754 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Jacob Beers, Pennsylvania Pioneer 
Another Chapter by Dr. McKnight 
not like the position given a dog by his simply 
poking out his head, stiffening his tail and per¬ 
haps raising one foot. A handsome dog looks 
gamy even then, even at backing with head held 
high, yet the transition between that and the 
real gamy point is a broad one, though seem¬ 
ingly slight in wording. I cannot say that my 
idea of a stylish point or stylish reading is 
merely a crench, yet it partakes of that, and is 
something more, that appeals to the eye alone 
and charms beyond expression. Asking excuse 
for indifferent drawing, I beg leave to submit 
a sketch of a setter on point, that gives in part 
my idea of a stylish dog. A twist of the body, 
turn of the head, a position a little more for¬ 
ward, or one in which both hind legs are 
stretched back near together or both forward 
under the body, as if the animal was afraid of 
being shoved forward on the birds, these often 
give more beauty to the position, the latter one 
arguing well for staunchness. In reading, or 
working out a scent-covered ground, a gamy dog 
should get himself into all these positions, and 
do the sneak act to perfection when closing on 
the birds. Moreover, he should drop to a gamy 
point when striking scent suddenly, and as this 
generally means a turn it is often the most hand¬ 
some. 
Well, nobody else may agree with me, but 
just that is what I would like to know, and if 
the highly gamy point is really the most desira¬ 
ble, will our breeders, those who have the future 
of the field dog most in hand, not breed to this 
end in a measure, try to produce a dog that 
goes at the birds as if he well knew that his 
beauty was a joy to his master and tried the 
more to please him? 
Concerning the breeding of handsome setters, 
irrespective of style when hunting, let me ask 
why the regulation dog of the day is less 
feathered and more slimly built than formerly. 
I can understand the advantage of the small 
setter. I would be about as well pleased if my 
dog stood not much higher or heavier than 
a spaniel, but why he should be shorn, so to 
speak, of the feather under neck and thorax 
and on the flanks I am a't a loss to know. Is 
it because it is less hot in woodcock season, less 
a burr-gatherer, or that breeders think it more 
handsome than the longer coat? I like the type 
of dog that Emperor Fred represented, the deep¬ 
shouldered, heavy-head sort. Such a dog cares 
nothing for brier patches, be they the nasty tan¬ 
gled green variety or the dense sharp-stickered 
blackberry bushes, and neither scrub-oak nor 
laurel is more to him than meadow grass to 
the close-haired setter or the pointer. There is 
a ruggedness about the setter that is very taking 
to the mountain forest gunner, and the long- 
coated dog possesses most of this. He will go 
wherever his master will, and where he won't, 
too, and ever seems glad to show his tough¬ 
skinned, everlasting powers. Where hillside 
dashing brooks of clear cold water, and valley 
swamps and ponds abound the long-coated dog 
finds no discomfort from the heat in shooting 
season. Moreover, there is far more beauty in 
the long silken hair, reaching) nearly to the 
ground when reading, and waving in the breeze, 
an elegance that seems wanting in the currish- 
looking short coat. All this to my thinking; 
what say my brother sportsmen upon the ques¬ 
tion ? 
“LAVERACK.” 
The present generation reads of pioneer days, 
and of the deeds of men who opened this coun¬ 
try to civilization, but probably does not realize 
that men are still living who participated in these 
early pioneer struggles. Take, for instance, a 
man like Jacob Beers of Jefferson County, Penn¬ 
sylvania, who recently celebrated the one hun¬ 
dredth anniversary of his birth. His birthday 
was celdbrated by a gathering at his home, 
among the features being an address by Dr. W. 
J. McKnight of Brookville, the well known 
Pennsylvania historian, who has contributed so 
many interesting stories of early Pennsylvania 
pioneer life to Forest and Stream. It will be 
interesting to present day readers to learn some¬ 
thing of the career of a man, who at the age 
of ioo years is still active, and can well lay 
claim to having been one of the early hunters 
of the Daniel Boone type. Of early days and 
of Mr. Beers’ career, Dr. McKnight writes: 
Father Beers came to Jefferson county in 1832, 
purchased 195 acres of land in Eldred township; 
built a log cabin thereon, still owns a part of 
that land and lives on it. Physically in his prime, 
he was six feet tall, spare, commanding, had then 
and has now a fine head of hair, good teeth, good 
digestion, never had any sickness, ate and eats to¬ 
day plain food; drank considerable whiskey in 
his younger days, but in later years has been 
more moderate and now takes a daily portion 
of whiskey. He has smoked and chewed tobacco 
in moderation since boyhood. Living in a wil¬ 
derness he has always hunted and trapped, has 
two pioneer rifles (muzzle loading), powder 
horn and shot pouch behind his kitchen door. 
In addition to his trapping and agriculture, he 
was a “Tom Tinker,” cleaned clocks, repaired 
guns and cobbled shoes. 
Like all pioneers, Jacob Beers was fond of the 
amusements of his day, notably, foot racing, 
throwing a stone from the shoulder, jumping, 
pulling square, rough and tumble fighting, which 
consisted of biting, kicks, blows and gouging 
of eyes. In my boyhood I have seen in Brook¬ 
ville eyes gouged, thumbs, fingers, noses and 
ears bitten off. It was a common sight to see 
a man lying in the gutter dead drunk. Promi¬ 
nent men would ride the streets on a horse, 
yelling a la Indian and swearing a stream of 
oaths that would make the Devil blush and hell 
wonder. Of course, whiskey was cheap, any¬ 
body old or young could buy it, and it sold at 
the bar for three cents a drink and on trust. 
These conditions continued with but little im¬ 
provement until i860. 
Jacob Beers was also fond of shooting 
matches, grubbings, rollings, huskings, scrutch- 
ings, quiltings and dances. He was a “fiddler,” 
played and danced the Money Musk, French 
Four, Fishers’ Horn Pipe; the jig he especially 
was fond of playing, singing and dancing was 
the Pinecreek Lady, which ran as follows: 
If I had a wife and she had a baby, 
Darn my eyes if I wouldn’t run crazy, 
Oh pine, oh pine lady 
Oh pine, Pinecreek Lady. 
In 1814 Jefferson county was a territory, prac¬ 
tically unknown, only thirty-five people lived 
within her borders. Training day was a 
great event. All men were required by law 
to participate in a day of general military drill. 
No uniforms were worn, save the homespun 
dress of each soldier. Each company was armed 
with sticks, pikes, muskets or guns, and were 
preceded in their marches by a fife or drum. 
An odd and comic sight it was. I have seen 
these myself. 
In 1840 domestic comforts were few. Large, 
deep fireplaces with cranes, andirons and bake 
ovens were the only modes of heating and cook¬ 
ing. Friction matches were unknown. If the 
fire of the house, went out, you had to rekindle 
with a flint or borrow of your neighbor. I have 
borrowed fire. House furniture was then meager 
and rough. There were no window blinds or 
carpets. Rich people whitewashed their ceilings 
and rooms, and covered their parlor floors with 
white sand. Hence the old couplet: 
Oh, dear mother, my toes are sore, 
A dancing over your sanded floor. 
Pine knots, tallow dipped candles burned in 
iron or brass candlesticks, and whale oil burned 
in iron lamps were the means for light in stores, 
dwellings, etc. Food was scarce, coarse and 
of the most common kind, with no canned goods 
or evaporated fruits. In addition to cooking in 
the fireplace women had to spin, knit, dye and 
weave all domestic cloths, there being no mills 
run by machinery to make woolen or cotton 
goods. Soothing syrup and baby carriages were 
unknown. The bride of 1814 took her wedding 
trip on foot, in an ox cart or on horseback. 
In 1814 men were intemperate, illiterate, in¬ 
tolerant and brutal. Only free white male citi¬ 
zens could vote, now we have universal suffrage, 
women voting and holding offices in ten states. 
Jacob Beers has been a widower for forty 
years. Jacob Beers’ father and mother came to 
this wilderness about the year 1832, and settled 
near what is now Sigel, where through labor, 
hunting and fishing he reared a family of nine 
children, five boys and four girls, but two of 
whom are now living. 
The Joys of Winter. 
