Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-02-26
nrmnrknI,Ic NarratI,c.

of Lockport, and the wife of practicing
| physician of that place. She is personally
known to the editors of the Country Cen
tleman, and reliance may be placed in all
her statements. The occurrences referred
to began about the year 1898 or "a, when
| the great excavation for the Erie Canal
through the solid rock for miles at Lock-
| port was in progress, under the supervls-
ion of David Thomas as chief engineer,
and of which Darius Comstock, widely
known citizen, was one of the largest con-
| tractors.
The physician to whom we have referred
returned one day from his visiting rounds
under good deal of excitement, and ex-
claimed to his wife: "I have visited to-day,
in poor Irishmans hut, the most beaut-
ful woman / ever saw in my life. She is
very sick her case must be an eXtraor-
dinary one-and you must go and see what
you can do for her." The wife consented
TO go, and on entering one of the most pow
er,y-stricken novels she had ever seen
the floor of bare earth, the door cut partly
down through the log sides, so that on en-
tering it was necessary to step over the
logs that were left--she found the sick wo-
man lying on a bed of straw, supported on
rough poles, which constituted the bed
stead. She was young in years, and troub
lie had not oblitersted the surpassing beau
ty nor the refined expression of her coun
tenance. The language she used indicated
a high and excellent education, and she had
evidently been brought mp ir genteel soci-
H. H.
of her present surroundings. Her hus-
band, young man recently from Ireland,
was day ldborsr, employed by Dariua
Comstock and Oils Hathaway, his assistant,
in excavating the bed of the canal. The
sick woman was of course averSe to Civ
ing any account ofthcr history to a strang
er, but after several visits the physicians
wife secured her confidence, and she relat-
ed their remarkable history in substance
as follows:
She was the daughter oi gentleman in
Ireland, in rank but little below the nouil-
ity. Her father employed as clerk and
steward young man named John -, of
rare attainments and ability. The gentle
mans daughter and the young steward
formed a mutual attachment; but as he
was below her in rank, notwithstanding
his high character, the father would not lis
ten a moment to anyth ing Of the kind, and
seeing what was going on, dismissed him
from his service. But the attachment was
too strong to be quenched by a mandate.
When the young lady and her lover found
there was no other resource, they conLlud-
ed TO get married and run away" With
his scanty means and what little property
of her own she could secure, they sailed
for Quebec in Canada. The ship was
wrecked in the st. Lawrence, and they
barely escaped with their lives. All their
effects and money went to the bottom of
the wide river. Their condition was desc
late enough without means, without eX-
| perience, unaccustomed to hardship, and
in an unknown country among strangers.
He was compelled to labor by the day to
keep them from starving. In this state
they found their way to Lockport, place
where many laborers were wanted at that
time for excavating the canal, and where
he could obtain employment. 1t was here
that his young wife, unaccustomed TO such
accumulated hardShips aud privatons,
was prostrated on sick bed, and in this
condition was found by the physician and
his wife, as already related.
1t was about the same time, or before,
that Comstock & Hathaway, the contrac-
tors who employed him, observed that the
young man had not been accustomed to
the severe labor which he had undertak en-,
and that in handling the heavy crowbar,
and in wheeling the loaded barrow, the
blood oozed from his fingers. A few days
afterwards, when pay day arrived, he sign
ed the receipt for his wages by the usual
cross, or "his mark used by the Irish la
borers generally. In the course of few
weeks his employers (who were members
of the Society of Frends), obser rving that
he possessed superior intelligence, said tc
him in the peculiar language in com mon
use by the "Friends'' in that day, "John
this is not thy right place-a man like thee
ought to know how to write-and know
better than TO make cross markr' Johr
was stung by this reproof, his latent ambi
tion was aroused, and stepping forward, he
took tse pen and signed bis name in a rap
id, practiced and elegant hand. His en-
| DlONtlS NtIt sdlu u ulul
"John, this is not the place for thee-stoI
drinking, and we will take thee into oul
employ as clerk, and at once double thy
wages" These were the first kind anC
helping words which he had heard il
America-their life-giving energy wen
through him like electricity, and from tha
moment he never drank a drop. He prove
himself fully worthy of their confidence
and became distinguished for his efIicien
cy. The morning of prosperity began t.
dawn upon him. His wife recovered he
health. His progress towards great sue
cess began. He subsequently went int
the forwarding business on the canal, a
partner to a prominent citizen of Western
New York, who was also a leading mem
ber OF Congress. The writer of this nara
tive well remembers in years before rail
roads were generally in use, and travelling
on the canal was the common mode of pas
senger transit, that he could not pass da!
anywhere between Schenectady and Buf
falo, without meeting one or more neatl!
J built and well loaded boats, with the gol
den letters on the side, "John IS CLIN
TON LINE" In short, the young Irisl
clerk and steward-the canal day-labore
the husband of the beautiful and accom-
J plishei young lady prostrated by sicknes
in the log hut-had become the owner of
: successful fleet of canal boats. Befor
twenty years had elapsed, he was mayo
: of one of the largest cities OF Western Ney
York was eminent for his enterprise an
public spirit, and took prominent posi-
tion in public affairs.
/ Alter lapse of years, and when he ha