USA > New York > Oneida County > Steuben > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 25
USA > New York > Oneida County > Remsen > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 25
USA > New York > Oneida County > Trenton > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 25
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
As this disaster occurred in mid-winter, the suffer- ings of the unhappy crew and passengers from the cold was distressing. Owing to the roughness of the sea no pilot could reach them, and they were fated to perish within sight of land, even within hearing of many people on shore. Their calls for help and dis- tressful wailings were clearly heard far into the night by many living on Long Island, but who were power- less to help them. Before the dawn their cries had ceased, and their sufferings were ended.
The vessel was wrecked on Hempstead beach, and of the one hundred and fifteen who perished, sixty- two bodies were recovered, and were buried in one grave at Near Rockaway, in Hempstead township. One who visited the scene of the wreck, writing at
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that time says: "Forty or fifty bodies, of both sexes and all ages, were lying promiscuously before me, all frozen as hard as marble, and all except a few, in the very dresses in which they perished. Some with their hands clenched as if for warmth, and almost every one with an arm crooked and bent, as it would be in clinging to the rigging. On the arms of some were seen the impressions of the rope which they had clung to, the mark of the twist deeply sunk into the flesh. I saw one poor negro sailor, a tall man, with head thrown back, lips parted and his now sightless eyes turned upwards, and with arms crossed over his breast as if imploring Heaven for aid. One female had a rope tied about her leg, that had bound her to the rigging; and one little fellow had been crying, and was thus frozen with the muscles of the face drawn, as we see children when crying. There were a brother and sister dashed upon the beach, locked in each others arms. All the men had their lips firmly compressed together, with the most agonizing expression upon their countenances I ever beheld. One little girl had raised herself upon tiptoe, and thus was frozen in that position."
The report that Mr. Evans, who was well known and popular here, had suffered such a terrible fate, cast a shadow of the deepest gloom over the entire community. Money was speedily collected among his friends, and the late John Perry, of Trenton, a brother-in-law of Mr. Evans, was sent to the scene of the disaster to bring the remains home; but the vic- tims of the wreck had been buried before he reached there. Mr. Jones never acquired the property he went to claim, nor did he return to this country, but died in Wales, it is said, in a public workhouse, having exhausted his means in the venture.
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WILLIAM EVAN, or Bevan, as he was commonly called, came from Carnarvonshire and was an early settler near Ty Coch Corners. His wife, Eleanor Williams (Careg Lefain), he married in Wales. Their children were Mary, who married Griffith Williams (Y Gof), who removed to Cattaraugus county about 1852; Jane and Catherine, twins, the former the wife of Capt. Thomas Abrams, the latter the wife of Wil- liam H. Hughes; Isaac, who married Julia, daughter of Tyler Mitchell and removed to Cattaraugus county; and William, who married Margaret Williams.
EDWARD PRICE, SR., was born in Hanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, North Wales, in 1776, and early in the nineteenth century emigrated to America, set- tling at Remsen. He purchased the Stephen Hutch- inson farm about half a mile north of the village where he lived for many years. The place is still known to the older residents as the "Price Farm." He died De- cember 20, 1855. Edward Price, Jr., married Rachel, daughter of Rev. John Roberts, and their children were John R., Evan R., Edward R., Hannah, who married Frank Evans, and David R., who married Hannah, daughter of John O. Roberts, of Remsen.
ZALMON ROOT, son of Gideon and Huldah (Nel- son) Root, was born in Southwick, Mass., January 14, 1770. He married first Prudence Pomeroy, of Suffield, Conn., and second, Clarissa Dunn, of South- wick, Mass. Their children were Sophia, who married Theodore Burchard, and who died in 1850; Fanny, first wife of John Smith; Zalmon D., who married Helen Gardner, of Hamilton, N. Y .; Clarissa, first wife of Thomas Hawley, who died in 1845; and Lu- cretia, second wife of Thomas Hawley. "Squire,"
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or "General" Root, as he was commonly called, was an enterprising man and a representative citizen in the earlier history of Remsen. Broughton Green, writing of him says: "General Root was one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest citizen of the town- ship about 1830, and owned the best horses, cattle and sheep in this section. His son, Zalmon D., born in Remsen October 23, 1811, was an enterprising farmer, who removed with his family in April, 1857, to Illinois, locating at Maine, Cook county, where his sons became prominent, and were extraordinarily good men."
COL. MATHER BEECHER came from Russia, Herkimer county, to Remsen, in 1812, having bought that year the Noble & Blue tannery which had been established here a few years prior to that date. Mr. Beecher engaged extensively in the manufacture of leather, also boots and shoes. During his residence here, which covered a period of over fifty years, he was ever foremost in all work for the welfare and ad- vancement of the community, and prominent in all good work. He married Sally Booth, and their chil- dren were Sarah, who married Dr. Luther Guiteau, Jr., of Trenton; Eliza, who married a Mr. Burley; Abbie, who married Frank Buckingham; Jerome, who married a Miss Cobb, of Geneva, Ill .; and George, who died in boyhood. About 1863 Mr. and Mrs. Beecher removed to Chicago, to reside with their son, and both died there.
JAMES BEAURHYTE settled in Remsen village at an early day. He built a house on Main street just north of the lane which leads to the steam mill, where he lived for many years. His children were
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Catherine, who married a Mr. Crosby; Ambrose, of Willow Vale, N. Y .; James, who died October 14, 1842, aged twenty-one years; Augustus, and Delos. The latter was a harnessmaker here during most of his life. He married Sophia Hatch, and about 1864, removed to Hudson, Wis., where he shortly after died. He had two sons, who became merchants; Ran- dall, of Minneapolis, Minn., and Frederick, of Hudson and River Falls, Wis. The latter married Anna, daughter of Albert Hinckley, of Prospect, N. Y.
REV. CHANDLEY LAMBERT was born in Al- ford, Mass., March 27, 1781, and at the age of twenty- seven entered the Methodist ministry, in which he labored zealously for about twenty years. He was a circuit rider of the Black River Circuit in 1810, 1814 and 1822. He preached here in Remsen and surround- ing districts not far from 1820, and lived in a house that stood on the east side of the turnpike, north of the village, and a short distance north of the Nathan Phelps property, near the bank of the creek. He was a resident here for many years, and subsequently removed to Lowville, where he died March 16, 1845.
DAVID MANUEL came to Remsen with a large influx of Welsh settlers in 1808. He died here August 8, 1852, aged eighty-five years. His son, John, re- moved to the west about 1857.
JOHN L. JONES came from Wales about 1809, and settled on the road to Prospect upon the R. R. Roberts farm, adjoining the farm now owned by his grandson, John L. Jones. His children were Wil- liam, who died in Milwaukee, Wis., John L., Owen L., Samuel, Robert, Henry, Elizabeth (Mrs. Henry
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P. Jones), Zephaniah, a merchant of Waterville for many years, and Laura. Owen L. married Martha, daughter of Robert Abrams, and their children were Ellen, Margaret, John L., Dorothy, Robert, and Henry. John L. married Catherine, daughter of Elias R. Jones, and their children were Leah (Mrs. George Owens), and Owen L.
MOSES W. PRINDLE, from New England, was an early settler here, at first occupying a house belong- ing to William Platt, located south of the Platt house and a little north of a point opposite the house occu- pied for many years by Rowland Anthony. He was a blacksmith and plied his trade in a shop which also was owned by Mr. Platt, and stood on the north cor- ner of the turnpike and the road to Prospect leading past the J. G. Jones stone house. In 1823 Mr. Prin- dle built a house in the village, on the site of the home of the late Dr. Reed, but close upon the bank of the creek; and also built a blacksmith shop, on the east line of this lot. His children were Betsy, wife of Philetus Newcome, who was a cabinet-maker of Tren- ton and whose workmanship in the shape of tables, sewing stands, chests of drawers, etc., are pieces still picked up here by lovers of the antique; Sophronia; Walker; Samuel; Gaylord; Timothy; and one other daughter, whose name is not known to the writer.
ELISHA LARABEE settled on the road from Fair- child to Bardwell. He had four children: William, Samuel, Ezra Lorenzo Dow, and Clementine.
THE NICHOLS FAMILY was originally from Connecticut, and some of them settled in the Mohawk country before coming to Remsen township. There
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were three brothers who came here early, Caleb, Thomas and Garner, and about the same time there came also two married sisters, a Mrs. Scranton and Mrs. Chambers. Caleb was the father of the late Smith Nichols, and located at Fairchild. Thomas, or "Uncle Tom," as he was familiarly known, was the father of Morey, Sr., Mrs. Judson Witherell, Mrs. John Miller and Mrs. Isaac Worden. Thomas and Garner settled at Ninety Six. Morey, Sr., was for many years a justice of the peace in that section of the township. His children were Caleb; Abbie, who married John Billsbury; Harriet, who married Solo- mon Halliday; Morey, Jr .; Harvey; Huldah; and John.
EVAN OWENS, son of John H. and Jane Owens, was born in Carnarvonshire, February 27, 1800. He had three brothers, Owen, Thomas and John, all of whom came to this country with the father's family in 1801, and located at Philadelphia, Pa. In October, 1812, they came to Steuben, and the following April to Remsen, having purchased a farm at Fairchild. John H. Owens, the father, was a weaver, and his daughter Lucy was an expert at the loom, turning out very artistic fabrics in both wool and linen, some of which may still be found here. Evan Owens was one of the substantial men of the township, for many years a school teacher, a justice of the peace, and town commissioner of schools. He married first, Hanorah, daughter of Bohan Smith, by whom he had nine children: and second, Catherine, daughter of David Prichard, by whom he had one daughter, who married Charles Phelps.
HUGH HUGHES (Sir Fon) was born in Anglesey, Wales, and in his early years followed the sea. He
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came to New York, and, in 1807, married Elizabeth Williams, remaining there several years. Their chil- dren were William H .; Ann, born December 26, 1810; Robert H .; David, who died in infancy; David, 2d; John; Mary E., who married William Roberts; Sarah; Priscilla; Harriet, who married Humphrey Williams; and Joseph H. About 1816 the family moved from New York to Remsen, locating near Fairchild. At that time this section was a dense timber tract, and Mr. Hughes went to work, cleared his land, and had a fertile farm. He built the stone house afterwards owned by the late Jerome Witherell, and for many years kept here "in the wilderness a lodging-place for way-faring men," where eight of his children were born, and where the mother died January 2, 1832, aged forty-seven years. Hers was one of the first burials at the original location of Capel Coch, in Steuben. Mr. Hughes subsequently married a Mrs. Howell, and removed to Remsen village, where he died September 3, 1870, aged ninety-one years. He and his second wife are buried in Fairchild Ceme- tery. For many years he was a "butter merchant," taking the whole season's output from dairies and shipping it to New York on sale. On one occasion having contracted heavily with the farmers of the surrounding country and taken their butter to New York, he found the market glutted, and could realize scarcely anything on it. The thought that he had so little with which to reimburse the farmers for the product that had cost them almost an entire year's hard labor, preyed on his mind, and when he re- turned after an absence of two or three months his hair had turned perfectly white. For many years he was a deacon of the Baptist church in Remsen, as were successively his son William H., and his grand-
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son Robert H. Hughes. Ann Hughes married Rob- ert W. Roberts, in March, 1834, and he died at Rem- sen October 14, 1860, aged fifty-three years. The widow died at Holland Patent in December, 1891, aged eighty-one years.
JAMES OWEN came from Carnarvonshire, North Wales (Pen-y-caerau Farm), in 1817, and settled on the John L. Jones place near Prospect, where, in 1822, he built the stone house that is still in use. His first wife was Mrs. Ann Perry, a widow with three children, and the children born to them were Owen, who re- mained in Wales; William J., who married Margaret, daughter of Rev. William G. Pierce; John, who died at the age of ten years; Margaret, who died at the age of one year; Josiah, who married Nancy Jones; James who married first, Catherine, daughter of John T. Hughes, and second, Jane, daughter of Edward Jen- kins, widow of Thomas Roberts (Pen-y-caerau); Margaret, 2d., who remained in Wales; Janet, who married John O. Roberts; and Obadiah J., who mar- ried Mary, daughter of Edward Jenkins. For his second wife Mr. Owen married Jane Roberts, by whom he had four children: Elizabeth, who .narried Grif- fith Edmunds; Catherine, who married John Prich- ard; Hezekiah, who married, first, Sarah, daughte of Robert Owen, and second, Janet, widow of John R. Jones; and Nehemiah.
EDWARD EDWARDS came from Montgomery- shire, Wales, in 1817,. and located at Sixty Acres, where he carried on the business of wagon-making for many years. He married Jane Parry, who, when a young woman came to reside with her aunt, Mrs. William Robotham, in Steuben. Their children were
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Mary, who married Robert P. Williams; Jane, wife of William W. Thomas; Ann, wife of Josiah Roberts, of Rome; Catherine, who married Joshua M. Lewis; Hannah, who married John W. Lewis; Edward, who died in Montana; Blanche, wife of Robert C. Owens, of Clinton, N. Y .; and Maria, who married John P. Samuel. Mr. Edwards died July 19, 1854, aged sixty- three years; and his widow died March 15, 1865, aged seventy years.
WILLIAM GRIFFITH came here in the early years of the last century, but the exact year of his coming we have been unable to learn. However, he was here prior to 1817, and settled on a part of Lot 160 of Steuben's Patent, later known as the Hugh R. Jones farm at the top of the hill, south of the farm owned by the late Dr. Everett. Children: Griffith; William; Miriam, who married William Jones (Farm); John W .; Ellen, who married Benjamin Perry, of Trenton; Abdon, who died December 9, 1833, aged thirty-three years; Ann, who married John Powell, and whose children were Jane, wife of Rev. Owen Perry; John, Jr .; Charlotte, who married a Mr. Wil- liams; and Horace. Maria, daughter of William Grif- fiths married Robert Griffiths (Creugiau), who lived for some years on the Herbert Davis farm south of Remsen. Their children were Jane, who married William H. Williams; Maria; William; Benjamin; and Zephaniah. William Griffiths died May 19, 1840, aged seventy-six years; and Jane, his wife, died May 26, 1836, aged sixty-six years.
LEWIS POWELL, from Wales, located in Steuben before 1817. He purchased that year a part of Lot 160, of Steuben's Patent, also part of Lot 69, of Serv-
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ice's Patent. He built at the top of the hill north of the John Jones (Farm) property, where Richard E. Prichard now lives. The children of Mr. Powell were Lewis, Jr., John, Thomas, Joseph, James, and Rachel, who married a Mr. Church.
JENKIN MORRIS came from Cardiganshire, South Wales, in 1818, and settled first at Pen-y-caerau, later removing to Ninety Six. His children were David; Evan; Ann, who married John D. Jones; Mary, who married William H., son of Humphrey P. Jones (Glyn); and another daughter who married Thomas Davis, of New York city. Mr. Morris died Septem- ber 28, 1854, aged eighty years.
JAMES ALLEN was a grandson of Reginald Allen, of Colby, Norfolk, England; and came to Dedham, Mass., about 1637, probably with his uncle, Rev. James Allen, who was the first minister of Dedham. James Allen is first mentioned in the records of that town under date of April 6, 1638. His son Joseph, horn June 24, 1752, married Hannah, daughter of William Sabin. Nehemiah, son of Joseph, born April 22, 1669, married Mary Parker. Eliphalet, son of Nehemiah, born August 24, 1727, married first, Feb- ruary 8, 1753, Elizabeth Livermore; second, July 17, 1764, widow Susanna Sallis; and third, March 12, 1767, Sabra Lee, and had eight children by the three wives. Willard, son of Eliphalet and Sabra Lee Allen, was born in Sturbridge, Worcester county, Mass., August 14, 1770; married there April 4, 1789, Hepsi- bah Walker. Their children, eight in number, were all born at Sturbridge. Willard Allen removed to Remsen in 1818.
Calvin, son of Willard and Hepsibah (Walker)
V
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Allen, born July, 22, 1791, married Polly Leach, of Belchertown, Mass., November 15, 1812, and came to Remsen with his family in 1818. For about three months after his arrival here, he made his home with his father-in-law, Asa Leach, near Bardwell's Mills, who lived in a log house formerly occupied by Enoch Hall, father of James and Raymond Hall, who were early settlers here. Mr. Allen then moved to the turnpike north of Remsen village, near the Lemuel Hough place; then, nearer the town, while he was building a home for himself in the village. This was the house owned and occupied for many years by the late Josiah Griffiths, now the office of B. K. Brown & Son; and was the first house built in the village east of the creek. Being a carpenter by trade, Mr. Allen built many of the earlier houses in and about the village, and made many caskets for the dead. He was for many years chorister and deacon of the En- glish Congregational Church, the first religious organ- ization in the village; and was one of seventeen com- posing the first temperance society in the town. In 1832, or thereabout, he built, and installed machin- ery in a butter-tub factory on Alder creek. Not getting from that stream the supply of water required to run this factory, he removed the plant to Forest- port, on Black river, which was then a part of Rem- sen township. While building a house for himself in Forestport, he cut his leg with a chisel, and from this injury was a great sufferer and a cripple during the rest of his life. In 1854, the injured leg was ampu- tated, and he survived the operation only four days, dying at Forestport on January 31, 1854. He was a member of Rising Sun Lodge, F. & A. M., of Remsen, while that lodge existed, and the Masonic Order con- ducted the services at his burial, under the auspices
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of Boonville Lodge. Mrs. Allen died in Boonville, in 1843. Their children were Lucinda, who married William Dowman, and removed to Michigan; Eveline, who married Nathaniel Rockwood, Jr., and removed to Union City, Pa .; Harriet, who married George Kent, and lived at New York Mills; Julia, who never married; Pamelia (Mrs. McPherson), who removed to Michigan; and Calvin Winthrop, who married Mary J. Rockwood, and removed to Union City, Pa.
OWEN RICHARDS, born in Merionethshire, North Wales, came to America in the same vessel with Dr. Daniel Roberts, in 1818, and died in Steuben, March 10, 1830, aged sixty-nine years. Mr. Richards first located at Holland Patent; but finding that ague was prevalent in that section, he removed his family to Steuben, where he stopped for a time with one Ellis John-Perry, on or near Pen-y-mynydd. Later he located on French Road, where he purchased new land at five dollars an acre. He built a house north of the farm now occupied by his grandson, Lewis Richards, and the place for many years was the Richards home- stead. Owen Richards married Elizabeth Jones, a sister of Rev. John Jones (Ramoth), an elder and the founder of the Sandemanian sect in Wales. Mrs. Richards died July 6, 1847, aged seventy-nine years. Their children were John, Joseph and Benjamin (twins), Richard, Elizabeth, and Owen. Benjamin married Ann, daughter of John Roberts (Ty-niwliog), and their children were Joseph, a physician in Belle- vue Hospital, New York city, who died at the early age of twenty-three years; Lewis; Owen, a physician of Trenton; Jonathan, a Congregational minister, who died at St. Johns, Mich .; David, residing in Alabama; and two who died in infancy. Lewis Richards married
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Jane, daughter of Griffith and Jane Wheldon, and their children were Benjamin; Elnora; Griffith; Joseph, a physician, now located in Ohio; and Edna, wife of Dr. Morey, of Remsen.
GRIFFITH METHUSELAH JONES was an early settler in Trenton township. He came here from Wales, and located just west of the Griffith Hughes (Wilson) farm, and owing to a defect in title, he was obliged to pay for his farm a second time. His chil- dren were John, William Meth, and Ellen, who mar- ried Thomas Jones (Ty Crois).
EVAN OWENS, who settled just west of the Grif- fith Methuselah Jones farm, married Ann Roberts. Their children were Jane, who married Thomas Ed- . munds; Thomas; Ann, who married Richard James; William F., who for many years was a prominent merchant in Boonville; Owen E .; and Mary. Mr. Owens died February 21, 1869, aged eighty-three years, and his widow died December 27, 1879, aged eighty- six years.
JOHN EVANS, a wood turner, lived in a log house at the "lime kiln" place, south of the Pirnie house. He had a son and two daughters. The son, Benjamin, went to Chicago in the embryo days of that western metropolis, and was never heard of again by his east- ern friends. John Evans, coming home late on a bitter night in winter about 1820, went into his log stable, where in the morning he was found frozen to death. Prior to coming to the "lime kiln" place, he made a clearing and built a log house on the John E Thomas farm, a mile farther south.
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WILLIAM ALLEN was an early settler in Remsen, locating about a quarter of a mile north of Fairchild Corners, and immediately north of the Nathaniel Rockwood farm. Mr. Allen's farm was once owned by Solomon Frame, but whether before or after Mr. Allen's occupancy we are unable to learn. In later years the place was owned by David Davis (Frame). William Allen was of the Free Will Baptist persuasion, and a regular attendant at the church of his choice, traveling eight miles to Russia nearly every Sunday for this purpose. His children were Saloma, who married a Mr. Burrows, of Rome; Amanda, who mar- ried Schuyler Wheeler; Elmira, who married a Mr. Sanderson; Amos, who married Ann, daughter of Jeremiah Bonner; Luther, who married Lydia A. Burrows; Lorinda; Lucy; Rebecca; Lovina, who mar- ried Dr. Cordell, of Boonville; and Fanny, who married a Mr. Skiff.
JOHN HATCH, originally from Connecticut, after- ward residing at Floyd, came to Remsen at an early day. His children were Susan, the second wife of Jacob Lewis; Dama (Mrs. Turner); Sophia, wife of Delos Beaurhyte; Sarah A., wife of Dr. George P. Bridgeman; and one son, John, Jr.
WILLIAM PERRY came from Caer Mer, Llanen- gan, Carnarvonshire, North Wales, on the same ves- sel with Dr. Daniel Roberts, in 1818. His wife, Mary, was a sister of the doctor. He purchased and cleared a farm on the Glynn road, afterward known as the Tinman place. They had four children, Robert, Anna, John and Jane. Robert was a skillful surgeon whose proficiency in that line was far in advance of all in the profession in this section in the early days.
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He located in Steuben, where he died June 10, 1826, at the age of thirty-one years, leaving one son, John, who removed to the west many years ago. Anna Perry married Griffith J. Griffiths (Crydd), and Jane married Owen Roberts (Tinman). The children of Griffith J. and Anna (Perry) Griffiths were Jane, Mary, Ann, John, Margaret, William, Robert G., and Griffith.
Indians were rather frequent visitors to these parts at the time of Mr. Perry's settlement, and each winter parties of them camped near his farm, along Cincinnati creek where they trapped and hunted. About this time Mr. Perry had a pig confined in a low log en- closure or pen in the little clearing he had made in the wilderness, and one night, hearing a disturbance there, he lighted a lantern and went out to investigate the cause. Arriving on the scene he was amazed to see his winter's supply of pork disappearing into the darkness, held in the close embrace of a huge bear, and the distressful cries of the captive porker resounded through the forest long after he was lost to view.
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