The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-05-31
OLD COMsroCK AND HIS DAUGHTERS.

OLD COMSTOCK AND HIS DAUGHTERS.
A correspondent Of the New York Even
inc Post relates tho following curious re-
miuiscences Of family that once lived in
Norwalk, Connecticut. Speaking Of Mr..
Halls history of that town, he says:
81 find that in his account Of the remark
able people Of the place, he has omitted 10
speak Of two of the most remarkable, two
spinsters. Sarah and phebe Comstock. rel
a,ves ofmine and friends ofmy youth, Of
whom retain vivid recollection. Thoy
wore in opulent circumstances, for the
neighborhood in which they lived, possess
ing q farm Of about two hundred acres;
they were industrious, frugal, and extreme
ly charitable; but they never relieved
poor family without visiting il, and inqui.
ring carefully into its circumstances. Sa.
rah was the housekeeper, and Phebc was
the farmer. Phcbe knew nothing of kitch-
en- matters, but she knew ut what time of
the year greenswnrd should be broken MP.
and corn planted, and potatoes dug. She
dropped Indian corn md towcd English
grain with her own hands. In the time Of
planting or harvest, il was Sarah who Wis
tied and relieved the poor
III remember TIM, they had various WAYS
Of employing the young persons VIII" called
upon them.
II il was late in the autumn. there was a
chopping hoard md chopping knife ready,
With the feet Of neat cattle, from which the
-. ~ ,SxI I. -
You do not want tn Nc idle,' they would
say, schop this meat and YOU shall have
vour share If the mincc pics that we nrc
;.oing 10 make A, ether times supply
Il old wooloa stockings were ready for
unraveI!ing. we know you do not care to
DO idle they would say, 'hcrc nrc some
stockings which you would oblige us BY
unravellinc.' II you asked what use thcy
made Of tho spools Of wool'en thread OBJ
tanned by this process, they would answer:
I'VE use il ut tho wcft Of the linscy woo,scy
with which we clo,hc our negroes They
had negro slaves in those times. and old
Tone. a faithful black servant Of theirs,
who has seen moro than hundred years,
is alive yet.
"They practiced one very peculiar piece
at economy. Tho white hickory, yon
know, yields tho pnres, and sweetest Of
saccharine juices. They had their hicko.
~ fuel Gu. into short Lilets. which, before
placing on the ii:c they laid on the andi-
rons little in iron, Of the blaze, so as 20
subject il 10 pretty strong heat. This
caused the syrup in the wood 10 drop from
cnch end Of The billet, where it was caugh,
in cup. and in this way gallon or two
was collected in the course of fortnight.
With this they swcetcned their finest cakes.
"They died abou, :hir,y wears since, Que
at the age Of 50 und the other a, the age of
90. On the tombstone al one on them il
is recorded that she had been member II
the church for seventy wears. Their "a
Their WINS a remarkable man in his way.
lie was rich man in bis dav, and kept
park OF deer, one Of the last known in Con-
necticui, for the purpose Ut supplying his
table with venison. lie prided himself on
the strict aud literal f16lment Of his word.
On ono OCCASION no had n lawsuit with one
Of his ncighhnrs, before n Justice Of the
peace, in which no was .cas,' and ordered
TO pav ten shllings damage. aud shilling
NJ the fees Of the court. lilo paid the ten
shillines, and nsked the Justice whether he
would allow him 10 pny the remaining shii-
ling when no next passed his door. The
magistrate READILY consented. bat from t,.ut
time old Comsiock never went bv his house. |
Whenever he had OCCASION 10 90 To church,
or to anv other place. the direct road IL
which led bv the Justices door, he WINS
careful to take lane which passed behind
The dwelling, and nj some distance from it,
The shilling remained unpaid to The DIV of
mis- death. and il was found that in his las,
will he directed that his corpse should be
carried BY that lanc to the place Of inter.
snepi."