The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-08-15
TuE FORGED PATENT.
........;nv Story, from the Backwoodsma

!, ;ntefesting Story, from the back"ooosman.
me changes which the last twenty
80 have wrought in Ill. would be
.sa1ed;ble to any who had not wit
ln .,sd them. At that period our set
.smen,s were few, and the spirit of
a .s,srorise that now pervades every
en ,oar Of the State, had not then been
aa ..satened. The bluff, Of our beauti-
al river had never sent back the echo
af,he steam engine; without a mar
,h1 u, for their produce. the farme s
confined their labors to the wants OF
), VI tieir families.
H. hi Corn was nearly all the crop
r,;sed. and from the time it was ''laid
"a, brr.near the end Of June till s.pull-
Il, t;ne.'' in November, was a hoIli-
s. day and the intervening period was
81 n m}eness. except Saturdays. Ga
), that das, duly as it arrived the set
: te,s far and near, collected at the
Il dstiIery, and amused themselves
81 with shooting at mark, "trading
II nars,' and too often when the tin cup
= had passed freely around, ''fighting."
This sir, is by no means the picture
/ d that early period, but that it is
graphically true Of many, none Of our
Oldest settlers will deny. But to my
MI narrative.
= One Saturday afternoon, in the
year 1919, a young man was seenap-
J" preaching with slow and weary steps,
| Tile house or rather the distiilery of
squire Crosby, of Brent's Prairie, an
obscure settlement on the Military
Tract. As usual on that day, a large
|oi collection Of people were amusing
themselves at Crosby's who owned
% the only distillery in that region; was
amagstrate; and regarded BY the set
Tiers as a rich and a great man.
They youth who now had come up
% 70 the group was apparently about
twenty-one years Of age, Of slender
/ form, fair and delicate complexion,
| with the air of one accustomed to
good society. 1t was evident at a
gance that he was not Injured to the
. hardship of a frontier life, or labor oil
~ anykind. But his dress bore strange
% contrast with his appearance and
. manners. He wore a hunting shirt
y fthe coarsest iinsey woolsey, a com
d mon straw hat, and a pair of deerskin
. nocasins. A large pack completed
y his equipment. Every one gazed
Ni With curiosity upon the new conner.
)ol h their eagerness to learn who he
NJ vas, whence he came, and what was
bis business, the horse swap was I'M
% hnIshed; the rifle was laid aside; and
10 even the busy tin cup had a tempo
rary respite.
% / Ihe young man approached Squire
20 VIosby, whom even stranger could
: distinguish as the principal parsonage
% among them, and anxinusl i inquired
J, bra house where he could be accom-
x. noda'ed; saying that he was extreme
ed lYid' and felt all the symptoms of an
n. approaching fever.
bal Crosby eyed him keenlv and sus-
. |rlously tor moment without utter
: rs a word Knayery and swindlers
IS nd been recently abroad. and the
:, alssuage OF the youth betrayed that.
: aswas a Yankee a name at that
'nle associated in the minds Of the ig-
,Mrfan', with every thing that is base.
ats,aSlng the silence and hesitation
, y ofosoy. for fear of his inability
II py' the stranger smiled and said,
. 4. an' not without money! and put
,ls ms hand into his pocket to give
Iuaf proof Of this assertion, he was
"',oT struck to find that his pocket
|. "oA was gone. 1t contained every
$50 saol nus money, besides papers of
great value to him.
Without farthing, without even =
sb'se letter or paper to attest that his
J. l,, .'acler was honorable; in strange
y aaa !; and sickness rapidly coming up-
/ II. A y: these feelings nearly drove
Nh, ~ me / g. despair. The Squire who.
a s,ssd himself .,,s Of his sagacity in de-
tona ug villains now found use of his
I It'll loud and sneering
h 5srI,,l ne said: STRANGER, YOU are E
ain dn Z. Up the wrong tree if you
Yanl..oi 70 catchme with that are
ia ;n g., trek Of yourn.'' He proceed.
b =, ~ . = inhuman strain. seconded
ssau sas'y every one present, for the
Il sY Ns',1 was powerful and few dared
ieenl,gp ' Ia. : IN. HIM. The youth felt
Il tne'b;s ar uesolate situation, and cas-
toas 81 aye eye =; around /, the group IN j
inquired. e sI ana despairing anxiety,
eeive !. ~, = mere mere none who will re-
nan ,m n'e !. aYes I will,'' cried d
nianasr'O ng 81: the s, crowd; apoor sick
4 90 Will shelter you.'' Then