Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-07-02

osv of the most marked personages oil
ola Nindham county was certain kevo'
iutionary pensioner, by the name OF I'm.
coin-surnamed Jonas, believe. LIVING
In an adjoining town, he was Wen-
Known In lebanon, where he frequently
listed Indeed, he was one whom the
war had 40 unsettled that he was never At
rest except when tremping around ano
Gstirring about He was q harmless,
good.natured, cider dripkipg, storytelling
old fellow, whom everybody. was gla1 70
see bore with. chatted with, laughed at |
and petted, for he was alone In the worldi |
A aad condition, which he however TOOK |
very philosophically, consoling himself by
aAgely commenting on all the ills when |
married men and heads OF families are
heir to II AZ "a Np
Though unusually 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 ne
had extended = tamblc 70 the vicinity oil
Hartford, he found himself at the ferry, op-
posite the city, without shilling IN ms
pocket. He proposed to the terryman TO
allow him a free passage. promising TO pay
on his next visit Butthe Yankee Charon
refused, with IA chnriish F" No, Inister,
don't take you nor no other old tramp ior
nothinr SO deown with your rhino, or
clear eo,rt y '6INsal, then" exclaimed the
old soldier. "vbu 20 TO thunder with your
old skeow l won't be beholden to you, OF
anybody of your sort; for MI Jest go
reound yer dsrned old river-see IL l
donti" IfD1 .I
The ferryman laughed at what he took
for an idle thfoat hut some weeks later
he was accosted at the citY-landing by the
same red,cheeked, roughly.clad old soldier,
who triumphantly exclaimed (" Waal, l
haUo been reound yer old river and here
am, in spite OF you, old ekinhtnt." IL
proved that he had actually performed the
exploit of following the Connecticut river
to its head-of going round it, in fact, with
no other incentive than the desire 10 show
himself independent of the ferrymsn
On another occasion, he applied FOR the
loan of q scythe, at the house OF neigh
Dor, who was bridge builder. I'm
rally sorry, Mr.. Lincoln said the wife OF
the mechanic, "that can't accommodate
We but my husband amt to hum, ye SEQ,
and he says TO me, jest before he went
away: 'Betsy,' says he, don't you lend
nothin' of mine TO nobody, not on no &C
count, while am gone. So, Mr.. Lincoln,
ye see can't let that scythe go, even to
yeou" s't z
"why, whereabouts IS your husband,
marmH"
"Oh, he's way deOwn in Pennsylvany
buildin' a bridge"
"waal, guess, If go deown to where
he's to work, and git bis consent, yell lend
me that arc scythe."
"Sartin, Mr.. Lincoln. But man alive
what on airth do you mean tell ye he'I
way down in Peunsylvany."
The old soldier laughed in his droll
knowing way; then questioned her as Ia
the exact locality of her husbands bridge
building operations, and took his leave.
That very afternoon he departed on one
of his grand tours" with only change
of linen, tied in a blue checked handker-
chief, swinging from a stick over his
shoulder, aud whistling cheerily as he left
the dull old town behind him.
About ten days or fortnight later he
appeared before the astonished mechanic,
exclaiming: Hullol Billias, will yeou
lend me yer scythe for spellP That are
wife of yuurn won't let II 20 without yeou
say So. Got her pretty well under your
thumb, hain't yoY Or, mebbe she's aieared
20 cut friendship tween her and me by
lendin' an edged tool"
Ten days later Mistress Billings was as.
tonished 70 see her eccentric neighbor
appear. all dusty and trayol-worn, at her
door, and TO hear him say, quietly "Yes,
man, your man says l may take that are
scythe; and its high time that leetle med
der of mine was moved"
1t was peculiarly ofthe old pensoner
that he could never be told any news,
though himself great newsmonger. He
always professed To know everything In
that line before his enterprising informer,
He was once very neatly caught by a
waggish ncighbor, who suddenly opened
upon him with the startling intelligence
that whale had been caught in the She
tucket River, n respectable stream running
through Windham. "Du tell, noo,o.
WhenS Where is the critterS" he ex-
claimed, quite thrown Off his guard. But
the next instant, dropping his look of
wonder and surprise, for his usual know
ing expression, he added al heerd they
were Grter him but didn't know they'd
cotched him yit,"-RGste,n Paper.