Aug. 13, 1898.'] 
FOREST AKt) STREAM. 
128 
or the buckwheat or the barley on tlie mountain side. 
This was one of the most loved homes of the Indians, 
and the beautiful, quiet mountains around me, whose only 
shadows came from the fleecy clouds, or the vulture's 
or the eagle's wing, were the scenes of some of the most 
deadly tragedies when the original inhabitants were 
thrust further toward the western sun. 
They have here in the State House one of the most 
interesting historical societies, and through the courtesy 
of my friend I was enabled to obtain much unpublished 
information concerning Daniel Boone. Daniel Boone 
lived in this county, and represented Kanawha county in 
the Legislature in 1781. Boone was put in charge of 
the garrison here in 1774, and was appointed lieutenant-* 
colonel. When he went to Richmond he went there on 
foot, accompanied by his rifle and his hunting knife. 
He lived about four miles from West Charleston, just 
opposite the Daniel Boone salt furnace. Dr. Hale has 
gotten a vast deal of information concerning Boone, and 
has been indefatigable in obtaining all the information 
possible concerning this noted man in this section. Mr. 
Jared Huddleson, son of Paddy Huddleson, told Dr. 
Hale of his first acquaintance with Boone. A stranger 
came to the house and asked to stay all night, and in the 
morning he went out to hunt for beavers, and he told 
Huddleson that he had found fresh beaver signs near the 
house. They went out and caught five the first day, and 
in a few days had exterminated the whole colony. Boone 
saw the signs of the beaver on three saplings, which 
formed a triangle, and he caught the beavers before they 
had cut down all three of the saplings, and one of them 
is a red oak still standing, After that they went down 
the river to Gallier county, and there they caught a num- 
ber of beavers. Afterward Boone gave his friend his 
tomahawk and his beaver trap, which he called "Old 
Ike." The beaver trap is here in the Historical So- 
ciety, and is a splendid work of its kind. The trap is a 
heavy wrought iron trap, without teeth, made to be 
sprung down on both sides, and strong enough to hold 
a bear, a beaver or a fox, and he used it for all three pur- 
poses. The trap was made by Isaac Van Bibber, an ex- 
pert blacksmith in this country in the early days. Van Bib- 
ber was afterward killed in the battle of Point Pleasant. 
He gave the trap to Paddy Huddleson, who afterward 
gave it to his son, Jared Huddleson, and by him it was 
placed in the historical rooms through the efforts of Dr. 
Hale. It is perfectly preserved, and is one of the most 
interesting relics I have ever known. There is no ques- 
tion as to its authenticity, and it has for all the years 
been ia the control of the Huddleson family, who art the 
most respectable people in this county 
This was one of the most interesting sections of this 
country, as it is yet. It was the dividing line between 
the West and the South, and the Indians ahvays went 
by this route when they went from Ohio and Illinois to 
massacre the Virginia settlements. This was the place 
where they made their salt, and it was here also that the 
whites came to have their salt made in the early days, 
and both sides watched for the other when they were 
engaged in this useful occupation. 
They have here one of Boone's original surveys, writ- 
ten in his own hand and signed with his name. I have 
seen and had in my hand the original paper, and for 
the edification of our readers I will give it tfo you in full. 
Boone was a great surveyor, and surveyed a number of 
lands while he was here. He had fought all over this terri- 
tory and thoroughly knew the whole of it. He did the 
marking with his tomahawk and they have here a num- 
ber of the lines which he ran, marked with his initials, 
"D. B." Several of these are here in the office, and are 
noted relics of this noted man. Below is the survey with 
all the peculiarities of spelling: 
"June 14th, 1 791. 
"Laide of for Willeam Allin ten acres of land situated 
on the South Este Side of Crucked Crick in the County 
of Canhawway and bounded as followeth: Viz., Begin- 
ing at a rad oke and Hickury, thence North 56, West 23 
poles to a Stake; thence South 56 Este 23 poles to a 
Stake, thence South 34, West 58 poles to the Begining. 
Daniel Boone." 
On one of his trips up the Gauley River, which is one 
of the rivers flowing into this lovely country, Boone went 
to the great yewpine forest and was struck there with the 
magnificent growth of the yewpine, which was common- 
ly known as the yewpine or black spruce. He trimmed 
off one of the small tree tops and brought it home to 
show his friends in this section as a specimen of new 
pine, and polishing it down made it into a walking stick, 
which he gave to his friend, Matthias Van Bibber. It 
has been carefully preserved in the family, and was given 
to Mr. John L, Cole, a relative and connection of the 
Boone family, and is now here in the Historical Society. 
It was worn by the hand of this great old hunter, and 
was one of his constant companions. 
I wish I had the space to give you some of the in- 
cidents of Boone's career in this county. Among other 
things I found out that which I never knew before, that 
Kit Carson's mother was a relative of Boone, and that 
they were of the same stock, and second cousins. Simon 
Kenton, the great Indian fighter, and Boone's closest 
companion, also lived in this county, and here he hunted 
and trapped and sold his pelts at the mouth of the 
Kanawha. It is right strange that this county should 
have been the home, of two of the greatest Indian fight- 
ers that the world has ever known. Boone, when he 
left here, embarked for Missouri right at the mouth of 
the Elk River at its junction with the Kanawha, which 
is about 500yds. from where I am staying with my 
friend in the city of Charleston. 
But to go on with the Historical Society. They have 
here also his gun, which is probably one of the most 
famous weapons in the annals of this country. The Van 
Bibber family is a very noted family in this section, and 
as I have said before, it is one of the families with which 
Boone was connected in his life in this county, The 
rifle is known as the Van Bibber rifle. Its stock and 
barrel are 5ft. 4m. long; it carries an ounce ball, and was 
originally full stocked, but in a fight with a wounded 
bear, which sprang up just as he got close to it, the muz- 
zle part of the under-stock was torn off by the teeth 
of the fierce animal, and Boone then covered it with a 
heavy stock to the hand holt. It is brass mounted, and 
is in perfect order, and has about 2j^in. drop. I notice 
that this drop is peculiar with all of the rifles of this 
description. 
As I have said before, Matthias Van Bibber was 
Boone's closest friend here. Van Bibber carried this 
rifle at the battle of Point Pleasant in 1775, and he also 
carried it in the war of 1812. With this rifle is the 
original powder horn and bullet mould, and a line old 
shot, pouch, but Dr. Hale informs me that this was not 
the original shot pouch. A pocket compass with a 
sundial attachment, and a steel square-pointed needle 
for fixing buffalo hides and an attachment for carrying 
heaver bait, with a tally stick for keeping the days of 
(he week- and the month on the part of a Western expe- 
dition, and a part of Van Bibber's commission in the 
war of 1812, are also in the collection. The rifle is 
in splendid condition, and could be used to-day if neces- 
sary, and Dr. Hale is inclined to think that the gun 
was constructed in this country. The lock is an Eng- 
lish flint lock, and is one. that has been in continual 
use. Dr. Hale handed me a flint that had been in the 
gun at the battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. He received 
it from James Van Bibber, who says that it has been 
carefully preserved in the family since that time. This 
is possibly one of the most interesting collections of 
Boone relics in this country, and thousands of dollars 
have been offered for the collection, but of course re- 
fused. Dr. Hale has devoted a great deal of his time 
getting together this collection, and is thoroughly con- 
versant with the whole history of Boone's experiences 
in this county, and from him I have gotten the informa- 
tion which I have given you. 
Here they have also what is known as the Dick 
Pointer gun, with which the negro slave killed a num- 
ber of Indians who were getting under the house in an 
attempt to take Fort Donnally, which is about ten 
miles from Lewisburg. 
Boone's father and mother moved from Berks county, 
Pa., to the banks of the Yadkin, N. C, and on the stone 
fireplace of the home place Daniel Boone carved his 
name. This has been known for a long time, and Dr. 
Hale went down there some three years ago and recov- 
ered the jamb, and has it here in the Historical Society 
collection. It will be noticed that Boone sometimes 
signed his name Boone and at other times Boon, and 
here he cut his name Boon. The old residence was 
burned down and the jamb was cut out of the hearth- 
stone. On a beech tree near the Yadkin home Boone 
had also cut his name, which on the bark is still legible, 
and Dr. Hale has also placed this in the Historical 
Society collection. 
They have here a fine engraving of Boone,, taken 
from a painting. It shows the make-up of a splendid 
character, which has been lost sight of by his biogra- 
phers. Instead of a mere hunter and traDper and In- 
dian fighter, he was a wise counsellor and a clear- 
headed man in all of the great affairs then taking place 
in this country. He had a splendid mouth, a handsome 
forehead, a vigorous nose and a strong, determined 
chin, and his hair to the last was full and heavy and is 
entirely white, and in his deep eyes there is the mark of 
a strong and able man. When this portrait was taken 
he was about eighty years old. It is a grand face, with- 
out a weak spot in its make-up. 
The collection of relics in this society is one of the 
most interesting in this country. It has been gotten 
here in this strange country, which seems to have been 
a kind of debatable ground throughout all times. They 
have here the most extensive mounds, from which have 
been taken strange and weird relics of the other times, 
and on the banks of the Kanawha River, not far from 
here, are the remains of quite a large city, and just 
above here on Armstrong Creek is a wall which extends 
for several miles along the crest of the mountain, and no 
one can exactly understand the reason of its construc- 
tion. It is splendidly preserved, but for all purposes 
of defense it would be useless, and there is no burying 
of any of the inhabitants under it or about it. At some 
day when I again visit this country I will give you a 
more detailed account of some of this interesting col- 
lection. 
As I passed out of the room I was forcibly reminded 
that we were in the South. On the right-hand side as 
we went out there was an oak post which had rotted 
at the top, the lower parts being well preserved. Upon 
inquiry I found it was a whipping post which for years 
had known service in the punishment of slaves. This 
whipping post is a peculiar illustration of this people 
among whom I am staying at present. They are the 
soul of kindness and hospitality, and yet under all there 
is a strain which makes them approachable only to a 
certain extent. I have a Southern friend who is gentle- 
ness itself to children, the soul of chivalry to women, 
yet he has been "out" twice, and has been engaged in 
half a dozen most desperate affairs. The Southern people 
are the most interesting people I have ever met, and 
everywhere I hear expressions of approval that the 
days of slavery and the whipping post are over. 
My host, after a few days at home, was engaged in 
some business matters over on the Guyandotte, the 
home of the Hatfields, and there in the midst of that 
mountain people I spent three of the most interesting 
days in all my experience. At my earliest convenience 
I will give the readers an account of fishing on the Guy- 
andotte among the Hatfields and McCoys. 
E. P. Messerer. 
A Tacoma restaurateur has found a way to keep veni- 
son on his bill of fare all the year round. He buys wild 
Hudson's Bay sheep from ( Fort Nisqually and cooks the 
meat in such a way that it tastes gamy and very much 
like deer. A few days ago Game Warden Keihlmeyer 
swooped down on the restaurant, got a piece of the meat 
for evidence, and had the restaurateur and his wife ar- 
rested on a warrant issued by Justice Smalley. At the 
hearing the process of venisonizing mutton was ex- 
plained by the defendants, and the court, being satisfied 
that the State game laws had not been violated, dismissed 
the case. The names of the defendants were suppressed. 
Their restaurant is thronged every day by Eastern tour- 
ists clamoring for "venison," and it would be a shame 
to spoil their game, especially as it is not considered a 
sin to "do up" Easterners. — Morning Oregonian, 
The Lucky and the Unlucky. 
Podgeks' story of fate in Forest and Stream of 
June 23 well illustrates that which, for want of a better 
name, people call "luck." But what is luck? Can any- 
one, explain why certain individuals, or things, are 
constantly lucky, while others are unlucky? We see 
some people continually losing and others winning at 
raffles and similar games of chance, where skill can- 
not possibly have any influence; and in shooting and 
fishing matters are still worse, Good sportsmen, work- 
ing hard in places that are. noted for game, are often 
unsuccessful, while men of no experience and taking lit- 
tle trouble to find game may be very fortunate. Manj 
cases of this kind are so remarkable that they arc enough 
to make one superstitious. 
The most extraordinary instance I ever knew of long 
continued luck occurred in 1863, when I was stationed in 
Montreal, I had obtained two months' leave of ab- 
sence, and was in the act of starting alone for the River 
Ottawa, in order to travel into the Hudson Bay terri- 
tory, when an Irish gentleman (J.) met me at the railway 
station, bringing a letter of introduction from a friend, 
who asked me to assist him in obtaining a chance of 
shooting some deer. 
J., as I afterward found, was a first-class shot with 
the scatter gun, but totally without experience at large 
game. In addition to a shotgun he had brought from 
home a double-barreled muzzle-loading rifle of .577 
bore, about gibs, weight, and constructed for the charge 
used in the army rifle of that period, viz.: 7ogrs. of pow- 
der and a solid conical bullet of S30grs. Erom constant 
practice, he had become a good and quick target shot, 
and well acquainted with the trajectory at sporting ranges 
— which was very necessary, for the bullet made a high 
curve in its iooyds. flight. 
My only weapon was a muzzle-loading .14 bore shot- 
gun, weighing 8>41bs. It had been made iy 2 \bs. heavier 
than usual in order to carry ball, with which it was 
very accurate up to 60yds. As we were starting in the 
beginning of September, J.'s best chance of sport was 
with hounds. 
After buying a cotton tent weighing lolbs., and a 
few other articles for use in camp, we went to a district 
some distance south of Ottawa city, and joined a party of 
settlers in an outing to a beautiful lake, where we stayed 
a few days. Only one deer was found, and it swam 
near the canoe in which a settler was paddling J., who 
shot it. 
We then traveled for a whole day by steamboat, 
stage coach and buckboard to a newly-built village, 
where we heard that deer were numerous. We put up 
at the only hotel, and became acquainted with several of 
the settlers, who were fond of hunting. They used to 
put their hounds into a tract of bush three or four 
miles broad, between the village and a river, which was 
about 80yds. wide. In this there were numerous shoals 
at which the deer usually crossed when pressed by the 
hounds, and each hunter was stationed to watch one of 
them. 
The first day a large doe galloped to the runway 
where I was standing, and I killed her with a shot 
through the shoulders. After that I never had a chance 
at any game larger than a duck or grouse during the 
whole month in which J. and I traveled together. On the 
following morning two deer went to the shallow which 
he was watching, and he bagged both with a bullet from 
right and left barrels. On several occasions the deer 
did not cross at the places where the hunters were 
waiting, but altogether ten more were killed. The run- 
ways were chosen for each man, apparently by chance, 
and no one could tell beforehand at which of them a 
deer would pass; but wherever j.. happened to be, there 
the animal went on nine out of the ten occasions. He 
well deserved his luck, for he killed every one, and 
although his rifle was a large bore, yet the velocity was 
slow, and it was necessary to hit in or near the right 
place in order to insure bagging. 
After leaving the village, we traveled by buckboard 
and canoe to a small log-built hotel on a portage at the 
head of a lake, eight miles from the nearest clearing, and 
remained there more than a week. The owner had no 
gun, but kept a hound, which he put into the bush near 
the lake on three or four different days. Only one deer 
was driven out, a fawn, which ran through some shallow 
water, and of course went within shot of the canoe where 
J. was sitting", and was killed. 
One evening J. was strolling alone, rifle in hand, near 
the hotel, and met a deer, which he shot. The following 
evening he killed another deer in exactly the same way. 
During a solitary ramble I had founu a swamp con- 
taining numerous bear tracks about two miles from the 
hotel, so one morning we went with the owner and his 
hound to try and bag a bear. While passing through 
some some dense bush the hound gave tongue, and after 
running a short distance the sounds came trom one spot, 
making us think he had brought a bear to bay. While 
pressing forward to get a shot I found myself some dis- 
tance ahead of the other two, and within about 40yds. of 
the hound, but could see nothing, owing to the closeness 
of the bush. The hound and his quarry then moved 
rapidly away, and the hotel keeper, hearing them ap- 
proaching, advised J. to stand still. In a few moments 
a deer passed within 5yds. of them and J. killed it. 
A day or two afterward I left J. and proceeded as far 
up the Ottawa River as the time remaining at my dispo- 
sal allowed. I saw J. at Montreal when he was re- 
turning to Ireland. He had bagged altogether seven- 
teen deer, some of them with fine heads, which he had 
preserved. 
One of the most unlucky men I ever knew was an 
intimate friend and good sportsman at the same station 
as myself in the north of Bengal. If he invested money 
in a commercial enterprise it was almost certain to fail. 
If he bought shares in an established concern that was 
promising well, the market price would fall immediately. 
If he bought a good horse some accident was certain to 
happen which no foresight seemed able to prevent. 
The strangest of his misfortunes occurred when we 
were shooting together from elephants in the Terai 
jungles, near the foot of the Himalayas. We had dis- 
mounted at midday to take lunch under some trees, leav- 
