Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-10-12
OBuD cRooT,



Inthat distinguished part of the world,
known Us Queeu'o county, on Long Island,
in old times, not "a great while after the
Revolutionary war; there lived about half
way between Mosquito Cove and Jericho a
hard.drinkng, hard-swearng, registering
gentleman 10y the name of Tom Floyd. He
kept his hounds aud his racers, and led II
helter-skeller life. But his ard-ridng,
hard-swearing and harj.drinking came to
sudden end by bis breaking his neck as he
was following his hounds after fox down
the Ceder-Swamp road, which leads TO Mo-
sqnito Cove. He was taken up dead .
But wild stories got in circulation about
him some said that the moment he fell
dead the fox sprang up bauk, spread out
huge pair of WINGS aud tapped off in the
air, aud that there was the print of Glow
en- foot in the bank where he disappeared
Above all, it was well attested that this
hard-riding gentleman still kept up his
hunting habits aud on the anniversary of
his death he swept down the Ceder-Swamp
road in bis red Jockey coat and yellow smull
clothes at the heels Of his hounds and $40
betide the belated straggler who fell in bis
way on that night, for il is said he prefer.
ed human game TO all Others. On such oc
casions the good farmers and their wives,
and daughters, and sons, and s0ns-in-aw,
and daughterS-in,law Scampered of to bed
aud buried their heads beneath The bed
clothes until the Internal crew had passed
out OF hearing. Indeed. il S said that such
was the haste aud confusion with which
they beat their retreat, IT not uuirequeptIy
bappenened that the wrong person, got ill.,
to The wrong bed, which sometimes led TO
unpleasant consequences.
BE that as it may, it was well.authen-
ticated fact that the tough old Squire still
kept up his annual chase, and there was
but Que person ia the whole country who
dOubtedit and dared to say so. This was
a man named Ohed Groot, who lived Oh
the Ceder Swamp road 10 q large house
surrounded by rich fields and teeming barns.
He was keen. bitter fellow, with an eye
like rats, a nose like a hawks aud mouth
so tight shut aud with the corners turned
SO far down that there seemed to be some
risk OF their meeting under his chid and be-
heading it. He had set out in life with
determination to become rich, aud letting
nothing stand in his way, and shutting his
bis eyes and ears to everything that did
not tend TO that particular end, he succeed.
ed To be sure, he had not stopped TO Sc.
cure many friends by the way hut he did
not want them. Friends were always
wanting something, or telling. about some
case OF dreadful want, or Of some fellow
with broken leg aud Starving family or
in other words, always eDdeavoring to cir.
cumVent the iron button that kept watch
over the breeches'pOeket IN which lay his
purse, and which button seemed TO glare
out ut all the world like a great
eye, defying any one to get the better of
il. lEf sa5
Obed had once been married, aud his wife
bad died many years before whether
he had starved her to death, or whether she
had died because her heart became frozen
for want of any warmth in his, il matters
not she died, aud he buried her deceutly,
though some said he bad hlnted that il was
pity she had forgotten to take with
her q little girl which she bad borne TO him
and left behind. But the child was left,
aud though neglected and almost forgotten
she throVe aud as she grew older aud sat
and watched him with her earnest, solemn
eyes, feeling almost akin o fear would
come over him. 1t was observed, too, that
when she had driven more than IN usual
hard bargain, or one in which there had
been AN unusual economy of honesty
he kept out of her way. As time passed
on aud Obed grew ia years. and Esther
Eor 50 was his daughter called-grew in
youth and beauty. he began TO feel kind
OF pride In her, aud sometimes listened TO
9er words aud TO her reading from the Good
BOOB ior be bad become man Of wealth
ana note' ana having secured fair share of
the treaeureS Of earth, he had no objections
TO make small venture Of those ot heaven.
II was said that once or twice, at her re-
quest, he had opened small corner of bis
heart to an appeal Of charity. IT'S true
his acts were rather Insignificant aud then,
as II frightened at what be had done, be