day of March. A company of about thirty men was sent very early next morning to the Dyer home. The family and the two Tunings were at breakfast when it was discovered that the house was surrounded by hostile soldiers. In an attempt to escape Al was shot in a lot near the house. Fred swam the Beaver run and was running up the hill on the other side when hit by a ball that had cut off a small sumac. Al lived about two hours after being shot. Fred lived from Saturday morning until Monday night. They were buried near the place where they were killed. Jack escaped all attempts made to kill or capture him. After AND Other Imprints. 135 the war he went to Ohio where he gained the affection of a rich widow whom he married. She and her money soon parted company and Tnning did time at the state prison at Cohnnbns. THE MtTRDER OF FERRELL. One of the most atrocious deeds perpetrated in tlie county during the Civil war was the murder of a man named Ferrell at the mouth of Straight creek by Dr. Hardsock. Mr. Terrell had taken a drove of cattle through the mountains within the southern lines and had sold them, receiving a large portion of the selling price in gold. On his way back, he met with Hardsock, who proposed that they travel through the mountains together. They arrived at the Gauley late in the even- ing of the first day's travel and camped on the bank of the river. Sometime in the night while Ferrell was wrapped in slumber Hardsock cut his throat with a hatchet. Hardsock continued the journey very early next morning. When he arrived at the lirst settler's cabin, he said that he and a comrade had been attacked in the night by the "Yankees" and that he and his companion had become separated in the darkness of the night. He asked that some one be sent in search of the missing man. He seemed to be much agitated and very anxious to proceed on his way. But haste was useless because his guilty conscience would pursue Ihm to the uttermost parts of the earth. The possession of the dead man's gold but augmented its excruciating pangs. The body was buried near the place where the murder was committed. 136 Moccasin Tkacks Hardsock was apprehended by the Confederates and was kept under the strictest surveillance. B}- an order from the general in command of the troops whose duty it was to guard him, he was put under the hottest fire of musketry in every battle in which they engaged. His companions fell around him but he escaped unharmed. He sickened and died of a fever before he could be tried by civil authority. Some rude rock slabs and a small spruce tree planted by loving hands mark the place where Mr. Terrell was buried. He was most truly a victim of greed and avarice. * * * On the divide between the Gauley and the Williams, near the head of the Miller Mill run, far from human habitation, is a soldier's grave. Elias Grimes, a mem- ber of the Ninth Eegiment of Alabama, in company with a man named Cutlip. went to Lewis county where eacli '^^captured'' a horse. In crossing the mountain on their way to Dixie, Grimes dismounted to adjust his saddle. After mounting his horse, he caught his musket by the muzzle, and the hammer catching against the side of the log against which it was leaning, it was dis- charged, killing him instantly. The untimely death of Grimes so wrought upon the conscience of Cutlip that he immediately returned to Lewis and restored the horses to tlicir owners. The l)ody of Grimes was buried by the citizens where the accident occurred. It is ])ro])able that Ins Alabama friends never learned his sad fate. These graves of Ferrell and Grimes are forceful re- minders of the stirring days of civil strife and devastat- ing rebellion of fifty-four years ago. The hatred and ^ AND Other Imprints. 137 strife engendered by the war did not cease until very recently. Except in a heated political contest there is no ill feeling manifested between the parties formed along the lines which divided the people a half century ago. The wide gulf that separated the people and threatened the stability of the nation has been bridged by the process of time. THE GREGORY FAMILY. The Gregory family has always occupied a very prom- inent place in the history and development of the Elk valley. This family was founded by Colonel Isaac Gregory, who, as stated in a former sketch, settled on the Gauley in 1800. He married Sarah Given, in Bath county, A'irginia. The Gregorys are of fine physique, the usual height of the men being six feet in their stockings. The Hamricks get their stature by marriages in the Gregory family. The Gregorys married into nearly all of the old pioneer families, therefore a re- petition of tracing the family is unavoidable. The Col- onel was the father of nine children — four boys and five girls. The boys were William, Robert, Joseph, and Adam. The girls were Mary, Isabel, Nancy, Elizabeth and Jeanette (Jennie). Adam married Rebecca Dodrill and William, the class leader, Rebecca Sands. He was known .as ])eing a very devout man, and always lived according to the rules of the Methodist church. His son Adam was a Methodist preacher and represented Webster county in the legislature of the Reorganized Government of Virginia in 1862. He went west soon after the expiration of his term of office. Joseph mar- 138 MoccAsix Tracks ried Mary Miller and moved to Braxton county where he died of smallpox in 1863. Eobert married Elizabeth Xottingham, He resided in Webster county, but left no son. Of the daughters, Mary married George Lynch, who moved to the Little Kanawha valley. She was the mother of twelve sons who settled in Gilmer, Harrison and adjoining counties. Isabel married John Lynch and lived on the Elk some miles below the Fork Lick. The Colonel was very much opposed to this wedding, but love laughs at bolted doors and angry fathers, so the lovers had their way and were married. She was the proud mother of five sons. Nancy and Jeanette (Jennie) married Benjamin and William Hamrick, mention of which has been made in the sketch of the Hamrick family. Elizabeth married James Dodrill and lived below the mouth of Leatherwood. Colonel Gregory was possessed of considerable prop- erty when he came to this country. He built a large, hewed-log house with a cellar under it walled with cut stone. He became dissatisfied and moved away before the building was fully competed. He spent more than five hundred dollars in this venture. The nails used were made in a blacksmith shop in Bath county, Vir- ginia, and carried across the mountains on horseback. He also did his milling over there for several years. His house logs and cellar walls were used by Jamfes Dyer in building a saw and grist mill near the mouth of Beaver run. Colonel Gregory died in 1852, ancl was buried in the Gregory cemetery on the Elk five miles above Webster Springs. During the fifty-two years in which 'he resided within the limits of Webster county, AXD Other Imprints. 139 he saw many farms cleared in the forest and the moccasin discarded for the cow-hide shoe or boot aal the hunting shirt for the modern coat and vest. He was the first distiller of apple brandy in the county. XV. GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES. The derivation and the meaning of geographical names of a country are very interesting to the student of history, and more especially if the names refer to local places of pioneer times. The Elk was named from the abundance of elk found on that stream by the Indians. The Gauley was probably named by the French, who claimed the territory drained by it, but the meaning of the word is unknown. Birch and Holly were named from species of trees found near their banks when first visited by white men. The origin of some of the names of places found in Webster county is of quaint derivation. Metcalf's Bank, just below the mouth of Leather- wood, is well known to the older inhabitants. Metcalf was a noted pioneer Methodist preacher sixty-five years ago. He was a very graceful rider, and the accom- plishment was greatly admired by William Gregory, the class leader. Mr. Gregory always rode a very fine horse, On a Sunday morning, he and his wife started to meet- ing at the Hamrick barn. Getting in front of his wife, he rode very fast and in his best style. '^^Ee- becca,'' said he to his wife, "of whom do I remind you?" His wife replied that she did not remember any one who rode just like he did. "Now, Eebecca, watch me, and see if I don't ride like Brother Metcalf." He rode up the bank, and under the inspiration, he most un- doubtedly gave a very good imitation of the preacher's horsemanship. The good wife, in order to please her husband's harmless vanity, said, "Well, Billy, since you mentioned it, vou do remind me verv much of Brother • AND Other Impeixts. 141 Metcalf/' This was thought by neighbors to be a very good joke, and so they called the place Metcalf's Bank. Baltimore rim, opposite the place where James Miller now resides, was named early in pioneer days. One of the residents of the upper Elk valley did not take a very optimistic view of his environments, and declared his intention of moving to Baltimore. He disposed of his property and started down the valley. He built a small cabin at the mouth of the run and moved into it. His neighbors saw the joke and called the place Balti- more. The name was afterwards applied to the run. Bo] air had its origin early in pioneer history. There was a good spring of water on the hill a short distance from the present location of Bolair post office. The spring is still there, but the water is scarcely fit to drink. Travelers and wagoners stopped at the spring to get a drink and to rest. The drink referred to was taken from a bottle or a jug as well as from the spring. In the good old times, a man could take a drink of brandy or whisky and still be thought a gentleman, but this was before the days of excessive potations. James Dyer, senior, who came from Pendleton county, was a good singer. He met several men at the spring, and after each had taken a dram, he was called upon for a song. He sang a song called ''Beau Laire'' that was one of his favorites. The spring and the hill were af- terwards called Beau Laire. Many years after this, when a post office was established at the foot of the hill, it was named Bolair. The sound instead of the correct spelling was followed. The first store in Webster county was at the McGuire 142 Moccasin Tracks Low Gap on the mountain near Fork Lick. It be- longed to Byrne, Duffy and Company. This iirm also had stores at Sutton, Summersville and other places. Groceries, calico, dye stuffs, hand cards for combing wool, and a very coarse quality of cotton yarn were exchanged for beeswax, ginseng and peltries. Money at that time was scarce and it was spent very sparingly. The place w^as called "Pluck-'em-in" by persons who thought they did not get good bargains at the store. This was about 1840. * * ♦ Stephen Woods settled in Virginia before the'Eevolu- tion. Two of his sons, Stephen and Isaac, were killed in the Second War of Independence. Stephen, junior, at the time of his enlistment lived in Angilsta county. His son John, in company with four of his neighbors, came to Webster county (then Kanawha county) to dig giuseng. They went as far north as Holly. Woods was much pleased with the country and moved to this county in 1815, settling on Beaver creek, in what is now Nicholas county. In 1819 he married Eebecca Hannah. His son, William J., was born in 1825, and married Jane McElwain in 1851. Two other sons, Samuel and Chaney, lived in Webster county in the vi- cinity of Cowen. William J. settled in the Glade coun- try and was a farmer from choice. He cleared out a large farm in the virgin forest, and was the father of a larofe family of children. THE SAWYERS FAMILY. . George M. Sawyers, late in life, came from Alle- ghany comity, Virginia, in 1831, and settled near Upper Glade. His wife, who was Mary R. Reese before mar- riage, died soon after coming to this county and was the second person buried in the Samuel Given cemetery. George's son Samson married Elizabeth Dyer, clauhg- ter of James Dyer, senior, and located on the Gauley near the mouth of Sand run. He was a farmer and a merchant and died childless in 1866. Margaret, a daughter of George Sawyers, married James Dyer, the first county superintendent of free schools o'f Webster county, and lived on the Gauley at the mouth of Beaver run. John R., eldest son of the pioneer Sawyers, born in 1790, married Nancy Johnson in 1820, and came from Alleghany in 1833, and settled on the Williams river. He was one of the pioneer school teachers. He was a shoemaker and was often called upon to make the wed- ding shoes for pioneer brides. The last pair" made for such an occasion was worn by Mary (Polly) Hamrick, who married William Dodrill. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was the lifer of his company. His fife used on that occasion is now a treasured relic in the possession of one of liis lineal descendants. He was the father of Isaac J., George M., Elvira,, Sarah, Isabella, Margaret, Rachel and Jeremiah M. Isaac was sent to Camp Chase by the Federal author- ities. AYhile there he had the measles, and being dis- charged before fully recovered started home. He 14i Moccasin Tracks camped 'out several nights, sleeping on the damp ground. He died soon after arriving home. George M., born in 1822, married Letitia Walker, of Nicholas county, and settled on the Williams, where he gained the distinction of being one of the best hunters in the county. He was elected county clerk of Webster county in 1877 for a term of six years. 'The Governor,^' as he was familiarly called by his many friends, was one of the noted characters of Webster county thirty years ago. Jeremiah M. was one of the ''boys in blue," and saw some desperate fighting as a member of the Tenth West Virginia Infantry. He now lives at Horner, Lewis county, and is the only one of the family still living. XVI. THE McELWAIN FAMILY. Tunice Muckelwain (McElwain), born iu 177o, came to the Elk valley from Peudleton couuty about • 1810, and settled on Holly. He had married Catharine Propst before coming to the county and was the father of ten children. Catharine was born in 1792; George in 1793; Barbary in 1795; Mary in 1798; Thomas in 1800; Dorothea in 1806; Catharine (named after her deceased sister) in 1808; Jacob in 1810; Elizabeth in 181o, :and Nancy in 1815. It can be seen that no charge of race suicide can be alleged against this Ger- man-American citizen. George married Elizaheth Perrine, born in 1798. This marriage occurred in 1813, and the young couple, full of pluck and vim, settled at the mouth of Laurel creek, where they re- mained until 1833. They then moved to what is now Wainville, and remained there until Mr. McElwain's death, which occurred in 1854. He Avas a good farmer and left each of his three sons a fine farm adjoining each other. He was a noted hunter, but he did not let that diversion interfere with his farm work. He be- longed to that class of pioneers that did things. They subdued the wilderness and fought the Indians and the British. They did their full share in the work of laying the foundation of sovereign states. George Mc- Elwain was a soldier in the War of 1813. He was the father of ten children — Nancy, Catharine, Dianah, An- drew, Jane, Eachel, Lewis, Elizabeth, George and Je- rusha. They married and settled in what is now Web- ster county. Nancy married Isaac Weese and moved to the right-hand fork of Lost run. She was the mother 14G MoccAsix Tracks of four children — Martha^ Andrew, Addison and Ange- line. She died in 1852. Catharine married Enos Weese and lived on the left hand fork of Lost run. She was the mother of George, Lewis, Mack, Wesley, Eeuben, Elizabeth, Virginia, Di- anah and Catharine. Mrs. Weese died in 1858 and was buried in the MqElwain cemetery near Wainville. Dianah married Abraham Goff and settled on Laurel creek one mile above Wainville. She became the mother of eight children. Their names were Thomas, Mary, John, Louisa, George, Albert, Benjamin and Isaac. She died in 1884. Andrew, born in 182G, married Margaret Sawyers in 1850, and moved to the Gauley in 1873. He was the father of Thomas S., William D., George S., Lewis J., Enos W., Preston M., Kate and Eobert. He was a justice of the peace and served as assessor for twelve years. Ho died in 1888 and was laid to rest in the old Wainville cemetery. His wife died in 1891. As stated in a former sketch Jane married AVilliam Woods and settled on the head of Birch river. She was the mother of eight children and lived until 1908, and her husband died in 1914. Rachel, born in 1828, married John Given about 1846, and settled at Upper Glade. They lived there until 18G3, where Mr. Given was killed by Federal soldiers. She was the mother of three children : Eliz- abeth, Fannie and Samuel Kyle. She married Major Marshall Triplett in 1865 and raised one son. Hedge- man. She is the only one of the family now (1915) living. Major Triplett died in 1898. Lewis, born in 1832, married Matilda Hickman in AND Other Imprints. 147 1854, and began housekeeping in tlie old McElwain homestead near Wainville, then Nicholas county. He was the father of eight children — seven daughters and one son. They were named Rhoda, Martha, Tunice, Catharine, Mary, Jerusha and Ida. The second daugh- ter (name unknown) died at the age of five years. He took a very active part in the affairs of Webster county. He was one of the supervisors in 1871 and J872. He was elected a justice of the peace in 1876 and served a full term of four years. He was elected a member of the County Court in 1880. He was president of that body for four years in a term of six years. He died in 1911 and his wife in 1913. Elizabeth, who was born in 1833, married George Ad- kinson and moved to Pocahontas county in 1861. Her husband joined the Confederate army and marched to the front, but she never knew what became of him. She afterwards married Jackson Reynolds and was the mother of eight children. She died in the state of Washington in 1912. George, born in 1834, married Sarah Newman, of Bedford county, Virginia, in 1868. He lived on a part of the McElwain farm a near neighbor of his brother Lewis. He was the father of two children and he died in 1899. Jerusha, born in 1835, married William Hoover in 1867, and settled on the head of Birch. She was the mother of eleven children. She died in 1909. Her husband died in 1890 and both were buried on the home farm. The people in Webster county who can count blood relationship with Tunice McElwain forms a good per- 148 MoccAsix Tracks centage of the po23ulation of the county, but his grand- children, with the one exception noted above, have passed away. A few years hence people will be won- dering as to the kind of men who cleared the forests and built the log cabins on the frontier. Men like Lewis and George McElwain, who Avore the red or brown ^'wamas/' with the fringe around the sleeves and the bottom will not be seen. Store clothes of an up-to- date fit and style are worn by the successors of these men. What the people of to-day have gained in edu- cational advancement, has been discounted in the lack of genuine hospitality, good cheer, upright living, and the passing opportunity of enjoying the good health and the appetites incident to pioneer life. In some re- mote period, when Webster county is peopled with a heterogeneous population, and, when their great, great grandchildren have arrived at distinction, there will be a movement started, and carried to a successful termi- nation, to erect tablets and monuments to the memory of the first settlers. The first centennial of the first settlement has come and gone and nothing has as yet been done to mark the graves of the men who wore the moccasin and the hunting shirt. THE MORTOlSr FAMILY. Edward Morton was born in Pennsylvania in 1762. At the age of fourteen he became a Revolutionary sol- dier. He served until the close of the war and was with Washington when he captured Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781. After the war he settled on the Cowpasture river in Virginia, where he reared a large AXD Other Imprixts. 149 family of children. He and liis son Thomas, who was a soldier in the War of 1813, moved to Stroud's creek in 1850. Thej^ purchased five thousand acres of land and at once began to i^repare it for cultivation. Thomas married an Irish girl by the name of Elander Leach. He was the father of the following children: Edward, Robert, John, George, Thomas, Jr., Margaret, Elizabeth, and Sarah. Thomas was the founder of the Morton family in Webster and Nicholas counties. Edward married Mary Ann Bodkins and became the father of Porterfield, Felix, Cathjarine and Louisa. Both girls died in childhood. Robert married Mary Jane Campbell. His children were George, Francis, Charles, Margaret, Rebecca, Mary, Rachel, and Hettie. John married Mary Ann Devereux and became the father of Garland, Clark, William, Jimison, Samuel, Elizabeth and Caroline. George married Hannah C. Ivyer and reared the fol- lowing children: Emerson, Eskridge H., Catharine, Drusilla, Annie, and Sarah. Thomas married Sarah Rader and his children were Floyd, Eliza, and Elizabeth. These five brothers lived near neighbors on Stroud's creek. They were most ex- cellent farmers and stock men. They were among the very best citizens of Webster county. Of the daughters, Margaret married John Dodge, Elizabeth married Adam Rader, and Sarah married Charles Kyer. Felix, the second son of Edward Morton, married Elizabeth CoUison in 1867. One son, AYilliam E., and one daughter, Annie R., was born unto this union. His wife dvino- in 1872, Mr. Morton married Nannie 150 Moccasin Teacks Bobbitt, of Niciholas comity, in 1879. George E., the present (1915) superintendent of the free schools of Webster county, is the eldest of six children. The Morton family has always been prominent in the development of Webster county. Many have filled places of public trust and have rendered efficient ser- vices. Members of the family have been prominent in educational advancement and have been successful school teachers. TRACKLETS. Samuel Given, senior, took the lirst census of Web- ster county in 1860. The second census was taken by Isaac H. Griffin in 1870. ♦ ♦ ♦ The Honorable Joseph A. Alderson represented the counties of Xicholas, Braxton and Clay in the House of delegates of the General Assembly of Virginia in its session of 1859-1860. Mr. Alderson was a great ad- mirer -of Daniel Webster, who died in 1852, and he selected Webster as the name for the ncAV county pro- vided for at that session of the Assembly. He was the father of the late Honorable John D. Al- derson, of Nicholas county. 5l< * * The first Webster county court house, together with all the records, with the exception of one book not in the building at the time, was burned on the night of June 17, 1888. The origin is not definitely known, but it was probably burned to destroy some records in- volved in a land suit. * * * . The election of 1865 was a very exciting one. The following men were candidates for assessor: Addison Hamrick, of Gauley; Andrew McElwain, Arthur Ham- rick, Adam G. Cogar, Franklin Hamrick, William Hamrick, Adam Gregory, William Given, and Joel Dob- bins. This race would indicate that men were no less willing to be sacrificed for the good of the public, fifty years ago, than they are to-day. 152 MoccASix Tracks In 1850, Eobert Gregory built a school house near the present site of the St. Mary's school house, and Wil- liam Given was employed as teacher for three months. William G. Hamrick, Benjamin Hamrick, Isabel Ham- rick, Rebecca Gregory, Isaac Gregory, Thomas Gregory, William Gregory, Xoody Gregory, Samuel Given, Betsey Given, James Dobbins, Xancy Dobbins, and Cur- rence Gregory were his pupils. * * ♦ The following men went from the Elk valley and vicinity to Xorfolk, Virginia, in the War of 1812, to fight the British: Colonel Isaac Gregory, William Hamrick, Benjamin Hamrick, John Kyer, Jacob Co- gar, Daniel Matheny, Thomas Cogar, George McEl- wain, and James Miller. They joined a regiment at Lewisburg and immediately marched across the Alle- ghany mountains to the Atlantic. The camp site- at Norfolk was low and swampy. Many fell victims to malarial and typhoid fevers. The men were given picks and shovels and set to work building fortifica- tions. When these were completed, they were told to throw tlie earth back to its original place. In this way, the men were given exercise. They did not have a chance to fight the enemy because the British did not make any attempt to land troops at that place. But they did see the British flag displayed from the mast head of a British-man^of-war far out at sea. ♦ * ♦ William Hamrick, the hunter, was born in 1789. He was four years old when he was carried from the Wil- liams river to Donnally's fort by Jack McMillion. Jen- nie Gregorv, who became his wife, was four vears old ^ AND Other Imprints. 153 when her father. Colonel Isaac Gregory, moved to the Gauley in 1800. She remembered seeing her mother fall from her horse in the Greenbrier river on that memorable journey into the wilderness. William Ham. rick settled in the Elk valley in 1813. His two nearest neighbors were Bonner, living at the month of Balti- more run, and Wright, living at the Given ford. * * * Isaac Duefield and his wife Isabel lived near the mouth of Miller Mill run on the Gauley in 1803. Due- field and Colonel Gregory were brothers-in-law and both came from Bath county. * * * Colonel Isaac Gregory was one of the first justices of the peace of Nicholas county and became a member of the county court at Kessler's Cross Lanes in 1818. C. W. Cottle, who killed the elk above the mouth of Straight creek, was also one of the first justices and was elected the first member of the General Assembly from Nicholas county. * * * The following is a copy of one of the very first, if not the first, teachers' certificates granted in Webster county. Webster County, West Va., December 4, 1868. This is to certify that I have this day examined James Woodzell and finding him qualified to teach a Primary School in this county do hereby give him a No. 2 certificate In Duplicate. Jas. Dyer Co. Supt. of Free Schools. 154 MoccAsix Tracks Mr. Woodzell taught at Webster Springs for a term of three months on the above certificate. This was the first free school taught at the Springs. Doctor C. W. Benediim followed Owen Thornton in 1871. Peter L. J. Cogar, James Woodzell, George Wolverton and Pat- rick F. Duffy were the only residents of the town at that time. List of Union soldiers from Webster county during the Civil War. Wesley Collins, Co. A. 10th w '. AX- Vol. lE ]^iley Collins, •? ?^ 77 77 77 Archibald Collins, 7 J -V 77 77 7J Wilson Howell, a ?? 7? 77 7? Zachariah E. Plowell, -V 7? 77 77 77 James Green, ?? E. 77 77 77 George W. Wolverton, -V 7» 77 77 77 William McAvoy, 7^ .V 7? 77 77 Owen Brenigar, •? ?? 77 77 77 Addison McFisher, ,*? ?7 77 7? 77 Abner Cogar, 7? 7? 77 77 75 William G. Hamrick, ?? 7? 77 77 77 Pobert Pritt, ii G. 77 77 77 Shannon Cline, 7? K. 77 77 7 Isaac H. Griffin, ?> E. 3rd W. Ya. Cavalry. Geo. Griffin, ^? 7^ 77 77 Jeremiah Sawyers, ^? I. 77 ii Adam Gregory, Artillery. The boys of the Tenth West Virginia did some hard fighting during the time in which they were in the service. AND Other Impeints. 155 The following is a correct list of the engagements that William G. Hamrick took part in when a member of the Tenth: Buckhannon, Virginia, August 29, 1863; Beverly, West Virginia, July 3, 1863; Droop Mountain, West Virginia, November 6, 1863; Leetown, Virginia, July 3, 1863; Maryland Heights, Maryland, July 6, 7, 1864; Snicker's Ferry, Virginia July 17, 18, 1864; Winchester, Virginia, July 24, 1864; Mar- tinsburg. West Virginia, July 25, 1864; Berry ville, Virginia, September 3, 1864; near Winchester, Vir- ginia, September 19, 1864; Fisher's Hill, Virginia, September 22, 1864; Cedar Creek, Virginia, October 19, 1864; Hatcher's Eun, Virginia, November 30, 1864; Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865; Eice's Station, Virginia, April 7, 1865 ; Appomattox, Vir- ginia, April 9, 1865. I certify on honor this is a true statement of the within mentioned engagements. Sergt. Eos well A. Shepherdson, Co. E. 10th Eegt. W. Va. Vol. Inft. George Griffin was killed at the battle of Eocky Gap, called by the Confederates Dry Creek, in 1863. James Green died on his way home after his discharge in Upshur county. Abner Cogar died in a hospital tent at Winchester. Isaac H. Griffin was wounded at Steven's Depot, and W. G. Hamrick received a slight wound at Winchester. Addison McFisher received a severe wound at Snicker's Gap. L. M. Marsh was captain of Com- pany E. . lo(y Moccasin Tracks Henry C. Moore was born in Clinton, Maine, in 1817. He married Margaret Hamrick in 1853. At one time he was one of the largest land owners in Web- ster county. At the beginning of the Civil War he went to Clarksburg, where he joined the Federal army and acted as pilot for General George B. McClellan in his Western Virginia campaign. Mr. Moore repre- sented Webster county in the First Wheeling Conven- tion in 1861, for one week. In 1863 he went west. He spent a large portion of his later years in trying to solve the problem of aerial navigation. He died but recently in the state of Iowa. :;< :iJ * The Act by the Virginia General Assembly creating Webster county located the seat of justice on land owned by Addison McLaughlin, at the junction of the Elk and the Back Fork rivers, and declared that it should be called Addison. The place had been known as Fork Lick for many years. When the town was sur- veyed it was called by the latter name and it continued to be so until an Act was passed by the Legislature of West Virginia in 1873 declaring that the town there- after should be known as x\ddison. The name was changed in 1903 to Webster Springs by legislative en- actment. A very euphonious name has been erased froni the map of West Virginia by American commer- cialism, and a great injustice has been done to the memory of a public spirited man who gave to the peo- ple of Webster eounty their public square. Other Imprints THE TRUE GRANDEUR OF NATIONS. Ancient nations had their rise, continuance, decline, and fall, and each in its own way taught to succeeding nations a lesson for good or for evil. Modern nations have had their rise and continuance, and many have somewhat declined in power and influence during the last two hundred and fifty years. When we take a retrospective view of the historic nations the question: "What constitutes the True Grandeur of Nations?" naturally arises. It does not consist of an extensive empire built up at the expense of weaker nations and governed by a Caligula, a Nero, or a George III ; it does not consist of a splendid and a well equipped army that might at the bidding of a tyrant crush a weaker nation struggling for political freedom; it does not consist of a powerful navy whose vessels carry the ensign of power into foreign seas: it does not consist of high walls like the Athenians built in Attica or the Babylonians built at Babylon ■ neither does it consist of fine military roads like the Appian Way, built by the Romans in southern Italy, over which their army marched , to victory under the imperial eagle. But it does consist of the prin- ciples promulgated in the American Declaration of In- dependence, that all men are created equal and are en- titled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It also consists of the individual worth and the intellectual development of the people - composing the nation. Abraham Lincoln, the great Commoner and American statesman, recognized the first of these in his great ora- tion on the Gettysburg battle field when he spoke of a government being of the people, for the people, and bv 160 Moccasin Tkacks the people. Napoleon Bonaparte, perhaps the gFeatest military genius the world has ever produced, recognized the second of these when he spoke of men as being nothing, but a man as everything. Though a nation may be composed of individuals as innumerable as the sands of the seashore, if they do not possess a high perception of right ; if they fail to promote the universal brotherhood of mankind both at home and abroad; if they are unwilling to assist the weak, the oppressed and the helpless, that nation will fail to contribute any- thing of material worth to the advancement of civiliza- tion, or to the moral and religious elevation of man- kind. Where these principles have been recognized and where they have been carried into effect, we find the nation has made the greatest progress in all things that make a people great, contented, prosperous and happy. The great Medo-Persian Empire, occupying the fair- est portion of Eurasia, and possessing many advantages in soil and climate, failed to exert an influence for good either at home or abroad because the rulers acted from the false premise that might makes right. While it is true that King Darius and his illustrious son and successor Xerxes could muster and equip millious of men and could carry on a war of conquest in Europe, in Asia, and in Africa, yet they utterly failed to wield an influence for good among the nations of the eartli. Military glory and achievement stimulate individual action, but in the end it causes decay by impoverishing nations as well as individuals. War should only be resorted to wdien a nation fails to secure justice by in- ternational law or arbitration. The people inhabiting the little country of Phoenicia, AND Other Imprints. 10 J hemiiiecl in ou the east by the Lebanon mountains, whose only outlet on the west was by way of the Mediterranean sea, did not go forth to conquer the world by military tactics but by planting colonies in distant countries, fostered trade and navigation and disseminated learning and civilization to the uttermost parts of the known world. They aided most of the great enterprises of antiquity. They introduced the alphabet into Europe; they furnished naval armaments for the Pharaohs of Egypt; they assisted Solomon in building the magnif- icent temple at Jerusalem; they built the Hellespon tine bridge. for Xerxes; a Phcenician vessel served as a model for the first Eoman war galley. Modern civiliza- tion owes more to the little country of Phoenicia than it does to the great Persian Empire. Switzerland, situated in the x\lpine regions of south- ern Europe, has never been conquered by a foreign foe. Her policy has been one of peace and she has never at- tempted to conquer or oppose any nation or people. Each individual has been given a just share in the government and they have always been entitled to the fruits of their labor. The battlefields .of Morgarten, Sempach and Naefles, wdiere the Swiss peasants met the Austrian tyrants, w411 always be revered by liberty- loving people of all nations. They did not wage war for glory or for conquest, but for political existence. Individual worth is the true philosopher's stone that has ever given a golden hue tO' national existence. It is the key that has unlocked the storehouse of material creation, and has harnessed the mighty forces of natxire. Greece is a good example of the higher aims of a people. As long as her people were ruled wisely she 162 Moccasin Tracks flour isl led and produced such great characters as Homer, Solon, Aristides and Lycurgus. When she departed from the principles of the golden rule, rivalry, jealousy and hatred was engendered and the great Pelopone- sian War was the result. This soon caused the down- fall and the enslavement of Greece. Nations can no less afl^ord to be dishonest with each other than in- dividuals. Greece bore her best fruit during the days of peace and colonization and before military glory was her object. Rome, the Eternal City, the Mistress of the World, built upon her seven hills, shows the misery and degra- dation caused by war. It was during her earlier his- tory that she produced her greatest and her best men. The great contest between the plebeians and patricians was settled by giving each faction a just share in the government. There were many devotees of literature, painting, and sculpture. The city grew in numbers and in wealth. But it was not long until a spirit of con- quest was developed. Many nations were conquered, and formed into Eoman provinces, and imperial Eome became a great universal empire. The love of display and power fostered jealousy, hatred, and rivalry. The civil wars ensued which finally resulted in the doAvnfall of Eome. Modern nations would do well to heed these great historic truths that come to them so forcibly from the past ages. Our own country, the land of the free and the home of the brave, has had one hundred and thirty-seven years of national existence, and there is but little in its his- tory for which any American citizen need be ashamed. While it is true that in the beginning, a part of the AND Other Imprints. . 1G3 •people were held in bondage^ and a different construc- tion was placed upon the Constitution by the people of the north and the south, yet after an armed conflict lasting four years in which the lives of 600,000 of our citizen-soldiers had been sacrificed upon the altar of the god of war, the nation emerged from the smoke of the con- flict a reunited people without the loss of a single star from the flag. The assertion in the Declaration of In- dependence that all men are created equal was now an actual fact and not as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. It could now be said by all persons born or naturalized in the United States from the pine-clad hills of Maine to the Golden Gates of California; from the placid waters of the Great Lakes to the orange groves of Florida, that they owed allegiance to no master save the God who created them. The United States has always espoused the cause of the weak and the oppressed. The Monroe Doctrine has been enforced in favor of her sister republics of the South. By an armed intervention Cuba, the Queen of the Antilles, was freed from th» tyranny of Spain. When any great calamity has occurred, and a call for aid has been issued, the purse strings of the American people have been loosened, and very liberal donations have been made. The people have always shown the same liberality in aiding the victims of an Italian earthquake, a famine in Russia, China, or India as in relieving the victims of a California earthquake, a Mississippi flood, or a Baltimore fire. These are objects worthy the best efforts of any nation. It has been said that the voice of the people is the voice of God. May the voice of the American people bq 164: Moccasin Tracks ill consonance with that Scriptural injunction which should be the orillamme of nations as well as indi- viduals that, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them." May our people know the right and dare to do the right at whatever sacrifices they may be called upon to make. May right always prevail. May justice, moderation, and wisdom be the w^atchwords of the American peo- ple. If we folloW' the principles I have laid down as indicating the true grandeur of nations our decline and fall is very remote. » ECHOES. The life of an individual is but an echo of the past. Some agency for good or for evil has either directly or indirectly influenced the life of every one. In Grecian mythology Echo was one of the numerous families of nymphs inhabiting the forests. She was the daughter of the Air and the Earth. Juno, the queen of heaven, became enraged at her because of her lo- quacity, and poor Echo was compelled to wait in silence until others had spoken and then to repeat their last words only. One day she saw and loved a youth named Narcissus, who came into the woods, searching for his companions of the chase. "Come hither,^' he called, and Echo, cried "Hither.'^ Narcissus replied. "Here I am — come." "I come,'' said Echo, and appeared before him. Narcissus stood as one transfixed at the sudden ap- pearance of a maiden of such dazzling beauty, but he was so much angered at iher mimicry that he turned and hastened away without even speaking to her. Poor Echo was so chagrined at this rebuff that from that chance meeting she faded to a voice and remains silent to this day unless she is called. Narcissus did not meet with a kindlier fate. He afterwards became so en- amored of his own image as seen in a fountain that he was changed into the flower that bears his name. This beautiful little flower, that belongs to the daffodil family, is used in European countries for Christmas decorations. Unlike the unfortunate wood nymph, we should speak fearlessly on all questions affecting the general 166 MoccASix Tracks welfare of the public. We should not wait to be called forth to defend the right and to censure the wrong. Every human action or endeavor, wdiether for good, or for evil purposes, has an influence proportionate to its intensity. Its effects will be felt in after years. It will act like an echo in its repetition and its influence will be felt by generations yet unborn. The life of an individual sets in motion a powerful agency that is re- turned in after years to bless or curse mankind. It has been said that our good deeds are written in water; our evil ones in brass. If the latter are so much more enduring, how careful one should be in his or her actions. No one can undo or entirely counter- act evil influences once set in motion. Like an echo they are cast back upon the world and are encountered at every turn in the highway of life to entangle and en- snare the unwary. An unkind word said in the heat of passion leaves a wounded heart that long refuses to be comforted. An evil or an unkind thought leaves its im- print on the character of the person who harbors it. "Each deed we do, each word we say, Though trivial they often seem. May hurt or help somebody else In ways of which we never dream.'' Deeds and words are like sound waves. Some great thinkers have said that when vibrations in the air are once started, they go on forever, although they may be inaudible to the human ear. The fact that the evil that men do lives after them has never been questioned; neither has the good that is done by them. It can never be known in this world to what extent 1G7 an act of ours may intiuence the life of another. It may be more far-reaching than the human mind can fathom as it is re-echoed in the life of future genera- tions. Which shall it be, for good or evil? It must be remembered that a physical echo exactly corresponds to the sound reproduced. If we speak kindly and gently, the returned words will be of a like char- acter. Harsh, grating words will be of a similar kind. How true and how applicable is this to one's every day life. That like produces like is as old as material creation. It holds good in the moral and the religious world as well. Christmas is a very appropriate time to refresh one's memory as to the character of the influence set in mo- tion during the past twelve months. The obscene story told in jest to amuse a friend; the profane words used in the presence of small boys; the lack of sympathy manifested towards some one in distress, and numerous other acts most trivial in themselves, and almost unno- ticed at the time, will go on and on, gaining new and added force each time they are repeated or echoed by others. Every individual sometimes unconsciously sets ex- amples that are most explicitly followed by others. Some years ago a farmer started to the barn to feed his stock. A little five year old son asked if he might go along. He was told that he could not walk through the deep snow. "But papa," said the child, "T can step in the tracks that you make." It can be most readily imagined what a train of thought this little in- cident awakened in the mind of the father. He most 1G8 MoccAsix Tracks assuredly came to the conclusion that his son would im- itate his daily conduct. "He is a chip of the old block/'' is a trite saying often quoted when describing the peculiarities of the father reproduced by the son. This is but an ecilio of the past life of the father, and will be present through- out the life o^' the offspring. It will be reechoed in the grandson. One of the greatest factors in the popularity of the gospel promulgated by the Great Teacher was His meekness and His humility: His desire to do good and to better man's condition in this world and in the next. His spotless life and His devotion to His work attracted and held the attention of countless millions of the hu- man race during the past nineteen hundred years. The human side of His life has been a guide for all men with good intentions. The benign influence of His life has echoed through the ages of the Christian era, and will continue until time shall be no more. The heralds of the nativity of Christ proclaimed peace on earth and good will to all men. What a trav- esty on this beautiful sentiment were the conditions in Europe on Christmas Hay, 191i. The ringing of tlie heretofore merry Christmas bells sounded like a tocsin of war or the death knell of a soldier whose life liad been extinguished in an attempt to exploit modern commercialism, or to enlarge the domain of some un- scrupulous ruler. But the ways of Providence are past human comprehension. Nations, as well as individu- als, are the instruments through which God works to accomplish His purposes. As the roar of the cannon from the lowlands of Bel- AND Other Imprints. 169 gium and the mountains of Alsace echo through the long corridors of time, some great and unexpected good to mankind will result from the stupendous loss of life and the intense suffering of the noncombatants. Pres- ent conditions in Europe would indicate that man is not yet ready to convert his weapons of warfare into implements of husbandry. This does not mean that the teachings of Christ have lost their efficiency. It is but an echo from man when he was in a state border- ing on savagery, when brute force was recognized and considered a far greater asset than moral or intellectual development, and when the life of a human being was of little worth when it was in opposition to the accom- plishment of some cherished plan. This should not be the condition in the first quarter of the twentieth century. War should have been left centuries behind so that nothing but its echo could be heard in this day of enlightenment. THE CEMETERY. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the great American writer, who is often referred to as the poet of Home, Hope and Heaven, has said that he liked the epithet ''God's Acre'' that the Saxons applied to their burial ground. His high mental organism and his great sym- pathetic heart at once saw the beautiful meaning ex- pressed in the appellation. The uncanny and superstitious awe in which a grave- yard is regarded by many persons is greatly diminished when we think of our last earthly resting place as being consecrated to God. To us our dear friends but sleep in God's loving care until He awakens them from their slumbers. This is not only a very comforting, but a very pleasing 'thought. This thought robs the grave of its seeming harshness and terror. To the Christian, who believes in the final resurrec- tion of the body, the grave is but a temporary abode froni which it will be called to enter upon a higher and perhaps a more useful career. Sorrow for the departed is the only grief from whicli the human heart refuses to be separated. This is a very striking characteristic of the human family. The remembrance of our friends becomes dearer to us as the tide of years roll onward in their ceasless course. The place where they lie at rest becomes dearer and we would not have them back again even if we could have it so. It is useless to re- pine over our loss. "We should rather rejoice that their life's work is completed and that they have but crossed over, to await our coming. They are yet living in the noble work which they accomplished during life's fit- AND Other Imprints. 171 ful career, and above all tins, they live in the heaxts and the aftections of their friends who are yet on this side of the line that divides time from eternity. It seems passing strange what little attention is be- stowed upon country cemeteries. They are overgrown with weeds and briars, and if fenced at all its unsightly appearance is such that it would be better to have dis- pensed with it altogether. But, says someone, the beau- tifying of the cemeteries does not benefit the deceased. We must readily admit the truthfulnss of this asser- tion. The good is intended for the living, and not for the dead. No one for a moment thinks that decorating the graves with flowers is of any use whatever to the occupant of the grave, but who among us would abolish this most beautiful custom ? By associating with persons, whom we love, we are elevated to a higher plane of thought and self and all selfish feelings are kept in abeyance. It is because of this tendency that the attention and care given to the cemetery has an ennobling effect. A few years since a crowded railroad train stopped on a siding near one of the most popular and well kept cemeteries in central West Virginia. The day was blustery and stormy, it being midwinter. Snow lightly covered the ground, which blended harmoniously with the tombstones and more pretentious monuments which covered a large area of space. The passengers sitting on the side of the cars facing the cemetery for sometime listlessly watched the snowflakes chasing one another past the windows in rapid succession. Presently their attention was attracted to a man of perhaps seventy 17*? Moccasin Tracks years and a little girl of about live standing beside a grave over in what seemed to be a neglected part of the burial ground. JSTo high shafts of marble or granite adorned the vicinity in which tbey stood. Judging from their dress it was plainly indicated that they belonged to the humbler walks of life. The old gentleman wore neither overcoat nor gloves, and the child was clad in a faded gingham frock. The little girl carried a small basket on her arm containing a few Howers. With these they decorated the grave in the midst of the blinding storm., While tliis was being done one could easily imagine the childish prat- tle of the little girl. Perhaps, she was saying that dear old gTandma had loved the flowers. Perchance, it was in memory of a kind, loving mother, that this was being done. The conversation could not be heard but the deed could not be minconstrued. As the train left that hallowed scene there was not a person who witnessed this act of devoted love who had not a warm spot in his heart for the old man and the little girl. Otlier cemeteries many miles distant was brought vividly to mind where a snow-covered mound contained all that was mortal of some loved one. It is such a homely scene as this that makes the world aware of tlie universal brotherhood of mankind. There is, indeed, a touch of nature that makes the world akin. A greater tribute of respect was paid to the memory of the one who lay buried beneath the snow tlian the erection of a costly monument. Chronicles of an Oak Number I. A lone and pensive angler near the close of a hot day in July sat himself down beneath the ample foliage of the "Skyles Oak." The day had been spent in fish- ing for bass in Biroh river. The gentle breezes from the west as they played among the branches of the tree may have lulled him to repose, or it may have been the listlessness that comes over one in solitude that soothes tired muscles as well as a tired brain. At any rate the angler felt conscious of a small voice that came from the branches of the tree, and it seemed to be addressing the angler : ♦ ♦ Si5 ^'And you would like to hear something of my life history ? Well, well ! Many, many years ago, perhaps two hundred, I was a small acorn snuggled closely in my little cradle. My mamma stood on that high bluff just beyond the cliff you can see yonder. One autumn day a little bird took me out of my cradle and carried me down here by the side of the brook. It told me that I would soon change my form and that I would become very beautiful. I went to sleep and slept for a long, long time. One morning in April the south wind woke me and it told me that I was to be a tree. The sun, rain and dew nourished me, and my leaves began to unfold. * * * One of the first things I can remember, besides the bright sunsihine and what the little bird and the south wind told me, was a pretty, graceful doe that led her two spotted fawns down to drink of the sparkling 176 Moccasin Tracks water that flowed beneath my tiny branches. This was many, many years before the white hunter had invaded this country. The deer had neither heard the report of his rifle nor the bark of his dog. They were always very shy, timid animals, but they were not afraid to come into the open spaces in their forest home. ♦ ♦ Hs "When I was a very small sapling, some Indians that had come from the Shawnee town on the Scioto, in Ohio, passed by on their way to visit their kin at the Mingo Flats. They went up Birch by way of the Toll Gate and crossed the Gauley at the Old Indian Ford south-west of Upper Glade. Oh, my, how scared I w^as when I saw their painted faces and their toma- hawks ! Xo white settlers lived in this valley at that time for them to make war upon. ♦ Hs Hs '"When I had grown to a good-sized tree, a man with an axe came here and he cut down many smaller trees and built a rude log cabin, near where I stand. He then went aw^ay and was gone for many days. When he returned he brought with him a woman and the cutest little blue-eyed baby you have ever seen. He brought them from Bath County beyond the mountains. Since that time many generations of Dodrills, Baugh- mans and Barnetts have walked the foot bridge across Skyles creek beneath m}^ friendly branches. ♦ * * "There used to be a sign-board nailed to my trunk, which told many a weary traveler that it was thirty- one miles to Addison where the now famous Salt Sul- • AND Other Imprixts. 177 pliur springs are located. Invalids often pass here on horseback and in carriages on their way to drink of their life-giving water. ♦ * ^ "1 well remember when a small freckled faced, bare- foot boy passed by on his way to Barnett's Mill, in my own way I spoke to him, but he passed on without giving me but little thought or attention. It may be that he thought that it was only the breezes sighing among my branches, or a ghost that would catch him before he again saw his dear mamma. He is now a man and is better versed in woodcraft than he was at that time. * * * . "Do you remember anything that occurred in this and adjoining counties during the Civil War? You were too young to remember much about the war, eh ! AVell, I remember many things that occurred during that late unpleasantness. In the first year of the war a party of horsemen from the vicinity of Upper Glade passed by here. While their horses drank at the ford, I heard a part of their conversation. One gentleman in particular, who seemed to be very loquacious, said that if there were any Yankees at the Pike he would like to see them. They continued on their way and in the late afternoon they came back in a great hurry, and the gentleman who wanted to see the Yankees was so frightened that he did not know whether it was him- self or his horse that had been wounded. It was after- wards ascertained that the horse was mortally wounded and the rider was unscathed. William McKinley, 178 Moccasin Tracks * Rutherford B. Hays and Wliitelaw Eeid were with the Yankees at the Pike at that time. * * ♦ '\Sonie weeks after this little episode a company of soldiers stopped here and a blue-eyed^ fair-haired drmn- mer boy looked at me and said, 'Why, here is a tree just like the one in our yard at home on the Picka- way Plains, in Ohio.' His lips trembled and the tears trickled down his fair cheeks as he thought of the loved ones at home. After they had gone a short time the rattle of musketry was heard, and I have often wondered if the little drummer boy ever again saw the oak tree in his father's yard. AVas he with Sherman on his 'March to the Sea,' or with Grant at Appomattox? Did he fill an unmarked grave on the banks of the beautiful Shenandoah ? ''One night many years after the war a number of persons passed here wearing masks. They stopped and held a whispered conversation. I could not hear much of what was said but I suspected that they were on their way to rob Uncle John Baughman, an aged but inoffensive man, who lived a short distance above here. Some time after midnight they returned, but they were in such a hurry that I could not hear what either of them said. There was a woman in the crowd, but she could walk as fast as the men. It was scarcely a week after this that two officers of the law crossed the ford with the woman and two men handcuffed. I heard one of the officers say something about a place 'called Moimdsville, and judging by what he said it is not a AND Other Imprints. 179 desirable place to be sent, especially for a woman. It ^^•as two or three years before I saw the woman again and I am sorry to say that her trip to Moundsville did not bring about a reformation in her way of living. ♦ * ^ '"A civil engineer passed by here not long since. He encircled my waist with a tape line and said that I was one hundred and forty-four inches in circumference. He also spoke of how many railroad cross-ties could be sawed from my trunk. Now, I hope they will not cut me down and haul me to Cowen, as I have seen them do with so many other fine trees. ♦ * ♦ "One evening while the Skyles Training school was in session, a young man and a very beautiful girl came down here. They sat on the end of the foot-bridge and talked and talked, but it was in such subdued tones that I could scarcely hear what they said. I did hear them say something about next June, the month of roses, and as they went away the moon stole out from behind a cloud and as tlie girl looked up into the strong, handome face of her companion, they both looked very happy. But the oak and the moon do not tell the secrets of lovers. Many love affairs are told us in great confidence, which are never repeated. ♦ ♦ ♦ "'What have you in your basket? Bass, caught out of Birch, did you say? The bass came up from Birch into Skyles before you anglers came here. They raised myriads of little black babies each spring. When these were ten or twelve inches long they went down in- 180 Moccasin Tracks to the deep pools and did not return again except to spawn in the spring. * * * ''The angler at this time was aroused to conscious- ness and he took his way down the river in the direc- tion of his ihome, thinking of what he had heard and wondering if all trees did not have an interesting history to relate if one could but put himself in the proper attitude to understand them/' Number II. On a reeent visit to his old home on Birch river the angler of last July took up his gun, where it had lain for many a year, and wended his way to the woods in quest of the gray squirrel. The sun was just rising above the eastern horizon and his beams soon dissipated the autumnal fog that hung like a pall over the peace- ful valley. The day was an ideal one for an outing in the forest. A gentle breeze from the east scarcely moved the leaves that had now begun to put on their tints of yellow, red, and orange as if the trees were be- ing dressed for a holiday. The blue jays were scolding from the tops of the beech and chestnut trees, in seem- ing impatience of the lateness of the frost king that was to open to their inquisitive gaze the juicy treasures contained in their burrs. The woodchuck, now grown sleek, fat, and lazy from his too frequent visits to the clover patch, stood erect on his hind legs and eyed the hunter askance as if to say, "And you have again returned to disturb the quietness of the little denizens of fields and woods.'' The notes of the yellow breasted chat, the clown and the ventriloquist of the deep, tangled thickets, no longer vibrated upon the air. He took his departure early in the month of July to more favored regions to spend the time in peace and quiet during the molting season. The sharp cry of the robin and the thrush indicated their early departure for the sunny south, where they can renew their former loves in a more congenial clime. The numerous family of flycatchers are no longer seen on the wing, the first blasts of 183 MoccASix Tracks Boreas having sent the insects, their chief food supply, to their inscrutable winter homes. Squirrels were plentiful, feeding on the nuts of the beech, the hickory and the chestnut trees. Tlie loud and frequent report of the Stevens echoed from hill to hill. Many innocent animals were killed that morning that had never in any manner harmed the hunter. When his thirst for blood had been satisfied, he realized that he was once more in the midst of the familiar scenes of his boyhood days. What man that has reached the meridian of life does not wash for the return of those halcyon days- — days spent in the innocent contemplation of the world that lay all undiscovered before him. But, alas ! Those were the days in which the rose plucked from the inno- cent bowers of pleasure had no thorns. The lengthen- ing shadows now warned the hunter of approaching night, and being in the vicinity of the Skyles Oak, he could not forego the pleasure of again resting beneath its friendly branches. The incessant babbling of the brook seemed to invite repose, and being in a mood for meditation, as on a former occasion, he seemed to hear a low, sweet voice coming from among the branches. Listening attentively this voice resolved i'tself into speech and appeared to be addressed to the hunter: * *. * ^^And you are the angler who was here last July? I see you have changed your fish rod for a gun. It were a great pity that you so-called sportsmen have such cupidity. Why not be content in viewing the beauties of nature and in studying the forms and the habits of God's innocent creatures? But instead of this, it is just kill, kill, with you. Had you but given a AND Other Imprints. 183 small portion of the time and money you have spent in hunting and fishing to the study of amateur photogra- phy, you would now have a collection of pictures you would prize very much. Did you say that you would give five dollars for a photograph of many of the scenes you have looked upon in your outings? Why, certainly you would, and more too. But it is now too late to oh- tain them, for many have heen destroyed hy man through some oue of his many destructive ways. SjS ^ ^ "I am very sorry to see those little dead squirrels, but I am also very glad that you did not kill any ruffed grouse. It is against the law to kill them at this time, did you say? The average hunter cares hut little for the law when he has a chance to kill any kind of game. He usually considers any living animal his lawful prey. Many years ago a pretty little squirrel made his home among my branches. He was so playful and such a gentle little creature that I loved him very dearly. T was awakened one morning by the loud l3ark- ing of a dog. The squirrel had gone down to yonder walnut tree for his breakfast. He ran to me as fast as he could run, and climbed my trunk to the topmost branches, where he thought that he was safe. Just then a man came up the road carrying a gun. How I trembled for the safety of my little friend! A loud report was -heard and the squirrel fell limp and lifeless to the ground. His life-blood dyed the daisies that grew by the road-side a crimson hue. The man ap- peared greatly elated over his triumph and carried the lifeless bodv away. 18i MoccAsix Tracks "I have often heard that you were a friend of the hirds. Year after year a pair of orioles have suspended their nest from one of my slender twigs and reared their young undisturbed. Cardinal grosbeaks and song sparrows nest in the hemlock and rhododendrons grow- ing along the margin of the brook. I hope parents and teacliers will so instruct the boys that they will love and protect the birds. They are not so plentiful as they were when I Avas a younger tree. You have prob- ably noticed how many fine trees are infested with worms and caterpillars of late years. This is because of the decrease in the number of birds. The girls, true to their finer sensibilities and inclinations, do not harm the birds except in following the relentless hand of fashion. 'Now, were I a young lady instead of being a tree, I should never wear a little dead bird on my hat. It is tolerating the wanton destruction of God's most beautiful, as well as most useful, created beings in the lower forms of life. "One beautiful Sunday morning a number of boys who should have l)een at church came down here. Their attention was soon attracted l)y the chirp of young birds. They spied the nest and with shouts of antici- pated victory began to throw stones at it, but it was too liigb for their pimy efforts to be of any avail. One of tlie boys, more reckless and daring than his compan- ions, at once proceeded to dim)) my trunk with the evil intention of taking the nestlings from their soft, downy cradle that had been so gently rocked by the wind. Before he reached his coveted prize the branch oji whicli he stood suddenly broke, and he fell heavily to tbe ground. I felt very sorry to see the boy in such AND Otpier Imprints. 185 great pain, but I was surely very glad that he did not get my baby birds. I hope that he learned a very im- portant lesson from his luckless adventure and that he never attempted to rob a bird's nest again. * * ♦ "You would like to be told something more about the Civil War? Well, I once told you a little comedy about the war, but I will tell you about one of its trage- dies. It was the saddest incident that I witnessed dur- ing that distressing period. Two civilians, dressed in the honorable uniform of Southern soldiers, stopped here with an old man, whose scanty locks were white almost as the driven snow. He had been taken from his mill over on Gauley river in Nicholas county. They had made him give up his boots and had given him a pair of old shoes. They had compelled him to carry them over the many fords of Birch. The water was icy cold, it being late in autumn. I heard him speak of a dear, little l)oy that had been left on the mill. He feared he would be drowned before his mamma found him. The old man, almost heart-broken, wrung his hands in agony while the tears ran down his emaciated cheeks. He never returned to his home and his loved ones. He died in the land of Dixie, where he was taken, a mar- tyr to sectional strife. A few weeks after a company of Nicholas Home Guards passed this way. I heard one of them say the little boy found his way home. For many and many a cold winter day he anxiously watched for his papa who never returned to greet him. He is now a man and is an influential citizen of Nicholas county. Well, 1 know this is not a very pleasing story for you or anyone to hear, but it is true, nevertheless. 186 Moccasin Tracks I hope that no section of country or class of sociotv will ever again be arrayed against another. Such a sad thing as I have related can only occur in civil vstrife or warfare. Eobert Burns, the Scottish poet, has very truthfully said, 'Man's inhumanity to man makes count- less thousands mourn.' * * * ''There have been many advertisements of patent medicines, tobaccos and political meetings posted on my trunk. Xow, I think this is very wrong. Many of the most beautiful rural scenes have been greatly marred by this most pernicious practice. Eocks and trees alike are disfigured. What a shock it must be to a, per- son, when viewing some natural object of exquisite beauty with infinite pleasure, to l)e remnided of the fact that he has that tired feeling, or that he is bilious and should take a certain brand of pills or other nau- seous decoction that in every instance does the patient more harm than good. If such things must be read by a long-suffering people, let bill boards be erected for such purposes. I have heard that many farmers allow such stuff to be placed on their barns and other farm buildings, but I can scarcely believe that it can be true. I hope the legislature of West Virginia will soon pass a law making it a misdemeanor under a penalty of fine and imprisonment to post notices or advertisements of any kind on rocks and trees along the public highways, in parks, or on private property unless permission from the owner has been obtained. * * * ' "iSTow, T have taken you into my confidence, and I have told you, in my homely way, many interesting AXD Other Imprixts. 187 things. By some persons you have been called a very successful angler and hunter. But you have gained no real pleasure in your murderous pursuits. When you witnessed the death of one of your victims you felt like an actual murderer. You could not witness the dying agonies, and sought solace in some excuse to justify the taking of a life you never can give back again. I am frank in telling you that I consider it a very doubtful compliment to be called successful in the pursuit of any harmless creatures. God in his infinite wisdom made them all, and their indiscriminate slaughter by man is wrong. You should not again be guilty of such wan- ton destruction of life as you have in the past." * * * The hunter was aroused from his reverie by the rather harsh tone in which these last words were spoken, and feeling guilty of the charge, he picked up the dead squirrels and half wished that he could restore them alive to their forest home. As he slowly traveled in the direction of home his thoughts were of a sadder cast than they were when he so joyously went to the woods that beautiful autumnal morning. Number III. When we have been attracted to any one of the great objects of inanimate nature it is but little wonder that we desire to pass some time in its presence indulging in pleasing reveries, or spending the time in contemplat- ing its beauties. We never grow tired of it. While in its presence there is a restfulness that comes upon one that is akin to sleep^ and a tranquilit}' that gives a respite from the harassing cares of the daily routine of life. To some persons this object is a flower; to oth- ers a rock, a tree, a river, or a mountain, and yet to others it is each of these combined in one grand pano- rama of nature. To me, the most l^eautiful thing below the animal kingdom, is a tree. In its majesty as it towers towards the sky, it seems to possess some of the qualities be- longing to the human family, yet it defies the storms of a thousand winters: its branches assume an upright position to be the more able to overcome gravitation. If its branches are broken by the wind, the damage is quickly repaired and a scar only remains as a reminder of adversity. Trees have inspired the prose writer as well as the poet. They have plaved a very conspicuous part in the history of the Fnited States. These historic trees can be found scattered throughout the length and breadth of the land. Bryant tells us that the groves were God's first temples. It was there that man first lifted up his heart in praise to his Creator before the building of churches, cathedrals, or temples. The oak tree was sacred to the Druids, the ancient inhabitants of Great Britain. AXD Other Impeixts. 189 It has not been many weeks since the erstwhile an- gler and hunter was in the vicinit}^ of the Skyles Oak, and he again rested beneath its sheltering branches. The western breeze, the babbling brook^ and the inces- sant hum of the autumnal insects invited repose. The tree spoke to him in its former tone, and with its usual alacrity, but in a somewhat sadder vein. This sadness might have been because of the near approach of win- ter or the loss of some of its leaves. * * * "Well, I have told you on two former occasions some of the most interesting things that have come under my observation. I was here when the first settlement was made in this valley. I have seen the old pioneer dressed in homespun clothes pass away and his son wearing tailor-made clothes succeed him. I have seen the children go by here on their way to school. It glad- dens the heart of any one to see them care-free, and to hear them talking so artlessly of the burdens of life that lay so lightly upon their shoulders. This is as it should be for them. They will be rudely awakened to the stern realities of life soon enough. Let them en- joy life before its burdens become heavy. * * * "Many children of the neighborhood have come here to play) in my shade and to build castles out of the sand in the road and along the brookside. I remem- ber one little girl with sparkling blue eyes and raven liair who used to gather acorns in her apron and play at hide-and-seek with the boys and girls of her own age. Her smile was like the sunshine and her lauojhter was 190 MoccAsiJ^ Teacks as musical as the ripple of the brook or the carol of the birds among my branches. The same Being that had formed the one had created the others also. Well do I remember seeing her start on her first morning to school to the Four Oaks. She often brought her books over here and prepared her lessons when she had grown older. She was always kind and gentle, and she had many friends. I saw her go away one autumn day and I afterwards learned that she was teaching school. I watched from day to day for her home coming. When she did come home, over there where you can see the two black pines in front of the house, she did not come to see me because the snow lay deep on the ground. On Sunday evening she left the home of her childhood never again to visit it. One cold winter day I saw a sad throng slowly and sorrowfully coming down the road bringing the body of my once little favorite. All that was mortal of her was laid to rest on yonder hill, where the violets and daisies deck her last resting place each returning spring. 'Thus the young and lov-ely pass away.' Many children have played here since then, but I can never forget the little fairy-like girl who vis- ited me so often. The snows of twenty-two winters have covered her grave. This mantle ol snow is a very be- fitting emblem of her pure and unselfish life. * * * "It has been extremely painful for me to witness the many cruelties practiced upon the horses that have been driven or ridden past here. Many horses are afraid to venture upon the ice that often covers the brook in winter, and whip and spur are used without AND Other Imprints. 191 mercy. I have seen many teams oveiioadedj and be- cause the heavy load could not be moved up the steep bank on the opposite side of the brook, the horses were cruelly beaten by the ignorant drivers. A few months ago a very fine span of horses hitched to a wagon loaded heavily with lumber crossed the brook, but they could not move it up the bank on the other side. The leader was a beautiful bay, with sleek, glossy hair. The poor creatures time after time did their very best, but still the wagon did not move. The driver plied his whip with a heavy hand, and used the customary pro- fane language, but neither availed anything. The horses had become confused and could not pull to- gether and the wagon rolled back into the brook. The usual crowd collected. Each man offered a plan as the best method of procedure. At this time a very benevo- lent] looking old gentleman came down the road and stopped to' inquire as to wliy so many men and lioys bad collected by the roadside. Upon learning the trouble, he spoke kindly to the horses and stroked the neck of tbe leader. Tbe intelligent animal rubbed his head against the old man's shoulder. After adjusting the harness on each of the borses he took up the lines, but not the whip, and spoke to tliem in a voice that indi- cated that the trouble had been removed. The horses pulled with a will; the wheels began to turn, and the load was easily landed at the top of the bank. This was an object lesson not soon to be forgotten. The horses felt that their driver did not g'ive them fair treatment and they could not act in concert. When they had been spoken to kindly they felt like showing 192 MoccASix Tracks their appreciation and the wagon moved along. Socie- ties for the prevention of cruelty to animals have done and are doing a noble work. It is to be hoped that branch societies will be founded in every county oL West Virginia. "t see you have neither rod nor gun with you. 1 hope yon will begin the study of nature with a camera instead of such deadly weapons as you have been accus- tomed to use on your outings. When you get in close touch with the squirrels, the grouse, and the quail, they become so interesting that you have no desire to kill them. They become a part of the great w^orld of beauty that is spread around you, and, wdien they are gone there is nothing so interesting in nature to take their place. Can you imagine what a dreary place this w^orld would be if there were no wild animal life? This will be the condition a few^ years from now^ if restrictive measures are not soon put in force. ♦ -fi * ''It has been more than one hundred years since the first party of surveyors was here. The leader of the crew was a man by the name of Skyles, who was a son of the noted surveyor of Kanawha county. He sur- veyed a tract of land lying near the mouth of the brook that was later called Skyles creek. The space of a cen- tury means much in the life history of the individuals composing a nation, but it means but little in the his- tory of a forest tree. Before the blighting hand of the lumberman had smitten the forests of Birch river many stately poplar trees, whose life history embraced AND Other Imprints. 193 more than seven centuries, graced its banks. These grand old landmarks of the remote past have all been cut down and the logs floated to Charleston, or left to decay along the banks of the streams." * * * The latter part of this discourse awakened in the listener a feeling of sadness, because it brought back to his mind the days of his youth, when he rambled care- free through the woods on his father's farm admiring the majestic beauty of the forest giants. He waited for a continuation of the discourse, but the voice was stilled. The breeze had died away and the sun having lono^ since crossed the meridian, the listener hastened homeward musing on the mutability of time. INFLUENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN RE- LIGION ON CIVILIZATION. • The untaught mind of men in all ages and in ail countries has tried to discover the source of life and the dispenser of happiness among the people of the world. This has given rise to many different systems of religion, and each has had a marked effect upon tlie destiny of nations and the lives of individuals. The fol- lowers of Zoroaster believe that their hig*hest religious duty is to ;destroy all harmful animals and noxious weeds. The Egyptian mothers, in an agony of grief, threw their babies into the Nile to be devoured by the hideous crocodiles because they had been taught that this was the most effectual way of gaining divine favor. The devotees of other religions tried to make them- selves just as miserable as possible in this life because they thought that was the means by which they could gain celestial happiness in the next. The folloAvers of Confucius pay divine homage to their ancestors because they have been taught that by so doing they can obtain eternal happiness. The Jewish priests sacrificed lambs and doves be- cause they thought that Jehovah was pleased by the shedding of hlood on the sacrificial altar. The Aztecs of Mexico sacrificed their handsomest boys and most beautiful girls because they thought that to be the only way in which they could again bring themselves into the favor of an offended Deity. But the religion that has had the most powerful ef- fect, and has -been the most potent factor in the world for good, is the one that was established by the meek and lowly Jesus — the Christ-child born in Bethlehem AND Other .Imprints. 195 of Judea more than nineteen hundred years ago. By him a new religion was given to mankind in which the two principal tenets are, love to God_, the Creator, and love to man, our fellow being. This is a revealed religion based upon the prophetic revelations of such men as Samuel, Isaiah^ Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and many other holy men of the Hebrew nation. This re- ligion in the beginning was taught by Jesus, assisted by the disciples and apostles. The idea of a Supreme Grod being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, was but imperfectly understood at that time. This religion is the one governing the conduct of all civi- lized nations of to-day and the one upon which all of their public institutions are based. The great mission- ary zeal of the Christians has caused to be erected a cross, the emblem of their faith, among the most re- mote people on the globe. These people have been in- structed in the principles of moral and religious recti- tude that are elevating in their tendency and in conse- quence civilization and learning have been dissem- inated. The Christian religion is based upon the very ele- ments of civilization. It aims for a higher and purer life ; for the administration of Justice between man and man. It is the basis of modern society, and it of- fers to those who sucessfully run the race of life in harmony with certain prescribed rules a crown of ever- lasting glory, and to those who fail to honor their Cre- ator eternal banishment from His presence. Non-civilization is the lack of the proper organiza- tion of society on the principles of right and justice. It is that state of existence in which the people are 196 Moccasin Tracks steeped in ignorance and superstition and in which they have no proper conception of either right or wrong. The Christian religion, by being the basis of society, is a most potent factor in civilization because it teaches the sacredness of the marriage vow and filial affection. It teaches obedience to law and government. It also teaches one's duty to those in unfortunate circumstances, all of which elevate and ennoble man- kind. The first nation to embrace the Christian religion was the Roman Empire. Many barbaric peoples with whom the Eomans came in contact gladly received their missionaries and were enrolled as members of the church when baptized. They also accepted their laws, maimers and customs that had come from Egypt, As- syria, Babylonia, Phoenecia, Greece and many other countries. This civilization and culture was passed to England, Spain, Holland, Germany, Sweden and France through the medium of Christianity. From these countries it came to America, where it has borne its choicest fruit. It is to this religion that we of to-day owe our great- est debt of gratitude for our boasted civilization in the United States, the land over which the Stars and Stripes, designed by Betsy Eoss, waves so triumph- antly. The Mohammedan religion, founded by Mohammed about thirteen hundred years ago, has cast a blight over every country in which it has been established, because its founder told his followers to plant the Moslem faith by the arbitrament of the sword where necessary. What a contrast is this with the Christian religion founded AND Other Imprints. 197 by Jesus, who told his followers if smitten on one cheek to turn the other also. The angels at the nativity of Christ sang an anthem, the burden of which was, "Peace on earth and good will to all jmen." This should be the slogan of Christ's followers to-day. They should not force their religion on any nation, but by their upright conduct prove to the world that the Christian religion is a reality and not a cloak to be worn for the purpose of gaining popularity. The Christian religion teaches the universal broth- erhood of mankind and the equality of all men in the sight of God, whether high or low, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, if they but obey His commands. This religion pleaded effectually for the abolition of the slave and the serf, although St. Paul said that the re- ligion of Jesus did not^ change the condition or rela- tion of the slave and his master. This meant obedience to the laws under which one lives. It prepared the way for the introduction of art, literature and culture from Eome among the barbaric nations of Western Europe, and exerted a powerful influence in the fusion of the Latin and Teutonic peoples, which has been such a power in modern civilization. The Crusades, which were religious wars carried on in behalf of Christianity, and which were contrary to its teachings, gave great momentum to civilization.' It did not mat- ter in the least whether the Holy Sepulcher, that had been the resting place of the body of Jesus, was in the possession of the infidel Turks, who were the followers of Mohammed, or under the dominion of the Chris- tians. But "God moves in a mysterious way," and much good resulted therefrom, although the lives of vast mul- 198 Moccasin Tracks titudes of deluded people were sacrificed. The surviv- ors, on their return to their homes in Western Europe, brought back with them treasures ,'of learning and classical literature — the fruits of past centuries of hu- man endeavor. This awakened among the people of the different countries to which the Crusaders returned an intellectual activity, which finally resulted in the great outbreak known as the Eevival of Learning. These holy wars helped to break down the long established Feudal Aristocracy and gave prominence to kings and people; they checked the advance of the Turks from Asia and Africa for three centuries, and preserved the existence of Constantinople to the Christians, and thus gave to the young and rising civilization of Western Europe time to gain the strength necesary to defeat the Moslem hordes when they^ invaded Europe in the fifteenth century. The literature of Christian nations, based upon the Bible, has had an elevating effect on the minds of men. The Bible, especially that part of it called the Xew Testament, has become the guide for the majority of all the people in all civilized nations, and its influence for good is recognized by those who do not follow its teachings. Milton's ^Taradise Lost," Bunyan's "Pil- grim's Progress" and Bryant's "Thanatopsis" are recog- nized classics in fhe English language. Each of these was inspired in the miuds of the author by meditating on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and the great plan of human redemption. The reading of these productions make better men and nobler women. Paint- ing and sculpture have been greatly enriched by persons who have taken their subjects from the Bible. AND Other Imprints. 199 This religion is destined to march onward in its course until all nations and peoples recognize its merits. GOVEHNMENT. The nature of the government under which one lives affects his well-being to a greater extent than any other thing, not excepting religion. A close and impartial perusal of the pages of history will justify this asser- tion. From the time in which civil government was first instituted — a time very remote in the annals of an- tiquity — history records countless revolutions, insurrec- tions and rebellions. These were principally caused by the mistaken ideas of the rulers that the government was instituted for their good and for their personal aggrandizement, and not for the good of the governed. The people objected to any restraint of their actions and were restless and easily provoked to violence. The rulers were despotic, inhuman and licentious. Many profligate rulers resorted to extortion to replenish a depleted treasury. In comparing the governments of the twentieth cen- tury of our era with those of two thousand years ago, we wonder how they could be endured. A better ex- planation of the objects of government can not be found than the ones given in the preamble to our Na- tional Constitution. "To establish justice, to insure do- mestic tranquility, to provide for the common defense, to promote the general welfare, and to secure the bless- ings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.'' This takes in the whole scope of government, and if these objects are strictly observed many abuses of government would speedily disappear. 200 Moccasin Tracks Government is established for the good of the ones controlled, and not for the benefit of the rulers. It is not for the good of the few to the detriment of the many. The general good could not be secured through any other agency and some form of civil government becomes a necessity. Law, which is a prescribed rule of action, is the guar- dian of liberty, and without it there would be anarchy, which is a state of society in which each individual fol- lows the bent or inclination of his own desires without any restraint from any one in authority. One object of government is to protect the people in their individual rights. It does this by restraining others from doing violence to their person or to their property. Government is therefore rendered necesary by the disposition of some individuals to do wrong, and this will ever be the condition as long as human frail- ties exist. But government is not merely repressive; it must perform other functions ; it is not only neces- sary to restrain the evil-doer, and protect the just, but it is necessary to promote the general welfare as well as the welfare of individuals in the protection of their political rights. There are many things that must be done for the ad- vancement of a nation that can only be accomplished through the agency of civil government. It has much more to do besides restraining violence, redressing wrongs and punishing transgressors. Science and art are to be fostered; education must be promoted: pub- lic buildings erected and cared for; highways and bridges built and maintained. It has been said by many writers on Civics that government is a necessary 'AND Other Imprints. 301 evil and the government is the best that governs the least. The tendency of such statements is to create distrust of, and aversion to, one of the greatest institu- tions created by man. A government should be loved, obeyed and respected. If it is founded on justice and administered in wisdom, it is always beneficial to the people living under it. If governments are regarded as necessary evik ren- dered necessary because of the viciousness and stupid- ity of the human family, there is no reason for the existence of patriotism, that is stronger than the love of kindred or any of the other natural affections. This is a very strong proof that government is regarded as a blessing and not as an evil. It must be admitted that there are abuses practiced in all governments, even in the best forms, because man being an imperfect being can not create a perfect structure. The best govern- ment is not the one that governs the least but, all things being equal, that one is the best that makes the least show of governing. The wise ruler, whether in family, school or state, will avoid giving prominence to the fact that he is a controlling power, but the un- wise one will on every occasion endeaver to make a dis- play of his power. There have been many forms of government known to history. The oldest was a patriarchal form in which the father ruled his family and immediate descendants, and at his death the next oldest member succeeded him. This, because of the migratory habits of the people, was not a very satisfactory form, and was superseded by a monarchy in which a, king or queen ruled over a certain territory without regard to kinship. Sacred 202 Moccasin Tracks ihistory tells oi' a very peculiar form that existed in Palestine whicli may be termed a theocracy^, which is a government under the immediate agency of Grod. The law was revealed to Moses who in turn gave it to the people. We would naturally conclude that this would be a very satisfactory government, but the Hebrews grew rebellious and clamored for a king, which was given .them in the person of Saul. Another form was a government by the wisest and wealthiest men, called nobles, and is what is known in history as an aristocracy. This is now obsolete as a separate government, but it is sometimes found com- bined with monarchy. It was always unpopular because it was too exclusive and did not give the masses a voice in their most vital affairs. As civilization advanced and education became more diffused, the common people obtained recognition and obtained a share in law making. In this way democra- cies were founded in Europe at a very early period. This form has for its foundation the right of suffrage and it has always been very highly prized by the mid- dle and lower classes of society. A republican form of government is a kind of democracy, in which the law- making power, as well as the executive, is elected by those entitled to vote. This form is substituted for a pure democracy in a large, populous country where it is impossible for the electorate to meet in one place for the transaction of business. There are three essential elements in all good gov- ernments, viz: strength, wisdom, and honesty. A gov- ernment must be'i strong) enough to quell insurrection at home, or to repel invasion from without, and to pro- AND Ottier Imprixts. 203 tect its interests and citizens in foreign countries; it must possess wisdom in order that the best and the most suitable laws may be enacted; it must be honest or else it will fall into disrepute and will fail to receive the hearty support of the citizens. A monarchy is noted for strength, an aristocracy for wisdom, and a democracy (a republic) for honesty. It is easy to understand why a republic is the most honest of all other forms of government. The people being the rulers, it is to be supposed that they will be honest with themselves. It will often happen that dis- honest men will be elected to fill a position for a short period of time, but at the next election they can be turned out of office and upright men put in their places. The government of the United States is a very pecul- iar one, and can scarcely be comprehended by foreign- ers. It is not thoroughly understood by many of our own citizens. If we say that the citizens of the United States are one people in all respects and under a gov- ernment which is neither a consolidated republic, nor yet a confederacy, nor a mixture of the two, but one in which the powers of government are divided between a general government and a particular one, each emanat- ing from the same source, which is the people, we will have a very good idea of the government of the United States. Were the government a league of states, there could be no central or national government; were the nation a consolidated republic, there would be no state governments. In a republic the will of the people is supreme, and all who live virtuously may live happily. All laws are based upon a constitution of their own choosing, and it 204 MoccAsiK Tracks may be amended from time to, time where found to be necessary. The National Constitution established three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial, and it also provides that these shall be inde- pendent of each other. The United States, in a way, combines monarchy, aristocracy and depiocracy, which are the three principal forms known to history. The individual called the monarch is typified in the person of the president, who gives strength and stability; the senate represents the nobles in an aristocracy and gives wisdom ; democracy is illustrated in the house of repre- sentatives and gives honesty. A new set of representa- tives is elected by the legal voters every two years and reflects their opinions and sentiments. A republican form is considered the best government for an enlight- ened and an intelligent people. BIRDS AND FLOWERS. The Creator has given us a most beautiful world in which to live. He has also given us intelligence capa- ble of the utmost enjoyment, if properly cultivated. One of the greatest pleasures of life is within easy reach of every one if he but listens to the harmonies of Na- ture and keeps his eyes open to her different lines and shades of beauty. It is possible for one to go through this life neither seeing nor hearing, yet he is neither blind nor deaf. The most beautiful flower makes no impression upon the eye; the songs of the birds make no impression on the ear. He has utterly failed to get in touch with the God of Nature and the God of Eeve- lation will be but imperfectly understood and will be but little appreciated by him. The two principal w^ords in the caption of this arti- cle are not very aristocratic when one considers the great array of adjectives that might modify or restrict their meaning. I think that these words are inferior to none in the English language except three — Mother, Home and Heaven. Each of these has reference to a higher organism and development, and they are su- preme in our language. Mother is the only celestial being this side of Heaven. She is the crowned queen of material creation. Home is the dwelling place of mother, where we forget all of our troubles amidst her all overshadowing love. Heaven is the only place where one can enjoy a full fruition of all the hopes and aspirations of this life. Birds are the greatest beings not endowed with will power or the power of knowing. It is said in the Bible 206 Moccasin Tracks that man was created a little lower than the angels. To my mind birds are but a few removes from man him- self; therefore birds are but little removed from the angels. Each of these several classes was spoken into existence by the same creator. From a botanical viewpoint every student of biology can tell us the object and the purpose of a flower. God could have accomplished the same object through other means. But in His infinite wisdom He gave us the flowers to cheer us in the time of distress and darkness. Henry Ward Beecher^ perhaps the greatest preacher that America has produced, said : "A flower is the greatest thing that God ever created and forgot to put a soul in it." I do not wish to criticise this assertion, but I like to think that such a lovely thing as a flower will appear in another world, just like the best repre- sentatives of the genus called man. I still hold to the belief of my childhood days. These thoughts came to me as I sat by the roadside near the old Jesse Payne homestead one beautiful June morning just after the Bolair Training School had closed. I did not sit down because I was tired, for I had only left Bolair an hour before, but it was because it was of the many birds whose songs could be heard from all directions. This region, known as the Sand Eun country, is one of the best for birds and flowers in West Virginia, or second to none in central North America. The birds on this morning were in their best spirits; a recent rain had revived the vegetable world after a two weeks drought. The birds seemed to be celebrating this event in their best song; Nature's or- chestra, the most perfect of any, was very much in AND Other Imprints. 207 evidence, in this symphony a hundred voices were heard and many of diiferent species. No false note was heard; there was no discord, because each musician liad been tauglit by the same instructor. The voice of tlie wood thrush was heard from many trees. Two brown thrashers on the tallest tree on two of the highest points in the vicinity were singing. Any one who listens to the song of a brown thrasher will at once acknowledge his superiority in a musical contest. Five gold-finches passed by in their undulating flight and their soft musical notes floated on the balmy air; from the top of an old chestnut, two flickers were renewing their former love; from a thicket on the Elk side of the divide an oven bird sang "teacher, teacher, teacher.'^ I wondered if it could be the echo of the voice of a belated pupil over at the church where the Training School closed on yesterday; a red-eyed vireo made a clumsy effort at catching an insect on the wing in imitation of a true fly-catcher. Its mate joined him and they espied a hooded warbler that had attached a hanging nest in the crotch of a maple limb about five feet from the ground. They spoke to the brooding mother, but she made no reply. After they had gone away investigation revealed four white eggs flecked with black on the larger end. I thought what a busy time such a little mother would have providing food for her hungry babies. The call of a crow was heard over on the divide between Beaver and Sand runs ; a grass finch sang his cheerful song from a sassafras bush growing in a nearby pasture field; away off in the deep woods the musical but plaintive notes of a wood pewee were heard: from a 208 Moccasin Tracks different direction the sweet voice of a scarlet tanager came floating on the air; he was answered by the Ken- tucky cardinal, a near relative; the scolding voice of a robin was heard overhead; on looking up a female of that species was seen with her bill filled with food and she hastened away to relieve the hunger of her nest- lings : a least fly catcher, whose flight song is the finest note in nature^s orchestra, was both seen and heard. The tufted titmouse, the noisiest of small birds, was very much in evidence ; his cousin, the chickadee, in his black cap, was exploring a cavity in a poplar stump; a blue bird, whose pugnacity is as pronounced as that of the English sparrow, made a dash at him and he sought the protection of the low brush growing along a fence. As I journeyed toward the Springs the yellow breasted chat sang from a dense thicket. The drum of a ruffed grouse and the merry whistle of a bob white were added to the list of birds seen and heard. On the "Golden Shore" the song sparrow, the sweetest singer of the family, attracted my attention. He, as E. Moore Dodrill says, puts all of his power into his short at- tractive song, which is repeated at short intervals. He is a permanent resident and gives us good^cheer during February and March when song birds are not very plen- tiful. June 9th is not a very good time to observe the flow- ers between Bolair and Webster Springs. The trailing arbutus made the roadside very attractive during a part of April and May. This most beautiful, yet unassum- ing little flower, was the first seen by the Pilgrim Fathers on the hills about Plymouth and was called by them the May flower, because it first appeared in that month. The mountain honeysuckle blooms in the AND Other Impkints. 209 month of May. I think ''fire busli'' would be a very appropriate name for this shrub whose golden flowers make it look like a bush on lire. The roadsides were then lined with this most beautiful Hower in every shade of yellow and orange. A poet like Wordsworth could have written a poem about them that would ex- cel his "Daffodils." They usually grow in moist ground and are called swamp honeysuckles, but here they are not confined to this kind of land but grew all over the sides of the hills, even along the driest portion of ex- posed rocks where a little detritus has collected. They are also found along the margin of the rivers. The locust was in bloom at the same time as the honeysuckle, and the pretty white flowers made a pleas- ing contrast with the yellow flowers of the little honey- suckle that grew by its side. The locust towered forty or fifty feet above its tiny neighbor but the little bush attracted more attention because of its flowers of such gorgeous hues and so large in comparison with its stately neighbor. But very few of our nature students in Webster county have thought it worth while to examine the flower of the poplar. It does not attract very much attention because it is so high. The poplar was in full bloom on the above mentioned date. The only squirrel seen on the trip was one that made a hurried leap from one of these trees, where he had been rifling the tulip-shaped flowers of their nectar, which rightfully belonged to the honey bee. Many flowers strewed the ground, which had been cut off by him. In a few weeks the chestnut will be in bloom and these cream colored flowers will make the forest most beautiful, as there are many 210 MoccAsix Tracks cliestuut trees yet remaining even where the mill man lias been located. The sour gum will be next in order and the girls can string these small bell-shaped flowers together and play the role of the queen of the May, al- though the month will be July or August. The bass- wood tree will be in bloom at the same time as the chest- nut, but there are few trees of this species in the Sand run country. On the Elk side this tree is very com- mon. The dogwood made these hills especially at- tractive about the time the trailing arbutus was in bloom. The flowers of many different hues bloom along the wayside leading from Bolair to Webster Springs. These little plants with their modest flowers are the true "Babes of the Woods.'' My mother, many years ago, showed me two tiny stars in the southern part of the sky and told me an old legend of two lost children in the forest. The two babies when dark came upon them nestled in each others arms and mother said that God protected them and that he afterwards placed two little stars in the heavens to represent them. The larger stars represent the trees under whose boughs they found shelter. This story came to my mind as I stopped to examine a trillium which had bloomed after its brothers and sisters had departed perhaps to bloom in another world. Who knows? The mountain laurel, thought by many flower lovers to be one of the most beautiful flowers, blooms in late May and early June. The large pink clusters of flowers are very pretty. The shrub is quite plentiful in Webster, where it grows in the most rocky and sterile ground. The big laurel, or rhododendron, the state flower of West Virginia, will bloom the latter part of June. It AND Other Imprints. 211 is a general favorite. Tlie flowers are larger than those of the mountain laurel and when growing close together these bushes make a rugged hillside have the appearance of a flower garden. From April to late November when the frost king has laid his mailed hand on all plants these "Babes of the Woods'^ can be found along the road I traveled this June morning : wake robins, Indian pipes, and butter- cups ; bloodroots, wild geraniums and lady-slippers ; yel- low star grass, blue star grass and wood sorrel; downy phlox, Jacks in the pulpit, and wood betony; violets (white, yellow and blue), golden ragwort, bluets, and rattlesnake weed; wild spikenard, Solomon's seal and wind flowers ; golden rods, asters, and milk pokes, each in its season. Who can deny the fact that God has given us a most beautiful world when he understands the reason why He has given us such beautiful and at- tractive things as birds and flowers. Keep your ears and eyes open and you will soon learn and understand this! most important and beai^iful lesson. THE STORK^S VISIT. The following telegram was written on the morning of June 20th, 1913, and was given to Hon. S. C. Bur- dette, of Charleston, and was read by him in a mass meeting at the Court House in Webster Springs in the afternoon at the Semi-Centennial exercises : Wheeling, W. Va., June 20, 1863. To "Little Eattlesnake BilF' :— Born unto Uncle Sam and Mrs. Virginia, a daugh- ter. This is the latest addition to a very numerous family, the eldest of whom is Kentucky, which was soon followed by Tennessee. Mrs. Virginia became fos- ter mother to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wis- consin and Minnesota. This late arrival caused quite a commotion in the family of Uncle Sam. As usual on such an eventful occasion, there was much discussion and speculation as to what name the youngster should bear. After a family consultation in which such names as Kanawha, Vandalia, Trans-Alle- ghany and Augusta had been freely discussed, it was decided to christen the lusty baby West Virginia. Uncle Sam, who has been somewhat indisposed for the last two years, is now convalescent; mother and child are doing nicely. (Signed) BEOTEIIE JONATHAN, M. D. SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF WEST VIRGINIA. JUNE 20, 1913. This is the fiftieth birthday of West Virginia. On June 20, 1863, a new star was added to the American constellation and the then little mountain state proudly took her place in the official family of Uncle Sam. Formed as a separate state at a time in which the United States was engaged in a great civil war, and under the most inauspicious circumstances, that star has increased in brilliancy .until West Virginia has be- come one of the most prosperous states in the American Union. The intellectual development has kept pace with the material progress of the state, and to-day a liberal edu- cation is in reach of each of her sons and daughters. Fifty years ago free schools were almost unknown in West Virginia. To-day free schools are to be found in every neighborhood of the state. High schools were unknown. To-day they number one hundred and forty- two and are rapidly increasing in number. The State University, at Morgantown, is doing a great work in vo- cational and professional training. Denominational schools of high standing are doing their full share in the great ^educational awakening that is abroad in our land. The geographical position of West Virginia is most desirable, occupying an intermediate place between the extreme cold of the north and the tropical heat of the south. It is the most northern of the southern states and the most southern of the northern states; it is the most western of the eastern states and the most eastern 214 Moccasin Teacks of the western states; its people do not belong to the type of any one section of the Union, but is a harmo- nio'Us blending of each. A larger percentage of the pop- ulation belongs to the old Revolutionary stock than is to be found in any other state. The late Virgil A. Lewis, the historian, speaks of these people as being a large brained, raw-boned people who have subdued the forests, driven back the Indians, and established civilization in the Trans-Alleghany regions. The spurs of the Alleghany mountains are plenti- fully supplied with valuable minerals and their surface is covered with the most valuable commercial varieties of timber. West Virginia takes a high rank among her sister states of the republic in the production of petroleum, coal, gas, and lumber. Thousands of peo- ple depend upon these industries for a livelihood. While West Virginia has not usually been considered an agricultural state, more than two-thirds of the pop- ulation are engaged in the cultivation of the soil, and rich harvests are being gathered by those who farm in- telligently. A better day for the agriculturist has dawned. Scientific methods are displacing the old fashioned, hap-hazard ways of our fathers. Young men are studying in agricultural schools, and boys are forming corn clubs; the rapid railroad development has brought the town and the factory to the farmer's door, and the prevailing high price of farm products is stimulating production. When we consider the short period of time that has elapsed since the first settlements were made in our state, we are most agreeably surprised at the great pro- AND Other Imprints. 215 gress made. When the New England states had at- tracted the attention of Europe by their great progress in education and commerce, the foot of civilized man had scarcely trod the region now occupied by West Vir- ginia. Soon after the first pioneers had reported the extreme fertility of the soil of the hills and valleys, people from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and the faraway New England states hastened to this Eldorado of the west. Their offspring, a hardy race of men, has always espoused their country's cause and has taken a distinguished part in each of the wars that has been waged since, besides defending their homes from savage warfare. The very atmosphere of these rugged mountains seem congenial to human development, progress and freedom. During slavery days but few of the black race were held in bondage, and the motto of the state, "Mountaineers are always free,^' is very appropriate. West Virginia is a child of the great Civil War and many battles were fought on her soil. The state was baptized in the blood of many brave soldiers who up- held the cause of the Union or that of the Confederate States. Thirty thousand men joined the Federal army and seven thousand the Confederate. This was a large proportionate number when compared with the sparse population of the state. West A'irginia has produced many eminent men. Among this great number may be mentioned James Rumsey, of Shepherdstown, who invented the first steamboat in 1784. He is the only American buried in Westminster Abbey where repose England's great men. 216 MoccAsix Tracks Philip Doddridge, the statesman and orator, was the descendant of an illustrious family of pioneers. He attracted national attention as a member of the Vir- ginia Constitutional Convention of 1829 and as a United States senator from Virginia during the formative pe- riod of our National history. Archibald Campbell, who said to Roscoe Conkling that he carried his sovereignty under his own hat, has left his imprint on journalism in West Virginia. Thomas J. Jackson, the hero of Bull Run, and one of the greatest military leaders in the Civil War, was born in central West Virginia. Alexander Campbell, of Brooke county, was a noted scholar and theologian. He was the founder of the Church of the Disciples and of Bethany College, which is now one of our leading institutions of learning. Jesse L. Eeno, who gave his life for the Union cause at the battle of South Mountain, occupied the highest rank of any Federal officer who fell in battle. This list could be extended to almost every field of human endeavor. Men have gone out from this state into other fields of labor and have made good in their chosen pro- fessions. The men who erected the territory between the Al- leghany mountains and the Ohio river into a sovereign state have all passed away. The Pierponts, the Willeys, the Boremans, the Van Winkles, the Stephensons, and the Hubbards live in the pages of our state history. A second and a third generation have come upon the stage of action. Much has been accomplished, yet much more remains to be done. The state cannot progress on past acliievement, strand thouo'h it may be. AND Other Imprints. 217 The future welfare depends upon the present genera- tion. The signs of the times indicate many needed reforms. Two of them are a cessation of corrupt prac- tices in public life and an electorate that can neither be bought nor sold. The time is not far distant in the past when men would sell their ' votes with impunity. But to-day it is the lower classes of society that furnish the purchasable vote^ and this class is growing less year by year. Political parties and candidates for office are responsible to a greater degree for this condition of affairs than the voters themselves. As long as bribes are offered there will be bribe takers. There will be conditions in the life of a voter that he thinks mitigates the crime of selling his manhood. This practice is striking at the very fountain head of all popular gov- ernments. It must be eradicated or modern republics will share the fate of ancient ones. The boys must be taught the sacredness of the ballot. They must be made to understand that while the right of suffrage is one of the greatest privileges accorded a free born American citizen, and that it is not like so much merchandise to be bought and sold on market days. They must be made to understand that while the right to vote is a great privilege it is no less a duty. They must be taught to cast their vote without fear or favor and that the man who sells his vote is an enemy to so- ciety and justly loses his social standing in the com- munity in which he resides. West Virginia is destined to become at no distant date one of the wealthiest states in the Union. She should also become a leader in education and morality. Our greatest assets are not in coal, oil, gas, lumber and 218 Moccasin Tbacks other natural resources, but in our boys and girls in whose hands are soon to be placed the future destiny of the state. Let them have the best possible chance to get an education, because education is the safeguard of the commonwealth. BUSINESS AND CIVIC HONESTY. An address delivered at Eichwood, April 4, 1910, in the Presbyterian Church, under the auspices of the Zeta Beta Society. West Virginians, who have gone away from home, have often heard their state referred to as the "Little Mountain State." This appellation is a misnomer be- cause West Virginia is little in nothing that makes a state great. West Virginia is almost one-half the area of all the New England states combined. It ranks third among the states in the production of coal, and it has a sufficient quantity of these black diamonds, if converted into heat, to make perpetual summer in the frigid regions of the North Pole. West Virginia ranks third in the production of petroleum and it has enough of this fluid to oil the machinery of the solar system. West Virginia has timber enough if sawed into boards to fence the universe, and gas in sufficient quantities to supply all the politicians, story tellers and public speak- ers of the world. Nicholas is often referred to as a backwoods county. With its great wealth of timber and coal, and its graz- ing and agricultural possibilities one is informed by the would-be pessimist that no large cities are located with- in its borders, and that there are no large manufac- tories. We answer this objection by saying that Nich- olas county produces the finest specimen of manhood and womanhood to be found in the world, and if they cannot be produced fast enough to supply the demand, requisition is made on the best people from other parts 220 Moccasin Tracks of West Virginia and from Oliio^, Pennsylvania, Vir- ginia, New York and many other states of the Union. We say to the pessimist that Nicholas has Eichwood, "The Gem of the Mountains/' in which is located one of the largest lumber manufacturing plants in the United States; a city that manufactures enough leather to make a pair of shoes for every orphan boy and girl in America; a city that manufactures enough paper to wrap up a Christmas present for every man, woman and child in the state; a city that manufactures enough carriage hubs to carry all the people of West Virginia to a Fourth of July picnic; a city that man- ufactures enough clothes pins to fasten the clothes on every farmer in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Mis- souri during their fiercest cyclones: a city that can boast of the best schools of any city of its size in the state of West Virginia; a city of busy, industrious people that will not be content until Eichwood reaches a higher rank among her sister cities. But with all your natural resources; with all your business pros- perity; with all your revolving wheels and spindles, there is something back of all this that demands your careful attention. In this great commercial and utilitarian age — an age in which competition is strong and active, business and professional men, as well as public officials, are too apt to smother their conscientious scruples in regard to the principles of right and wrong. The paramount question in the consideration of any enterprise in which they are about to engage is, "Will it pay?'' If, after a careful consideration, an affirmative answer to the question can be given, the projected business is entered AND Other Imprints. 221 into with earnest zeal without any regard to the prin- ciples of honesty and integrity. After its successful termination the possession of gold and silver outweighs the pangs of a guilty conscience. This is the only solace of numberless business men of to-day. Ever since the human family emerged from a state of savagery it has been but a natural consequence for each individual to crave better things; to desire to possess something of value that would place himself and his dependents above penury and want. It was but natural for Abraham, the founder of the Hebrew na- tion, after he had come nito the possession of vast flocks and other valuables, to buy a burial ground where he and his loved ones could rest in peace after life had come to an end. No one can deny this God-given right of acquiring wealth and surrounding one's self and his family with the necessaries, as well as the luxuries of this life. But the manner in which these things_ are acquired is the business of the officers who execute the laws. In the great race for wealth, honor and position, one should be guided by the teachings of religion and morality, and in the words of the Great Teacher, "All things whatsoever that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," should be the oriflamme around which all public, business and professional men should rally. If a business man takes advantage of the ignorance of a customer as to the value of any article offered for sale, he fails in the fulfillment of business ethics. Does anything of value bring real pleasure and happiness to its possessor who has used unfair means in its acquisi- tion without any regard to moral rectitude and the eth- 222 Moccasin Tracks ics of business? This is a question whose answer is so obvious that it need not be given. it has been said that excessive riches are almost as intolerable as extreme poverty. This, in the main, is not true, but the assertion is based on the fact that riches alone do not bring contentment, pleasure and happiness. It has also been said that few, if any, of the great American millionaires gained their wealth by legitimate business methods. Ill-gotten gains and an easy conscience are incompatible. They, like oil and water, are hostile properties. They will not mix. The conscience is like Banquo's ghost, it will not down. Solomon, the wisest man of Biblical times, said, "Give me neither poverty nor riches." He recognized the burdensome character of these extreme worldly condi- tions. This wise moralist had in mind a middle state or condition; a competency, or enough to place one in an independent position. This middle state is the happy medium between the two great extremes. Enough of this Avorld's goods to make one's life pleasant and happy; a sufficiency for recreation, pleasure and char- ity, and enough leisure time for the cultivation of the mind. Wealth, or riches, is a comparative term. In this strenuous age millionaires only are thought to be rich, while a few years ago men who possessed a few thou- sands of dollars w^ere said to be wealthy. It is not the aggregation of wealth that brings happiness, but the manner in which it is acquired and the way in which it is used. An old adage, "Honesty is the best policy," is often quoted by ministers, moralists and teachers. One should AND Other Imprints. 223 not be honest merely because it is right, but because it is the safest and the surest road to ultimate business success. The wealthy are too often censured for crooked meth- ods and the small dealers overlooked when they commit a similar olfense. The farmer who sells a bushel of corn or a bushel of wheat that does not consist of four full pecks; the grocer who sells a pound of colfee or a pound of sugar that does not consist of sixteen honest ounces; the dry goods merchant who sells a yard of calico or a yard of silk that is not three feet in length; the lumber dealer who substitutes an inferior board for a first class one, and the business man who short- changes a customer is just as guilty of wrong doing as the United hStates Steel Corporation when it placed watered stock on the market, or the Arbuckle Brothers^ Sugar Company when it short weighed its consignment of sugar and thereby cheated the United States govern- ment out of millions of dollars in custom duties. It did not in any way mitigate the offense when this com- pany atempted to make restitution by refunding a part of the ill-gotten profits when caught in the nefarious act. If any one doubts that honesty is not the best busi- ness policy let him visit the Federal prison at Atlanta, Georgia, and interrogate Charles W. Morse, the once great "Ice King" of New England and New York, who entered the great whirl-pool of frenzied finance and lost sight of every principle of right and justice. He strictly adhered to the get-rich-quick idea without any regard to manner or method. As president of the ice trust he forced up the price of ice in the city of New 224 Moccasin Tijacks York until it was beyond the means of thousands of tiie suttering poor. He coined into money the suffering of many poor but honest men, women and children. His ships were sailing, on every sea; he could have signed his check for millions and it would have been honored by any banker in Wall Street. He was one of the rich men of the nation, and, if there be happi- ness in riches, he was thrice happy; but a day of reck- oning was at hand ; he had sowed the wind and now he must reap the whirlwind; his blood money took wings and flew away; in order to regain his waning for- tune he transgressed the criminal law, and now he languishes upon a felon's bed, dressed in the character- istic garb of a common malefactor, wdth no one so mean as to do him homage. If this evidence is not conclusive let the investigator after truth visit the Illinois state prison and inquire for one John R. Walsh, the once noted Chicago banker and financier, who robbed wddows and orphans of money deposited in the bank of Avhich he Avas president. This man at one time lived like a prince in one of the fashionable streets of Chicago, but he was caught in the toils of the law^ and now he is numbered among the prison population of the country. A^isit the Ohio state prison, at Columbus, and ask Charles Warringer, ex-president of the Big Four Rail- road, if honesty is not the best business policy. He, too, is reaping that which he sowed. These three men alone are not the only sufferers because of their dishonesty in business. A wife and children, yes, perhaps a father and mother are partakers of their shame and degrada- tion. Manv others who have been but recently accused AND Other Imprints. •^;^5 i^an not be interrogated. Some did not have the man- hood to face the shame of their own making and wor- ried themselves into untimely graves. Others by their own hand have ushered themselves into that realm from whence none returns. Most assuredly the way of the business transgressor is hard. Clean, business meth- ods, open ■ and above board, should be the watch-word of every young man who enters into. any business. Hon- esty is his best asset. Men of wealth will learn to trust him, and he slowly mounts the ladder of success, round by round, gaining steadfast footing as he moves on- ward. The safe and sane business man has nothing to do with get-rioh-quick methods and reckless speculations. These belong to the race track, the monte bank, and the common gambler. Business and professional men, who are honest and who believe that honesty should be taken into their ev- ery day business affairs, are taking a firm stand in de- fense of their convictions. Clubs and societies through- out the length and breadth of the land are doing a noble work in trying to awaken the public in regardl to wrong-doing. The same principles of honesty that should govern the business man should control the ac- tions of all public officials from, the lowest grade of municipal officers to the highest in both state and na- tion. William H, Taft, president of the United States^ and Joseph H. Cannon, speaker of the House of Eepre- sentatives, are no less amenable to the public will than is your honorable mayor, Samuel C. Dotson, and L. A. Thomas, justice of the peace of Beaver district. The 226 MoccAsi^r Tracks time has passed in Nicholas county^ and more especially in the town of Kichwood, when men, who call them- selves Democrats and Eepublicans, will vote a party ticket simply because it has been endorsed by party leaders. Clean methods in the administration of mu- nicipal affairs in accordance with the wishes of the best citizens is in harmony with the saying of Lycurgus, the- Grecian law-giver, that, "A city built upon a rock and rightly governed is better than all foolish Nineveh/' We have heard in the past few years much said about graft, monopoly, trusts, and business and official cor- ruption. These allegations have been proven in open court. Is this because the American people have become more corrupt than formerly? I cannot entertain for a single moment an affirmative answer to* this question. I believe that the percent of honesty among the Ameri- can people of to-day is as great as it was in the younger days of the republic, when Washington, Adams, Jeffer- son, Madison and Monroe were the principal actors in the national drama. It is but an awakening of the dor- mant conscience of the American people. During the younger days of the republic representatives, senators and judges were tried for offenses against the people committed while in office. At that time but few news- papers were in existence and their circulation was ver}^ limited. But to-day, with our multiplicity of newspa- pers, wrong-doing is advertised to a greater extent than formerly. A newspaper of accredited ability is to be found in almost every home. These periodicals discuss the official acts of public servants without fear or favor. Even the president is not immune from this criticism. This freedom of the press, rightly used, is the safe- AND Other Imprints. 227 guard the republic. The official acts of President Taft concern every man, woman and child in the na- tion, regardless of politics or religion. The citizens of the United States are the rulers and they decide the policies of the government. They are responsible for the manner in which the laws are exe- cuted. Since my first visit to your city I have heard the theory of municipal government discussed from its various standpoints. There is now a tendency to hold the officers of a city government to a stricter accounta- bility than in former years. The people of Richwood are responsible for the manner in which the town is governed. The legislature of the state has thrown around you every possible safeguard for your protec- tion. Home rule is fully recognized. If you have of- ficers who do not conform to the rules and regulations of the town, the remedy is in your own hands. They can be prosecuted for both misfeasance and malfeasance while in office. They can be replaced at the end of the year by a new set of officials. I do not think it is right for a physician to keep a patient in bed for an indefinite time, simply for the sake of a fee for professional services. I do not think it is right for a lawyer to accept a fee from both par- ties in a law-suit. While he may think he has the ability to represent both sides in the case he can be true to neither, and moreover, he has done an injustice to a brother attorney whom he has cheated out of a fee. Xeither do I think it right for a school teacher to enter into a contract with two sets of trustees for schools that are to begin on the same day, although he 228 Moccasin Tracks sees liis way- out of the difficulty by giving one scliool to a brother teacher I'or a pecuniary consideration. These principles that have been discussed are the basic ones that underlie our business, professional, moral and religious institutions of to-day, and upon them they must either stand or perish. The outcome of the long struggle between the regular Eepublicans and the insurgents is an object lesson to the American people. The day of one-man power in popular government has passed. This is a government of the people, and for the people, as was declared by the immortal Lincoln nearly fifty years ago. The over- throw of Speaker Cannon and his autocratic power is an uplift for the entire country. The people are the rulers and if the majority does not get what they want the fault is not with the rulers, but the voters. Let every patriotic American citizen vote for the best interests of himself and that of his neighbors and the future welfare of the people will be secure. Let men be men, and not barter away their po- litical birthright on election day for a few paltry dol- lars. Let them vote for men tried and true and de- mand of these men an impartial administration of jus- tice between man and man, and many of the abuses that have crept into our city, county, state and national governments will speedily disappear. Cambonne, a French general, at the disastrous battle of Waterloo said, "The Old Guard dies but it never surrenders." So it is with the upright citizen. He may be out-voted, and in the minority, but he must not for a moment think of surrendering his cherished princi- AND Other Imprints. 329 pies, which he believes to be right. It has been said that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Never in the history of the United States has there been a time that demanded greater diligence than the present. There is an apparent conflict between capital and labor and it must be settled and settled right. Patriotism is stronger than politics — yes, it is stronger than dollars and cents. When amidst the seeming breakers of of- ficial graft, corruption and class hatred the grand Old Ship of State that has had in the past for her com- manders such noble men as Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and McKinley, sails grandly into the harbor of safety, she will receive the hearty plaudits of a hundred million American citizens. AN ORATION DELIVERED AT RICH- WOOD, JULY 4, 1909. I am greatly pleased to be greeted by such a mag- nificent audience as we assemble to celebrate the Eourth of July in a place where but a few years ago was a pri- meval forest^ scarcely touched by the hand of man, and, where less than two score years ago a public speaker would have had for his auditors the stately trees and the wild birds of the forest, and, perhaps, in close prox- imity could be found such wild animals as the bear, the folf, the panther, and the deer. The murmur of the water of Cherry river hastening onward to kiss in friendly greetings the water of the Gauley; the sigh- ing of the wind in the tree tops, and the carol of the birds would have been his only music. The plaintive notes of the whippoorwill would have lulled him to re- pose, if, perchance, he had not been startled by the blood-curdling scream of a panther. But these primitive conditions have passed away. A city of busy, prosperous, and contented people has come into existence, and the music of nature has been suc- ceeded by the music of brass bands and by the hum of the busy wheels of industry. The Cherry valley is do- ing its full share towards the restoration of normal business conditions. The rapid development of this locality during the past ten years speaks volumes for American manhood and the dignity of American labor when backed by American capital and guided by American business sa- gacity. Richwood, the gem of the mountains, may she continue to grow* and prosper, and in the near future AND Other Imprints. 'tol may she become the seat of justice ol the new county of Armstrong. Mr. Chairman, this is the natal day of the United States. In Phihidelphia, the "City of Brotherly Love/' one hundred and thirty-three years ago this nation was born. It was the first time in the history of the world in which a nation was born in a day. Empires, king- doms and principalities each celebrate the -birth of roy- alty, the coronation of kings, and their jubilees. But the United States celebrates none of these. The Fourth of July is celebrated not in recognition of the birth of a royal personage, but in the recognition of the birth of a nation recognizing the rights of the common peo- ple. The origin of most other governments is lost in the obscurity of time. But enough is known of the history of the older governments to convince any one that they arose from accident, and were moulded by circumstances without any preconcerted action by their original framers and promoters, and generally without any view of the happiness or the best interests of the governed. The first government of which we have any" account was patriarchal in form — a government in which the father ruled his immediate descendants. This form degenerated into the despotic governments of the Ori- ent of one hundred years ago. The ancient republics were established by the expulsion of tyrants Avho had usurped authority. Little thought was given to the rights of the people, and the prerogatives of govern- ment were often kept in the hands of the men who succeeded them. During the third and fourth centuries 232 Moccasin Tracks of our era the barbarians of the North conquered the provinces of the Roman Empire and in order to protect themselves the military leader was usually proclaimed king. It was reserved for our immediate ancestors to estab- lish a government by the people in which they were interested, and in which all power emanated from them, and in which government depends entirely upon them for support. In ancient times it did not enter into the minds of the rulers to perpetuate their names by noble deeds and generous actions toward their subjects, but during their reigns vast armies of laborers were employed in building pyramids or other structures to perpetuate their names and achievements. They were remembered in stone, in brick, in marble, and in bronze, which are silent reminders of departed glory. The name of Cheops, the Egyptian Pharaoh, the builder of the greatest of the pyramids, on the banks of the Nile, would have passed into oblivion had not a workman in an idle moment written the name of the builder on one of the inner walls. The same may be said of-Mauso- lus, king of Cairo, had not an affectionate wife erected a magnificent tomb, called the Mausoleum, to his memory. This structure became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In the course of time every vestige of these works of art will have crumbled to dust, and the names of the builders will linger only in the minds of the antiquarian, the historian and the student of archaeolog}'. But this is not true in regard to the American pa- AND Other Imprints. 233 triats who founded this nation and made it possible for us to enjoy entire political and religious freedom. Wil- liam Penn, Koger Williams, Lord Baltimore, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, to- gether with a host of other patriotic men, did not write their names on tables of stone or bronze, but by un- selfish devotion to the cause of humanity, engraved them on the table of men^s hearts. Their names will be revered by all liberty-loving peoples in all countries and in all ages. The Declaration of Independence is a monument to those who signed it as. enduring as the eternal stars of heaven. They gave us a government founded upon the prin- ciple of the equality of all persons before the law ; upon the principle that all governments are instituted for the good of the governed and not for the personal aggran- dizement of the rulers; upon the principle that all au- thority of government emanates directly from the peo- ple; upon justice and the teachings of the Bible. Having these principles of government in mind, we should remember that the greatness of a nation does not depend upon the extent of its territory, but upon the individual worth of the people composing the na- tion. This government, made possible by the Declara- tion of Independence, which was sustained by the con- tinental army under the leadership of the immortal Washington, ably assisted by his noble generals, is a rich heritage left us of the twentieth century. It is not my purpose to-day to speak of the virtues and the achievements of the men who established this republic. Their deeds are recorded in the pages of American history and are known to every one : but it 234 Moccasin Tracks is rather my purpose tO' give a word of friendly counsel in regard to the present and future conditions* of so- ciety in this country. This heritage of which I spoke is ours to enjoy, but we do not hold it in fee, but in trust — it must be neither bought nor sold. It must be passed on to the succeeding generations, by us unsul- lied and untarnished. We owe this obligation to the men who have given so freely of their treasure and their blood — yea, of life itself, to make this a free na- tion; we owe it to future generations yet unborn; we owe it to ourselves because each of us is responsible for the manner in which the government is administered. Of what does this heritage consist? It consists of the very principles that have been in contention on every great battlefield of the world from the time in which the Persian cohorts invaded Greece to the battles of our own American Revolution. It consists of the right to be free and unmolested as long as our actions do not come in conflict with the rights of others. It recognizes man's position in society, and gives him the right to the fruits of his honest toil. It recognizes no class or condition in society, and the son of the hum- blest citizen may hope to occupy the highest position in the gift of the people if he has but prepared himself for this honorable office. It gives us the right of free speech, and the right of a free press as long as we do not use these privileges to harm others. It gives us the right to, be secure in our persons and in our prop- erty from unlawful search and seizure. It gives us the right to be free from military tyranny — all the rights, in fact, that makes man free and independent, answer- AND Other Imprints. 235 able only to law when he has transgressed upon the rules which he assisted in making. But each of these rights is coupled with a duty, and if we are to fully enjoy these rights, and leave them unsullied to our successors, these duties or obligations must be fulfilled. What are some of the duties of an American citizen? I would answer that one of his first duties is to vote. While this is one of the highest privileges or rights under a free government it is no less a duty. If the conscientious citizen fail to cast his vote, unprincipled men will usurp the powers ^of government, and its benefits will pass beyond the con- trol of those who have the best interests of the state and nation at heart. Political parties are essential in all free governments to carry into effect the desires of the majority of the people, but partisan politics as ma- nipulated to-day is the bane of society. The man who votes a political ticket in local affairs simply because the persons for whom he votes are of the same political faith as himself, without any regard to their fitness for these positions, is an enemy to good government. What shall I say of the man who sells his vote ? He not only sells his own political birthright and those who live contemporaneonsly with him, but he sells the political birthright of future generations. Two of the greatest enemies of free government have been military tyranny and a corrupt electorate. I have no hesitancy in say- ing that the man who sells his vote should be disfran- chised. All public officials should be diligent in the enforcement of the law against vote selling. The of- ficers whose duty is to enforce this law should have the hearty cooperation of all law-abiding citizens. The 236 Moccasin Tracks very life blood of the nation is being sapped by this pernicious and contemptible practice. It is the duty of all persons to pay their taxes. Good citizens will not try to evade this plain, bounden duty. It is the means by which the wheels of government are kept in motion. It is the duty of all citizens to obey the laws under which they live, to see that all laws are faithfully executed, and to assist the officers in enforc- ing them. If an unjust law be placed in our statutes, the best means to adopt with reference to its repeal is ta rigidly enforce it. It is the duty of a citizen to pro- tect public property. All public buildings cost money which is collected from the people by means of taxation, and all public-spirited citizens will see that property is not defaced, and that it be given the proper care for its preservation. It is the duty of all citizens to defend their country. It does not fall to the young men of each generation to fight the battles of their country under the inspiring colors of the Stars and Stripes, but when this oppor- tunity has come there has been such response that the nations of Europe were greatly surprised. The young men of this generation are no less patriotic than former ones. How may one defend his country besides fight- ing her battles? By voting without fear or favor for men whom he thinks will act from principle and will administer the laws to the best interests of all the peo- ple. To pay his taxes; to obey the laws, and to assist in enforcing them; to protect public property and to be public spirited. If each of these duties be honestly performed, one becomes a real defender of his country. This IS a sflorious eountrv in which we live. It is AND Other Imprints. 237 good to be an American citizen. It was said in the first century of our era that it was a greater honor to be a Eoman citizen tlian to be king of any other country. If this oould be said of Roman citizens, what can be said of the lionor of being a free American citizen in this, the twentieth century? One hundred years ago, it was thought that the United States could not expand beyond the Mississippi river. The distance was so great that the powers of government would neither be felt nor recognized. But by the invention of the steamboat, the telegraph, the telephone, and the building of railroads the conditions have changed, and the United States has expanded be- yond the American continent. There are three ways by which messages may be sent in a very short space of time from New York to San Francisco : telegraph, telephone, or tell a woman. Now, Mr. Chairman, as I am a bachelor, and as an apology to the Richwood girls, I will say that this thought is not original with me, but I Ij^eard a Methodist preacher use it at Cbwen not long since. May the United States continue to grow and prosper ; may she be a leader and a guide for all the civilized nations of the world. May the state of West Virginia continue to be one of the brightest stars in the Ameri- can constellation of states. May Richwood grow until she becomes the chief city of the state, and may she be a leader in patriotic devotion to the Stars and Stripes, and in morals, education, and religion. SCHOOL ROOM SMILES. But few, if any, of the so-called school room jokes published in the comic papers had their origin in the school room. They were written by a penny-a-liner and seldom have the marks of probability. Many ludi- crous mistakes do occur in all schools. Many such have occurred during the thirty-three years 1 have spent in teaching. No notes were taken at the time and many can not be recalled at this time. In a school taught in Nicholas county many years ago, a little girl w^as reading the "Lord's Prayer" writ- ten in verse. When she came to the couplet, "0 give to us daily our portion of bread, It is from thy bounty that all must be fed," she read with great deliberation, '^0 give to us daily our pone of bread. It is from thy bounty that all must be fed." A boy of seven years was reading the lesson about bees in the Second Reader. One paragraph speaks about bees being very busy little creatures. His version was, "Bees are very buzzy little creatures.'^ This mis- take is pardonable when it is remembered that bees are both buzzy and busy. In another school the pupils had been taught to di- vide a word into as many syllables as there are vocal sounds contained in it. The plan worked very well until a boy in the fourth grade was reading "The No- blest Revenge." He came to the word Stephen, which was a new one to him and he proceeded to apply the rule. It did not work very well in this instance for he pronounced it "Step-hen." -The teacher came to the AND Other Imprints. 239 conclusion that the rule needed revision along certain lines. A Webster county girl ot six, who had been taught to read by the word and sentence method, made most excellent progress in the First Reader. She came to the lesson about the dog Fido sitting in a chair with a hat on his head. The lesson was read by the teacher and the new words pointed out. When called upon to recite, the lesson was read correctly until the last sen- tence was reached. It was at that point that the trou- ble occurred. The sentence is, "When school is out I will try to teach him some other tricks." This is the way the little girl read it: "When school is out I will try to teach him some sense." It is needless to say that the mistake was not pointed out that day. Here is a joke on the teacher in which he, for ob- vious reasons, did not join in the inevitable smile. It occurred in a Training School at Haynes (now called Dyer) twenty-four years ago. A class of young men and women were reading "It Snows," a selection found in the Fifth Eeader. After several members had read, the teacher said that each stanza should be read in a different manner in order to express the feelings of each character referred to in the poem. "Now, listen," said he, "while I read." He selected the stanza that ex- pressed the feelings of the society girl when she saw the snowflakes falling. He entered fully into the spirit of the scene. When he came to the verse, "From her mirror to see the flakes fall," he read, "From her mir- ror to see the snakes fall." Is it any wonder that the teacher did not join in the laugh that followed such a ludicrous blunder ? That particular lesson has not been 240 MoccASiA^ Tii^^CKs assigned to a class in a Training School since that time. It would be quite an interesting phenomenon to see snakes falling from the sky in winter. Will and Tom were twins, but by a difference of a few hours in their births, their birthdays were not cele- brated on the same day. The teacher, who was person- ally acquainted with the father and mother, and know- ing the peculiar circumstances under which they were born, asked Will how old he was. ^'I am seven years old,'' said he. "Tom, how old are you?" asked the teacher. Tom replied, "I am six years old." "Tom, are you and Will twins?" questioned the teacher. "Yes," said Tom, "but Will is one year older than I am.'' His age was recorded as seven. Henry was reading the lesson in the First Eeader about the nest of young birds found by Willie and Rose. The little girl looked at the birds in great won- der and exclaimed, "What big mouths and no feath- ers." A smile was the result of this reading: "Wliat big mothers and no fathers." This is one of the jokes found in comic papers that did occur in the school room. In reading the story of "The Fish I Didn't Catch," a little girl unconsciously gave an attribute to a fish that has often been given hy the Angler when he failed on several occasions to land one after it was hooked. The boy, as spoken of in the lesson, when he hooked a fish cried out in great glee to his uncle that he had a fish. At that instant it fell into the water and "the arrowy gleam of a scared fish was seen darting into the middle of the stream." The pupil said that a "sacred" fish was seen flartingf into the middle of the stream. . AXD Othek Imprints. 24^1 These school-room smiles are links in a lengthening chain that bind the teacher with the past. Each of the little folks who made these childish mistakes have long since arrived at the estate of manhood and womaidiood. Some of them became teachers themselves and have often smiled at the mistakes of their pupils. Others have engaged in other vocations and are endeavoring to fill the position in society to which their education and talents entitle them. The teacher after a third of a century spent in his chosen profession, still treasures in his memory the smiles that occurred in the schools that he attended. But the frowns and the unkind words spoken in anger are not forgotten, but they have long ago lost their sharpness and their sting. It is his frowns, his un- kind words and his thoughtless actions toward teachers and schoolmates that still haunt him. A smile in the schoolroom, as well as in the home, is always better than a frown. If you can do an act that may lighten the burden of any one, do it to-day. Do not wait for to-morrow. It may be too late. Smiles are flowers-, that brighten the pathway of life. They are good for both the giver and the recipient. HALLEY'S COMET— A BURLESQUE. As other writers ol high and low degree have had au inning at Hailey's comet, i liope to be pardoned lor taking a tiing at it and casting a stone, so to speal^:, in the already troubled waters of astronomical discussion. Many direful happenings iiave been prophesied in regard to the visit of this mysterious stranger to our part of the solar system. AU manner of evil is to hap- pen to us poor earth mortals when this mundane sphere passes through tlie tail of this leviathan of empyrean regions. These forebodings need alarm no one, because this is not tlie first time tiiat this grand old world of ours, which astronomers call a planet, has had the caudal appendage of a comet flaunted in its face. But it has gone on still doing business in the same old way and at the same old stand as it has been doing since the Creator spoke it into existence by His all-powerful com- mands. We are somewhat comforted by the assurance of those who know something of astronomy in general, and of comets in particular, that on the day when the crisis is expected there will be a distance of about twelve millions of miles between the earth and the comet. Yet, this is but a small consideration at most when measured by the yard-stick of the sky, which is the dis- tance between the sun ^ind the earth. Now, as to what the result of this meeting will be is only problematical or the merest conjecture. Should onr globe come in contact with this mysterious visitor l)cariiig the name of one of England's most illustrious astronomers, there will be "something doing down the AND Other Imprints. 243 pike/' 1 am always loyal to my own country and I think the result would be just like that of the little Jersey bull that charged the engine of a "Fast Flying Virginian" below Clifton Forge not long since. The astronomers say that the greatest danger to the people who have a temporary abode on this terrestial ball is from the comet's tail. This is just the reverse of the danger from the animal referred to above. The Associated Press sent a message last week from Paris, the French capital that sets the fashions for the rest of the world, stating that the astronomical solons of that distinguished city had discovered a very poison- ous gas in tlie wanderer's tail that will kill rats, cats, dogs, and other representatives of rodent, feline, and canine species of small animals.' I am frank in saying that I cannot see my way clear as to which class man, the being called the lord of all creation, belongs, but I hope he is not included in the list named above. If the men who are said to have discovered this deleterious gas to all animal life on the earth, had as many wheels in their heads as the men and women who designed the spring fashion plates for ladies' costumes, no attention need be paid the before-men- tioned dispatch. I must admit that I have no knowledge whatever as to the m^eaning of the word used in the telegram des- ignating the poison. Modesty forbids any attempt even in trying to write the word used by the learned Par- isians. As far back as last August, and in some isolated cases in the preceding April, certain activities among 244 Moccasin Tkacks the old bachelors were noticeable in Webster and ad- joining counties. Upon investigation it was found that the same conditions existed throughout the United States and New Jersey. This activity was the more pronounced when the bachelors were in the presence of widows, spinsters, and even girls who are sometimes called sweet sixteens. This action on the part of men who had steeled their hearts against the bewitching in- tiuence of the fair sex was something more than a nine days' wonder. It remained for an astrologer unknown to fame in a remote Oriental country to solve this great mystery. He in some mystical way connected this ac- tivity of the bachelors with the tail of Halley's comet. By searching said comet's caudal appendage with a two inch telescope, he discovered certain gases resembling ultra violet rays known to exist in the atmosphere of the earth. It was easy for him to connect violet rays with spring time and the blue, white, and yellow vio- lets sometimes called Johnny-jump-ups. The problem was then solved. The comet is therefore responsible for the courtship and marriage of many heretofore hopeless bachelors. This same astrologer predicts in his horoscope that all marriages contracted under this condition will be especially happy. The wife will be dutiful and will not scold when the husband comes in late at night from lodge, or when he has had a time with the boys. The husband will be loving and indul- gent and will cheerfully pay the bill for the latest style of the Easter or Merry Widow hat. Should his so- called better half come in late from a mothers' meeting, he will not scold, but will tell her that baby cried but AND Other Imprints. 245 once during her six hours' absence. The astrologer further states that on the next appearance of the above- mentioned comet, after an absence of seventy-five years, in which it has traveled more than one hundred bil- lions of miles, with no other seeming purpose in view than to frighten the inhabitants of the different worlds of the solar system, the grand-children of these bachelors, widows, spinsters, and sweet sixteens, will rise up and call the comet blessed because of its having had such benign influence upon their great forbears as Eobert Burns would say. I will now give you a few concrete examples of the wonderful activity among eligible bach- elors. The Doctor who has made a reputation in his profession that is synonymous with success had been no more suspected of a softening of the heart than of hav- ing paresis, which is a technical term for softening of the brain. But just before the comet's nearest approach to the sun he led a blushing bride to the altar of Hymen. Had the comet been at one of the remote points in the solar system the good Doctor might now be living the life of single blessedness. The Editor, who has been noted for the past five years for his manifested indifference to all the females of the species, has of late been seen in the company of one of Upshur county's fairest daughters. Only last week he was seen on the train at Burnsville. When questioned as to his destination he said that he was go- ing to Weston on business, but he afterwards admitted that he would visit Buckhannon friends before his re- turn to Webster Springs. The Angler was on the same train. This devotee of 246 Moccasin Tracks piscatorial pursuits has lived unmolested by the girls for many years but he told the Editor in the greatest confidence that he was just returning from a trip to a town down the line. He said that the name of the town means peace and harmony. The genial Clerk, who has but lately invaded the ranks of bachelorhood, left the Springs on the train with the Editor for the realms of bliss. The Clerk was thought to be on his way to Braxton county to visit a little town called Caress. This is or should be a most desirable town for all bachelors to visit. The good natured Law^^er has again been seen in Lover's Lane. It is to be hoped that the- new board walk will not break down under his ponderous weight as the old one did some months ago. He then solemnly vowed that he would never again visit the Lane, but under the influence of the violet rays he can most readily be pardoned for departing from the road marked out for himself. It is unnecessary to adduce additional evidence as to the effect of the comet on bachelors. The ministers are already talking of the great in- crease in their matrimonial revenues, and it seems as if all the eli.gibles will be married before the comet's final disappearance from the vicinity of the earth. THE BACHELOR. The month of May spent on a trout stream among the mountains of West Virginia is an unfailing source of pleasure to those who can get close to nature and her teachings. All natural objects, both animate and in- animate, seem to revel in the bright sunshine. The cold winds from the icy north have been succeeded by the warm, life-giving winds from the south. A pro- fusion of wild flowers deck the hills and valleys. The deciduous trees are donning their summer clothes. The spruce and the hemlock are now putting forth pale, green leaves in pleasing contrast with their winter garments. The trout, the monarch of the mountain stream, now grown lusty and strong after his long win- ters inactivity, is on the alert watching for the unwary fly, moth, or bug, that drops near his lair. In his eagerness for his prey, he falls an easy, victim to the angler's lure. The birds are in full song and in their singing there is a suggestion of the orange and the palmetto from which they so lately sang during their sojourn in the sunny south. It is in a camp on the banks of a swift, babbling stream^ amid the surround- ings just described that the lover of nature drinks to his full from the magical fountain of health sought in vain by Ponce de Leon, the old Spanish Cavalier. A party of five anglers pitched their tent near the mouth of Big Beechy on the Williams last May. Trout were in abundance and bear "sigii" was just plentiful enough to make a meeting with bruin among the possi- bilities. In the party was an attorney well versed in the legal lore of Chitty and Blackstone; a theologian 248 Moccasin Tracks who had drunk deep from the wisdom of Solomon and Paul; a school teacher who had often lectured to his classes on Feudalism, Chivalry, and the Crusades: a railroad engineer who had safely carried his precious freight of human lives through many dangers from fire and flood. The fifth member of the party was called "Bach," because he never worked in double harness in coming down the rocky lane of life. The many slights he had received from the girls had not soured his dis- position. Being on the sunny side of forty, he is what the world would call a jolly bachelor. One evening after supper when the events of the day had been discussed by each member of the party, the attorney and the theologian were talking of the har- mony existing between the Law of the Gospel; the en- gineer and the teacher were discussing the feasibility of a railroad from Boston to Buenos Aires; "Bach'^ was smoking his pipe in silence, probably thinking of some fair creature who had crossed his pathway many years ago. "Why, Bach," said the teacher, "what's wrong? You look as glum as a cowled monk. Come, take a Vee (Irap of the erathure,' as the Irish washerwoman would say, to brace you up, and tell us why you never mar- ried." After sitting in silence for some time enough of the "^erathure' was taken to drive away the blues. Bach resumed his accustomed seat and said: "Have you observed the curiosity, wrongly called sympathy, manifested towards a person who is supposed to have met with unfortunate circumstances? He is plied with questions by the curious until he is driven to despair, AND Other Imprints. 249 if not to absolute distraction. The secrets of his past life must be laid bare before an inquisitive public. What is considered a misfortune by some is not so considered by others. I can see no legitimate reason why a bache- lor should be made the object of such fond solicitude and sympathy. Perhaps some woman would have been made very unhappy had he married. Many a woman would have been happier had she relegated her so-called liusband to the ranks of bachelorhood. While I am not at all sensitive on the question of being a bachelor, I do not discuss the subject even with my most intimate friends. Now, as to why I am not a married man, I shall not attempt to answer, but will instead give you an account of some of my experiences with the fair sex during my courting days. "When I was about sixteen, I thought it was high time for me to marry out. I fell desperately in love ■with a little black-eyed girl of about my own age whose father lived four miles from my paternal home. I lost all interest in books and the boys who had been my companions in hunting and fishing. My sole delight was to be in the company of the girl who had so com- pletely captivated me. Her clear, well modulated voice was music celestial to my boyish ears. I went to see her each Saturday night, and sometimes remained over Sunday. One Monday morning I went home about eleven o'clock and hastened to the corn field, where corn hoeing was in progress. My father rather ab- ruptly asked me if I could not have left that girl a little earlier. T told him that I thought I would stay a week the next time I called on her. Nothing more was said at that time bv either of us, but when we 350 Moccasin Tracks went home to dinner^ father and I had a very stormy interview in the wood-shed, in which a good sized leather strap played a very prominent part. After that, for some time I spent my Saturday afternoons in hook- ing suckers along the river. The boys were again my companions. ''Time deals gently with a boy of sixteen, and heals bruises as well as broken hearts. It was not many months before I again fell a victim to a pair of eyes as blue as the sky on a June day after a thunder storm. This time in order to be on the safe side I asked my father's permission to visit the young lady. My request was granted and he also said that he would not inter- fere, if I courted in moderation. But, alas! there was another father whom I had forgotten to interview on the subject. I went to see her once in two weeks, and,, as I thought, was making fair progress towards matri- mony. One Saturday night, or rather Sunday morn- ing, while we were sitting in the parlor her father in great wrath came into the room. I had always ob- served that he had a very large foot, but I did not know until that night that he wore a number thirteen boot. I was ejected from the house with such force and so unceremoniously that in order to show my utter contempt for the old gentleman, I never called again. I must confess that for some years I lost all interest in eyes of any color, and found solace in rod and gun. The boys who had been discarded for some months were again admitted to companionship. But it was always my misfortune to get mixed up in some luckless love affair. '^When I was twenty-eia:ht I met a dashins: widow of AND Other Imprints. • 351 thirty who had been represented to me as fairly well- to-do as far as this world's goods are concerned, and also that she was not encumbered with any children. I wrote to her asking permission to call on a certain Sunday and received a favorable answer. Promptly at the appointed hour, I called and was welcomed with her most winsome smiles. She led the way into the best room. We talked of the weather, the crops, and the neighbors. I heard muffled voices and the shuffle of little feet in the closet. The widow talked in her most voluble manner, and in a somewhat louder tone than was her usual custom. Presently a little squeaky voice called out, ^Mamma, has the man left yet? Jane and Sam is pinchin' me and Mary won't make 'em quit.^ Mother of saints ! At least four little fatherless children cooped up in the closet! Thinking it would be cruel to remain longer, I took my departure more hastily than the strict rules of etiquette would have warranted. It is passing strange how easily an old bachelor can lose interest in a dashing widow. I never repeated that call, but again went to the river in search of suckers. I had been very forcibly reminded of the fact that all suckers were not to be found in the water. "It is now very obvious that I did not profit by past experience, for my heart was again lost, to a spinster of very doubtful age, who nevertheless, was very at- tractive ; her teeth were of pearly whiteness ; her cheeks were ruddy as the rose when first kissed by the sun- light of the morning; her glossy hair gleamed like threads of gold. When in her presence I experienced the same rapturous delight felt prior to the little epi- 252 Moccasin Tracks sode in the wood-shed, which had occurred twenty years previous to that time. 1 often called upon her by ap- pointment and was always received by her in the most approved manner. She was neither too affectionate nor unduly reserved. I have often thought since then that she was past master in the pleasing art of court- ship. I forgot the wise counsel of my father in regard to courting in moderation, and on a Wednesday called unexpectedly. Right there, as Uncle Eemus says, is where I broke my molasses jug, or rather that of the young lady. Not finding her in the parlor I went in- to the kitchen. It was washday. When she saw me she tried to cover her mouth with one hand and the top of her head with the other. With a muffled scream she fell in a swoon. I carried her into the house, and, after a liberal application of cold water, she slowly re- vived. She looked up at me with a glassy stare without making an effort to speak. The color of the rose was not on her cheeks when I called; her head looked like a Webster county forest after a Pennsylvania logging crew had gone through it; her teeth — ^well, she had none at all. Had I met her in the street in the condi- tion in which I found her, I should have addressed her as grandma. I left as soon as I had recovered from the shock.^' At the close of Bach's story plans were laid for the morrow, and the fire having burnt low, each sought his bed of spruce and hemlock boughs, where sleep more refreshing could be secured than on beds of down. FROM THE WILLIAMS TO LAKE ERIE. The Angler left Coweu on a beautiful morning in May and in the evening of the same day went into camp at the mouth of Big Beechy on the Williams for a three weeks outing among the trout. Many large trout were secured and amidst the picturesque scenery of that region many things that gladden the hearjt of one who delights to study nature in her various moods were both seen and heard. The native simplicity of the people; the many species of birds to be seen, and the cold, sparkling water as it comes dashing down a declivity must be seen before they can be fully appre- ciated. The Hammons family is the most numerous one in the vicinity of Big Beechy. They have lived here for many years and are typical backwoodsmen — a class of people that is becoming fewer as the county becomes more thickly settled. The Hammonses are the best bee hunters, deer stalkers and trout fishers in West Virginia. Big Pete is a good representative of the family. He knows where to find a deer or a bear in any season of the year; he is a crack shot — the best on the river; he can find a bee tree where other ex- perts fail to find a ^'course ;'^ he knows where to look for the largest trout, and while he is not considered the musical genius of the family, yet when he takes down his fifty dollar violin and plays the "Cumberland Gap'' and sings in his best style this couplet, "Lay down boys and take a little nap, For you'll catch h — 1 in the Cumberland Gap," to use one of his most expressive sayings, "I hope I 254 Moccasin Tracks may die/' if it is not worth going to the Middle Fork to hear him. These people have but little, if any, "book larnen,"' but they are well versed in woodcraft and wild animal life. Big Pete was asked by the Angler if he was ever lost in the vast forest around the head waters of the Williams and Cranberry rivers. "No," said Pete, "but I have been bothered as much as three days at a time." A tenderfoot would have thought that wandering through the trackless forest for three days without food, sleeping under the pines at night, and listening to the melancholy hoot of the owl, was being lost with a ven- geance, yet the hardy mountaineer referred to it as being bothered. In a day's travel from the Three Forks to the Dead Water, a distance of fourteen miles, in com- pany with two members of the before-mentioned fam- ily, about fifty species of birds were seen. My com- panions could tell some interesting fact about each species, and they had a local name for each which in the majority of cases was the correct one. They could not only tell the time of their migrations but their songs and call notes could be imitated. Upon inquiry it was ascertained that the birds were fed in the winter by them. A bird which is a shining mark for many so-called sportsmen is never shot by a Hammons. On his return from the mountains to Cowen the Angler was invited by a friend, a veteran of the Civil War, to visit him in East Springfield, Pennsylvania. The invitation was most gladly accepted. Meeting his friend at Wainville, the first stop was made at Clarks- burg. This busy, thriving little city, centrally located. AND Other Imprints. " 255 is destined to become one of the most thriving commer- cial centers of West Virginia. Coal, coke, the manu- facture of iron and glass, and the machine shops will place the city in the front rank. It is surrounded by the best farm and grazing land to be found in the state. Fairmont, where some of our very best teachers re- ceived their training, still retains its old-time vigor. It is rapidly increasing in wealth and population. It w^as in this town in 1891 that the writer had the pleas- ure of meeting Francis H. Pierpont, the "Grand Old Man'^ of West Virginia, who lived here at that time. Morgantown, the Athens of West Virginia, a busy, hustling town, is the seat of the State University. It was here that a large majority of the lawyers, judges and politicians of the state were educated. This town has the double commercial advantage of having both railroad and water transportation. Coal, coke, and various manufactories, backed by good farming and grazing land, will make Morgantown one of the most prosperous cities in the Monongahela valley. In travel- ing through Lewis, Harrison, Marion, and Monongalia •counties some of the best farm land in the state is to be seen. The cattle, horses, sheep and hogs are of the best and show the result of careful breeding. From Morgantown it is one hundred and five miles to Pittsburgh, the "Gateway of the West." The Monon- gahela Valley is of great interest to the student of American history. It was in this valley that General (then Colonel) Washington fought his first battle and surrendered Fort Necessity in 1754 to the French and Indians. It was here that General Braddock Avas so 256 Moccasin Tracks disastrously defeated in the next year. Washington and the Virginia "buckskin boys'^ by heroic tighting saved a remnant of the army. Pittsburgh, with its hve hundred thousand people, is a veritable bee-hive of industry. It is situated in the heart of bituminous coal, oil, and natural gas regions. A large part of the coke of the country and much of the iron and steel are made in or near Pittsburgh. Large quantities of machinery are made here. This city is the greatest center in the world for the manufacture of plate glass. Allegheny, now a part of Pittsburgh, is noted for the manufacture of pickles, packed meats, and leather. Before the days of railroads these two cities possessed the commercial advantage of the river routes afforded by the Ohio river, and the Alleghany and the Monongahela which unite here. Millions of tons of coal are shipped annually from Pittsburgh down the Ohio. There is a problem before the people of the city as to the handling of the immense amount of traffic. In Smithfield street one has to dodge the trolley cars, the ice and meat wagons, and the automobiles. For a man who has just come from the woods there is great danger of being run over. It would be but little con- solation to the victim to know that he had been hit by a four thousand dollar machine. The train was boarded in Allegheny city and the last stage of the journey was begun. Some very rough, rugged country, rivaling in scenic beauty the Webster county hills, was passed through. Mars is in the oil field where hundreds of derricks can be counted at one sight. It is more than twenty-five years since this AND Other Imprints. 257 territory was first developed, yet it is still considered a rich field. Connelsville is situated in a rich coal terri- tory and shows many evidences of prosperity. Butler is a manufacturing town and is rapidly increasing in population. East Springfield is in Erie, the most north-west county in Pennsylvania. It is one of the best farming communities in the state. The country is comparatively level, having been smoothed down by the great Laurentian glacier ages ago. Each farmer has a telephone in his home and the mail is brought daily to his door. Eailroads and trolley car lines are more plentiful than public highways in Webster. The Bessemer and Lake Erie -has ninety-five pound steel rails, is double tracked and partly laid with steel cross- ties, but it has been discovered that under certain con- ditions they are not equal to wooden ties. This road was built by Andrew Carnegie and carries coal, coke, iron, and steel to western markets. It also carries ore from Lake Erie to the iron and steel mills in the Pitts- burgh district. Conneaut, in Ashtabula county, Ohio, has a good harbor. Large whale-back steamers bring red hematite and black band iron ore from the Lake Superior regions. Some of these steamers are six hundred feet long and carry twelve hundred tons of ore which is unloaded in four and one-half hours by a machine called a "clam shell.'' It is then loaded on cars and ship]8ed east to the foundries. This region has good public roads, some of which are macadamized. Travel is always by carriages or automo- biles. No one is ever seen on horseback. This is a great country for birds. Many old friends 25S Moccasin Tracks of other days were met and many new acquaintances were formed. It is essentially the summer home of the robin and the brown thrasher. Scores of each species can be found in a short ramble. Lake Erie is two hun- dred and forty-five miles long, with an average width of sixty miles. While sixty miles is not a long flight for a bird, many of the smaller species prefer to nest along the southern shore of the lake. My friends accused me of attempted poaching on the lake by casting a fly from the Ohio shore within the three mile limit in the Canadian waters. This feat with an eight foot bamboo and one hundred and fifty feet of line would be no easy task to perform, the dis- tance being fifty-seven miles to the forbidden waters. Fish are very plentiful in Conneaut creek. This stream would be called a river in West Virginia, it being sixty-five miles from its source to where it flows into the lake. Muskalonge, pike, pickerel, bass, rock bass, dace and many other species go up the creek in the spring and early summer to spawn. This w^as a favorite stream with the Indians, who came here in large numbers to spear fish in its clear water. The name is of Indian origin and means sweet water. Erie county is noted for woodchucks. These animals are called groundhogs in West Virginia. Farther east in Warren county leeks grow in abundance. These plants are called ramps in Webster county. Both wood- chucks and leeks are eaten by the people. If Pennsyl- vanians eat woodchucks and leeks, there can be no valid reason why West Virginians should not eat ground- hogs and ramps, although Tom Daly says that if a native of Webster persists in the habit for any length AND Other Imprints. 259 of time there is danger of his voting the Democratic ticket. One would naturally suppose from the varied indus- tries of Pensylvania that a cosmopolitan population would be found. But to be sold a glass of beer by a German from Heidelburg; to be shaved by a Spaniard from Barcelona; to have one's shoes shined by a Greek from Athens; to have an Afro-American carry one's baggage to a hotel; to be "cussed" by a washerwoman from Austria, and to escape arrest with difficulty by an Irish policeman from Dublin because one "sassed" back in good Webster county style, was quite an experience for one who had heard a wolf howl and had seen a bear track at the Big Slip on the Williams only a week previous. WINTER BIRD FRIENDS. Bird life in Webster county during the winter is not very extensive. It comprises two well-defined groups — winter visitants .and permanent residents. A few summer residents sometimes prolong their stay until Christmas^ and in very rare instances they remain throughout the long, dreary winter. The robin, the blue bird, and the towhee are the three species most fre- quently found here when other migratory birds have left for the south. The winter season is a very favorable time for bird study. The species are not so numerous as to be con- fusing even to those who have given but little time to the study of their form, color, song, or habits. Birds are not so timid during very cold weather and will ven- ture to the doorstep if they are given the least encour- agement. Many bird lovers feed them when snow covers the ground. Lunch counters are provided for the purpose where the diners are in no danger of being molested by the house cat. This practice of feeding the birds is a very commendable one. It has a tendency to attract them to one's premises. But very few, if any, of the winter birds will freeze to death when plentifully supplied with food. The normal temperature of a bird is much higher than in quadrupeds, and, because of this fact, a greater amount of food is required to maintain the body heat. The amount of food a bird consumes daily is astonishing. It sometimes amounts to almost the weight of the bird. WINTER VISITANTS. The Junco. The junco, or slate-colored snowbird, is the most nu- merous family of winter visitants. It is known to every one, for its acquaintance can be most readily made. It arrives in the latitude of Webster Springs as early as the middle of October and usually remains un- til the latter part of April. During their stay they consume large quantities of the seeds of harmful plants. They nest as far north as New England and southern Canada. Many become permanent residents of Webster county, nesting in the high mountain regions on the head waters of the Gauley and the Williams rivers and their tributaries. Just before leaving for their summer home, the junco sings a very simple but sweet song, thus paying for any hospitality which they received. The song somewhat resembles that of the chipping sparrow, which is a distant relative. The nest is a very simple affair, located on the ground under the side of a rock or a log. The Golden-Crowned Kinglet. The members of this family are very small birds, very much resembling warblers. It may be identified by its orange and gold crown. Its arrival and depar- ture closely coincides with that of the junco. The golden-crown is usually found in pairs, nerv- ously flitting about the terminal twigs in search of in- sect food. During the winter it may be found from Maine to Florida and it nests from North Carolina to 262 Moccasin Tracks southern Canada. They sing during the nesting season only. It is very interesting to watch a pair of these tiny birds feeding. Each twig is inspected for small insects or their eggs. They are not at all shy, but will come very near a person when they are feeding. These little midgets in feathers make a winter landscape less gloomy by their presence. The Winter Wren. The winter wren is the baby of the family of wrens. It arrives here in late autumn and departs in the early spring. It is found in the vicinity of thick under- brush and fallen timber. Lumber yards are favorite haunts. When alarmed winter wrens seek shelter in hollow logs, under the upturned roots of trees or in a water hole. As songsters they are not excelled by many birds of larger size. They are easily identified by their diminutive size and short erect tails. This wren nests in the higher altitudes of Webster. The Brown Creeper. There are twelve known members of this family, yet the brown creeper is the only American representative. It is a northern bird and breeds at sea level from Maine to the Arctic Circle and along the Alleghany mountains to North Carolina. They arrive here very late in autumn and they are always busy feeding on the eggs and larvae of insects. The creeper begins at the base of a tree and winds around and around, ex- ploring every nook and crevice until it reaches the top, AND Other Imprints. 263 and then without a moment's pause drops to the base of the next one. It, like the wood-pecker, is never seen with its head downward, but using its strong, stiff- pointed tail feathers as a prop, travels rapidly up a tree. The only note uttered while in our midst is a fine squeak not unlike that of a bat, but in its northern home it sings an exquisite song of four distinct notes. PERMANENT RESIDENTS. Our permanent residents are not lacking in birds of brilliant plumage or in sweet songsters. Who has not noted the pleasing contrast of a cardinal grosbeak against a background of snow? What is more cheerful than the song of a Carolina wren or a song sparrow on a clear February morning? While all bird admirers give a cordial welcome to winter visitants, and summer residents, the native species seem to be the general fa- vorites, because they brave the summer heat as well as the winter sleet and snow. But very few individual birds remain in the same locality throughout the entire year. They move south at the approach of winter. The birds that spent the summer in the Elk valley moved south and members of the same species from forther north took their place. In the spring they will return to the vicinity in which they nested last year. 264 Moccasin Tracks The Song Sparrow. The song sparrow is one of our most common perma- nent residents. This bird is usually found on the bor- der of a thicket, on or near the ground. If there be a little brook near, bordered with weeds or thick rushes, he is almost certain to be found there. When the deep snow covers the ground look for him about the barn, under board walks or buildings tliat are not resting on the ground. He will be known by his brown coat, long tail, and mottled breast, with a black spot in the cen- ter. The song sparrow is a sweet singer and with the exception of a short period in August he may be heard throughout the year. Chapman says that his modest chant always brings good cheer and contentment, but when heard in silent February, it seems the divinest bird lay to which mortal man ever listened. The magic of his voice bridges the cold months of spring; as we listen to him fields seem green, and bare branches seem clothed in rustling leaves. When flushed he does not fly far, but makes a dash for the nearest cover. The nest is usually placed on the ground, but a bush may be chosen for the site. Three broods are raised between May and September, and each one consists of four or five nestlings. The Cardinal Grosbeak. The cardinal grosbeak, or Virginia red-bird, with his scarlet coat and prominent crest, is known and admired by every one. His mate is not so gaudily dressed but she is very readily recognized by the crest that adorns AND Other Imprints. 265 both sexes. This species is common from Florida to JSTew York. The song, which is confined chiefly to the male, is a whistle of various notes and intonations. One of his favorite songs is thought by many farmers to indicate rain, as he seems to say "Wet, wet, year, year, year." They build their nest from four to eight feet above the ground and is located in a dense thicket. The nest is made of very coarse material in which the bark of the grape vine predominates. But one brood is reared each year and it consists of three or four young ones. The Blue Jay. The blue jay in his beautiful uniform of blue and white is a permanent resident with very erratic habits, and movements. He is very common in October and November, feeding on acorns, beech nuts, and chestnuts, which form his chief diet in the fall and winter. At times he is absent from his usual haunts for many months. These movements are governed by food sup- plies rather than upon climatic conditions. His best friends can not call him a songster of much merit, but his worst enemies cannot deny his great conversational powers. Besides a succession of melodious notes called a song, birds have certain call notes, which is a method pf communication between, individuals of the same family. To any one who has listened to a large flock of blue jays feeding in a woodland comprising five or six acres, their vocabulary appears almost unlimited. Besides the call notes peculiar to their own species, they are most excellent mimics and they can imitate 266 Moccasin Tracks the red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks in a way to deceive the most practiced ear. One is never certain from which it proceeds until he hears the unmistakable "jay/' "jay'' from the same vicinity or sees the hawk mount upward on tireless pinions. Jays spend much time in teasing the owl. The one that finds an owl gives a peculiar cry which is immedi- ately answered by every jay in hearing of the call. They gather around the owl as closely as safety will admit, each uttering a protest in the most positive manner. It is very comical to see the owl turning his head from side to side to see each of his diminutive tor- mentors. A perfect Babel of noise is heard and the poor owl, driven almost to distraction, flies away, but he is followed by the entire flock of his persecutors. Not until he is driven out of their feeding ground will they desist. The jay is a robber and a despoiler of the nests of other birds. He also eats the young ones. This trait has made him many enemies that otherwise would be his friends. Jays build a very compact nest of small twigs and rootlets about fifteen feet from the ground. The eggs, four or five in number, are a pale olive-green color. Jays are very useful in the transportation and planting of seeds. I have found twenty-five beech nuts hidden by them in a stump at least four hundred yards from a beech tree. Jays are permanent residents from Florida to Nova Scotia. The Tufted Titmouse. The tufted titmouse is a very common bird through- out the year in central West Virginia. It has a long AND Other Imprints. 267 tail and a prominent crest. Its prevailing color is gray above, with recldisli brown sides and cream-colored breast. Its call notes resemble the black-capped chick- adee, but they are somewhat louder and more nasal. Another call heard in mild winter weather is a low whistle, "peto, peto, peto," repeated for hours at a time. The male is an ardent suitor, and during the months of April and a part of May he is very attentive to his intended mate. It is a fact worthy of note that birds choose but one mate for the season, unless by some fatality it becomes necessary to choose another one. Some species select a permanent mate and the two are always found near each other, except in the spring mi- gration the male arrives at the nesting place two or three weeks earlier than the female. Some years ago, near Bolair, I witnessed a very sin- gular courtship between two titmice. The male fol- lowed the female from branch to branch and from tree to tree, uttering a low, plaintive cry like that of a young bird. His wings were fluttering, and his move- ments indicated the utmost excitement. After some time the female flew down to the ground and was fol- lowed by her admirer. She picked up a small straw and gave it to him. This act must have indicated that his love was reciprocated, for he at once became quiet, but he continued to follow her. She, probably from the first, intended to accept him, but thought she would keep him in doubt and suspense for a while, like some young ladies do their sweethearts. Titmice feed upon nuts and seeds in autumn and winter, and during the remainder of the year • their chief diet consists of insects. Thev hoard their food 268 Moccasin Tracks like blue jays, and even when snow covers the ground they seem to have no trouble in locating it where it was concealed months before. While feeding they keep up a continual twittering, which is very pleasing to the ear. The Downy Woodpecker. The downy woodpecker belongs to a very numerous family distributed from the Arctic regions to Mexico. The members of this family are called the surgeons of the forests, because they excavate holes in the trees with their sharp, chisel-like bills in search of the larv^ of injurious insects. They do immense damage to timber in this way, but the harm done is in a measure balanced by their keeping the ravages of forest insects in check. The downy woodpecker is common in all seasons of the year. His feet, tail, and bill are especially adapted to his mode of procuring food. His sharp toe nails enable him to climb with ease and rapidity; his stiff pointed tail feathers act as a prop to hold him against a tree, and his sharp bill can penetrate the hardest wood. It is used as a hand with which to procure food, and as a tool to excavate a receptacle in soft or decayed wood for a nest, and also to construct a winter home. In the coldest weather he may be seen diligently search- ing for insect food hidden in the bark or in decayed wood. He is the partner of the orchardist and the farmer, destroying myriads of insects, bugs, and worms that are injurious to trees. In the autumn he is found making a hole in a fence prop, a stump, or a post in which he snugly spends the cold, winter nights. In AND Other Imprints. 269 the same way he prepares a site for a nest. The eggs are white and the usual number is six. The downy is not noted for his courage or his fight- ing qualities, although he is armed with a bill that could be used to good effect in both offensive and de- fensive warfare. He is very sociable in his habits, and spends much time in the company of nuthatches and chickadees. Some years ago, I was interested in a pair of blue birds that had selected an abandoned home of a wood- pecker in a wild plum for their nesting place. They visited it daily to see if any other birds were trespass- ing on their rights. One cold, rainy evening in April they came as usual, and one of them looked in at the door, but quickly withdrew his head in great agitation and utered a cry of alarm. He then flew to a nearby tree and his mate looked in with a similar result. They both flew some distance and appeared to hold a con- ferance as to the best method of procedure against the intruder. They were very much excited, and used tail, wings, and voice to express the indignation they felt at the intrusion. The downy was very much alarmed at thus being cooped up in a home that did not belong to him and two angry owners plotting against him. He had sought shelter from the rain, but he did not feel at all comfortable at this time. He very cautiously peeped out, and seeing his enemies some distance away, he made a dash for liberty hotly pursued by the angry blue birds. The chase continued in my sight for two or three hundred yards, and the pursuers did not re- turn for about an hour. They remained on guard until late twilight, but the downy did not return. For some 270 Moccasin Tracks unknown cause the blue birds did not use the plum tree as a nesting site that year. The Hairy Woodpecker. The hairy woodpecker, the downy's big cousin, is a shyer bird than his smaller relative, and does not visit the orchards very often, but he spends most of his time in the deep forests. His dress, like the downy, is barred with black and white. The outer tail feathers of the downy are white, barred with black; in the hairy they are white without black bars. In the males, the nape of the neck of both species is a bright red. The feathers on the back of the hairy woodpecker are somewhat stiff and resemble hair, hence the name. When entering the woods on a cold day in winter one will hear the tap, tap, tap of a woodpecker in search of tree "borers.'^ When approached they will sidle to. the other side of the tree and peep at the intruder. When the seeming danger is past work will again be resumed. All woodpeckers make a loud drumming noise by strik- ing a dead limb with their sharp bill, which is repeated a number of times in rapid succession. This is their love call. The Pileated Woodpecker. This is the largest member of the family with the exception of the ivory bill, which is found in Florida and adjacent territory. He is seventeen inches in length and his color is a dull black with much white on his neck and wings. The high pointed crest of bright red gives him a very jaunty appearance. It resembles the AND Other Imprints. 271 bright red cap worn by the Roman soldiers called pileus, and he has been called the pileated woodpecker. He is very shy and rarely comes into orchards or farm lands. They are not so plentiful as they were twenty years ago, but quite a number can be seen by those who go far enough into the dense woods. On the approach of a snow storm the pileated flies to a southern ex- posed part of the woods. He remains there until the storm is about ready to break and then he seeks the woods facing the north. The first settlers in Webster county learned to predict the weather by his flight. Like all other woodpeckers, he nests in a hole exca- vated in a dead stub or tree. The Goldfinch. To see the goldfinch in the month of May dressed in his gay wedding suit of yellow and black one can scarcely believe that he braves the winter storms. After the young ones are grown, he lays aside his brilliant coat and assumes the garb of his more modest mate, and becomes a w^inter resident. The goldfinch is a bird of many names. He is called the flax bird, the wild canary, the beet bird, the lettuce bird, and the yellow bird. He is very sociable and is usually found in flocks feeding on the seeds of thistles, dandelions, sun- flowers and many other plants. If you wish to make the acquaintance of this most interesting little bird, plant sunflowers in your garden and leave the seeds on the stalks until late autumn and early winter. The goldfinch does not go to housekeeping until June, al- though he has worn his wedding clothes since the month of April. A very compact nest is built in the 272 Moccasin Tracks crotch of a small branch ten to twenty feet above the ground. It is composed of fine bark and plant fibers and is lined with soft plant down. The eggs, from three to six in number, are bluish-white in color. The song I'esembles that of the canary, and in early spring they sing in chorus, but later in the season the males become most excellent soloists. Sometimes while the female is feeding, the male will fly around her in a wide circle in graceful, undulating movements utter- ing "per-chic-oree, per-chic-oree^^ for some minutes. The nest is encircled in the same manner when the female is brooding. Many years ago, when each farmer sowed a small patch of flax for home consumption, goldfinches were very plentiful, and because they ate the seeds they were called flaxbirds. They eat the leaves of young beets and are therefore called beet birds. In the male, from April to August, the body is a beau- tiful golden color. The crown is black and the wings are black and white. The female is a grayish brown, with wings barred with black and pale yellow. The range of the goldfinch is from the tropics to the central part of Canada. The Black-Capped Chickadee. This bird belongs to the titmouse family. Titmouse means little mouse. It is one of our smallest birds, be- ing but four and one-half inches long. It is also called tit or torn tit. The chickadee is a permanent resident, but is more plentiful in the spring and autumn migra- tions. It is insectivorous and destroys many insects harmful to vegetation. It not only feeds upon the in- sect but upon the eggs and larvae also. The song of AND Other Imprints. 273 three or four notes is very musical and need only be heard in order to be appreciated. It is not at all shy, but will allow one to approach very near when in its native woods. For a nesting place a hole in a dead tree or limb is selected, but, if a suitable one cannot be found, one is soon made with his sharp bill. The small particles of wood are not dropped at the root of the tree like the woodpeckers, but they are carried some distance away before being dropped to the ground. The work is done by both male and female, working alter- nately. When completed, this house is lined with the soft, inner bark of trees. The upper parts of the chickadee are gray, and the under parts are brownish-white. The crown and throat are black, and the cheeks are white. The eggs, five to. eight in number, are white, spotted and speckled with reddish-brown. The White-Breasted Nuthatch. This is a very interesting bird and no' one need be in the woods very long without hearing his call note, which is a loud "yank,^' ^'yank," or he will be seen running head downward on a tree. His song is a rap- idly uttered "ha-ha-ha-ha'' in a very loud key. This is not music of a very high order, but when heard in bleak December, when there is a dearth of bird music, it has a cheerful ring. The red-breasted nuthatch is a near relative of the white-breast, but is a more north- ern bird and is not found in central West Virginia. They are called nuthatches because they use their sharp, slender bill to crack or "hatch" a nut after it has been wedged in some convenient crevice in the bark of a 274 Moccasin Teacks tree or a crack in a limb. In comparing titmice with nuthatches, it may be said that the former have long tails and short bills, and do not creep, while the latter have short tails and long bills and do creep. The nut- hatches, with no special structure other than slightly lengthened toe nails, differ from all other birds in the ease and rapidity in which they can ascend or descend trees. The tail is short and square and is not used for a support in climbing. The color of the white-breasted nuthatch is bluish-gray on the back with face and un- der parts white. The crown of the male is black, and in the female a slaty color. The nest is made in April and the eggs are white, thickly speckled with reddish- brown. • The Carolina Wren. The Carolina wren is very common and is very much larger than its cousin, the winter wren. It is one of our j'olliest birds, and its call notes and song are varied and very musical. Wrens are the most vigorous and en- ergetic of birds. Some species will build three or four nests before eggs are deposited in either one. A house wren will carry a half bushel of material to fill up a nesting cavity, and then build the nest on the top of the heap. The range of the Carolina wren is from New York to Florida. Its upper parts are bright, cinnamon and its under parts are washed with the same color. The nest is built in some crevice or out of the way place, the more effectively to hide it. I have seen t!he nest in a basket of feathers hung up in a smoke house, and in the sleeve of an old coat left in the wood house. The eggs, from five to eight, are AND Other Imprints. 275 laid in April. Think of the amount of work Jenny Wren and her husband must do to supply food for so many baby wrens. February is a favorable month to study 'the habits of the Carolina wren. The Raven. The raven, the bird of ill omen, was very common thirty or forty years ago, but it is very seldom seen now. I have seen but two in twenty-five years. These were seen on Birch river in Nicholas county. They remained for several days in the vicinity where first seen before taking their final departure. This was in 1902. Eavens built their nests in the deepest forests far removed from human habitation. When the young were able to fly they visited the settlements where food was more plentiful. The clamorous cry of the hungry youngsters was a very familiar spring sound. They were casual visitors until spring, when they returned to their breeding ground, but not before they had aroused the enmity of the farmers by plucking out the eyes of young lambs. Farther north the raven is still very common. The Crow. The crow, another bird of jet black plumage, but much smaller than the raven, is not so common as formerly during the winter. He has become a mi- grant and spends his winters to the south of us, re- turning at the breaking up of winter. Not many years ago a small flock could be seen on nearly every farm, feedinof with the cattle or other farm animals. The 276 Moccasin Tkacks farmers considered the crovv' a great pest because of his fondness for sprouting corn in the spring and for roasting ears in the late summer. While much damage is still done by him, he is now considered a friend of the agriculturist, as his chief diet consists of grubs and worms, the natural enemies of the farmer. In the au- tumn, crows collect in immense flocks and have a com- mon place to roost from which they forage in small bands for miles in every direction. When they return about sundown, for some time their incessant cawing is almost deafening. They feed on beech nuts and the seeds of some plants in the fall. But their chief food supply at that season of the year is the shelled corn and small ears left in the fields by the farmer when he gathered his crops. The Ruffed Grouse. The popular names of many American birds were given them by the early English settlers because of some real or fancied resemblance to well known Euro- pean species. The robin is not a robin but a true thrush; the meadow lark is not a lark at all, but a starling; the orioles are not orioles, but a distinct American family having no representatives in Europe. One of our best known and most popular game birds, the partridge of the north and the pheasant of the south, is neither, but it is a grouse. Ornithologists have repeatedly pointed out these mistakes in the in- terest of correct scientific classification of our birds, but the names have been too long established to be easily changed. AND Other Imprints. 277 The ruffed grouse (the pheasant), so called because tihe neck is ornamented with a black ruff, or collar, is distributed from the Oarolinas to Canada, but is more plentiful in mountain regions that are heavily timbered. The ruff of the male is black and the feathers compos- ing it are longer than the surrounding ones, but in the female it is brown and the feathers are of the same length as the surrounding ones. The color of the grouse, a dark brown and rusty gray, exactly harmon- izes with his surroundings of leaves, logs, and dead brush. This is called protective coloration and enables him to readily hide from his enemies. The sportsman who successfully hunts him without the aid of a dog must have sharp eyes and always be on the alert. He will quietly sit in a few feet of the hunter until his back is turned and with a loud whirr he springs into the air and is away like a shot. The male grouse makes a loud drumming sound which corresponds to the love songs of other birds. They drum most frequently during the nesting season, which begins about the first of May. Thirty years ago drumming was often heard at night but I have heard no drumming after sunset for many years. The manner in which this sound is produced is not well un- derstood even by eminent writers on birds. One noted author says that the bird firmly braces himself against a low perch and beats the air with his wings. Another writer says that he drums on a hollow log by beating it with his wings. Now, I have often watched, at very close range, the process. The drummer selects a log, usually an old mossy one, and stands very erect upon 378 Moccasin Tracks it. The wings are thrust well in front, and by a very slow movement at first, strikes the primaries together producing the sound. The latter part of the perform- ance is so rapid that he is almost lifted from his perch, against which he is not braced. If the outer feathers of the wings did not strike together, no louder sound could be produced than by suddenly bounding into the air when flushed. During the spring and summer the toes of the grouse are bare and slender, but in autumn a comb-like fringe grows upon them, which for all practical purposes acts as a snow shoe, which aids in walking on the snow. The natural habitat of the grouse is in regions of deep snow fall, and he spends much of his time on the ground, so this is a wise provision of nature enabling him to walk on the soft snow without sinking deep into it. Grouse belong to the family of scratchers, but he never uses this method of procuring his food. A leaf- lined nest is constructed on the ground under the side of a log or rock, and from eight to fourteen buff-col- ored eggs are laid early in May. The Bobwhite. This game bird, the quail of the nortli and the par- tridge of the south, is a permanent resident of small number. He is called "bobwhite'^ from one of his loud whistled calls and when heard it is a sure harbinger of spring. This is a more southern bird than the ruffed grouse and is found in the eastern United States from Florida to Maine. The bobw^hite has the grouse mark- ings, and male and female are mudh alike in color, the AND Other Imprints. 279 most important difference being the throat and the line over the eye, which are white in the male and buff in the female. During the winter they are often seen about the barn and other farm buildings feeding on the grain scattered about. They have many enemies, in- cluding hawks and foxes. They roost on the ground in a circle with tails together and heads pointing in all directions. They spring into the air when an enemy approaches too near for safety. The bobwhite is one among the farmers' best feathered friends. He destroys immense quantities of weed seeds, grasshoppers, cut \\^orms, and other injurious insects. The nest is made on the ground about the middle of May and from ten to twenty white eggs are laid. Besides the birds I have enumerated there are hawks and owls to be found in Webster county, but because of their predatory habits, and their desire to live solitary and alone, they are not numbered among our winter bird friends. Winter birds give us a feeling of comradeship with nature, and the sight of one of them, or the sound of a well known chirp, when all nature is held in the icy embrace of winter, makes a dreary day more cheerful. The birds from an economic standpoint deserve care- ful consideration. Leading entomologists estimate the damage done by insects to the agricultural interests of the United States at seven hundred million dollars. This almost inconceivable amount would be many times greater if the birds did not hold the insects in check. Immense damage is done by insects to the forests and our shade trees. Now, if insects are the natural ene- 280 MoccAsiK Tracks mies of vegetation, the birds are the natural enemies of insects. By feeding on insects birds prevent their un- due increase. If it were not for this, vegetation in many parts of the earth in a few years would be en- tirely destroyed. Birds by eating the seeds of harmful weeds are beneficial to the farmer. . It is from an aesthetic consideration that birds ap- peal most direct^ to us. Their beautiful plumage, their sweet songs, their means of procuring food, and their annual migration appeal to every one who. likes to spend a part of his time beyond the narrow limits of a dwelling house. Birds possess many of the char- acteristics of man. Fear and courage, love and hate, modesty and vanity are each manifested by them. Many are ardently attached to their birth place, and return to it each spring, after having visited lands hundreds of miles distant. Some are very sociable, living in large flocks, and they keep up a constant communica- tion with each other by means of call notes. Many birds live lonely, solitary lives in the deep forests and are gloomily silent. Who does not admire the intelligence, or instinct, that enables the bobolink to spend the winter in Brazil, a land of summer and gay flowers? Yet the next spring he is merrily singing in his home in northern United States. It is said that when a person has learned the names of ten birds and can apply the names to the proper species, that he is lost. The pleasure obtained from the ten is so great that he is not content until the name of all the birds that visit his localitv have been learned. AND Other Imprints. 281 Nov/, I sincerely hope that every boy and girl ^vtho reads these sketches will become so completely lost that they will not again find themselves until they have learned the names of all the winter visitants and per- manent residents near their homes. It will then be a very easy and most pleasant task to learn the names of the most prominent summer residents and transient visitants. Buy a hand book on birds, and take it with you on your outings, and you will be agreeably surprised with the ease and rapidity that you learn to identify our friends in feathers. This applies to elderly persons as well as young people. THE EAGLE. There are many traits and characteristics among the different species of birds that have attracted universal attention among civilized peoples. Some birds possess a sweet voice and poets have sung their praises in poetic compositions. Others by their long migratory flights over land and sea, across valleys and mountains, have been praised for that unerring instinct that safely guides them to the end of their long, perilous journeys. The eagle has claimed 'attention for many centuries, although he possesses neither a sweet voice nor migratory habits. He braves the snows of a long Arctic winter or endures the panting and dissolving heat of the Torrid zone. He is seemingly at home in all parts of the world, and his vigils are kept on the highest mountain peaks or in the lowest valleys. Some one of the various species is to be found wherever the foot of 282 Moccasin Tracks civilized man has trod. He is most assuredly a bird of cosmopolitan antecedents and has impressed the human family from the earliest antiquity. The eagle possesses many of the attributes of mankind and man himself can learn many valuable lesfeons from this noble bird. He disdains to feed upon anything not slain by his own power. This characteristic teaches us that we should be self-reliant and should not depend upon others for our support or for our ideas. Our own powers rightly used are of greater value to us than bor- rowed ones, although they may be of greater dynamic force. The eagle is called the king of birds. It is not be- cause he can sing more sweetly, scream more loudly, or fly more swiftly, but it is because of the loftiness of his flight. He posseses a keen eye and he senses the ap- proach of a storm from afar. From his aerie on some beetling crag, he spreads his pinions and by easy and graceful gyrations, he mounts up, and up, until he soars beyond the natural vision of man, and finally reaches a point beyond the storm clouds. With a fear- less eye, he looks down upon lightning-riven clouds. While the earth is being veiled in partial darkness, and while weaker birds are being tossed to and fro by the tempest and vainly seeking cover and protection from th'e driving rain and hail, he is basking in the sun- shine immune from the fury of the elements. 'V\Tiat a lesson is taught from this upward flight! It teaches us that we are to arise above the petty troubles and annoyances of this life. As we surmount each ob- stacle, we can look down upon them with complaisance AND Other Imprints. 283 and self-reliance. Above these troubles all is peace and serenity: in the midst of them turmoil and discord. The eagle is invigorated and strengthened by his exer- tions; so are we by taking a loftier view of the aims and attainments of this life. The harpy eagle is a South American species living alone in the deepest forests. He is gloomily silent and quarrelsome. He will attack any animal that comes near him and even man himself is not immune from his ill temper. Are you acquainted with any persons of whom this eagle reminds you? They are to be found in almost every city, town, or village in West Virginia. They seem to be at cross purposes with the world. They are true Ishmaelites and show their ill temper on the least prov- ocation. They do not freely mingle with their fellow men but prefer to live lonely, solitary lives, neither giv- ing nor receiving a helping hand. It is better to come out in the sunlight of publicity and assist in making this a better world in which to live. Such persons have been characterized as "stars that dwell apart in a fel- lowless firmament." It is said that they do not live in a house by the side of the road where they can be a friend to man. Eagles usually rear their broods in nests situated on the pinnacle of some inaccessible mountain peak, where, in safety, they can scan a thousand depths of nether air. The eaglets soon attain the size of the parent birds, but they are cowering and timid. The mother watches over them in the fondest paternal solicitude. She becomes impatient of their long delay in leaving 284 Moccasin Tracks their temporary abode. She pushes one after another out of the nest. If one is not strong enough to fly, it is left sitting on the side of the nest, or it is sometimes borne to safety on the back of the mother. This action of the parent eagle teaches us two valuable truths. If we never try to do a thing, it will never be accom- plished. If we make an honest effort, we gain confi- dence in ourselves, and, if we fail, it gives added strength which will enable us to win in a subsequent attempt. In the second lesson taught, we learn to as- sist the weak and helpless. Man does not live for him- self alone. Christ exemplified this when he said, "Bear one another's bur dens.'' By our own selfishness and lack of interest in humanity, we often make the bur- dens heavier for our fellow beings. The eagle occupies a prominent place in the ornithol- ogy of the Bible. It is mentioned many times by the sacred writers. The people of the Roman Empire, one of the great universal empires of the world, used the image of an eagle for their standard. It was carried by the victo- rious legions from the tropical regions of Africa to the icy, snow-clad hills of northern Europe. Its victorious advance under the imperial Caesar in western Europe was checked by the Belgians near the scenes of conflict in the great war of nineteen hundred and fourteen. This emblem in bronze or brass was as sacred to the Roman legionaries as the Stars and Stripes is to the American soldiers. Many centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, a free and powerful nation came into promi- nence in North America, and the eagle became its AND Other Imprints. 285 fitting emblem because the noble bird typifies strength, power, and endurance. It is represented on the shield of the United States and also on the silver and gold coins. Percival, the American poet, gives a very vivid and graphic description of the home and habits of the eagle in one of his poems. He says, "Bird of the broad, and sweeping wing. Thy home is high in heaven; Where the wide storms their banners fling. And the tempest clouds are driven. Thou art perched aloft on a beetling crag. And the waves are white below And on with a haste that cannot lag. They rush in an endless flow. Thy home is on the mountain top ; Thy fields the boundless air. And hoary peaks that proudly prop The skies, thy dwelling are." THE CRISIS OF 1861. William Oooper, the great English poet and hymnist, wrote, "God moves in a mysterious way, . His wonders to perform ; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.'^ The aptness of this assertion was fully exemplified in the great and irrepressible conflict that culminated in 1861. The smouldering fires of fifty years burst forth with volcanic fury, and the United States was plunged into the vortex of a great internecine war. This crisis did not come upon the country like a thunderbolt from a cloudless sky, but its mutterings had been heard by the founders of the Eepublic — even by George Washington himself. An intimation of it had been wafted from England to the shores of Amer- ica in the wars between the Cavaliers and the Puritans in 1649. Thirty years prior to this event slavery had been introduced into the colony of Virginia. The Cav- aliers and their adherents, for the most part, settled be- low what was afterwards known as Mason and Dixon's line. The Puritans, under the leadership of such men as Brewster, Carver and Endicott, settled in New Eng- land, which was north of the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary. It is a well known historical fact that immigration moves along the same parallels of latitude. So it came to pass that the dominant class of people of the two AND Other Imprints. 287 sections of the colonies inherited and entertained polit- ical, social, and industrial opinions hostile to each other. British, injustice and usurpation united the North and the South against their common enemy. The Revolution was fought to a successful conclusion, and the United States of America, occupying the fair- est portion of the continent, was established. The importation of slaves was favored by the British government during the eighteenth century, and at the treaty of Eutrecht, in 1713, Great Britain obtained the contract of supplying slaves for the Spanish West In- dies. Many of the colonies objected to the interna- tional traffic in human beings, but it was forced upon them by the mother country. The colonists of Virginia. Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts passed laws against it previous to 1774, but each of these was vetoed by royal authority. The slave trade question came very prominently be- fore the Constitutional Convention of 1787. All the Southern States, except Virginia and Maryland, de- manded its retention. After a heated debate the ques- tion was compromised by giving Congress poAver to aholish it in 1808. Congressional Acts passed in 1818 and 1819 authorized the President to send war vessels to Africa to stop the trade in slaves, which was not fully given up until 1865. A sentiment hostile to slavery began to develop among the Quakers soon after it was introduced into the North. This religious sect drew up a memorial against it at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1688. Woolwich and other Quakers openly denounced it from 288 Moccasin Tjucks the pulpit. The Boston town meeting in 1701 passed a resolution against it. Slaves were few in the North but numerous in the South, where the increase and the danger felt from them caused the passage of severe laws respecting them. The Eevolution, as a movement for liberty, with its declaration proclaiming all men free and equal, joined with the humanitarian spirit of the close of the eight- eenth century to increase the anti-slavery sentiment. All the Northern States either abolished slavery about this time or provided for its gradual extinction. Had it not been for Whitney^s invention of the cot- ton gin, in 1793, the great crisis might never have oc- curred. The destiny of a nation is often changed by very small occurrences. This invention gave a new im- petus to slavery by making the production of cotton enormously profitable. It made a large portion of the people of the North, who were interested in cotton manufacturing, dependent upon slave labor to supply the raw material for their spindles. After this time the people of the South began to defend slavery as a posi- tive good in spite of its obvious disadvantages. Aboli- tion societies first formed about 1793 began to languish in 1808. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 arranged that slavery could not exist west of the Mississippi river and north of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes, except in the case of Missouri. The American Colonization Society tried to palliate the evils of slavery by emanci- pation and colonization. About 1830 the agitation against slavery took a more AND Other Impeints. 2Sd acute phase and for thirty years it was the all-absorb- ing political theme. It was during these eventful years that American statesmanship in the opinion of many historians reached its zenith. The young Southerners, nursed and pampered in the lap of ease and luxury, had ample time in which to study politics, oratory, and government. They were sent North and even to Europe to complete their education. Thus equipped they were able to meet any antagonist on the hustings. The North, with its splendid schools and colleges, furnished a group of statesmen of matchless worth, courage, and ability. It was at this period of our history that the great forensic battles of intellectual giants were waged. The 3'oung orators and statesmen of today would ask no greater honor than to be permitted to break a lance in the arena of a great oratorical conflict w^iere such momentous questions are decided. The tariff and State rights questions were freely discussed and were closely allied with that of slavery. The North and the South naturally took opposite sides of each of these questions. The great Webster-Haynes debate occurred in the United States Senate, in 1830, and South Carolina soon after passed the Nullification Act. Fortunately for the nation Andrew Jackson, a fearless statesman and firm believer in the sacredness of the T^nion, was president at that time, and the way- ward state was forced to retrace her steps, and the crisis for the time being was past. Slave labor demanded more and more new territory. The Mexican war was forced upon the country at the behest of the slave oligarchy to satisfy this ever in- r-reasing demand. It forced the repeal of the Missouri 390 Moccasin Tracks compromise in 1854, which plunged Kansas into a civil war and gave her a baptism of blood. The Supreme Court, tlie highest tribunal in the United States, sus- tained this repeal in the Dred Scott case in 1857. The great compromise of 1850 was thought by many states- men to forever settle the question of slavery. This be- lief soon proved a delusion and a snare. They soon learned that one could not compromise with evil. The crucial question, the extension of slavery into the terri- tories, soon overshadowed every other issue. Many per- sons living in the North had no desire to interfere with slavery where it already legally existed, but tiiey were unwilling to see it extended, while the slave owners claimed a Constitutional right to their property in slaves as essential if they were to have any share in the commc'i territories. The Fugitive Slave law of 1850, and the unwillingness of the Northern people to exe- cute it, assisted in precipitating the conflict. In the meantime the presidential election of 1860 approached. The great and often victorious Democratic party split asunder and slavery Avas the wedge. The Northern wing nominated Stephen A. Douglas, the Little Giant of Illinois, and declared that the voters of a territory should decide for or against slavery. The Southern wing nominated John C. Breckenridge, a dashing cav- alier, of Kentucky, and declared the right of slave own- ers to take their slaves into the new territories. John Bell, ail old line Whig of Tennessee, was nominated by the Constitutional Union party on a platform declar- ing for the Union, the Constitution, and the enforce- ment of the law. The Eepublican party, formed at AND Other Imprints. 291 Jackson, Michigan, in 1854:, met in its second national convention at Chicago and wisely passing by all the old politicians nominated Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, a lawyer by profession, but comparatively unknown to a very large majority of the voters. The platform de- clared against the extension of slavery into new terri- tory, but made no declaration against it where it al- ready legally existed. This was the most exciting presidential election in the history of American politics, as well as the most sectional in its characteristics and in its results. Dur- ing the campaign several of the Southern states de- clared their intention of seceding from the Union if Lincoln was elected. But little attention was paid to these threats, however, as they had often been heard on previous occasions. George Washington had foreseen the danger of sectionalism and had given warning in his farewell address to the people of the United States. The whole world knows the result — -Lincoln's election and the secession of South Carolina, December 20, 1860, soon to be followed by Mississippi, Florida, Ala- bama, Georgia, Louisana and Texas. 0, for a Jackson instead of Buchanan as President of the United States ! N^othing was done by the president to check the South in its mad career. Buchanan hid behind the pitiful sub- terfuge that the National government had not the power to coerce a state. At the close of President Buch- anan's administration the flag of the United States was flying at only three points in the seven seceded States. The United States army still held Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina. Fort Pickens at Pen- 292 Moccasin Tracks saeola, Florida, and Key West, the Southern extremity of that State. Every other fort, arsenal, dockyard, mint, custom house, and court house had been seized by the dis-unionists and turned to hostile use. By these means they obtained artillery, small arms, ammunition, and supplies o:^ war for immediate use. They obtained five hundred thousand dollars in specie at the New Orleans mint. The government of the United States was not in anyway prepared for hostilities. The army consisted of but twelve thousand available troops, and the navy was so small that it did not amount to one large squadron, and its most effective ships were at points remote from the scene of conflict. The financial aifairs of the government were even in a more deplorable condition. The credit of the Ignited States that had been of the very best standing in the past had been almost entirely destroyed. In the closing weeks of Buchanan's administration the Secretary of the Treasury was forced to borrow money at the ruin- ous rate of 12% per annum to pay the running ex- penses of the government. In view of these facts it is little wonder thai the clis-unionists laughed to scorn any attempt on the part of the United States government to arrest their progress, much less to subdue them and force their return to the Union. Palliation, conciliation, concession and compromise were often heard and the almost inianimous opinion in the South, shared largely by the North, was that to precipitate war would be to abandon the last vestige of hope for the restoration of the Union, and drive the other slave-holding States into the Confederacy which AND OiHER Imprints. 293 had been formed with Jefferson Davis as its President. The Southern representatives for the most part re- signed and on their return home declared that they had left the Union a corpse lying in state in the National capitol. This rash boast had an element of truth in it, yet the corpsfe was a very lively one as subsequent events amply proved. The fourth of March drew near. "What will Lincoln do when he becomes President?" was the all-absorbing question in both the North and the South. There was an element of uncertainty in regard to his actions, be- cause he had been mysteriously silent on all public questions since his election in November. Who was this Abraham Lincoln that was to guide the Nation through the great crisis? Born in the State of Ken- tucky under the most adverse circumstances his coming into the world gave little promise of either usefulness 'or greatness. His parents were extremely poor, and were of that class known as "poor white trash" tO' the slave-holding aristocracy of the South. He was taken to Indiana early in life and later to Illinois by his parents. He had no educational advantages except those which he made for himself. But he had what was better — good natural ability, and a determination to win success. By sheer force of character he climbed the treacherous ladder of success to its topmost round. He was known among his friends as "Honest Abe ;" he was a lawyer without spot or blemish; a friend to whom one could confide the innermost secrets of the heart without the least fear of betrayal; a man whose name was not enrolled in any church book, yet he 294 Moccasin Tracks recognized the workings of a Supreme Being in all human affairs; he was a Moses especially prepared and endowed by Grod himself to be the leader in crushing the most formidable rebellion in universal history, and to strike the shackles from four million human beings held in bondage more galling than that of the Israelites in Egypt; he was a true type, and exemplar of his race, his country, and his government; forcible in speech and faultless in logic, he enriched the language with new thoughts, new definitions, new maxims, new parables, and new proverbs. In the language of the im- mortal Shakespeare, "His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, ^This was a Man.' " Such a man left his humble home in the State of Il- linois on one of the darkest days in the darkest period of United States history for Washington to become the chief executive oi a divided and a disorganized Eepub- lic. The speeches made on this ever-to-be remembered journey contain no declaration of policy or purpose touching the impending troubles. He had the practical faculty of discerning -the chief point to be reached, and then bending every energ}- to reach it. He saw that the one thing needful was his regular, constitutional inauguration as President of the United States. Poli- cies, both general and in detail, would come after that. 'T/et us do one thing at a time, and the big things first,^' was his homely, but expressive, way of vindicat- ing the wisdom of his policy. AND Other Imprints. 295 The president-elect reached Washington jn the night time. He had been advised by friends that it would be unsafe for him to go through Baltimore on schedule time. So a secret journey was planned and carried into effect. This was always a matter of deep regret to Lin- coln. Threats that he should never be inaugurated were numerous, and Joseph Holt, Secretary of War, took every precaution to insure safety by marshaling troops in and around Washington. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred on inauguration day. The North, that had been in a fever of excitement, now breathed freer, since the President was safely inaugurated and was living in the executive mansion. The inaugural address was calm but firm. It re- moved all unfavorable impression existing in the North relating to Lincoln's position on secession and slavery. He said that his election did not endanger the institu- tion of slavery in states where it already existed and admitted that under the Constitution fugitive slaves could be returned to their masters. He did not define his position on the extension of slavery into new terri- tory. He earnestly and most tenderly pleaded with those who would dissolve the Union. He said, "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The gov- ernment will not assail you. You can have no conflict without yourselves being the aggressors. You can have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the government wihile T shall have the most solemn one to preserve, pro- tect and defend it. I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. Though passions may have 296 Moccasin Tracks strained, it must not break, our bonds of affection." These noble words brought a feelirig of hopefulness to the North, but it failed to strike a responsive chord in the South. It left the people of the South the alter- native of war or of receding from their stand for seces- sion. In his selection of his cabinet Lincoln showed a magnimity unsurpassed in the history of American politics. He made Seward, his chief competitor for the presidential nomination. Secretary of State. Two oth- ers of his rivals at Chicago were given cabinet posi- tions. These were Chase and Cameron, who were to preside over the Treasury and War Departments re- spectively. In this way the party factions were united but he was censured for his actions by many party friends. One of the first things to which Lincoln directed his attention was to prevent the border slave states from joining the already seceded states. By prompt action Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware were kept within the Union. Upon the secession of Virginia, the western part of that commonwealth was erected into the sovereign state of West Virginia. This was the only geographical change in the gigantic struggle of four years duration. By the middle of April, 1861, the people of the South were very much dissatisfied with the fact that Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, was doing nothing to protect and consolidate the Confederacy. This do-nothing policy was for the purpose of provoking Lincoln into some hostile act. In this way the North would appear before the world as AND Other Imprints. 297 the aggressors in bringing on the war. A prominent member of the Alabama legislature told Davis that if he did not sprinkle blood in the face of the Southern people they would shortly be back into the Union. Strenuous efforts were made by both sides to control Virginia. "Strike a blow/' said Eoger A. Pryor, "and Virginia will secede from the Union." The blow was struck. The flag of the United States was fired upon at Sumter and the mine was exploded that drenched the country with blood. What a spectacle for poets and painters ! A gray haired man of seventy years, standing with lighted match in his hand ready to touch the fuse at the word of command. This hostile act consolidated public sentiment in the North. The same paper that carried the news of the fall of Sumter contained the call of the President for seventy-five thousand volunteers. An outburst of patriotic fervor greeted Lincoln's call for soldiers to regain the property of the United States seized by the Confederates. Enthusiastic public meetings were immediately held in all the free states from Maine to California. "Down with Secession" was the slogan, or rallying cry, in village and city as well as rural communities. Farmers left the team standing in the field and hastened away to enlist. Law- yers threw aside their briefs. They enrolled as soldiers and their clients did likewise. Teachers and students cast aside their books and hastened away. In the his- tory of popular uprising no parallel can be found in all the world. The same enthusiasm met Davis's call for troops in the South. Men and boys vied with each other in enthusiastic enlistment. 298 Moccasin Tracks No braver men ever enlisted under any banner than these citizen soldiers proved themselves to be on many a hard fought battle field. They freely and unflinch- ingly yielded up their lives for the flag under wfhich they fought. They were all, all Americans and the same indomitable courage was manifested on both sides. The boys in Blue as well as the Gray showed that they were fitting descendants of the old Eevolution stock. Heroic deeds of valor were performed by the soldiers of both Grant and Lee. Thousands of these filled unmarked graves on the battle fields of both the North and the South. After four years of warfare the South surrendered; the country was again united; the slaves were freed; the right of secession was extinguished; a better un- derstanding and a better appreciation of each other ex- ists between the two sections. The Civil War cost an enormous sum of money, and the sacrifice of many lives, but it was a great uplift to the Nation. Such a great sacrifice of life sobered and chastened the people. The South after a few years made rapid strides in education and wealth. A new South, phoenix like, sprang from the ashes of the old. Lincoln, by his devotion to the Union, and by his tender, pathetic solicitude for the soldiers and their sorrowing friends, endeared himself to the people. In soberly guiding the Nation through the stormy seas of treachery and rebellion he immortalized his name. When the Ship of State proudly rounded the rocks and shoals into the harbor of safety, the brave Captain lay dead upon the deck. *^ •-S %. > t % -of o u .\J ^^^k 6-^ ^. ^ 5>.^ '■'' J.°-v. .^^ > l^<(>|^: f^^ :*»fc \,^ tr .;-.-. ^ ,^ ^^ % ^°v^ ^^~ ..>■ %• ^•1°-* 1 .0 %v^* ' .^" . 4^ * • »* '^ DOBBS BROS. y LIBRARY BINDING ^ A EC 81 Ji^^ ST. AUGUSTINE ^ '^fh.