The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-05-02
From the ilIiaois Bsekwooasman.
The Forged Patent.

incredible 20 one who has not witnessed
Them. Al that period our settlement.
were few. aud the spirit Of enterprise thai
naw perEades every corner Of The state
had not been awakened. The bluff Of
our own beautiful river had never sem
back the echo Of the steam engine.
Without a market fnT their produce, the
f,rncrs ennGned their l4bors To the wants
oi their own families. Corn was nearly
lhe only ernp raised. and from the time
il Vas laid BY the end Of July, till
pulling time, in November, was no.
hlay, aud the intervening period was
pissed in idlsness. except on Saturdays.
On thai DAY. duly IS IL aHised. the set.
,ers far aud near, COLLECTED si the dislil-
lsfY. snl amused themselves with shoot
ing al a mark. trading nsgs.' and tho
ot,sa when the lin cup has passed freely
around, in lighting.
The. sir, Is BY no means a picture OF
al the settlements of that early period.
but that 70 is graphically true Of many,
none Uf our osdesI settlers deny. but TO
my narrative.
Oas Saturday afternoon, in the year
1919. a young man ~as seen approach.
my with slow sni weary steps. the house.
or rs,l,er dIstIllery, of squire crosby. OF
nrasi's Prairie. al obscure settlement on
the Military Tract. As usual on that
day. a large collection of people were
amusing themselves az Squire Crosby's,
WIN owned the only disnllFry in that re-
e,on--was q magistrate, and regarded by
tho settlers as rich and grea. man.
The youth who now came up 10 the
groupe was apparently about lwenIy.one
Yeas Of age. OF tender form, fair and de-
leaie complexion. With The air Of one
accustomed 10 good society. l, was evil
dent ~ . glance that he vas no, Injured
10 tie hardships Of . frontier life. or Ia.
Dor Of any kind. but his dtess bore a
strange contrast with his appearance aud
mannrTs. lie wore \ hunting shirt OF
the eoarsesi linsey vonlssy, = common
straw hat, and pair Of dssrskin mecca.
sins. 4 large pack completed has equip
ment.
Every one.gszei with curiosity upon
the new Conner. In their eagsrness Ia
learn who he was. whence he came. aud
via, was his business, the horse swap
was lel un6nishcd-the rias vas LAID
aside, and even the busy TN cup had a
temporary respite.
The young man approached Squire
Crosby, whom even stranger could DIS.
.inguish as the principal parsonage among
them, aud aHxlously inquired for house
where he could be accommodated; say
ing that he was extremely Ill, and fel. all
The symptoms Of an approaching fever.
Crosby eyed him keeuly and suspi.
ciously for = moment without uilerIng
word. kuaVes and swindlers had been
recently abroad, and the language OF the
youth betrayed thai he was " a yankee
NINE al thai time associated IN the
minds Of the ign"rant with every thing
that was base. MislakIug the silence
and hesitation Of Crosby, for fear Of his
inability TO pay. the stranger smiled and
said, 81 am not without money!" and
putting his hand to his poke. TO give oc.
cular proof OF his assertion, he was hor-
Tor struck to find that his pocket book
vas gone. II contsined every cent Of
his money, besides papers Of grea. va
lac In him.
Without a farthing-without even a
single letter or paper to aIies. that his
character was honorablc--in a strange
land and sickness rapidly coming upon
h'm-,hesc feelings nearly drove him TO
despair. The squire. who prided himself
on his sagscity IN detecting villains. now
found the use Of his tongue. With loud
and sneering laugh, he said, "SIranger.
you are barking up the wrong tree, Il you
think 10 coIch me with that arr Yankee
'uck Of yourn." lie proceeded in that
inhnman strain. seconded by nearly eve
ny one present. for tho Sguurr' was vc-
~ powerful. and few dared TO ,lisplease
him. The youth fell keenly his desolaIe
situation, and casting his eye around over
the group, in a tone OF deep and despair
ing anxiety. inquired. ais ,here none
who will receive mel" Yes. | will"
cried a man among tho crowd; "yes.
poor sick stranger, will shelter you"
Then in lower tone he added. i know
no, whether you are deserving, but |
knnw you are a fellow being. and in sick
ness and in want, and Tor the sake OF him
who died for tho guilty. il not for your
own sake, will be kind TO you, poor
Young stranger"
The man w!o stepped forth and prof.
tered home TO the youth in the hour oil
suffering, was Simon Davis, an elderly
man, who resided near Crosby, and 10
whom the latter was a deadly enemy.
Uncle Simon as he was called, never re.
alIis,ed, aud bore the many prosecutions
"l his vindictive neighbor without com
plant. His family consisted Of himself