Hamilton County, Indiana - Chapter 12, 1901 (part 2 of 2)

On one occasion John Emerson, together with others, was transporting supplies in this way. The weather being warm, John, as he afterwards said, became very thirsty. As the party was passing a spring or a place where Emerson supposed he could get a drink, he quietly left the company to look for it. Thinking that he would have no trouble in tinding his companions, he allowed his horse to be taken on with the others. After finding the water he started on what he supposed w^as the route taken l)y the others, but he failed to overtake them. Soon he discovered that he was not following the right trail and that he was lost in the forest. He wardered aimlessly for sixteen days, during which time he did not see a human bein j. At the end of that time, worn out and exhausted, he laid down to die. An Indian, out on a hunt, discovered him in this condition. The Indian had killed a Avild turkey and had picked the feathers off of it, but was not ready to return to camp. Telling" John that he would return for him and take him to the camp, he left the turkey there and pursued his game. On his return he found that Emerson had eaten all the raw flesh from the wings of the turkey, which made him very angry, but he took him to the Indian camp and fed him. Emerson then told the Indian where his home was and th.at if he would take him home he would pay him a certain sum of money for his services. The Indian, true to his supposed friend, and trusting him for the money, consented to do so. Arriving ihere, to the disgust of the Indian and the shame and disgrace of all white men. Emerson refused to pay the Indian one cent. The Indian being alon.e and sixty miles from his home and in a settlement of white people, had no remedy, but returned to his people to add another chapter of perfidy against that class of white people who were base enough to give the red man evil for good. As Emerson was a Yankee, his own people snubbed him and called him the "mean Yankee." or the "lost Yankee." The Yankee would not in this case compare inhonesty and no1)leness of character with the red man. who cared for him and saved him.

\w the Slimmer of 1839. a ratlicr romantic atk'mi)t was made 1)V PeU'r l>ea\c'r. wlio resided at (jerman town, to elo])e with one Susan Hudson. Peter was a widower, having been twice married. Tie had been paying liis respects to Miss Susan for some time. When this became known to IMiss Susan's parents, tliey oli jected to his advances. Clandestine meetings between the pair followed, resulting in an agreement to run away. It Avas arranged that on a certain day Peter wa^ to procure a marriage license and at night Susan was to meet him at George Beaver's ; from there they w^ere to jiroceed to the residence of a Justice of the Peace to be married. Peter supposed that he could procure a license at Indianapolis. On the day api)ointed Peter went to the city and Susan prepared, as well as she could, to carry out her part of the arrangement. The dooryard was fenced in with pailing fence, and Susan, in order to get to George Beaver's unobserved, pulled off a pailing remote from the doors and windows, so that she could the more readily escape from the yard. In the meantime the family became aware that something w'as wrong and set a sister of Susan's to watch her. It had been agreed that Susan should be notified when Peter returned. To get this information she was frequently out at the fence, and her sister was invariably at her side. Finally the word came to Susan that Peter had returned and the time came for her to act. Susan made her way as quietly as possible to the hole in the fence, her sister still at her side; then Susan suddenly turned upon her sister, like an animal at bay, and struck her with her open hand on the head. Susan then darted throug-h the fence and ran with all her might to George Beaver's, where Peter w^as already waiting- for her. Her sister soon recovered from the blow and gave the alarm. Her father and two brothers responded to the call and at once pursued the fleeing Susan. Beaver saw that it would not do for her to stop at the house, so he told her to run on through to a cornfield beyond. This she accomplished unobserved by her father and brothers. In the meantime they surrounded the house and demanded the girl. George Beaver told them that Susan was not in the house and that they could come in and see, which they did. A search of the premises disclosed the fact that the girl w^as not there. By this time things began to look lively. The Hudson's went to the store of Baker & Finch and insisted that the girl had been concealed there. They demanded permission to search the place, which was given them, but they did not find her. Peter in the meantime put on innocent airs, dressed up in miller's clothes, procured a lantern and blanket, and started for the mill with the avow'ed purpose of tending the mill that night. In the blanket, however, he had concealed his w^edding suit. By this time the curiosity of all the people in and near the village had been fully aroused ; all taking sides with one or the other party. Two ])ersons, somewhat noted in the neighborhood, finally took a hand. Dr. Cuiniingham, one of them, took the Beaver .side, and Alat Clifton the side of the Hndsons. ^^lat was not long- in discovering that Cunningham intended to aid Beaver and Susan, and was just as fully determined to aid the Hndsons, so with all the cunning and ingenuity of an Indian, which he i)osscsscd. he set to work watching Cunningham.

Germantown was then, and is now, on the north or west side of Fall Creek, the dam in which the water was gathered for the mill was a short distance abc:)\x\ On this dam a good canoe was always kept. On the opposite side of the creek resided a Justice of the Peace, and this was the objectixe point for Peter and Susan ; here they were to be married, provided they could run the Hudson gauntlet. Dr. Cunningham had succeeded in finding and secreting Susan; then he formed his ])lan. which was to keej) Hudson up all night, or nearly so, and when they returned home for refreshments and sleep. Beaver and Susan were to be taken across the creek in the canoe by Cunningham. This plan was made known to Peter and vSusan and they very readily entered into it. They now had nothing to do but wait for an opportunity to steal away.

Tn the meantime Mat Clifton was not idle; he had managed his cards well and had in some wa}' l)ccome full}- aware of the Cunningham |)lan and laid his ac- cordingly. He kept np an appearance of searching until well into the after part of the night, when, knowing- just where the canoe was to land, he posted the Hudsons with a friend or two and all became quiet. About daylight the next morning Peter and Susan, arrayed in what they supposed were their wedding garments, preceded by Cunningham, made their Avay to the canoe. All seemed to be peaceful and everything was surely quiet. Peter and Susan took their i)laces in the canoe, the doctor shoved it out into the stream and Peter pulled for the opposite shore, feeling assured that they had outwitted the enemy. When the canoe struck the opposite shore, Susan, having been seated in that end, was immediately seized by the Hudsons. Her wrists were gently but firmly bound and the canoe shoved out in the stream. The Hudsons were for the time being masters of the situation. Susan was taken home and was for some time kept under surveillance. Her parents, to cure her, as they said, sent her to a married sister at or near W'estfield. For quite a while nothing was heard of the affair. It is fair to assume, however, that Peter and Susan either saw or heard from each other occasionally. It appears, at least, that the matter was not fully disposed of.

At that time there lived in Nobles ville a William Archer, engaged in peddling clocks, and to some extent a privileged character. To him Peter appHed for aid and not in vain. Archer was the kind of man for the work aiul the jol) suited him. 'lie visited Susan's brother ostensibly for the purpose of selHng him a clock, and managed while there to speak to Susan in Peter's interest. The result was an agreement to call on a certain day when Susan would be ready. Archer called on the day agreed u])un, and while he w^as making an effort to sell the brother-in-law a clock, Susan, unobserved, stole out of the house and secreted herself in the barn and near the road where the black wagon was standing. When Archer returned to his w^agon Susan jumped in. Archer quickly unfastened the horses and dashed away. They were in Noblesville before the astonished brother-in-law recovered from his surprise. Susan was met at Noblesville by her lover and they were married, thus outwitting the Hudsons at last.

About the year 1830 Robert Stitt, who resided in the vicinity of the Connor mill, two miles southwest of Noblesville, after having spent the day in town, started south from the public scjuare on Eighth street for his home. At the south line of the old town he was accosted by a stranger on horseback, who said to him : "My friend, can }ou tell me where I can find the woman who makes good corn pone?" "^^'ell." replied Stitt, "if it is the woman that stays at the tavern you are after you are on the right track. Keep straight ahead until 3^ou come to the sign board. There you will get corn pone, venison and plenty to drink, so that you will not go hungry or dry." The stranger had started on .when Stitt called to him : "Say, Mister, which way may you be going to-morrow ? If you are looking for land I will be a good hand to show you around," but the stranger did not care to publish his movements, so rode on without replying.

It was seldom that wheat bread was found on the table, so the woman who could make good corn pone was in demand by the traveling public. There was no such thing as baking powder or soda, and cooking vessels were scarce. Corn pone was baked in a pot holding from two to four gallons. Corn bread, as a rule, was baked on a board placed before an open fire. This was called johnny cake, and the board was the johnny cake board. The meal for the johnny cake was mixed with water and often without salt. When properly mixed it was spread out evenly on the board and placed before the fire. A substitute for soda was sometimes found by burning a dry elm tree. Such a tree usually had a thin, hard crust on the inside. This tree was fired at the bottom while standing and the inside would burn out first, ^^'hen it was entirely consumed and the ashes removed a large amount of cinders were left. A small quantity of these were then placed in a bottle and dissolved with water. After the cinders were thoroughly dissolved the contents of the bottle were used in bread and had the same effect as soda. The difificulty attending the making- of i^oud corn i)one in those days was so great that one liaving acquired the art was sought out l)v travelers. This woman the stranger was seeking was my motlicr.

The brick dwelHng house erected by William Connor on his farm in Delaware Township stands upon a bluff about thirty rods from White River. This bluff extends about a half mile south to the river. At the foot of this and near his dwelling, INIr. Connor, in an early day built a horse mill, and also a distillery. The mill was built for the purpose of grinding the corn and rye he used in the manufacttu'e of whisky. Connor also had a large prairie farm which extended along the river bottom. At a point where the bluff nears the river will be found the deepest hole in White River above Indianapolis. A road ran from the mill and still house to this hole, where a good landing was made for flat-boats.

The land east of the bluff, in the direction of the present site of New Britton, was level, and Mr. Connor had sufficient influence with those in authoril}- to secure an investigation and an examination of this land as a location for the State Capital. Connor was wealthy and offered large inducements for the location at that point, but the site of Indianapolis was the most central, and it was chosen. This fact was perhajxs the only reason why the State Capital was not located in Hamilton County. After Indianapolis was chosen it improved imich faster than Xoblesville. The people in Hamilton County were, howe\'er. far in advance of those in that vicinity in whisky, corn, lumber and mills. The people at Indianapolis for a long time afterward came to ^^^illiam Connor's, James Casler's and Sennet Fallis's for meal, dour, corn and whisk}'. The roads were very bad. requiring at least three days to make the trip, and of course only a small load could be hauled. Some came uj) the river in canoes and purchased small amounts; others, who desired to purchase on a large scale, used flat-boats. In this way they secured their ])ro\ isions much cheaper than if hauled by teams. Some of the boats came as far up the river as the John Connor mill. Besides ])rovisions they also carried a large amount of luml)er down the river.

Prior to the year 1835 one would seldom see a clock in the cal)ins of the pioneers. A marked place on the door or sill would indicate the hour of noon when touched by the sun. When the sun was not shining they guessed at the time. In the year 1837 peddlers offering wooden clocks for sale 1)egan to travel over the county. There was a firm in Nobles\ille engaged in the business. ]\Ioney was scarce, but the clocks were offered for sale on time to those who owned land. They sold very high. In May, 1837, the Board of County Commissioners passed an order requiring clock pednuo dlers to pay a license of seventy-five dollars per year. They also about this time made an order requiring all managers of menageries and circuses to pay a license of fifty dollars for each day's performance in the county.

In the pioneer days of this county a certain man was arrested and placed in jail charged with the crime of larceny. The grand jury found a bill of indictment against him and in due time the prisoner was brought into court. He asked the judge to appoint a certain attorney to defend him and he entered a plea of not guilty. The judge made the appointment as requested, and turning to the lawyer said : "I have appointed you to defend this man and I want you to do the best you can for him." As there w^as no consultation room in the old court house the lawyer was permitted to take the prisoner out of doors in order to consult with him. After a thorough examination of the prisoner the lawyer believed him guilty and advised him to make his escape. The prisoner, acting upon the advice of the attorney, walked leisurely to the bank of the river ; from there he made his way to the plum thicket, near where the strawboard plant is now located. In this thicket he was safe for a time, and when his case was called in the court he could not be found. The judge then called upon the attorney to account for the absence of the prisoner. He remarked to the court that he had been instructed by the court to do the best he could for the prisoner; that after consultation with his client he had come to the conclusion that the best thing for the prisoner to do was to g-et out of town as soon as possible ; that in saying this to the prisoner he had only carried out the order of the court. This statement did not satisfy the court and he fined the attorney for contempt. The fine, however, was never enforced.

On a certain occasion two turkeys were brought to Noblesville, during school session, and the owner concluded to have a shooting match. The turkeys were put up at so much a shot. The number of shots to correspond with the value of the turkey, and the best shot to take the turkey. It so happened that this shooting match took place at the noon hour, two of the largest male scholars of said school witnessing the same, during which time the turkeys were duly inspected by them. On their return to the school house instead of applying themselves to the study of the lessons before them, they concluded to discuss the turkey gobblers. The length of their legs, their beautiful beard had been discussed, and they were about to discuss other features of the birds, but were arrested and their discussion cut short by the teacher informing them that that was no part of their lessons for that day. but now, says the teacher, "what shall be done with the unruly boys?" The teacher had a tal)le about four feet lon^- and two and a lialf feet wide in the room. He had a two-inch auj^er hole bored in one of the ])uncheons in the floor. So he took one of the boys to the ta.ble, laying- him (U)wn leng-thwise on the .same, drew his hands and feet (h)wn as weh as lie could and tied them together under llie table. Tlie other 1)0}' he rc(|uircd to lie down flat upon the floor near the two-inch auger hole and gaze steadily down through the auger hole. Thus they remained for thirty minutes, which was regarded by the teacher as sufificient punishment, when they were released. This. no doubt, will a])pear to the teachers and pupils of to-day as being very harsh, but such was the discipline fifty-five years ago in our schools.

In the fall of ]82(S a family of movers from the East came to Noblesville and stopped for supplies. They were on their way to the Wea Prairie, between the ])resent site of Kirklin and Lafayette. After their supplies had been purchased they proceeded on their way over the route known as the Lafayette trace. They cam]')ed that night either on the east or west bank of Cicero Creek. There was a \qx\ large family of them, children ranging from two }"ears of age u])ward. The country about where they camped was very heavily timbered. .Ml went well wnth the emigrants during the night, and after feeding and caring for their team and partaking of their frugal meal, in the morning the horses were harnessed and hitched to the wagon, and as the heads of the family supposed, the children loaded into the wagon. The team was started on its journey. After traveling two or three or probably four miles, the discovery was made that a little girl five or six years old was missing. The party immediately retraced their steps to the camping ground of the evening before, carefully searching on both sides of the dim wagon way for the little one, but no trace of the child was to be found. At that time it was dangerous for grown people armed to the teeth to be lost in the woods after night, as bears were numerous and the woods in this country was full of wolves, catamounts and wild hogs. The father of the child returned to Noblesville at once and sounded the alarm and runners were sent in every direction among the settlers. The greatest excitement existed. A council was at once called and under the direction of the most experienced of back-woodsmen and hunters a thorough search was instituted. A point at which they should all meet at sundown of that day was fixed, and signals were agreed upon in the event of the finding of the child, but no such signal was heard during the day, and at sundown the party met at the designated place, very much crestfallen at their ill luck. Men were there who had been able to track the bear, the wolf and the deer, in fact anything, as they thought, making tracks in the woods. Their wallets of venison and corn bread were hastily drawn and supper eaten, and preparations made for a night hunt. 'J'he determined men roamed the woods in search of the missing child. The sun rose on the following morning in all its splendor upon that disappointed and unhappy family. After again partaking of their scanty meal and a thorough canvass of the situation and a full understanding as to the day's work before them, and in the firm Ijelief that their labor would be crowmed with success, the search began again. All day long those determined men searched the woods in every direction, examining every hollow log, every ravine, every treetop, pile of brush, in fact every conceivable place where the child may have wandered to or been taken by the wild beasts. About sundown of the second day, and when the party were about to stop work for the day, the booming of a cannon, as it seemed to the men, was heard at some distance from where the child had lost its way, and as this was the signal agreed upon in case the child should be found, the answer signal went forth almost simultaneously from the gun of every hunter of that party. But now the absorbing question was, does the child live or has its mutilated remains been found. The party proceeded to the point at once from whence the signal came. When in sight, the successful hunter was found standing upon a large log, his gun resting against the same, and in his arms he held the child. He had found it by the side of the log covered with leaves when he was attempting to cross over the log in his search. His quick ear detected a slight movement of the child, and he quickly removed the covering of leavesto find that the child was naked and almost dead from hunger, fatigue and fright. They proceeded at once to the restoration of the lost one to the afiflicted family, who at once, with the assistance of their kind friends, administered to the child's wants, after which they proceeded on their journey.