Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1843-01-18
HOnespun Yarn.
The "Erperience' Of the Blacksmith O the Noun.
tam Pass
CHAPTER |.

I
gaps in the great Appalachian chain of noun
tains. in their passage across the northern por-
| ton of Georgia, blacksmith had erected his
forge, in the early settlement of tha, region by
The American race, and drove thrifty trade in
the way of facing axes and pointing ploughs for
the settlers, and shoeing horses for wayfaring
people in their transit through the country to
examine gold mines and land.
As he was no ordinary parsonage in the af-
fairs of his neighborhood and will make con-
spicuous figure in this narrative, some account
of his peculiarities will not be undressing
Having acted through life on homely maxim
of his own-"pay up as you go up'-he had
acquired some money and was out of debt, and
consequently enjoyed ",he glorious privilege of
being Independent" in degree that is unknown
10 many who occupy larger portion of the
worlds attention than himself He was burly,
well looking man of ,hirty-fve, just young
enough TO feel that all his faculties, mental and
physical, had reached their greatest develope-
ment, and just old enough 10 have amassed suf-
fcien, experience of men and things, to make
the pas, serve as finger post 10 his future
journey through life. With shrewd, but open,
bold and honest look, there was a gleeful ex-
preston in The corners of his eyes, that spoke
Of fun. The dangling devil in his eye" was
not malicious spirit, however. His physical
conformation was that which combined great
strength with agility, and if he had been iated
10 have been contemporary of his great pro-
lOlype, Vulcan, there can be no doubt buI the
Lemnian blacksmith would have allotted 10 him
front forge in his establishment, TO acl as
sort of pattern card, and 10 divert the public
gaze from his own game leg TO The fair proper
lions of his foreman.
Now, although Ned Forgeron, for such was
the name he had inherited from some Gallo
ancestor, was good nalured man, ye, the pos
session of great muscular strength and courage,
and the admiration which successful exercise
of these powers never fails 10 command, had
injure any mortal he had managed, neverlhe-
less, 10 Try his prowess on sundry of his neigh.
bors, and from the success which always
crowned his honest efforts in thai way. had un-
consciously acquired the character of bully.
With very few early advantages of elemen-
iary education, he had nevertheless, al different
periods, collected mass Of heterogeneous in.
formation, which he was very fond Of display
ing on all occasions. He was SORT of polii-
cal anliquary and could tell the opinion of Mr..
Jefferson or Mr.. Madison, on any subject, and
was referred 10 on all disputed points Of The
theory and history OF the government, that arose
among The candidates for the legislature and
country politicians. This he studied on ac-
count of the consequences it invested him with
Blu. why he had treasured up an old and well
thumbed copy of Paine's "Age of Reason"
and affected scepiicism as 10 the veracity of The
story OF Jonah aud the whale, and Baaam and
his ass, would be hard accounting for, unless it
proceeded from The desire of character for
slngularily and erudilion. When vanity once
gets The mastery Of a mans reason, there is no
telling the absurdies it will lead him into. He
was fond of speaking Of Volney, and being
found with copy OF Tayler's "Degesis" in his
hand, although few Of his neighbors had heard
of the author of the "Ruins," or knew wha, Di.
egesis meant.
This pecnlarily, together with the per,ina-
city Of the missionaries, Worcerler and Butler,
which carried them 10 the penirenliary, may
account for the great aversion of Mr. Edward
Forgeron 10 all preachers of the Gospel. His
dislike for them was SO excessive, that he could
scarcely speak Of the "hypocriical scoundrels, .
as he called them, without flying into passion
and using indecorous language
l1ut aSHSutuStduCC OCCuIT6u WHICH gave MS
zeal distinct and sectarian direction A Meth
odist preacher over in Tennessee, who was
fond of spicing his discourse with anecdotes,
once made the blacksmith the principal charac.
ter in long sermon. His pecuiarilies were
dilaied on and his heresies dealt with, in be-
coming severity. He was ridiculed by The
preacher All this came 10 The ears Of Forge
ron, with such additions and embellishments as
stories usually receive in passing 10 third per-
son. II would be as useless 10 describe a
mountain storm, as TO picture the wrath Of this
moun'aineer But if we cannot portray the
storm. the consequences may be easily told.
The blacksmith stcore tn his prath he uould whip
ererq Methodist preacher that passed the gap, tn
reUenge of his insult
Forgeron was a man OF his word, as the
bruised features Of many of John Wesley's dis
ciples could testify. His character soon went
abroad, and The good old natrons OF the sur
rounding counties on each side of the noun
tain, trembled al his name. In short, The noun
tain pass, which was really as romantic place