Hamilton County, Indiana - Chapter 4, 1901

In the early days of which I am writing there w-as ])lenty of hard work for all to do. There was, however, but little immediate reward, and there was but little money in the country to be had. Beesw^ax, ginseng, deer hams, deer and coon skins being the only articles of trade. The children of the pioneers large enough to go from home were found in the w^oods with their "sang hoes," looking into every corner for the plant at the proper season in the year. The ginseng was carried home, washed clean and dried. It was then ready for market. The ginseng root was then, and is now, quite valuable, but we did not then kno\v its full value.

r.ccs were \cry plciilil'ul in llic woods in lliose carl}' (lays. Many of tlieni had not been disturbed in tlie trees wlicrc they had made their home for years, and wlicn found they were very rich. The honey was taken in the coml). The honey was pressed out and the comlj made into wax. This was (|uitc an inchistry. Bees were sometimes found l)y means of bear scratches made by tlie bears in climbing the trees in search of honey. The most usual way was to put out bait, and when the bees came to the bait their course, when they left, was taken and an experienced bee hunter had but little difificulty in finding their tree.

The raccoon was taken as a rule at the proper season, (that is. wdien the fur was good) by means of a pole trap. These traps were made by securing two poles from twelve to fifteen feet long and trimmed to near the top. A log was found leading into a pond where frogs were usually found and the poles were then laid across the top of the log. one on top of the other. Two stakes were then dri\-en into the ground near the log and near the poles. The stakes were then tied together at the top so as to prevent the top i)ole from slipping from its position. A sufficient weight was placed upon the bushy tops of the poles to kecj) them from turning. Then a set of triggers were i)rci)arcd and a string tied to one of the stakes. The other end of the string was attached to the trigger holding up the top pole. Then a weight was placed on the top pole sufficient to hold a coon if one should be caught. The string- attached to the trigger, when the trap was set, would cover the entire log. So the 'coon, when undertaking to get to the frogs in the pond by using the log, would be compelled to cross over this string, and in so doing the trap would be thrown and the 'coon would be caught between the poles and thus fall into the hands of the trapper.

The process of capturing the deer was much more lal)orious and difficult. In the pioneer days the woods were full of deer. They had their haunts, their feedingground and their trails. They usually passed from jH:»int to point in large droves and when pursued ran in a circle, coming back to the same point. The hunter had more than one mode of taking or capturing the deer. One mode was by fire hunting on water at night ; one method was by salt lick ; still another was by the use of trained ponies, and another by running them down with men and dogs.

My father had a pony named Dick trained to assist in taking the deer. A bell was buckled or fastened around Dick's neck before starting for the woods. The l^owl of this bell was stuffed with dry grass to keep the bell from rattling until the proper time came. My father would then mount the pony, with gun, shotpouch, powder-horn, tomahawk and hunting knife. Then they would pass into the woods and my father, knowing the haunts of the deer, would ride directly toward llicui until he would come ui)on them, lie would then dismount, pull the grass from the bowl of the bell, and Dick, as^ he had been trained to do, would commence shaking his head and thereby ring the bell. The deer on hearing the bell would invariably stop and stare at the pony, and whilst this was going on my father was seeking a point from which he could make a sure shot. When this was found he would shoot. If his shot pro\ ed fatal the dead deer w^ould be hung upon a limb of a sapHng and the chase after the drove w-ould be continued. When the deer were overtaken or headed off the; pony was there to ring the bell, and thus enable the hunter to get another shot. This process was continued during the day and it frequently happened that at the end of the day's work the hunter w'ould have as many as five deer hanging up to be brought home the next day.

The deer lick process was as follows : The hunter deposited salt in a suitable spot where the deer w^ould be sure to find it. The hunter continued this deposit of salt until the deer became accustomed to visiting the .spot, which they usually did after night. Then the hunter would build a scaffold and platform in a tree near by, so that when he wished to "stalk" the deer, as it was called, he would build a fire so as to put the lick between the fire and the platform in the near by tree. Then the hunter would seat himself on the platform in the tree and await the coming of the deer. When the

(leer came to the lick it would be directly in line with the iire, so the hunter would be able to shoot with as much accuracy as though it had been daylight, and he usually brought down his game. Unlike the panther, the deer was not afraid of the lire, and was not disturl)ed by it.

The lire hunt was as follows : The hunter secured a large-sized canoe made from a tree, with solid front and rear. Tn the front a large hole was bored and a stout upright about two feet long inserted, upon whicli a frame or network of iron ribs was fastened and upon this frame a bright fire was kept burning during the hunt. Thus prepared, and with plenty of fuel in the canoe, a good pole and paddle, a trusty rifle and two trained dogs, the hunter was ready for a start. Usually the canoe was paddled or poled up the stream as far as the hunter wished to go, then the dogs were sent into the woods and the canoe was turned so that the light would be in advance and the canoe was then allowed to drift with the current. The business of the dogs was to scare up the deer. The deer when scared up in the night almost invariably made for the river, there to be shot down by the hunter. The hunter was very quiet after his canoe was turned, Hstening intently for the barking of the dogs. Finally he would hear the welcome sound and would prepare himself for the onset. When the deer drew near enough to the river to see the light it would almost always proceed directly toward it,

The next and last usual w^ay of hunting deer was as follows: The hunter, with one or two trained dogs, made his way into the forest in the direction of the haunts of the deer. When a deer or drove of deer was found, the first opportunity was taken to shoot. When a gun was iired the dogs, although excited and eager for the chase, remained at the heels of the hunter. If the shot was a success the deer was hung up as heretofore stated. If the shot was only a partial success and the deer only wounded, then the dogs were told to go, and the hunter followed the dogs. It w^is the business of the dogs to overtake the wounded deer and hold it at bay until the hunter could overtake them, when a second shot was hred.

In tile jiioneer days success in deer hunting was important for many reasons. Before hog culture became a success the meat was necessary to supply the table. The hams w'ere hung in the rude smoke-house, after being salted, and tlien smoked just as our liams are smoked now^ Sometimes these hams were sold to tavern keepers for a good price. The skins were used and utili/.e(l in many ways. Moccasins, leather breeches. \ests and hiuiting shirts were made from them, as well as mats of different kinds. Pro|)erly dressed and

Stretched, they were always ready sale to the traders. 1 have seen in early spring-, on many occasions, the smoke-honses of the pioneers filled with hams. 'Coon skins, as a rule, were dressed, stretched and properly cured and then sold to the traders. Caps for men and boys were sometimes made from 'coon skins. It was -aid i:i those days that 'coon and deer skins were a legal tender for all debts. The mink and muskrat came in for their share, but the muskrat was not so valuable as the mink. ]\Iink were taken in steel traps and what was called deadfalls. ^Jhese traps were baited with some kind of fresh meat, birds being the best. ^^ '^' 5 8 7 -'' The rule g'overning the ownership of wild hogs was this : The pioneer, fortunate enough to own hogs, marked his hogs and turned them into the woods. It was not safe for any one who purposely killed a hog that did not bear his mark without the consent of the owner. A man by the name of Smith, in this early day, claimed to be the owner of hogs running at large in the woods. A good snow had fallen in the winter and Smith approached a man by the name of Brook, who was a good hunter, and proposed hiring him to hunt and kill his (Smith's) hogs. A price was agreed upon, but Brooks had one provision in the contract, which was that Smith was to give Brooks his mark. The preliminaries being arranged, these parties made their way into the timber in search of hogs. They had passed two or three droves when thev came to one that Smith claiincd was his. Urooks made an earnest effort to find Smith's mark, but failed to find it, and refused to shoot. So they passed on. They came across several droves din-ing- the day, but as Brook could not discover the proper mark, he refused to shoot, and at about dark iliey ran across another drove with the same result. Smith, by this time, was thoroughly out of humor, and with an oath told Brook if he was going to be so particular as all that they would get no hogs. Brook then said to Smith : "I don't believe you have any hogs in the woods, and you will pay me now for my day's work or take a thrashing." The money for the day's work was paid over and Brook refused to hunt for Smith thereafter.

As a rule the pioneers were honest. Their smokehouses were left unlocked, and if a bee hunter found a bee tree and cut his initials on the tree it was, as a rule, safe. If a 'coon hunter treed a 'coon in the night time and would take the precaution of tying his hunting shirt, a handkerchief or any other token around it and leave his dogs at the foot of the tree, he was almost certain to find the tree and 'coon undisturbed in the morning. If a hunter killed a deer and hung it up in the woods he would find it there when he went after it. In a few instances, of course, these rules were violated, but if the violator were found out it was not safe for him to remain in the community. Sometimes a sound thrashing was considered the proper punishment for the ofTender.