The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-03-28
A QUEER HISTORY.
A Sad Accident and Its Lifelong Ef-
fee.s-The Orphan Chfldren-LiEinE
Ont OF Doors from Choice I'm Winter.

More years ago than almost any
body now here can remember, there
lived on the east side of the river 8
family consisting Of the mother snd
several small children. At the time
when our story begins there was no
bridge across the Il Gron, and at sea-
sons OF high water q sort of scow ss-
taehed to 8 rope stretched across the
stream was used IS a ferry. The
woman Of whom we speak was en-
ployed on the west side Of the river,
snd by some means was thrown out
OF the seow, while returning home, as
weH as another passenger, and both
were drowned. Thus these small
children were left wholly uncared for,
except from the casual assistance of
q very few scattered emigrants. The
body of the second person drowned
was recovered almost immediately,
while that OF the woman was not
found until some time sfterward,
when the water had subsidized. Dur
ing this period the children, too
small fully to realize how their moth
er could be thus suddenly snatehed
away, especially little girl among
them, disconsolately strolled up and
down the stream calling for their
protector. }
Withwhat care they gotthey grew
to man and womalhood, but a mel
sneholy had settled upon the girl,
which never left her, and at length
she was placed, with the hope Of re-
covery, in an institution in the State
Of New York. Eventually, the male
children became the owners of $50
acres of land in this county, on which
there is good house, barn, etc.
They then sent and brought their
sister back to live with them and
the family, whose whole history il
would be too long TO follow, now
consisting OF two men and the sister,
still cling together and live almost
solitaries. But the greatest singu-
larlty is their repugnsnce to Ljc;ng
in q house. 1t will seem incredible,
when we say that with a comfortable
house of their own, two of them have
lived the whole winter, and are still
living and sleeping out of doors. One
yielded TO the weather, or to the i'm
portunities of the neighbors, and took
lodgings in a house; the others con-
tinue their strange way OF living.
How do they live, the reader is ready
to ask, with the thermometer 80 de-
grees below zero? Their kitchen is
an enclosure Of logs, simply breast
high, without the least sign OF root.
The logs serve to keep away cattle
sndf animals. Their sleeping apart
ments, not in this enclosure, are rails
and logs laid up slsnting so as to
leave low hollow, which is filed with
autumnsl leaves, in which they bury
themselves deeply and, as it seems,
warmly. This mode OF life is their
choice, for at the same time that they
eat in an open pen and sleep in
leaves, tenant occupies their COM
iortsble house, and well-kept horse
lies in warm stable.
Under all these circumstances such
is their respect among their neigh
bors that the latter feel the reluct-
snce of natural politeness against
any pressing interference with their
domestic affairs. But many is the
anxious look on our fierce wintry
mornings cast towards the woods
where these almost heImits are
known to be, to see il the smoke OF
their breakfast fire is curling among
the trees, or whether its absence in
dicstes that they were stiffiy frozen in
their wintry beds. Up to the pres
ent time their smoke still curls, and
long may it wave. We like originali.
ty and something out OF the COM
monplsce. But here is 8 psychOlo-
gical study for somebody. 1t is very
evident that those children, by theil
misfortunes and circumstances, re-
ceived a bend, mental distortion
that no subsequent experience ol
training can correct. We could give
the names of principals and witness
es in this singular case, but 1t is moi
necessary, as the scene is 80 neal
that any man about here can verify
it for himself, and names would be
no confederation to distant readers.
-YpsiL0sti mich. } Sentinel.