considerable service to the new settlement.
Those who had commenced clearing land, were supplied by them with
abundance of meat, while in their hunting excursions through the
country, a better knowledge of it was obtained, than could have been
acquired, had they been engaged in making improvements.

[93] In one of these expeditions they discovered, and gave name to
Stone coal creek; which flowing westwardly, induced the supposition
that it discharged itself directly into the Ohio. Descending this
creek, to ascertain the fact, they came to its confluence with a
river, which they then called, and has since been known as, the West
Fork. After having gone some distance down the river, they returned by
a different route to the settlement, better pleased with the land on
it and some of its tributaries, than with that on Buchannon.

Soon after this, other emigrants arrived under the guidance of Samuel
Pringle. Among them were, John and Benjamin Cutright, who settled on
Buchannon, where John Cutright the younger, now lives; and Henry Rule
who improved just above the mouth of Fink's run. Before the arrival of
Samuel Pringle, John Hacker had begun to improve the spot which
Pringle had chosen for himself. To prevent any unpleasant result,
Hacker agreed that if Pringle would clear as much land, on a creek
which had been recently discovered by the hunters, as he had on
Buchannon, they could then exchange places. Complying with this
condition Pringle took possession of the farm on Buchannon, and Hacker
of the land improved by Pringle on the creek, which was hence called
Hacker's creek.[4] John and William Radcliff, then likewise settled on
this stream--the former on the farm, where the Rev. John Mitchel now
lives; the latter at the place now owned by William Powers Esq.--These
comprise all the improvements which were made on the upper branches of
the Monongahela in the years 1769 and 1770.

At the close of the working season of 1769 some of these adventurers,
went to their families on the South Branch; and when they returned to
gather their crops in the fall, found them entirely destroyed. In
their absence the buffaloes, no longer awed by the presence of man,
had trespassed on their enclosures, and eaten their corn to the
ground--this delayed the removal of their families 'till the winter of
1770.

Soon after the happening of this event, other settlements were made on
the upper branches of the Monongahela river. Capt. James Booth