USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > Local sketches and legends pertaining to Bucks and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania > Part 11
USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Local sketches and legends pertaining to Bucks and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania > Part 11
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for greater industry and stability than that of any other nation." We have here the admission that even among Quakers some had come over as redemptioners to near the beginning of this century.
About the year 1799, there arrived at Philadelphia a vessel whose cargo consisted chiefly of German re- demptioners. Among these was George Homan, his wife Catharine and a young son called Caspar. Their time was purchased by a farmer by the name of Fretz, who conveyed them in his market wagon to his home in Bedminster township. After residing and working for perhaps a year with his purchaser, he formed the acquaintance of Nicholas Buck, the founder of Bucks- ville, for whom he conceived a strong attachment. He solicited the latter to go his security, that he might be enabled to live and work for him on his farm. Taking a fancy to him Mr. Buck finally consented, and so arrangements were made that he might work out for him his unexpired time, whilst his wife and child would continue with Mr. Fretz.
After Homan had resided near a year with his bondsman, he made unto him, considering his circum- stances, a remarkable proposition. He stated that he had a knowledge of drawing and water color painting, which he had learned in early life in Germany, and was withal a poet and ready writer. This was to make taufschiens and peddle them over the country to help raise the money the sooner to purchase therewith his freedom and that of his wife. This proposition to Mr. Buck was a novelty, and well it might have been to
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any other native Pennsylvanian. He stated if he would allow him a day for the purpose he would pro- duce for him a specimen from such materials as he possessed. This was granted, and within a couple of weeks was completed. It was drawn and painted on paper of about twelve by sixteen inches in dimensions. In the centre was a heart in outline of five inches in diameter, surrounded by representations of birds, flow- ers and angels in rather gaudy colors, with pieces of poetry of four or eight lines each between the spaces.
At this stage of our progress it may be well to in- form the English scholar, ignorant of the German lan- guage, what taufschien signifies. Its literal translation is baptism certificate. The laws of Germany being rigid on this matter, that the age and baptism of every infant be duly entered in church records and a certi- ficate thereof be also given the parents to be exhibited whenever demanded by the authorities as to the age of the child for legal marriage and for military service if a boy. This was required to contain the names and residence of the parents, the child's name and date of birth and baptism. In addition the names of the sponsors and of the officiating clergymen. The com- mon German name for this instrument of writing was taufschien. This custom was continued in Pennsyl- vania by nearly all the German denominations well into the beginning of this century or as late as 1830, prominently by the Lutherans and German Reformed.
As George Homan was also an expert penman, he was in the practice of making at his home as many as
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fifty or one hundred of these taufschiens, when he would set off on his pedestrian peddling tour, selling them among the German settlers and farmers. The space within the heart was left blank to be afterwards - filled up to suit the wishes of his patrons. When de- sired he would do this in handsomely ornamented German text called Fractur-Schrift, for which there was an additional charge. The verses mentioned were all of a religious character, and in praise of in- fancy and baptism. His success was such in selling these that within ten months from starting in the bus- iness he realized sufficient to. not only purchase his own but his wife's freedom, to the great pleasure and satisfaction of his bondsman as well as his purchaser.
His business in this line became so extensive through his industry and perseverance that he got them engraved in outline after one of his designs and printed at Allentown, which he would afterwards color to, suit his or the purchaser's fancy. In about sixteen years he realized enough from this source to purchase . himself a snug house and home near the borough of Reading, to which was attached several acres of ground, when in addition with the assistance of his family he entered into trucking and proved himself very successful in raising vegetables for the market there. Here himself and wife attained to a good old age through the comfortable provision he had made by his industry. Besides Casper who grew to man- hood he had several other children.
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GEORGE HOMAN AND HIS TAUFSCHIENS.
A son of Nicholas Buck, to whom I am chiefly in- debted for this information, made his wedding tour to Reading in the spring of 1824, and greatly surprised him with a brief and unexpected visit, which highly pleased him, through his great regard for his long- esteemed bondsman who had faith in his integrity. The reader will now know what taufschiens are and how they were the means of securing liberty to a worthy man and wife whilst survitude prevailed and finally secured him a happy home and a comfortable position in life.
Uncle John and the Squirrels.
The Cuttelossa is a highly romantic stream little ex- ceeding three miles in length, lying wholly within Solebury township, Bucks county, and emptying into the river Delaware a mile below Lumberville. About midway in its course, and within one hundred yards of its banks, is still standing in all its olden-time glory a grist mill-the first in the neighborhood and the first on the stream, but now full of years, full of honors and of usefulness. A halo of peaceful and pleasing asso- ciations invest it as a subject for the historian, the poet and the artist, who, I am gratified to say, have respect- ively conferred on it additional celebrity. May its foundations, therefore, prove good and its walls strong, so that it may yet long remain to continue its avoca- . tion and be of interest. Like an aged oak clasped by a vine, it stands there a monument of the past, around which both poetry and tradition cling, bearing for the seeker's thereof clusters of the choicest fruit.
It was built about 1750 by Samuel Armitage, a na- tive of Yorkshire, England, who had settled here sev- eral years previous. The building of it upwards of one and one-third centuries ago, considering the remote- ness of the period, the condition of the country, and
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that the owner had no knowledge of the business, re- quired no small degree of enterprise and energy to ac- complish. To this day in the interior of the west end, which is the original part of the structure, may be dis- tinctly seen scratched in the plastering the date " 1752." In its construction, and to obtain a knowledge of the business, he secured the assistance of his neighbor, Stephen Townsend, a practical miller, who had moved hither from Abington, and who was for a time at first employed to carry it on. Samuel Armitage attained to a good old age, and was highly respected and hon- ored. He went peacefully to his repose January 30, 1801, aged about eighty-five years.
The late owner by his will, dated 6th of 1 1th month, 17.98, devised his dwelling house, grist and saw mill, with fifty acres of land, to his eldest son John, now in his fifty-first year, who in consequence came in full possession of the same in the spring of 1801, his bro- ther James having released his right. In connection with our subject this John Armitage merits some no- tice. He had been a life-long resident of the place, and was greatly beloved by the old and the young. From the latter he received the title of "Uncle John," by which he was destined to be long and familiarly known throughout all that section, What perhaps greatly helped to promote it was that he remained a bachelor, and in his disposition was remarkably genial and kind-hearted. A few are yet living in the vicinity who were in various ways the recipients of his gener- osity, and can vouch for what is stated. To those who
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came to his mill for over a third of a century, and who must have been in so long an interval necessarily nu- merous, whether in autumn draughts or through stern and dreary winter with almost impassable roads, while waiting for their grists for bread at home, he had goodly words, a blazing fire, and a liberal supply of apples, nuts and cider, the product of his fields. We must know that travel was then chiefly performed on horseback, and often from a distance. Thus did he live to be useful and dispense hospitality until July, 1835, when at the great age of his father he too went peacefully to his rest, leaving by will his mill property to his nephew Henry Armitage, who again retained it until his death in 1850, when after a century of owner- ship it passed out of the family.
Though Uncle John, whom I have now introduced to you, has long been gone, I rejoice that the old mill yet survives, and have a desire to preserve herein one of its numerous traditions that have been so long cher- ished by the descendants of a few of the oldest fami- lies in the neighborhood. During his long proprie- torship, extending from 1801 to 1835, no public road existed from the mill down along the Cuttelossa to the Delaware until 1852, when the present highway was opened, now so much traveled by pleasure seek- ers and others. Then that part of the valley or glen was all a continuous forest up to the very hill-tops, abounding in numerous nut-bearing trees, as beech, chestnut, shellbark, walnut, butternut and hazel, be- sides a numerous variety of oaks yielding acorns.
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UNCLE JOHN AND THE SQUIRRELS.
Among the wild fruits that still grow here may be mentioned the wild cherry, red mulberry, June berry, crab and white thorn, descending from the fragrant sweet birch, sassafras and spice wood to various varie- ties of grapes, blackberries, raspberries and whortle- berries, thus rendering it a paradise and asylum for several kinds of game, but above all to the four spe- cies of squirrels that throve here in abundance.
To the benevolent Uncle John, though now no longer young, it was a renewed delight to behold the divers sportive and amusing antics and gambols of these squirrels on the neighboring trees and fences, from even the very door or windows of his mill, as he might be either engaged at watching his hopper, fill- ing sacks, or conning over a weekly county newspa- per. In all their felicity was he thus a frequent wit- ness here of their remarkable activity and graceful , movements, as also to their sprightliness and aston- ishing leaps from branch to branch or even from tree to tree; with ease running up and down the tallest and most perpendicular trees, sometimes engaged at play and at other times chasing each other at full speed, as either caprice or necessity demanded. Their long, bushy tails kept almost constantly in motion, thereby expressing their slightest feelings. How it interested him to observe with what dexterity they could handle a nut, now examining the shell on one side and then on the other, so as to be enabled to get at the kernel with the least labor; the nice sense of judgment, too, displayed in balancing on the extremities of their fin-
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gers to determine whether good or not-if too light, instantly rejected and dropped to the ground as not deserving further attention. Judge, then, how pained he was when occasionally told of the wily raccoon, with his unbounded curiosity, going to their comfort- able nests of dried leaves, placed for greater security high up amid the forks or branches of the tallest trees, and there seize upon and devour the occupant; then, without the least compunctions of conscience, take a comforting nap in his lodgings. Here we see again that common illustration of "might giving right," so much in vogue and exercised even unto this present day by the several great powers of the world. But Uncle John could not see it in this light, for his sym- pathies were on the weaker side, and he wisely con- cluded that he would not like to be thus served him- self.
Now these grand gymnastic performers had no more desire to give gratuitous entertainments for the accom- modation of others than certain bipeds that are not unfamiliar. Up in the loft of his mill Uncle John had bins containing corn, wheat, rye and buckwheat, which some of these squirrels in their pioneer explorations of this romantic valley discovered, and, as there ap- peared to be an abundance, did not withhold the secret from their numerous family connections. Thus, dur- ing the day, would the cunning chickaree on the siy approach within a few yards of the old mill, concealed in woods and bushes, when he would mount the fence, scale the rough wall, and enter this store-house of
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UNCLE JOHN AND THE SQUIRRELS.
good things at the eaves. In a twinkling he would fill his capacious cheek-pouches therefrom almost to bursting, and as quickly hie off with the burden. When at the edge of the woods he would ascend some one of the tallest oaks, and from there exultingly salute Uncle John's ears with the most animating or inspir- ing music that may have ever emanated from an ani- mal. As the inroads of these ceased during the day, the darkness of night brought forth the hungry flying squirrels, who were also equally as active and vigilant to do good-for themselves.
Going up into Uncle John's loft all appeared right with a slight exception, indicating only the presence of a few rats or mice, which infest all granaries, and of course as a consequence got the blame-to the great relief of all chickarees, grays, flyers and hackees. At last it became apparent that after so many bushels of grain had been carefully stored away in a certain bin, and remeasured in a few weeks, it was greatly deficient as to quantity. He thought that if left alone it could not thus possibly shrink of itself; there could be no leaks, for the minutest examination showed that the flooring and sides were both sound and thoroughly tight, and rarely a rat or a mouse found therein. By some this mystery might have been assigned to super- natural agency, but, however unexplainable, Uncle John had no faith in ghosts, conjuration, hocus-pocus, or witchcraft. Dishonesty appeared evident some- where or somehow, and with due care might yet be found out. Thus months went on and still no dis-
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covery, till through a fortunate accident at a late hour of the night an errand was made to the loft of the mill with a lantern. Oh, the sight! About one hundred flying squirrels suddenly scampered and disappeared beneath the eaves, comparable to a flight of hungry school-boys from an orchard on the sudden interrup- tion of the owner, or the issuing of yellow-jackets from out their cosy nests when disturbed by the plow-share.
So vigilant had Uncle John and his help now be- come as to keep watch also by day, when the nimble chickarees were observed frequently going to and from the fence up to the very rear of the mill and disappear- ing in the caves. Their business there now likewise became evident-to help plunder the loft for a subsist- ence. To the kind-hearted and benevolently disposed Uncle John this was a dilemma. To have his eaves altered so that not a squirrel could enter therein, and the fence removed, with the neighboring trees and bushes, was a small affair; but what to do with the animals for the thefts and damage they had already done and might yet do was the great question. Could they be reformed to cease stealing and lead more use- ful, virtuous and industrious lives? Having found out and made so long a use of the treasures stored in that loft, they had ceased to lay up their usual hoards, as abundant as their food was in the autumn, for their support during the winter and early spring. Want or need must thus necessarily cause them to act as cer- tain shiftless bipeds when as lazy, whilst the snow and ice lay deep and long within the vale and hill-tops of
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UNCLE JOHN AND THE SQUIRRELS.
this classic stream. But from the measures taken, those idle squirrels that escaped the hands of enraged justice again became as industrious, frugal and self- dependent as formerly, and the result was a greater satisfaction and security to all concerned.
"The Cuttelossa and Its Historical Associations" was published in the Bucks County Intelligencer in twenty-four numbers, commencing April 8, 1873, and ending the following September 16th. Since, in look- ing occasionally over my scrap-book containing it, and observing in the account of "The Old Grist Mill" so brief a mention therein of Uncle John and the squir- rels, I would invariably close the work with a feeling of dissatisfaction if not of mortification that I had not done to him and his merry companions of the woods all that justice to which they were so fairly entitled, and that too through my own carelessness or neglect. Recently, for pastime on a most tedious, dull, dismal day-so well calculated to foster low spirits-taking up my scrap-book again, the same ideas presented themselves even more forcibly than before. Worried thus for my past delinquencies I desired to be no longer; so, in my desperation for relief, strange to say, I seized on a pencil and two goodly sized slates, and, before I was aware, in this spasmodic effort had act- ually covered them all over with strange characters that had been intended for letters of the alphabet. Immediately after, in spite of the gloominess of the
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weather, I rejoice to say I found myself restored to my usual condition of mind and body ; in fact, became fully conscious of what I had been doing. But here was a concern : What was on the slates ? Well, to make this short, after some time and study-for in this dilemma I did not know to whom to apply for aid-was brought forth what you have just been reading, namely : "Uncle John and the Squirrels." However, to be certain of the efficacy of this cure, I have several times since pe- rused "The Old Grist Mill," but with equally the same composure. So I impart this now as a great secret, in the fullest confidence, and as deserving a trial for the alleviation of misery from shortcomings before seek- ing other or more desperate remedies.
Put to the Test.
The following was communicated by a near relative but a few hours after its occurrence, and made a pro- found impression as the severest test or trial of a man's judgment and veracity that has ever come to my knowl- edge. I was well acquainted with the parties, both being men of sharply experienced business qualifica- tions, much more so than the average of farmers or drovers. Both in their respective pursuits had met with tolerable success, and were acknowledged to be men of capital and of sufficient abilities to retain and increase it. The circumstances attending this remark- able affair, which happened in 1841, I will now relate.
A drover from the city had purchased among the farmers of Buckingham and Plumstead an unusually fine lot of fat sheep, numbering about one hundred head, and was now on his road back on the. turnpike leading to Doylestown. To rest his flock and refresh himself, he halted before an inn of general resort for travelers. He had not long been seated on the front piazza before he saw a farmer approaching in his ellip- tie spring market wagon, evidently returning from the city. "There comes a man," said the drover, address- ing the landlord and four or five bystanders, "I am
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glad to see. Keep quiet, and we shall have fun." It . being the usual stopping place of the farmer, he drove up and got out, the hostler hitching his horses.
I may now explain that the drover, farmer, landlord and most of those present were intimately acquainted with each other, and therefore whatever infirmities either had would be likely to be known to the rest. The farmer, as I have intimated, was in good circum- stances, owner of one the finest farms in his section, with excellent stock, but greatly given to brag, deem- ing whatever he had as better than his neighbors. His reputation in this respect was widely known. In fact, it was about the only thing that could well be said against him, and was the cause of creating some envy, which most of those present well knew. After some conversation had passed, the drover said to the farmer: "Have you any good fat sheep to sell? If so, I might get up your way next time and give you a call." "I have a splendid lot of about fifteen head to spare," replied the farmer. "Now," added the drover, "walk with me around this lot and see how yours will compare."
After giving the flock a general examination the farmer exclaimed in the presence of all there: "Your sheep compare with mine! Why, my sheep are at least half as heavy again." "Now," said the other, "be sure. For instance, this wether, what a splendid sheep; and those around him." Looking slightly again, the former contemptuously said: "I would be sorry if I could not do a great deal better." "What
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PUT TO THE TEST.
would you want a head for your sheep?" "Such sheep as mine," replied the farmer, "are worth twelve dollars apiece." "Why, for that wether and those around I only paid eight dollars a head." "Well you might," said the farmer, "for they are dear enough at that." "Hold now," said the drover; "I was at your place yesterday afternoon and bought them of your wife, stating they were all you had to spare."
This, as might be expected, came like a thunder-clap on the astonished farmer, who appeared to have no de- sire for further conversation, and speedily departed. I shall on this matter leave the farmer and the drover re- spectively to his reflections, as they proceeded on the well traveled turnpike in opposite directions home- wards about their business. What transpired on this result between the farmer and his wife I do not know, nor shall my readers, but I apprehend it taught him a lesson not readily to be forgotten respecting his incli- nation to exaggerate or overestimate his own.
A Thrilling Incident.
To mankind in general a thrilling scene is of rare occurrence, but when witnessed cannot fail but make a vivid impression. It was once my lot to behold an incident under such extraordinary circumstances as will not be readily forgotten. I allude to an affair that happened at Willow Grove during the presiden- tial campaign of Clay and Polk, in the fall of 1844. At that time party spirit ran high, and each tried to outdo the other in fervid zeal and demonstrations. Political gatherings with pole-raisings, speech-makings and song-singing was the order of the day. Like per- haps all such campaigns and the excitements attend- ing them have all passed away, it seems to me now like attempting to review some of the follies to which our countrymen are so periodically subject.
There then lived in the aforesaid village a day laborer by the name of Eli Berrell, a descendant of an old family in the neighborhood. He had a wife and six children, and resided in a small house, which he rented, situated beside a lane in the rear of the house, on the main road. The Whigs having raised a pop- lar pole nearly one hundred feet in height in the cen- tre of the place, induced him as a Democrat to follow
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the example. A neighboring farmer residing at the intersection of the old York and Welsh roads having presented him with a sturdy young hickory for the purpose, with the help of several neighbors in the twilight of evening, the same was duly raised in the lane before his humble dwelling. The following morning, just after he arose, in gazing at his pole, he observed that the small flag which had been raised near its top refused to float, in consequence of its lower extremity having caught in the projecting knot of a branch which had been negligently left in its trimming. He however resolved within himself that for the honor of his Revolutionary ancestor, the glori- ous stars and stripes should be released from this thraldom to waft triumphantly in the breeze. But be- fore I describe this feat and its accomplishment I am disposed to give a few additional particulars concern- ing our hero.
He was one of those rugged men of nearly iron con- stitution, inured to struggle with toil and hardships from his infancy. He was of reckless habits, but of a sanguine temperament that looked on the bright side of things, a man more prone to action than of words. Though he had been sent somewhat to school he was not disposed to learn, and thus grew up unable to read or write. In his general disposition he was im- pulsive and headstrong. He set little store on money or riches, he desired a plain and substantial living for his wife and family and but little more. In his char- acter there was nothing servile or cringing, but on the
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