USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. ========================================================================== BEAR CREEK CHURCH PAGE 390 Hon. James Rand settled here in 1807. Turkey, deer, snakes, wolves, bears and panthers were numerous. His story would form a volume. Snakes of monstrous size. Saw one with a large ground-hog, or woodchuck, half swallowed, taking it easily, and at his leisure. His good lady was drowned while washing beside the creek - fell in and perished - poor woman! Mr. Rand has represented this county in the State Legislature with credit and satisfaction - is somewhat advanced in years as well as in honors. His name and memory will long survive. My good friend, John Henry, deserves a passing notice. He interested himself much in my enterprise, and his name is well worthy of a place in my little book. An excellent man, loved by all the good who know him. Hon. Judge Watts settled here at an early day. Was a strong, popular, and useful man, and a Minister. His son, Col. Johnson Watts, our distinguished and honored fellow citizen, occupies the old homestead. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. Had two sons in the Mexican War, one of whom died in that far-off land, was brought home, and amid appropriate honors, was interred in the family burying- gound, where he slumbers his "last long sleep, that knows no waking." The colonel once ran afoul of a great big rattlesnake, in a coil, which he says was a perfect monster of a snake. Turning around for a club, he saw another in the same position and of the same size. He began to think the territory "too snaky" for him, unarmed as he ws, and forthwith very cautiously beat his quiet retreat, leaving to their snakeships the quiet and full possession of the field. But they, of course, knowing the colonel to be "a brave man of war," and supposing his movement a mere ruse to decoy them, or for some other reason, their snakeships thought best to move quarters too, for when the colonel returned, armed and equipped according to law, "for a snake fight," lo! and behold! they were not to be found, demonstrating the truth of that quaint saying, "In union there is strength" As also "He that turns and runs away, May live to fight another day." And here I will treat my readers to one of the colonel's wolf stories. And if that don't pay, I'm a poor judge. The neighborhood had long been infested with an old cunning wolf, which baffled all their skill to entrap, when a great hunter, by the name of Mr. ____, told the colonel that he would come and pick her up. He and the colonel put out into the forest, struck up a camp-fire for the night. Then to cut the cobwebs from his throat, he took a good swig of old boldface, and went out and raised a long heavy howl that would have beat any wolf all hollow, and forthwith from a distant knoll, came back a wolf's response. There she is, said he, took another dram, then lay down and took a nap. At about midnight he went out and howled again. Back came the response from the same direction. Her den is there, he said. At early dawn they started off in that direction within hearing distance of each other. The colonel came to a narrow beaten track, saw that it lead into a great hollow tree that had fallen down. He beckoned his friend, who said, there she is, and forthwith rushed to the mouth of the hole, and closed it up. Whereupon there was a great commotion within, charging the colonel to stand ready with his tomahawk, he drew his big knife, and then in spite of all remonstrances, plunged headforemost right in among them. He found six pretty smartly groomed grown cubs; but to his great disappointment, the old wolf came up missing. He dispatched all the young one save one, that he kept to call up the dam. The colonel was taught how to make it howl, then when his friend had gone at a little distance, he made it sing out - the old wolf answered in a moment, and came running round and round at a distance, as though "she smelt a rat," and then disappeared, and no outcry of her young could call her back; and much to their vexation and mortification. But it was the last they ever heard or suffered from her. If that ain't a wolf story worth telling and preserving, what is? There's a second Gen. Putnan story for you boys, aint it? A Mr. Whitaker was accosted by a bear, shielded himself behind a small tree, kept moving round and round cautiously, the bear fairly eat his gunstock all off, then with a dextrous and happy hit with the naked barrel, he lay his foe at his feet, and escaped unhurt, save a bad fright and a tedious conflict. Jeremiah Richardson's horses ran away, stove the wagon all into atoms, and killed him instantly.A son of Goddard Stepp, 20 years old, while blowing into the muzzle of his gun, his foot slipped from the hammer, off went the gun, and he received the whole charge into his mouth, which was most horribly mutilated, and he fell a corpse. Barb Boese barbwire@midusa.net