Middletown transcript., 1871-12-02
Srlctt Storp.
THANKSGIVING STORY.
nv EDw AEp .GGLrsToy.


john Harrison was not unkind, bu,
dozen years Of fierce busines. struggle in
a new country had not been without its
effect upon bin. A. least his father, who
had come to live with John after buryinr
his dear old wife, could not but notice aud
regret change. What Mrs. John IIar-
rison noticed and regretted of change in
her husband no one knew. lf she obscrv-
ed such n chang, in her secret heart Of
hearts. she did not acknowledge it by any
word or look, she did not confess il To
herself by apy thought. But John llar-
risons father remembered the csh-hcart-
ed young man who, dozen years before.
had taken his wife into what was then the
Wilderness Of western Michigan. lie re-
mcmhcrel his devotion to his wife, his
tinc dclicaey of feeling aud all that. And
the old man looked iH,o the face Of his sol
now with eager inquiry. Was the former
John Harrison underneath the hard. dri-
wing face Of the successful John Harrison :?
lie tried to get beneath the surface. he
tried to get chance for private convcrsa-
iion with him. But John was too much
Interested in booms, in lumber drives and
logging camps John could not talk Of
anything but store or his bank or his pine
lands
Fourteen years before he had bought
the farm on which he now lived When
he had GO, It opened he found i, exceed
insly profitable 'fho proximity to the
'.outii,tins" village, where the "loggcrs'
bought their supplies, sarc him a ready
market Two winters TO lad l,cadal egmps
Of loegers as par, owner Of the results.
Good snow iGf drawing the logs, good
water for driving. aud hisl, prices for the
lumber had given hiW /, handsome start
Then he went back and married his sweet
heart. and lcyc he had built n comfortable
house, and here. rs the autumn OF 1870
drew on tsgard Thanksgiving Day, John
Harrison was talking OF the new aud finer
househc should build in n year or two, while
his father was wondering whether the
Lake piichamaloruc Boon. aud the Up
per Cainlp9 River Boom. and .he s,orc in
lnc Du lois. aud the First National bank
of Lao Du l,ois. aud the new Cataqna
Railroad, aud the Eternal Security Fire
Insurance Company. and the saw.ml on
Lake Fhhamaloggc. AMI the dam on Ca
iaqua River, and the Shebangaway pine
lands. in all of which John was part own
er president. director, or what aot-John
iInrrison's father could net hut wonder
whether all together they were worth tue
loss Of his fine, sll.henrtel boy that had
some how got changed into this hard
faced, AMBITIOUS. driving bank director,
who could speak Of aqgl, but his mul,i,u-
dinaus business enres. And Mrs. John
Harrison had ns little interest in the pro.
posed new iDas, ns she had in the new
boom or the new bank Shc could mol
acknowledge it to hcrsclf, but she would
have given cscrythng to have had one o
the old tender words or looks from hel
husband. Even on Thanksgiving Day
in 1870, no was worried about his bust
ness, aud was so anxious for the holiday
10 PASS TINT lie could not conceal hiV wca
riness. He even drove down to the vii
larc Of Lac Du IIois in tho evening /,
meet one of his fellow directors. and dis
cuss the affairs Of the First National Banl
Of Lac Du Dois.
The early part Of 1871 was a very pros
NJ rons time with John Harrison tn
two boom companies paid large dividends
He bought logs in the woods at very 10,
figures. and 6ne frcshet enabled him :
get them oil out. His mills pnid we'll
Tho bank prospcrcd Tho new Cataqu
River Railroad managed 10 negotiate
loan that injured its speedy completion
The out6tsiug storo was profitable. An
John Harrison grew moro prsoccupisd 90
! ambitious shsR sYpr; bis 'seo never rs