Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-12-11
4 Romance of Real Life.

Mi Moses DAVIS VINO resides 100 puaiun, u J.
40 elderly gentleman, but one whose faculties
appear TO have retained their original vigor
ia remarkable degree To say the least,
be is hale heatly aud blessed with % rotten.
tive memory, aud hc delights in telling of tbo
exploits Of his ancestors as well as j. IT,
Barnum. and we fully believe that bis stories
have a smaller spriukling Of humbug 10 them
than those told by the great Snowman The
following narrative Of bis is MS true as his
tory Itself, aud irucr than much that comes 10
us from medieval times.
Thomas Miner, the grandfather Of Mr.
Davis, wos a sailor, shipping from Hartford,
CT. Coming home from voyage be met in
/ the street a man who wished to sell him
whole township Of wild land 10 the State Of
New Hampshire. "Jack Tar said he
" couldn't buy whole township hut would
run the risk to take half q town. bears and
ALL"
.'Well" said the old man, III .cA hale"
aud the bargain was closed and money paid
in hard coin
Like all sailors, Miner was somewhat
yculurcsomc, aud this time be had made a
" venture without knowing his man so bid
told his captain.
@ "You fool, said the Captain, "you are
C just like all sailors; you don't know how 20
ri take care Of your money. You will never
sec the land or the man again
u So Miner shipped again. lie made one OIL
l. two voyages, ADD coming home once upon
d time, he told his wife he wa. going to 'o
the New Hampshire land
Well" said she, I'll 60 too, aud tax
the baby
y Sotho oldmare was saddlod, Thomas hayin.
6, by some hook or crook got mare, and ma
.. wife and child mounted, with a gun and com
n pass, and all started for the wilderness Long
= weary aud many spring days passed ere the
It arrived at Hanover New Hampshire, kcepin
l. close to the Connecticut river, which was
i, guide, and from whose waters they quonche
A thirst and occasionally caught fish Bd
-, they got there.
= The first question Thomas Miner aske,
U. was, " Is there town hcreabouts called CT
I'd man ?"
m yes" was the reply; "it is down in Ii
N woods eighteen miles aud no road 50
n. Nothing dauutod, after rest and refrcst
" mout, Thomas started and, by the aid {
" blazcd' trees he found his land after SCI
eral days search, the d" corner being ind
n. Gated by a mammoth hcmlock marked O.
naan." This was his land Of promise. Il
~ Immediately cut another hemlock with an az
ID he brought from Hanover, and with the limb
in bark and boughs constructed hut, with Il
j. boughs for bed The old mare was turnC
;s out to browse,
In the morning he started for the maj
- without his hat Strange to say though it
true, he was gone three days, finding the mai
of in Charlestown, n. H., and returning. No
Mt he took his gun and went in search Of foo,
n He soon shot deer which lasted some tim
lie did not sec man for six weeks. At tn
>" time he took his gun and compass to sec no
- his land laid About two miles otf'he fouu
at man named SchoGeld, who had " squat" O
III his (Nliner's) land.
> Glad to see you, SehoGeld, said Miner
never mind, I'll give you hundred acres
y Aud so he did.
nd During the season (it was sprng) thC
Of " got in about five acres Of grain and 10 q
NJ autumn had good crop.
h. SchoGeld proved good neghbcr 81
Miner wanted more. So be wrote twel'
We letters to as many Of his shipmates, inyitir
M them to come and settle beside him and nil
ce Of them came and settled, each receiving Il
~. gift Of one hundred acres Of land.
t. To make a long story short they all liy,
y, and prosperod, and Thomas Miner lived
nd see his town have three churches aud
SC. academy, and to ind himself sent ropresc
lat tativo to the New Hampshire legislature thi
M, ty years in succession.
The child carried into the forest in
fHF mOther's arms was cduratod nj Dorfrr nh
college and became an eminent physician
in Canada. He had other sons and daughter
ms. some Of whom settled in New IIampshil
~ and one, with the same adventurous spirit
- the father, made his homo in the then, Nc
~ State of Ohio, in which vicinity his dcscen
at ants now live