Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-02-08
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From t1e Pre- Iue Isle ~uml-
The 1rOOSiOOk Morgan.
The Roger, story Traced to Its Source

The Roger story Traced 10 its Source.
Once since we have been in Aroostook,
wo have been tod by q larciiul man that
a Col. Ormsby. who once lived in what is
now Lyndon, in this County, was the
veritable William Morgan We paid no
attention, however, to il, having been
acquainted with Others who knew this
Col Ormsby perfectly well, aud had given
US his history, and they knew that the
idea Of his being Morgan was as idle as
the wind.
Three or four weeks since we received
the ST. Paul Pioneer Press, in which was
a communication written by Mr.. A. P.
Rogers. formerly of this County. We
also received letter from him, wishing,
il he were assailed on the score Of veraci-
", that we would corroborate what he
said. We regard Mr., Rogers as gentle
man OF truth and veracitv, and have no
doubt he had heard his father make the
statements which he repeats.
Although Mr.. Rogers in his article does
not give the name OF his hermit, y yet
in his letter he informed us to whom he
referred, to wit, Col. Harvey Ormsby.-
In order to correct 4 great error which
may, if uncorrected, in time become a
part OF the local history of Aroostook. we
give the following sketch OF this man.
We derive our information from Mr.. John
T. Pike. now resident of Lyndon. wh o
came to Lyndon with Col. Ormsby, from
Mr.. and Mrs. Ivory Hardison, and Mr..
Jacob Hardison. who were neighbors and
intimate friends OF Col. Ormsby during
his residence in Lyndon, and from Win
slow Hall, Esq. an aged gentleman, now
residing iu this village, who lived near
Ormsby and knew him perfectly well.
All OF these persons are of the highest
respectabiity and worth.
Col. Harvey Ormsby was a native OF
Herkimer County, New York, and would
be now, if living, about 70 years of age.
According TO his own account OF himself,
his father was one of the pioneer settlers
of the section in which he was born, and
he and the family were engaged in farm
ing, clearing land, and the making OF
potash from the ashes ofthe wood burned
in the clearing. After he left New York
he resided some years in Vermont.
In 1884 he came to Denmark, in Ok
ford County, where Mr., Pike then resided.
He says that at first Ormsby worked for
wages, making hogshead slaves, or
"shooks,n as they were called, of oak
timber. He soon went into the business
of making shocks on his own account
He was y man Of intelligence, of good
education, genial and pleasant. and de.
lighted 10 converse with intelligent peo.
pie. de first became noted in Denmark
by a fund OF pleasant stories which he
had for children, and the delight he mani
tested in rehearsing them for the pleasure
and entertainment of the young. He
was very quiet and retiring when stran-
gers were present, had way of minding
Lis own business, made no unnecessary
conversation ABOUT his private affairs,
and it would not be very strange, were 8
person to make himself annoyingly in
quisitive abou. what was none OF his
business, il be had quizzed him with
some indefinite inlimation that ne wai
Willism Morgan, or some other mysteri
Gus character