getting a pair of silver shoe-buckles made by an Indian who was
skilled in the art. It so happened that he had not silver enough to
make the buckles. Two or three of the Indians left suddenly, and
after having been absent a short time, returned, bringing a handful of
silver. Ogden inferred from this that there must be a silver mine not
far away, but he was never able to find it.--A deer[A] often came
around his house; he shot at it repeatedly, but was unable to hit it.
An old woman lived not far away, who was called a witch; he finally
suspected that she had something to do with the deer; he procured a
silver bullet, which he put in his gun, and next time the deer
appeared he fired at it, wounding it badly, but it escaped; he soon
learned, however, that the old woman was badly hurt.[B]

[Footnote A: The same story is told of other hunters and other
witches.]

[Footnote B: The author is indebted to Mr. N.N. Bull for the sketch
relating to West Oneonta.]




_CHAPTER V._


The first church organization in town was effected by the
Presbyterians. The first meeting was held at the house of Fredrick
Brown, January 24, 1800, when John Houghtaling, Henry Scramling, John
VanDer Werker and James Dietz were chosen elders; William Morenus,
David Scramling, Aaron Barnes, and James Quackenbush were chosen as