Washington telegraph., 1847-06-16
nLoaRAPnY oF NM. DOWNING.
mn 1T LTE ANp IEffERs.

nm NJ LIFE ANp LEffERs.
beIietr was born somewhere about
the year seventeen hundred aud seventy.
tive, lnaie IT less, aud mu.LeI ~, Twas
the smafiusl baby she ever seen. don't
sPeal q tlis by way oi btaegIus. bul as
] am wing b story 10 = hFlafe tie
word, In t4HuI to boz imFai'ia.. she
+. Ea}a | aas teal gait, aud euIII k.ea AMI
scream lwu baufs upon tie siIflslI, aaI
to- #eeu IN hs the lcas bit tfea ilai ever
wts. BH | don't remember am thing
about iAi# llr Inst | remembered, /
luni mls 81 che cod November la, when
Was aIIaf III years Old baWhraael and
bHs'g - ling On 'hc Ice. / haI been
saaPHas ea|d night, uni III lie morning
ila iHsaa s. al guzr utrs Is slnu IN A.
E.ass, an haHi enough 10 beaF 4 Iefse.
AL tie bats IN tie Ecishbufh5od, aud
I'a,l aiI iaa gals, turned uul aud had a
ip.Ie tiaI day, sliding and running on the
pond. Alu,i u' lAs ia -'r b.! had shoes.
but We i.il.c ic.,cr bat wafHt big euuugh
10 wear ,bYrs had TO tuii II oui rs we'll q,
v, coui, / cauicd a great pinc chip Ia
my hand. and when ml !tci got 50 cold !
couldn't stand /, uu Yongcr III put The chip
down ami stand on lha' iinlc while and
warm 'rm aHl .bra At !, 10 s,liSs again
like two year old.
MLrH got 10 be considerable Of a boy
! need ip have 20 work with father un the
fam. But II always seemed ~ 60 rather
against ny gain. aud iaihrr used 10 say
that diIni love la work bit better than
uncle Joshua did. without he'd give me
my slcnl, aud then be- SAID would spFIug
TO il aud got it done by noon, aui "a oil
round tlr pond In the afternoon, Ishiug or
hunting musqm,h. think | loJA the
most comfort in catching musqunsh ol any
thing used n 10. There was a good
deal Of pleasure In catching pickcroli To
take a .ons fishing pole aud line and 60
down To the ponu Ia The morning, and stand
On log whose top limbs Iun ava, oil into
ths-waier, and throw lhc hook oil anl bob
it about on the top the water, and see
great piekercl jump and catch 1t, aud wait
minute or Two tor him TO get il well into
his mouth. aud then pull him ashore, kick
Ing aud jumping and llJunciug-Ihs WAS
most capital fun, but II want quite equal
to musqlashiug. had lilllc steel trap
and used TO 60 down at night TO the bank
of the brook that run into tic pond, aud
set the trap on the bank just under water
fnl iasien Il by line to a stake OF n tree,
and put Bit Of parsnip on stick aud
place il over the trap lille above the
water, and then go home aud sleep as well
US could for dreaming Of musquashes, and
rs soon as i was cleyefly light in the morn.
ing go down 10 the pond and creep along
where the trap was set. with my heart in
my mouth, wondering i il was sprung or
no, aud come along TO tho stake and see no
trap, but the limo drawn straight oul into
the water, then take hold OF tho line and
draw up the trap, and see II rising up
through the water fast hold OF great plump
musquash, as dead as drowned rat and
iull Of fur as a beaver, this was fun alivci
il made me feel as nicely as though was
hauling up a bucket of dollars. The sum.
mer | was fourteen years old ! catched
enough TO buy me fur hat, and pair Of
shoes, and a new jacket and trowsefs, and
enough 10 buy me pretty good now suit
Of clothes almost every summer after that
ill | was twenty. llowsomeyer, ! used
to stick 10 the farm pretty well, and help
father along all could, lof after got old
enough to think more about It, il used to
hurt my feelings to see the old gentleman
work so hard. And many time when be
has taken hold Of hard job to do, have
gone to him and took il out Of his hands,
and said, now father you 60 into The house
and sci down and rest you, aud let me do
this. Aud tho old gentleman would turn
round, but could see the water come into
his eyes, and he would say, "Well, Jack,
you are kind boy, let folks say what they
will of you;" and then he would take his
staff and walk away into the house.
We used to have a school in Downing.
vile about three months in the winter