The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-07-29
A SlIRIRH 0lfNIffRD.

lie Hon. y. il. Smith, Of Indiana, is pub
iishing . series VI sketches in the Iadepsn-
dent Journal, u the early times in that
State. We give the following from these
series:
In early times, before the first land sales
OF the beautiful White Water Waller, where
Conncrsvillc, Liberty, Cambridge City, Gen.
terville and Richmond now stAnd, there
lived upon the east bank Of White Water, a
mile above Conncrsvillc, a most remarkable
woman by the name OF Betty Frazier She
was small, tough looking, rather swarthy
woman her husband, George frazicr. was
a poor cripple, and with their children was
entirely supported by Betty. They had
settled upon . small fraction II Government
land, intending To purchase At the sales
The Land Office was nj Cincinnati, and Cen
eral james Findlay was tic Receiver. The
spring Of the year, after severe winter,
had come the sales were to take place next
winter, and Betty had the season before her
to raise the money To pay Tor her land. She
commenced with young stock Of hogs, ca
ring for them daily, driving them to the best
mast, and preparing good patch Of corn to
finish the iattenng process. She had one
horse only to tend her crop, and ultimately
10 ride To Cincinnati when she drove her
hogs down to sell and buy her land. About
midsummer she saw korscman ride up TO
her cabin. She met him at the bars; well,
General Hanna. how do you do Z" "ycry
well, Mrs. Frazier "What ON earth has
brought YOU all the way from Brookvillc 20
my poor cabin?" II am sorry TO tell you,
Mrs. Frazier, that am the Sheriff and have
an execution against your property" "Wcll,
General, | always submit In the law. come
with me to the stable and will give you
my only horse - the best can do"
There was no exception laws" then.
Betty and the General proceeded To the
stable. II was strong Log building, with
single door, no window, OVERLAND with solid
platform u logs, and iilled above with hay
for the horse. The door fastened outside
with large wooden pin in log. "Therc,
General, Is the horsc-takc him" The
General stepped in and commenced untying
the horse. Betty immediately fastened the
door outside, driving the pin into the hole
10 its full length, and left the General TO his
reflections while she attended To her house.
hold Affairs Time passed away; night came
aa; but no relief 10 the captured General.
Morning came, and with il came Betty
We'll, General, how did YOU sleep last
night n
" Not very we'll am ready to comrro-
mise this matter; II you will lc, me out and
show me the ford over White Water, 1.-THE
river was muddy and high,) Twill leave you
and the horse and return the execution no
property found
Upon homer?
Yes, upon honor"
Betty opened the door. The General
mounted his horse and silently followed
Betty down To the river side. There,
General, you will 20 in just above that big
sycamore, and come out II that haw bush
YOU see.h
The General started 1t the second step
both horse and rider were under water out
If sight, and the hat Of the General was
seen floating down the river. Still he be-
ing one OF tue pioneers, and his horse train
I'd swimmer, calamity stcmmed the current,
and exactly struck tic haw bush, his horse
swimming to the vcry SHIRE, while Betty
stood ON the bank screaming" guess the
Brookrillc officer will let me alone now till
have sold my pigs and bought my land"
But the end was not yet Time rolled on; ,
the pigs grew 10 lie well fatted hogs. Bet
~ noeateu hSt PusSs tuc little ooys star-
ted the hogs for Cincinnati; they had ten
days 70 get there before the land sales the
distance was about seventy miles. Nothing
rnusual occurred On the road until they ar
,,yed At New Trenton, At Squire Rockaiel-
lows. The night was stormy the snow
fell deep; and next morning found Betty At
the usual hour ON the pony, well wrapped,
with ia ig6sas fsg hours I'D ia her bosom.
She arrived with her hogs At Cincinnati the
day before the sale, sold them for cash, and
the late General flndlcy told me that she
stood by his side on the box and bid or her
land, with her infant in her arms. Surely
truth j. stranger than felton,