Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1839-08-15

lnocfOr knnney o. echtouA8 uBuSu AuOw =
edge, but they would say, putting tne
.:.jnls OF their hands across their foreheads.
Inc has il heye-hc has wonders stored away
in his head--he is silent, but deep: reflection
upon vast and weIghty matters depriVes HIM
ui'speech.' Old Ben. Simons. who was ratl-
| er shrewd, said it was undoubtedly true that
he had wonders ia his head, since nothing
wonderful ever came ont of It. But johns
town folks considered such 1speech very
wicked. and that none but u tritier IN lmp0r-
TAM n1atters would be guilty Of uttering it,
Doctor Ranney was consulted by the people
in almost every thing relating TO the welfare
| Of the village; but he was always consider
| inc upon il. and was never known to come to
| buI one conclusion, viz: All right-all right.
So, as bef1-e stated, 'thc doctor was tho'tght
to be the wisest man in the village, though
not for certainty known.
Every village has its odd characters, and
Johnstown had its share. There were 'the
corporal and old uncle Tim. Both were
genuine wits, though of different school,
The scorporal'-for he always passed by
that title-was man in wreck, being redu-
ced bv too frequent drafts of good liquor
from an exalted station in society to nobody
and nothing. sCorporal Jones' was his full
Johns,own name, though forty years before,
in another section ofthe world, he passed as
William Jones, Esq. His morning day rose
brilliant and unobScured, but q pail hangs
over the evening. He is essentially lost
man. will just relate little tale which he
once told me in confidence. II may softer
the feelings, and half palliate his infirmitiCs.
He was, at the age of thirty, possessed of a
large property, at which season he was about
being married. He was engaged. itappears'
to the daughter OF neighbor OF his fatncr'
both of whom, neighbor and father, were DIT
ter enemies. They consequently opposed 1t.
He was obliged to steal bis bride by night
| This he attempted during heavy thunder
storm. Trusting to the uproar of the elements
to cover his proceeding. While his afianc-
ed bride was lowering herself by rope from
the window, the heavens famed up, thun-
der bolt fell, and she lay dead upon the
earth, black and scorched by the electric flu.
id. She had been struck by lightning. i
have been another man ever since said no.
But the corporal after all, was jolly fell
low. Ifa man wanted few potatoes dug,
send for the corporal-a little message car
ried, look up the corporal. He was all
Johnstown's servant. J0hnstown TO him was
as great family, and he q person bound to
listen to every call. lie was horse-dOctor
and hocse-trimmer, and trimmer of fruit
trees; these things he professed some skill
in. The corporal always said he was the
most important character in the place.
Some were complete slaves to their money.
which was the worst species OF tyranny; ne
always presumed he should have as much
ground to lie in as the richest. So the 'cor.
porar felt, and SO he viewed life and Its VI
cissitudes.
uncle Tim was quite another sort Of
character. He was soldier during the Rev
olution, and was as full Of tales of blood and
mirth, or any other species, as he could hold.
He possessed good property, though ne was
not counted wealthy. II was limited occa-
sionally that 'Unclc Tim would, to make o
good story, stretch il little; for, as he often
said, "a good thing should never be ruined for
want Of being properly handled He was to
be found at the tavern, sitting in his chair,
with his cane between his legs, at almost any
hour Of the day. He also was the chronicle
of the whole villagc-the register of births.
deaths, marriages, crimes, ctc,-couid tell
all about every bodys father and grandfath-
er-the age Of every house and post to the
place. He also scrutinized with great care
every stranger who made temporary visit
to the village, and was apt to detect every
thing which looked suspicious. Uncle Tim
felt as if Johnstown was under his especial
care. He seemed himself quite monarch
and listened to. The younger portion DEEM
ed him great man, for he had fought in the
revolution. The fact was, uncle Tim did
not shine so much by his own superior light,
as by the darkness about him. This he had
sagacity himself sufficient to know there
fore, it was his intention to lay bis bones in
the village
Jamestown tavern stood at the end Of one
of the rows of houses which bound in the
creek. Il was ancient, having numbered
near century. The shingles upon its roof
were closely coated with beautiful body OF
slippery green moss-the chimney had lost
part of the bricks from its top-carried away,
as some assert, by the witches-and it's whole
four sides were Drowned and scanned by the
whirlwind and the storm. A low pillared
balcony once rose in front, but the columns
had mostly dropped away, and the floor sunk
down. In front ran up. a long slender pole
crossed at the top like a letter T. at each end
Of which hung a ball, in appearance like
pumpkin. Bnt-alas that ] must record
the fact-few landlords ever amassed wealth.
They were too good to themselves they
were their best customers. Old Willie Wa
tiers, who has been asleep these fifty years,
was the second in comnand-as fine man
as ever drew the breath Of life-but he would
drink. Willie never found glass amiss
he was always Just in ORDER as he termed
1t, when he found it convenient to wet his
whistle. Willie kept just in order for
about forty years, when his strength failed
him, his eyes became bound with red rim,
and 'purged thick amber and plum-tree
gum His face colored up like the dying
glories of sunset-his nose shone like
piece of precious metal-and all of sudden,
getting entirely out Of order, his breath fled,
and SO he was buried. The peppermint,
when the first gentle showers cooled his
grave. sprang forth green and luxuriant, and
continues to haunt the spot even. at this day.
Poor Willie Waters you are embalmed in
the memory of all Johnstown, as well as in