The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-08-02
From the New York Organ.
The Veteran of 1916 vnnquishcd by his
Gran dsOu.
ny j. II. DIXS0N.

Via James NORTON was Uue palrlol
of the olden stamp-none of your stillen-
ed-up, mushroom-rigged out, stuil-breast-
ed patriots of the day. He fought brave
ly at Lexington, Germantown, and Bran
tywine and m anly scars proved he was
no stranger to the smell of gunpoder or
The bayonets sharp point. Like ma
ny other heroes of those days, he liked
his btters. They braced his nerves, he
would say, and brought his arms to the
sticking point. When the war was end
ed, James retreated to a farm in New
Jersey, and married 5uxom damsel, and
turned his attention to the rearing Of poul-
try aud fine boys and girls, Of which he
had an abundance.
In the midst of these occupations, time
flew pleasantly on his farm was the best
cultivated in the nelghborhood his boys
the bravest, and his lasses the handsomest
in the country. The latter soon got hus-
bands, and the former wives, till al length
the old man found himself, wife, and
daughter, with her husband and little
ones, the only occupants of the home
stead. About two miles from tie farm
was the village, where was located the
store, tavern. post Office, meeting house,
and other buildings necessary to make a
village. For many years old Mr.. Norton
had not missed going to town on Sa-
turday. He then got his weekly paper
from New York, heard the news of the
day, laid in supply of tea, coffee, sugar.
: &C., to make slops for the old woman,
and such other necessaries as he stood in
need Of, not forgetting tobacco, pipes, and
Santa Croix. The great misfortune,
however, with the old man, was, when
he once got seated IN his favorite corner
in the tavern, with his old crones, he lost
all thoughts Of time, home, and the old
grey mare, who stood neighing and paw
ing in the shed. wondering what the deuce
ghspt her master so long. There, for
hours, would he fight his battles over
again; and as he had been in a great ma
ny, and each one required a fresh glass
to oil the hinges Of the tongue, it frequent
ly happened that the surrender of the Bril-
fish at Yorktown was also signal that a
much more dangerous enemy had cap,ur-
ed him /; he was hoored as flat as a Hes
sian. For some time had the old man
become so supplied by rum, on these &C.
casions, as to preclude all possibility of
his finding his way home so his son-n-
law made il his business TO visit the VII
lage in the afternoon, and there protect
him from imposition, and get him safely
home, much more to the satisfaction OF
the grey mare than the tavern-keeper.
Mr.. Norton was a cash customer.
1t was the custom Of the old gentleman
TO keep up his birth day; all his children,
grandchildren, and relatives, far and neal,
were always invited on that day and
great was his displeasure if they did not
attend to help devour the good things then
and there provided.
His children were delighted, because
they had an opportunity Of seeing their
parents happy, and their brothers and Sis
tiers all together once more. The grand
children were in ecstacies, because they
not only got pinch in the ear and shil
ling from grandfather, but as much cake
and candy as they could eat, besides lots
to carry home. And the relatives were
glad because they came in for good
dinner and substantial present, if they
were in needy circumstances; so that, on
that particular day of the year, all were
as happy as mice in cheese.
Last year the old gentleman attained
his ooh birth day, yet he was hale and
vigorous veteran, though he still adhered
to his glass as necessary sumuant to
the support of old age. He advocated
temperance, as well enough for those who
got drunk every day but drop too
much now and then was nothing and he
gave himself as an example that it was all
fudge about liquor killing people, and
1drunkard's graves 'homes desecrated,
and wives made broken hearted ) it was
all worcestershire mere invention of milk
and water chaps, or root beer brewers.
Well, on this ooh birth day every thing
good was laid in; regular old fashioned
frolic was to be the 60, and no mistake,
by twelve o'clock his relatives had all ar
rived, and goodly number there were Of
them. Dinner was TO be ready at two ;
SO the men wandered to the fields to see
grandlather's fat oxen and sheep, his new
Chinese corn, and his crops in general,
while the women busted themselves in
examining the dairy. foul houses. bee
hives, and grandmother's wedding clothes
sixty years old, and which they had ex-
amined at least six hundred times before ;
but no matter they were still as good as