North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-12-01
Eccentric Connecticut Yankees.
BY GRACE GREENWOOD,


BY GRACE GREENWOOD.
One Of the most marked persona-es Of
old Windham county was certain Eevo-
lutionary pensioner by the name of Lin
coln-surnamed Jonas, believe. Living
in the adjoining town, he was yet we'll
known in Lebanon, where he frequently
visited. Indeed, he was never at rest ex-
cept when tramping around and "stirring
about" He was harmless, good-natur>
ed, ciderdrinking, storytelling old fellow,
whom everybody was glad to see, bored
with, chatted with, laughed at apd pitied,
for he was alone in the world-a sad con-
dition, which h", however, took very
philosophicallY, cpusoling himself by
sagely commenting on all the ills which
married men and heads of families are
heir to.
Though usually idle and vagabondish
in his habits, he was a man of wonderful
energy and perseverance when once his
spirit was up. On one occasion, when he
had extended ramble to the vicinity of
Hartford, he found himself at the ferry,
opposite the city, without shilling in his
pocket. He proposed to the ferryman to
allow him free passage, promising to pay
on his next visit. But the Yankee Charou
refused with churlish ''No, mister,
don't take you, nor no other old tramp,
for notbin'. So down with your rbino or
clear eout -
"Waal, theu," exclaimed the old soldier,
'syou 90 to thunder with your old skeow I
| won't be beholden to you, or anybody
of your sort; for I'll just 80 reound yer
darn'd old river-see if don't"
The ferryman laughed at what he took
for an idle threat but some weeks later
he was accosted at the city landing by the
same rcd-chceked, roughly-c!ad old SOL
dier, who triamphantly exclaimed:
''Waal, hare been reound your old
river and here am in spite of yeou, old
skin-fint p
1t proved that he had actually perform,
cd the exploit Of following the Connecticut
river to its head-of going around it, in
fact-with no other incentive than the de.
sire to show himself independent of the
ferryman.
On another occasion he applied for the
loan of a scythe, at the house of a neigh
Dor, who was a bridge builder.
"Im rally sorry, Mr.. Lincoln said the
wife of the mechanic, "that 1 can't ac-
commodate ye; but my husband amt to
hum, ye see, and he says to me, jest
before he went away, Betsy says he,
don't yeou lend nothin' of mine to no
body, not on no account, while I am
gone.' So, Mr.. Lincoln, ye see can't let
that scythe 80, not even to yeou.'
"Why, whereabouts is your. husband,
marin Y'
lob, he's way down in Pennsylvany,
buildin' bridge
"Waal, guess, if 1 60 deown to where
he's to work, and get his consent, yell
lend me that are scythe p
"Sartin, Mr.. Lincoln. But. man alive,
what on airth du ye mean? tell ye he's
way deown in Pennsylvany.''
The old soldier laughed in his droll,
knowing way, then questioned her as to
the exact locality of her husbands bridge
building operations, and took his leave.
That very afternoon he departed on one
of his "grand towers" with only cha -
of linen, tied in blue checked handker-
chief, hanging from stick over his
shoulder, and whistling cheerily as he
left the dull old town behind him.
About ten days or fortnight later he
appeared before the astonished mechanic,
"1ullo Billins, will you lend me your
scythe for spell That are wife of youru
won't let it 60 without you say so. Got
her pretty well under your thumb, hain't
ye? Or. meIbe she's afea,d to cut
friendship tween her and me by lendin'
an edged tool"
Ten days lates Mrs. Billings was aston~
ished to see her eccentric neighbor appear,
al! dusty and travel.worn, at her door, and
to hear him say quietly: "Yes, ma'am,
yer man says l may take that are scythe;
and it's high time that little medder of
mine was moved"