gressed only half way from Chester when night came on and
they had to spend the night in the woods. They built fires
for protection from wolves, whose howling they heard appar-
ently in force, at no great distance, at intervals all night. The
men kept the fires burning, but slept little.
Wolves continued to commit depredations on the farmers'
sheep in Lebanon township, a gang having dens somewhere
about the head of Ground Hog creek and Oldtown creek. An
expert trapper named Allen came from Washington county
in 1840 and successfully exterminated these wolves.
The panther was often met by the hunter, but was easily
killed, as the animal was of a bold, defiant nature, he would
climb a tree where he was an easy mark for the hunter's rifle.
Deer were found in great numbers and were a great bless-
ing to the pioneer families, who depended for meat upon the
wild game. Venison was a choice meat, while the deer's hide
was tanned and served to make various articles of apparel.
The deer has disappeared from this county. Gray foxes were
numerous and were great enemies to poultry raising, but the
red fox seems to have superseded the gray, and neither are
seen in later years. The raccoon was a great pest, destroying
large quantities of corn while in a green state on the stalk.
Coon hunting with dogs was a common sport for boys until
the animal has disappeared. The opossum and red and gray
squirrel remain in limited numbers. (Silas Jones.)
ABEL LARKIN.
Abel Larkin, son of Matthias Larkin, was born in Lancaster,
Worcestor county, Massachusetts, August 29th, 1764, and
married Susannah Bridges in 1794, in Rutland, Vermont. She
was born in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Her father, Mr.
Bridges, was a surveyor, but started to Massachusetts on a
vessel to prepare a place for his family, and the vessel never
returned, nor was he heard from after sailing. Her mother was
a Haskell, and went to Massachusetts with her family, where
she died.
