Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-04-12
From the Illinois Back woodsman.
THE FORGED PATENT.

aud the spirit OF enterprise that now per.
vades every corner of the State. had no,
then been awakened. The bluff "f our own
beautiful river. had never sen, bnck the
cch" OF The steam engine. Without
market for their produce he farmers con
tined their Lahore. to The wants OF their
own families. Corn was nearly the on'v
crop ralsrd. and from the time II was laid
by" the end Of Jny. I'll pulling time IN
November. was a holiday and the in'crven
ng pernd was passed in idlencss. exc"p
on Saturday. On that day, duly os it ar
rived. The settlers far and near. collected
At the dis''lr,y. ard amused Themselves
with shooting at mark. Hradlng nag
aud too often. when The TN cup Ind passed
freely around, IN fgh,lng.
This sir. is BY no means a picture ofnll
the settlements of tina, early period but
That i, Is graphically true of many, none "'
our oldes, settlers deny. Bn, TO my mar
ra.lve. One Saturday afternoon in the
year 1929, a Young man wue approaching
with slow aud weary s'ers. the house, or
rather dlstIlory. of.qn,rc Crosby OF Bran's
P,airle, an obscure settlement on the NH
,ary Tract. As usual on that day. large
collection nf people were amusing them.
| selves al Crnsbvs. who owned The only
dls',lery IN that region. Twas magistrate.
and regarded by the settlers as 9 rich ADD
grnn, man.
| The youth who now came np ~ the
group wa- apparently about twenty on"
wears ul age. "f slender tor,n far anL Diet,
cate complexion. wit, The mr. uf one nc
| 1,
At u glance that be was not INJURED 10 III"
hardship Of frontier lite. or labor of any
kind. Boz his Dress wore n strange c,n.
'rat with his appearance ond manne's.
He wore hnu',ng shUt OF the coa rs"s'
lin-ey wnnllen. common straw hat and a
par of d"c'skln m"rca-lns, A large pack
completed his equipment.
Eve'y one gsz'd with curiosity upon the
new conner. in their ragetn"ss 10 lcarr
| who he was. whence he came. and wha,
was his business the horse swap was left
unfinished. the rife ives leld aside, am
even the busy TN. cup had temporary
raep,ie.
The young man approached squire C'os
by, whom even stranger could distinguish
a. the principal parsonage among them
and arxously inquired for a house where
he cnulI be accommodated: sav,ng TINT he
was extremely III and felt the symptoms o
an approaching fever.
Crosby eyed hun keenly and suspIciously
for a moment wllhou, utterng q word
Knsvrs and swindiers had been recenii,
abroad. and the language "f The youth be-
rayed that he was "a yankee" name q
that tim" associated 10 the minds OF ih'
ignorant with eve'y thing that is base
Mi.tak,ng the SILENCE and hesitation u
Crosby for fear OF hls unsb Ivy /, pny, IN
stranger su'Ied aud .a,d. II am not wI'h"u
money" and putting his hand To his pocke
to give occnlar proof of the a>scr,l"n. h.
wns horror struck to (nh that his pncke
book was gone. 1t contained every cen
III his money. besides papers Of great valu
10 h,n.
W thout a lor,hing without even
single letter or paper 10 a'iest that hi
character was h"norabie-in n slrang
and aud sickness RAPIDLY coming upon hii
these feelings nearly drovc him TO de-p
The Squire wbp pr,led himself on hi
ssgac'y in detecting v'Ia'ns. now !oun
usr Of his tongue. WIN a loud and snocr
2 ing laugh he said stranger you ate bark
ing NJ he wrong tree # you think 10 cote
mo with lint are Yankee trick of yonrn
lie ptncetdcd in that lnhuman STRAIN sec
nndpd by nearly every one present. for lb
r Square was powerful and few dared A,
. dlsplease hlm. The youth felt krcnly h,
de+olae srUa''on, and casting his cy
y around over he g'nnp. IN tone of dee
? ard despair'ng nnxi"'y inquired. is 'her
Z none who w,ll receive me ? Yes ! VIII
c5,rd a man among he crowd; Eyes rnc
II .,ck stranger. will shelter you,' The
r N lower tone ho added. IL know ~
whether vou are deserving, bot ! kno,
= vou are a fellow being. and IN want, an
& tor he saka If HIM who uled for the 90,
~. if not for your sake, will ! he kind
you. poor young Stranger
:, The man VIII" stepped forth and pro
: fer"d home to the youth in the hour
i suffering was Simeon Davis, an elder
Il man. who resided near Crosby. aud
whom the latter was deadly enem
Uncle Slmon. as he was called. never =,
tailat.d aud bore the many prosecutions
: his v'ndlcr,vo ne,ghh"r without comp'a IN
;, lis family consisted Of himself ard dsngb
o er. his only child. an afftc,onate g'rl
(sevPntcen.
The youth heard the off;,r Of Mr.. Davi
: hut heard no more, for overcome by Il
y feelings and extreme illness. he fell inse
sble to the earth. lie was conveyed
'" he house Of his beneiaclor. aud a physlclI
Y called. Long was the struggle be'we'
life aud death. Tho UNCONSCIOUS. he CO
10 led upon HE mnlher and sister To aid b,I
J. When the youth was lad upon her BE-
y, aud she heard him calling for his sls't
10 Lucy Davis wepl and said to him, po
SICK young man, your sister is far disroI
and cannot hear you. will be to you 6
!" ter. Well did this dark eyed maiden he
60 her promise.
!" A. length the crisis Of his disorder O
rivcd-'he day which was To decide (,
es. question Of life or death. Lucy bent oy