Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-02-03
THE MILLER AND THE FREEBOOTER

LIE NlLLER AND THE FREEBOOTER
In Glenquo;ch, in Aberdeenshire, in the
early part of the las. century. there was a
corn mill erected for the use of the neigh
borhood. and as the construction and man
agement Of such machines were Thunder
stood in that part of Scotland at The time,
a miller was brought from the low country
TO superlntend it. In this neighborhood
there lived at that time a certain Donald
Mackenzie, hero remarkable for his
naughty and imperious manner, aad known
by the appellaton Of Donald Unasach, or
Donald the Proud. Being native Of
Glenquoich, he knew as little Of the En-
gl!sh language as The miller did Of Gaelic.
lie was an outlaw. addicted TO free booting,
and Of SO fierce and unruly temper that
the whole country stood in awe Of him.
One circumstance regarding him struck
every one with superstiious awe, and cre-
ated much conjecture and speculation
among those around him he was never
known TO be without abundance Of meal,
and yet he was never known to carry any
corn TO the mill.
But the sagacious miller OF Glenquoich
soon discovered, that, in order TO blk him
Of his proper mill-dues, tho catiff was in
the habit of bringing his grain to the mill
in the night, and grinding it, and carrying
it off before morning. To charge him
directly with this fraud was too dangerous
an attempt. But the miller ventured to
ask hun now and then, quietly, how he
did.for meal, as he never brought any corn
10 the mill; 20 which the freebooter never
returned any answer than one in Gaelic,
sign(ying that " strong is the hand OF
!, God "
Provoked at last, the miller determined
TO take his own way Of curing the evil |;
and, having some previous notion Of the
next nocturnal visit Of his unweceme Gus
toner, he took care, before leaving the
mill in the evening, to remove the bush, or
that pie &c of wood which is driven into
the eye of the neither milestone, for the
purpose Of keeping the spindle steady in
passing through the upper stone. He also
stopped up the spout through which the
meal discharged itself and as the mill was
one Of those cid fashioned machines, where
the water-wheel moved horizontally, and
directly under the stones. it follows, that,
by this arrangement Of things, the corn
would fall into the stream. Having made
these preparations, the miller locked his
house door, and went to bed. About mid
night, Donald arrived with his people, and
some sacks of dry corn; and finding every
thing, as he thought, in good order in the
mill, he filled the hopper and let on the
water. The machinery revolved with
more than ordinary rapidly; the grain
sank faster into the hopper; but no! par
tcle OF 1t came out at the place where he
was ont to receive 1t into his bag as meal
Donald the Proud, and his gillies, were all
} aghast. Frantic with rage, he and they
ran up ana down; and, in their hurry TO
: do every thing, they succeeded in doing
: nothing. At length Donald perceived
l what even the obscurity Of the night could
not hide, long white line of fair proven
, der flowing down the middle Of the stream
, that left not a doubt us to where his corn
was disc hargng itself. But he could ne
thor guess how this strange phenomenon
t was produced, nor how the evl was to be
cured After much perpexity, he thought
of turning off the water. But here the
, willy miller had also been prepared for him
S having SO contrived matters, that the pole,
or handle connecting the siuice wi h the
> inside of the mill, had fallen off as soon
j as the water was let on the wheel. Baf-
g fled al all points, Donald was cemnelled at
5 last 10 run TO the mile house. Finding
II the door lacked he knocked aud bawled
| loudly at the window and on the miller
demanding 10 know who was there, he did
g his best 10 explain in broken English, the
whole circumstances of the case. The
/ miller heard him TO an end, and, turning
d himself in his bed, cody replied, "strong
: is the hand of God - Donald Unasach
J. CRASHED his teeth, tried the door again, re-
turned to the window, and humbled by the
circumstances, repeated his explanation
e and entrea,ies fer help. 90 TIE meul tooa
If te purn to tie tell hoigh, hoighn' 81 tho'l
We had been over weel practeesed in the
i business to let ony sic mischan,er come
over We, Donald" replied the imper,urba
= bic lowlander. ''but you know, strong is
IT the hand OF God =" The moun,aineer
If now lost all patience. Drawing his dirk
and drviag it through the window, he be
Q gan 10 strike it so violently against the
&c stones on the outside Of the wall, that he
illuminated The house with shower of ire
s and showed the terrified inmates the Zero
weapon. { TIe meal to tie Mill, te mmter Il
te mailer" spuitered out Donald, in the
, midst OF his wrath, meaning 10 imply That
>. If the miller would only come and help him
y he should have all his dues in Iuture.-
- Partly moved by this promise, but still
! more by his we'll grounded fears, the mil.
Ter arose al last, put the mill 10 rights, anc
:" groun3 The rest of the corn. And tradition
tells Us that after this the mlll-dues wer,
: regularly paid, and the greatest harmony
p subssted between Donald Unasach and thu
{ miller of Glenquoich.-Erom Sir 4. Dicl
: LADDERS account Of the Moray Floods.
't Clergy Of the Protestant Episcopa
c Chmch.-The Banner of the Cross say
the present number of the Protestant Epis
copal clergy in the several dioces, is as fol
). lows:
h Maine 8 Georgia 1!
t. Nau H.unsbire II Ohio ~