The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-03


hands We started the FIRST Tuesday after the first
Monday m May, 1898. What makes me remember the
day particular Is that the first Monday Of May was
always training day, when the soldiers trained and
was the day after that We went IN s!oop TO New
York, aud then up the Hudson TO Albany in sloop.
There hired wagons to carry baggage 10
Schenectady and walked to that place through the
woods and took bateaus up the Mohawk River To Fort
stanwix. That is where Rome stands and where
the big battle took place between the Americans and
French, time Of the French war. From Fort Stanwix
had our batsaux carried TO Wood Creek six or eight
miles, IL | remember right We went down Wood Creek
TO Oncdy Lake and through H. by Three River Point TO
Oswago Fort The British still had possession OF that
fort and Fort Niagara, and had garrsons there. AZ
oswaso Fort tho red coats This was the 4th Of
June 1893"
MI ST. John again ceased talking ana settled back
in his chair. Hannah, as he calls his daughter IN
means Oswego Fort but insists pronouncing II
From Oswago Fort continued the old gentleman,
went thirty miles down Lake Ontario 70 Toronto
Bay and landed where Little York now stands We
square, and then returned to Connecticut being absent
four months got $40 month. The country was
nearly all wilderness along our route and We we're
month on the way and didn't see white person,
cept own company, after we LETT Oswago Fort TIL
we returned. We lived on salt meat and hard bread,
and and then fish and game Once We saw the
wolves chase deer into the lake. Some OF the COM
pany jumped in bAteau and succeeded IN capsar-
IN xEw YORK IN 1905
Mr.. ST. John. after fcw moments rest, proceeded
to relate his experience IN the city Of New iork IN
Canada he made calculations to go TO New YORK 70
work and asked his ather for letter Of Introduction
At the recollection Of this document the old man
laughed heartily and then repeated It.
GREExwICH STREET
was then the most street in the city In Full
street. two doors above Greenwich young st. Jonn
found boarding place with a family named Bloodgood
HIS novel recommendation, or letter OF INTRODUCTION,
IL was walking in Green ich street, he said, sand
saw block OF new buildings, with carpenters working
inside I entered one OF cm and asked man where
tha hasa wa IL he called the boss / told
him wanted work. where are you from Y said nc.
told HIM Connecticut on, don't IKE Yankees.
They're apt TO be trickish he said. His name was
Pancoast, and he said hc came from New Jersey l
told him that bad but that he couldn't help being
born there any than could In Connecticut. Then
he laughed and asked me If was workman. told
HIM had nothing TO say as TO that, but had recon-
mendaton from my father, and handed my letter to
him. He road II, and whom he got through laughing ut
by GOD, ill HIRE yoUi"
st. John set to work at once setting up window
sashes. The biggest glass used then was 7x9 and
all the suting and work sashes had TO be done by
hand The Young carpenter made mistake IN his FIRST
SASH and got large Tor the panes ii knockedi II
apart aud hid It In the shavings under the BENCH he
says, land went home 10 my supper. but ! couldn't
awake popped into my head how to remedy the mat
ter and got up early and fixed it. Come to the win
dow yonder and III show you howl did It Take hold
my hand, ana help me up"
gave him my hand and began to pull when he OK
claimed, Hold on Let me do the pulling. There
that's and saw hum on his feet for the first time
l led him the window, and he explained the manner
In which he remeded his
HIS oldest sons venerable wife insisted him back to
tho chair and us he took her he said with great
in his eyes, e your folks that I've got the best
woman to take OF me that ever God sent 70 be
comfort old man" and he chung afectionatey to
her she guided him gently across the room. He
took his again and fell into of his reveries
IL have taken care OF him for twenty-five years,
said Mrs. ST. john sand TO this day he has not been
the least trouble annoyance After his second wife
died in 1850 he came here ana said ne wanted s 10
Hc lived four miles from here on the Esopus turn
pike. between here and Hancock We. told him to
come II he wanted 10, and the next day he did come
and has been here ever since.
REGULAR HABITS AT ONE HUNDRED AND THREE
che goes TO bed winter and at eight o'clock.
As the clock begins TO strike eight he CON-
mences 10 get out OF his chair. We remove his coat
and ves and takes of the rest OF his clothes, and
dresses himself in the morning coming out Of his room
with his and vest over his arm. Ike little boy
He is often up the first In the morning, and eats
up on his plate, and he eats with spoon. He lies
down spell in tho forenoon, and then after dinner
generally sleeps hour or two. Is something re-
narkaDe that he in better health now than he was
when young He always was sckly, but does not havc
one sick spell now wnere he used to have dozen.
When he was ninety-nne he was weighed, and then
again when he was one hundred and he had gained
ten pounds l don't remember how much he
KEEPING Au couRAxr WITH EVENTS.
"Does he keep posted in the events OF the day
politics, news &c ~
the run OF things During all the civil war ! read
every word of war news from the beginning TO the
Close 10 him. lie TOOK great interest IN tue war, ana
would have no one else read to him but me, although
there much better readers in the house than my
self After the war was over ! read the paper
him every day until three years since. when
his hearing became bad that II was too
great a task. He is as anxious rs ever TO
hear the news but appreciates the Difficulty Of getting
details TO MIN, and never asks them. This Is pc
clliar household. We have living with us two OF our
grandchildren who are orphans and now young ladies'
Ii has always seemed strange that they in the very
morning OF their hves could content themselves here
with three such old people as a.ner my husband and
the Of their great grandfather"
cHALLESGED TO DUEL
Mr. St. John here took up the thread Of his narra-
while l in New Yo!k | was challenged
to fight duel by Panccqst. grocer, whose
store was opposite where boarded was putting
up a building near Greenwich camp, which
then the outskirts or the city. He came TO Panc0ast
TO complete the work, the frames being up Pancoast
said he would take job II no could get journey
man he had TO take charge OF It. overheard the con-
vcrsaton, and when pancoast came 70 me and told mo
that III would take charge OF the work would be paid
full wages, declined. Pancoast told me that must
do the work quit his employ. ] stopped work at
and 70 s Re y as
he had and asked me IL was competent TO 40 It l
replied that the Jcurncyman Pancoast had recon-
mended, and secured the contract, and employed q
young man who boarded where did TO help me- Pan
received knowledge OF the transaction In day or
two and up Greenwich camp and challenged
mo a duel l decliucd TO accept and that was tho
end OF that scrapc laughingy concluded the old man.
NOW, father, II you're through with New York, tell
gestcd the daughter inaw.
THE NORTH RIVER
'sBut amt through yet. After finishing that job
went IN building dock In the North River, the
Battery This the first dock ever constructed in
the North River, and when went TO Now York there
dock east OF Peck slip In the East River. The
dock being built by old Governor Clinton, and was
be used for storing for the OF the CITY,
don't remember ever having seen Governor Clinton
the WORK, but hts son -law-I forget his name
was there often injured myself by heavy lifting on
the dock. The yellow lever visited the harbor and
es.rl -, ham. m Gstn
in 1896, the year was married the inst time'
THR REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
ado you remember much about the Revolutionary
War, Nr. 81 Johny' asked, after time.
..Oh, ycs-yes | remember great deal about tho
Revolutionary War" The clock In the CON-
menced striking and the ccncnarian looked quickly up
and asked, lis that twelve, Hannansn Answered In
the Affirmative he continued:-"I remember when tue
British burned Norwalk and witnessed the burning.
was SIX years old. had our brothers in the war"
Here Mr.. ST. Johns eldest who had lett the room
after introducing me- recntercd and said 70 his
wife:--