The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-01-06
TIE OLD PIONEER.
BY ouAD's ODDS.

TIE OLD PIONEER.
BY QUAD's ODDS.
You may not have encountered him,
but every city or village over twenty
five years has an cid "pioneer." He
il an aged man. walks with . cane, has
Hbsnt back and scsnt grey lecks, and
he is entitled to the unbounded respect
of all citizens. ~
Many little privileges are accorded
the old pioneer. He can epsa the
cheese box in grocery and help him
self, hook apples. reach over for pea
nuts, have the head Of the table whom
the fremen give banquet, and If he
crawls under the canvas on circus day
none Of the circusmen strike Ct him
with . neck yoke.
And il the old pioneer says that it's
going to be hard winter, or . soft
winter, . csol summer or rainy fall,
it would be like entering den oflisns
for one to raise up and dispute him.
H ; predicts political events, prophe-
sizes revolutions, remembers all about
how the Free Masons killed John
Morgan, and confidently expects .
column notice in the local papers whsn
he drops off.
Imet one of the old fallows the eth !
er day 6n vhs1 csrs.S He sssured Eme
that riding sn the CARS Val -fSf hore
pleasant than making journey on
horseback, and he said that the coun.
try had improved some since he used
to carry mail between New York and
Chicago. vas locking right st him,
but he never blushed as he said that
he used ts make tho round trip tsn
horseback in five days. 1 was won
deriDg how he could have done it
when he went on to say that New
York contained only eleven houses,
and Chicago only four, at the time be
acted az mail carrier. remarked that
the mails must have been light in those
early days, when he replied:
"Lightl why bless you, my son, ]
never had less than fourteen full mail
bags, and sometimes a. high as TWEEN
typ
Iexpected to see him struck dead ia
his seat, but greatly to my surprise, he
continued to live right on, tho same as
if he had never told lie.
"Ever had any fights with tho In
dians in those early days7" I finally
inquired,
"Injun figntsi Well, should say /
had few-hai hal hal wish you
could go home with me TO cid Che
mung county. I've got seven dry geeds
boxes filed with Indian tep-knsts-
seven boxes left, and I've been max
ing rse-blanksts and door-mats out
Of my pile for over forty years."
"Is il possible 2"
eyes, it is. dent say this to brag,
but you asked me plain question and
1 answered it. 1 suppose Killed H.
S73 Indians during my early life,
though i won't say that these are ex-
act fgures. II might have been IL 1-874
or only IL ,S72, L am getting old and
can't remember dates very WELL"
"Ever see George Washington ?" 1
"See George Washington !" he ech-
oed-"why he boarded in my family
over four years!" tFFS -
"He did?"
"WheD was that z"
'Let's ssei Well, don't remember
just when it was, only 1 know it was
quite = while age. Yes, George beard
ed with me, and I've got bill Of $40
against him new. He waa little hard
up fer cash when he left u.s." n
"Did you ever see William Penn p
/ asked after awhile. ~ I'll +
aBill Penn! ha hs why, wish l
had a. many dollars as the number Of
times Bill and have slid down hill
tegetherI His father lived in q part
of orr house for eight years aud Bill
and 1 were like brothers. could lick
him and he knew it between us Poor
Bill When I read about his being
blown up on . steamboat i said to my
self that I'd rather have lost . broth
er." ..v tf4,. - '-''
I waited good while and thsn in
quired: -. @ i..s..ssiI
"were you in the Revolutionary
WARP
The Revolutionary warI why,E you
must take me for . boyP he replied.
.Why L was the first man to jine
There were weeks when the Patriots
didn't have any army but me, and
there was % much fighting and march.
ing that almost got discouraged"
sThen you must have met General
Lafayette
"General Lafayettel Why, on the
Of the Battle Of Bunker Hill,
W Washington, Lafayette, Bill Penn and
myself were playing q four handed
game of eucher in an old barn just out
side OF Boston. Lafayette was killed
lust az he was dealing the cards!"
al thought he went back to France
md died."
s"No, sir" 400 ]
'But history says So"
81 don't care q plum for history, q
roung mani Didn't his blood scatter
III over me, and weren't his last words
addressed to me! 1 guess know as q
much as any history" 9
. "What were his last words?" {
"Last words2 Well, sir, he didn't u
ave time to cay much. A cannon