Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-10-11

ally dressed very plainly, yet not SLOW
enly. But when he went abroad ne
was ''6xed up" He had many. very
MANY clothes which he keptin boxes.
Many fine cloth coats he never had worn
Ilay in his trunks, becoming moth eaten.
On one occasion he discovered this, and
determined to wash his coats and kill
the moths at the same time. For this
purpose he procured ashes, and took his
clothes to the river. Here he built a
kind of scaffold, and laid on it one coat:
he then sprinkled layer of ashes; an
other coat followed with its coat of ashes
&C., till all were thus arranged; he then
poured river water in abundance on the
whole, and left them to soak, but what
was our hero's surprise and chagrin on
finding that besides killing the moths
he had ruined his fine clothes which he
had been at so much expense and trou-
bic to procure and keep. He always
wore the same covering for his head,
which was three -cornered fur chapeau
with tassel, which much pleased the
children.
NJ. Gervais sold his lot of 1000 acres
in two parcels. On Sept. Esd, 1905, to
P. S. Duponceau, 200 acres from the
upper side of his tract, for $780,
This tract is now owned by Boynton
and Lacroix. Duponceau was French
lawyer of Philadelphia, who was en-
ployed by Gervais, to present the petit
ton of the French for lands to Congress.
On the e6th of May, 1906, he sold the
other parcel of his land, $500 acres to
Samuel Hunt, Yankee, for $1,000. or
SO per acre. Gervais also owned lot
No. 16, at the present Junior Landing.
and Dec. 4, 1911, he sold it to Samuel
Folsom, for $3.50, or 50 So per acre.
Hence, for his 4217 acres in the Grant,
NJ. Gervais received $3.50 only, which
is not one twenty fifth its present value.
After NJ. Gervais sold his land, he
spent the remainder Of his sojourn in
America, at Gallipolis, in the society of
his old friends. He deposited his mon
ey with Mons. Menager, a merchant,
for safe keeping, and required for it no
remuneration except his board while he
should choose to remain, and on his
wishing to use it he was to give SIX
months notice. When those who did
not handle much money, of the French,
saw NJ. Gervais' money, about twenty
of them got drunk by way of congratu-
ting him.
His time was now spent mostly in
reading, conversation and promenading.
He was great walker, and at the close
of each day he was to be seen pacing
the public avenues with his same old
silver headed cane But even mus life
with him dragged dryly its slow length
along; wherefore he decided to return
to the land of his nativity to leave it no
more.
He left Gallipolis in company with
two Frenchmen, on horseback, in June,
1917; they carried the money in saddle
bags. His port of embarkation was
Philadelphia. A fine horse which he
loved much and valued very highly,
when they arrived at Philadelphia he
gave to E. S. Menager. He owned
many town lots in Gallipolis, and on de-
parting he distributed many of them as
pesents to his friends. He lived but
seven years after his return to France.
and that time he lived with his sister in
Paris. He died in 1924, aged so years.
He was never married. He lived and
died an honest, high-minded, honorable
French gentleman. GALLICUS.