USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > Local sketches and legends pertaining to Bucks and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania > Part 6
USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Local sketches and legends pertaining to Bucks and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania > Part 6
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SKETCHES AND LEGENDS ..
partridges he had trapped. On his return his new cap or his knife would become the envy or admiration of his school companions, and thus he became distingu- ished for having "been to town."
In connection with this subject I remember several jokes. George our wag having on one occasion at his own butchering, in making sausage, produced an un- commonly long one, when finished coiled it around the neck of a stout, rosy-cheeked daughter of a neighboring farmer. She held quiet, and when through, from its novelty, it elicited shouts of laugh- ter, which I have no doubt a hungry queen would have also borne. The young woman joined in the laugh and when it had about subsided she stepped to the door, thanked George for the compliment and bade the company good-night. It is not known that he ventured anymore such necklaces. On another occasion a farmer intended to shoot his beef, and while engaged in loading his gun he had several in- stances to relate of his skill as a marksman. When through, George minding his chance, unobserved ex- tracted the bullet; on the farmer taking the gun he stood off about thirty feet, took fair aim and fired with a loud report. It resulted in the farmer and the beef
looking at each other in mutual astonishment, the latter in the meantime shaking his head at him. As a consequence the result created hearty laughter, as could have been expected, while the gun was reload- ing, but the farmer could never comprehend how he came so widely to miss the animal.
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BUTCHERING FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Within my knowledge the earliest substitute to mince the meat was a cumbersome affair that came into use about 1837. This machine possessed some six or eight axes resting on pivots and worked by a crank, chopping or cutting the meat on a circular block more than two feet in diameter, and which re- volved, the idea being evidently borrowed from the mode of operating by the former method. However, it was nevertheless an improvement, and could do the work of four or five men. I have no recollection of any kind of a stuffer being used than what was men- tioned until about the aforesaid date, when the lever or bench stuffer was introduced. It is a tradition that the early settlers for this purpose used ox horns, a method adopted from the old country. What is now generally termed the sausage grinder came probably . into use about 1842, since made wholly of iron and improved upon. Stones heated in fires for warming the water I know of being practiced in 1844. Those great kettles and trammels used among well-to-do farmers, generally formed a portion of the bride's out- set furnished by her parents. The hogs of those days were smaller, rarely exceeding three hundred pounds, but the farmers kept a larger number. In color the animals I believe were chiefly white. Speculators were not unknown even in those days, for just in advance of the butchering period salt and the several kinds of spices used would be greatly enhanced in value, the former sometimes selling at treble prices.
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SKETCHES AND LEGENDS.
In taking a glance now over what is written, I have become further impressed at the great changes that society is undergoing from its former condition and. circumstances. Taken collectively the people were certainly more hospitable, neighborly and home-bred. If there were no very rich among them there were no very poor, the chief cause for distinction. If they had not our improvements they had other equivalents, be- sides less luxury and display; they had plenty of room, they could subdivide their farms, wood was plenty for all purposes, and they therefore had less occasion for emigration. Their manners and customs show that they were decidedly a country people, for the villages were small and few and the towns remote, and at most could but little influence their character. Hence, in the absence of our traveling facilities, they had cause for stronger local attachments, which in- fused contentment. Thus butchering and its accom- paniments, in the absence of professional hands, was made a festive occasion among neighbors at a leisure time of the year when the nights were long and good cheer abundant.
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A Novel Subject for Dispute.
My delight from childhood has been a love for ramble across fields and by streams and meadows, and to observe and study the things around me. I confess that this passion is still strong and has greatly helped to endear me to a country life. It has been, too, a promoter of health and exercise, as well as a source of great pleasure and instruction. On one of these occasions, when about fourteen years of age, as I was thus alone in a lane by the borders of a remote field in with wheat nearly ripe, I had my attention un- expectedly drawn to a small object a few yards in ad- vance. It came suddenly out of the standing grain with great rapidity, apparently as if it made its leaps of several yards at a height of from three to five feet, which I supposed to be some small mouse and not a bird. After four or five such bounds it leaped entirely over a fence and disappeared among the grass and bushes of an adjoining field. I was most sure it was an animal, yet its going with such amazing rapidity through the air with its color and size also reminded me of a small bird.
As may be supposed I became interested in the matter, and in the evening at the table stated the cir- cumstances to my parents for information. They both
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SKETCHES AND LEGENDS.
looked at me surprised, and as I thought skeptically, for I received no answer. I next inquired of our day's laborer, who was advanced past middle age and had worked the greater portion of his life in the fields, on this subject, and whom I supposed would be authority. His reply was, "Mice are mice, though some live in the fields and some in houses and barns, some are reddish and some are gray or whitish, but nary one of 'em kin fly. It may have been a frog with a snake after him, for that keeps 'em lively and on the go." However, this did not weaken my faith but what it was an animal, though possessed of marvelous powers.
Several years passed on before I had my attention again called to the subject. A farmer, about 1844, was mowing in his field by the roadside near the Wil- low Grove, when two girls, aged respectively eleven and fourteen, approached him, apparently excited, the eldest exclaiming, " Please, sir, tell us what we saw yonder in the meadow. I say it was a flying squirrel, but my sister will have it that it was a grasshopper. It passed near us leaping as high as my shoulders, but went very fast like a bird; we gave chase, but it disappeared in the high weeds and grass." . No sooner was this uttered than the younger replied, "If it was not a grasshopper it certainly was a hop-toad." These young women, I may add, were city boarders at the neighboring hotel, and had come out with their pa- rents to spend the summer here. He stared at them as if they were demented, and desired to know the size of the object, which the younger stated was the length
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A NOVEL SUBJECT FOR DISPUTE. 97
of her finger. "Did you ever see a flying squirrel?" interrogated the farmer. "Oh, yes, often, in books," replied the elder. . "Why, it is an animal as large. nearly as my hand, and, besides, is not seen about in the daytime." They both admitted that it was not so large, but what else could it be, if not some one or the other of what was mentioned. The farmer stated that it could not be an animal unless a bat, but these also did not go abroad in the middle of the day, but suggested that it may have been a bird. The girls started for the hotel discussing the subject on the way. As their chief reading had been works of fiction, es- pecially fairy tales, they consulted their books, and in the Arabian Nights ascertained the matter to their entire satisfaction that there were fairies inhabiting the woods and meadows that could change their forms whenever they desired, either into animals, birds, rep- tiles or insects. In two or three days after they re- ported this astounding discovery to the farmer, who smiled but thought it dubious.
Again was the matter almost forgotten, till a neigh- boring farmer a few years afterwards had sent a son, nearly full grown, to college, with a view of preparing him for one of the learned professions. Having come home to spend his summer vacation, and time hang- ing somewhat heavily on his hands, he accompanied a younger brother with a team to the back fields for the purpose of hauling rails for a fence. Having driven up beside a quantity of rails, they commenced placing them on the wagon, but had not worked long
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SKETCHES AND LEGENDS.
before out started something before them with great rapidity, that neither appeared to fly or leap, but was certainly up and doing. Chase was made to capture it that this phenomenon might be explained, but just as one or the other was about to grasp it, it entered the tall grass of a neighboring field and thus disappeared- These brothers had nearly attained now their growth on this very farm, but they had never seen anything like this before, and a conversation ensued as to what it could be. Our undergraduate believed that .it was either an animal or a bird, while his brother maintained that it was a huge insect or a frog.
The discussion waxed so warm that the elder im- mediately wrote a letter to his professor of mathemat- ics, who was also a physician, as to what it could be, explaining everything as minutely as could be ex- pected from his means of observation, descending from size and color down even to its supposed weight and distance of leaping. The professor was delighted with this epistle, for it suited his hobby, as he was at this particular time preparing a treatise now about three-fourthis finished, "On the comparative force and power of muscular development in animals, birds, rep- tiles and insects as compared to man." Ile laid the physician aside for his favorite figures, and the result was that any animal, bird, reptile or insect that weighs one-eighth of a pound and can fly or leap four yards, possesses a power sufficient to enable a man of one hundred and forty pounds weight to fly or leap four thousand, four hundred and eighty yards, or consider-
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A NOVEL SUBJECT FOR DISPUTE.
ably over two and a half miles. But to the regret of his correspondent, the professor, like some reputed wise men I have known, was non-committal as to the species, genera, order and class of this remarkable ob- ject in animated nature.
Some time again elapsed, for I had grown to be a young man a trifle over age, and on my father's farm, beside Round Meadow run, in Moreland township, on a fair summer's day it fell to my lot to load hay on a wagon in the midst of a large field. The load, per- haps, was over half on, with several pitchers and rakers around, besides several children. Suddenly on removing a forkful of hay from a windrow, an object made its appearance to be easily struck down with a fork or a rake. But a change takes place, for lo! the little thing is now seen flying through the air in bounds of ten to thirteen feet in rapid succession. The grass being all cut, a fine prospect is afforded from my pos- ition of the scene. Now join in full pursuit all hands, old and young, some with forks, some with rakes; but with all their exertions they can hardly keep up with whatever it is, until one passes the rest and deals a powerful blow. Presto! and another change takes place; for it has now taken to running under the newly cut swaths. A circle is formed where it disappeared, and forks and rakes are brought into instant requisi- tion to turn over the hay for its search. Soon several yards off it is again seen flying through the air, and amidst the greatest excitement the chase is once more resumed till it again takes to the swaths. After an-
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SKETCHES AND LEGENDS.
other search the pursuit is relinquished as unworthy the time and labor lost, and so all hands return to their work not only more fatigued but nearly out of breath and suffering from heat and exhaustion. But this wonderful creature that can both run and fly is not so soon forgotten, and for that afternoon forms the chief staple for conversation. What I have just de- scribed is an occasional occurrence in our farm life during the busy times of haymaking and harvesting, and the source of no little enjoyment.
My article I deem long enough, and though I am aware of leaving considerable unsaid on so exciting a matter, I will. in conclusion add that all that has just been stated concerns a very small animal, whose up- per surface is of a rusty brown color, approaching to a white underneath, with a narrow head, round cars, and a tail of considerable length terminating in a tuft of fine hair. Its long hind legs readily distinguish it from the rest of its genus, and through whose power- ful aid it is enabled to make such surprising leaps. For its size it has been supposed to be the fleetest ani- mal in existence. On the approach of winter it bur- rows underground and remains inactive. In this sec- tion it is occasionally seen but very rarely captured. Its name is the jumping mouse-or it might be called the American kangaroo-and is consequently neither a fairy, a bird, a bat, a frog, nor an insect. Like a flea, when you go for him he is not there; but when he is caught disputation ceases, because no longer so mar- velous a creature.
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A Novel Way of Obtaining Money.
As near as I can now remember, there resided be- tween the years 1844 and 1863 a tenant whom I shall call John Henry, on a farm of one hundred and three acres, situated within a mile of the extreme west cor- ner of Moreland township. The owner thereof resided some five miles distant, and with a view to selling it permitted him only to stay on from year to year. Mr. Henry, I believe, was a native of another section of the county, but his wife was born and grew to woman- hood in the vicinity, being a daughter of an old family noted for its uprightness and honesty, with lateral branches scattered around. It was most probably through this that he was induced to come into the neighborhood and to which he appeared to be greatly attached. Being a man of industrious and frugal hab- its, that attended well to his business and only in moderate circumstances, made him many friends among the surrounding farmers by whom he was de- servedly esteemed.
With him, during this time, resided a nephew whom I shall give the name of Stephen Henry. He was a good-natured, simple-minded fellow of but little un- derstanding and education. No observing man would
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SKETCHES AND LEGENDS.
have made his acquaintance fifteen minutes before he could have discovered that he was deficient in good sense and unfitted to take proper charge of himself. He seemed conscious of this in the dependence he ex- hibited towards the family. As respects the manage- ment of his earnings towards support or maintenance he was as a child. His uncle of course knew all this and was to him a most excellent care-taker or guar- dian, and I do not question that both himself and the several members of his househould strove to supply his requisite wants and promote his comfort. His labors were rather to do odd jobs on the farm and that did not require a constant supervision to be faithfully performed. His age at this time I should presume was somewhere about forty or forty-five. In his gen- eral character he was mild and inoffensive and not cal- culated in this respect to cause against himself the least ill feeling. He, however, had one prominent fea- ture which no stranger, I am inclined to believe, could have readily discovered, either in his countenance, speech or actions, for it lay too deep, and that was ex- traordinary counning of the most studied or original kind. To pay a compliment is to compare him in this respect to the rat and the crow, as for the fox or the wolf they were decidedly too inferior. To have imag- ined this without a previous knowledge by his stolid appearance, drawling speech, careless rambling gait and sluggish motions, I think would have been impossible. A keen observer might, however, notice one excep- tion, that he was possessed of bright and penetrative
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A NOVEL WAY OF OBTAINING MONEY.
eyes. In addition that helped to aid him greatly in carrying out his sly designs, in such affairs he was highly secretive, depending only on himself and could not be induced under any circumstances to disclose or reveal anything, keeping silent and as if he could not apparently have known anything about it. With these introductory remarks it becomes us now to verify what has been stated.
Early one morning Stephen Henry entered the house of one of the Justices of the Peace of an adjoin- ing township with whom he had some acquaintance, residing not three miles off, and who intimately knew his uncle. "'Squire," he said with a solemn expres- ion, "John has had very bad luck, the disease has broken out on his cattle and he has already lost three of his best cows and I have come to have you draw up a petition, the neighbors saying that they will all do something." In this Justice for his purpose he made an excellent selection, being naturally of a be- nevolent, warm-hearted disposition, none of your sharp, hungry office holders who are on the scent for plun- der. Why should he? His farm and all he had came to him by inheritance, he loved all his neigh- bors, and he sought their good opinion above pelf and everything else. As the world had gone easy with him of course he wished everybody well.
" I am sorry to hear this," said the 'Squire, " that so industrious and respected a man as your uncle should be so unfortunate. I have been expecting from what I saw in the papers about it that this disease must
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SKETCHES AND LEGENDS.
soon get here. When did it commence?" "Only about three days ago," was the answer. "Oh, my !" exclaimed the 'Squire in the goodness of his heart, "there is no knowing where this will end and what cat- tle may be lost, they being now high-priced enough. I will then immediately write the petition, for I ap- prove of it to one so eminently deserving ; a tenant, too, who makes most of his money from the butter he takes to market." The petition was accordingly writ- ten, and when about to be handed to Stephen, he re- quested him to read it, which he did, and expressed his admiration by saying, " It is very good, and per- haps as I am now here you may set down your name and something." Without hesitation he wrote down his name, heading the contemplated list with one dol- lar and marked paid, for which Stephen firmly thank- ed him, saying for doing all this his uncle would re- member him. He now felt greatly rejoiced in this his beginning to call on several of the neighboring farm- ers, from whom he also obtained aid, when he pro- ceeded directly home to his usual work as if nothing had transpired, the family not even suspecting his being off the premises.
A few days afterwards in market, John Henry was approached by an old acquaintance and near neigh- bor of the 'Squire's, and after some conversation, said " I was sorry to hear of the great misfortune you have had in the loss of your cattle by disease." " I have lost no cattle by disease or anything else!" was the answer in astonishment. "Why, your nephew Steph-
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A NOVEL WAY OF OBTAINING MONEY.
en was at my house a few days ago with a petition to which I subscribed with a few of my neighbors, de- siring thus to help make up your loss." There was now a mutual surprise, the like of which they had never heard before, and I presume on this the parties separated with saying little, but thinking a vast deal on so extraordinary an occurrence.
Now of all men in Montgomery county, John Henry, what I know about him would have been the last to resort to assistance or solicit aid to make up any loss he might sustain, and especially for his cattle. His spirit was too self-depending for anything of the kind. On hearing all this his sensative nature became, as may be well supposed, greatly troubled and saw at once the annoyance that must attend it. He gave the case a careful study what to do under so mortifying a position. The conclusion arrived at, was to have his family help him first to get possession of the petition, and if possible without letting Stephen know anything about it. With this object a vigorous search was in - stituted throughout all the building, the most obscure lofts, closets, and places in the cellars, and also all hollow trees were subsequently examined, even the very clothes he wore, while in bed and sound asleep, failed to reveal anything on the subject. Perhaps a week had passed, when going on some business on the highway he heard again of Stephen having made another excursion with his paper several miles off in another direction. But when was he to stop? for not long after he repeated these predatory visits to new
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fields, encouraged by what he was thus realizing. Judge of his brother's feelings in the meantime, and oh, ye wiseacres, if you would have been in his place what would you have done ?
As I have stated his uncle well knew from experi- ence his marvelous artfulness; this being only his latest case. After about a month's vigorous search over the premises by its several occupants, and lo, the much coveted paper was actually found! Found snugly enclosed within the lining of his silk stovepipe hat! One of those that with care may last several lifetimes and come again into fashion about every fif- teen years. The possession of this was indeed a prize, and my readers may rest assured was well taken care of-securely as regards its further manipulating by Stephen. On this result whatever transpired between the parties I am now unable to say.
Although this article is longer than was intended, I shall relate one more instance of Stephen's talent. For several summers they were surprised at discover- ing on the remote fields of the farm, domestic hens followed by young turkeys. The hens would be rec- ognized as belonging to the place, but how came they by so singular a brood ? that was the query! No one seemed to know, but they always appeared to be well cared for and would get to a fair size in the fall when they would as suddenly disappear. This going on for some time, a determination was at length entered into by the several members of the family through com- bined action, to ascertain the cause of so extraordinary
A NOVEL WAY OF OBTAINING MONEY. 107
a circumstance from beginning to end. To make this short, through considerable exertion and vigilance, the matter was at length solved. As is known, tur- keys have a certain hour in the forenoon to lay their eggs. Availing himself of this knowledge, in the spring Stephen would start off generally on Sundays to watch their ramblings on the neighboring farms so as to ascertain their nests. As may be supposed when found their contents would be removed and deposited by him into a snug nest expressly prepared to receive them in some secure retreat away from the buildings to prevent discovery, on which in the night he would place a hatching hen, and to help encourage her to do her duty faithfully he would keep bountiful- ly supplied with food. The turkeys when grown large enough, he would take off and sell to the deal- ers. These were some of the means he resorted to for pocket money, and to keep himself bountifully supplied with his great favorite, tobacco.
What materials I have thought such a person as Stephen could supply for a novel or a romance, and would still further prove that truth can be stranger than fiction. The genius and originality. of such a character to me is wonderful, being one of nature's chance productions. As respects such doings, we know that they are indictable offences; the former being false pretense and the other theft, but who would long to arrest so simple minded and harmless a creature, whose greatest qualification lay in profound and extraordinary cunning, whom I thought might
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form a subject for an amusing and instructive article. As I have long since come away, and the family dis- persed by death and otherwise, whether at this writing our hero is still living I am unable to say. However, from the aforesaid circumstances with others I shall have occasion to long remember him for his original and deep laid schemes.
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A Leap for Life.
It was the fortune of my earlier years to spend a brief part of the time but a short mile north of the borough of Doylestown. On the second farm west of us lived Benny Day, as we familiarly called him, a trifle older than myself, the eldest son of the family, and destined to the occupation of his father. Oc- casionally, on a school holiday, or on some other equally fitting opportunity, it was one of my delights to wend my way to his father's house, when Benny and I would be generally sure to take a stroll in the vicinity, most likely to some neighboring field, stream or forest.
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