W. R. Beatty, while splitting up a tree on his farm near Sciotoville recently, found in the heart of a buckskin bag containing a letter discolored by age.

The writing had practically faded away, only a word here and there being intelligible.

The tree was evidentally 150 years old, and it is thought that the letter had been placed there 100 years ago when the "Little Scioto" trail from the Ohio River to Chillicothe was used by traders, and which passed close to where the old tree stood.

The hold in which the letter had been hidden had been completely covered by the new growth of the tree.  It was undoubtedly one of the "post offices" of the pioneers.