The Worthington advance., 1878-10-10
GL!A NJ.

HGlG1n" IS a nickname, common with
the French Canadian boys of the quaint
AcadiaR settlement of Madawaska. 1t
answers to our "Bill," and comes, think,
from the French Guilznumc, or William.
The Madawaska children pronounced it
sif spelled Glaam, very broadly.
But Clam was not boy, though he
bore boys name. Neither was he a
dog-though I once saw a coach-dog
named "Bill," Indeed, I am afraid it
will disappoint the readers to learn tn
Clam was sheep, Of the gender which
country people call ':knock over;;' a
sheep with great curled horns and a
fearfully hard head.
Boys and dogs are often written about
but it is seldom, think, that sheep
has his biography told. Yet CLAIMS life
and exploits are worth recording; and
thiuk that after reading what am about
to relate, the reader will say so.
CLAM belonged to little bacon faced
Madawaska lad named Maxine Lizotte.
His father called him ',Marxecm,,' or
"Marx.' But his father being lumber
man, was at home but very little, and
the charge Of the little clos, or farm, stu
ated few miles from the hamlet of St.
Basil, was left mostly to Maxine, the
boy sowed buckwheat and planted po-
tatocs in the spring, and in September
harvested his crop, burying his potatoes,
like squirrel, deep in a hole in the
Crf11nG that tbor ;crb+ l,a ~
for winter use. The MadaWaska people
have no cellars. If they did have them
their houses would be warmer, for the
climate is very severe, and winter lasts
nearly or quite seven months of the year.
Maxine did the hardest part of his
farm work with two little '.srarked ~
COWS. These yoked to his plow and his
cart, one OF the queer customs OF that
queer settlement.
His plow would have amused New
England lad, for it looked more like a
dry tamarac root than a modern plow.
But 1t did its work, with the help of
Maxime and his yoke Of cows, These he
had named ''Gadclle' and "Gellctte, -
names which may be freely translated in
to English as 'Plum' and Cream -pot;' -
though it is doubtful if either word could
be found in Paris French dictionary
1t was very amusing to see Maxine at
his ploving, shouting, "He1rct, Gadelle
Mushdaw, Geilettcr'
Besides these two COWS, the boy had
owned flock of twelve or fifteen sheep
and Clam was the lord Of the flock. In
his Mmbhood, he had been great pet, a
sort OF ''cossct.' No doubt he was given
his full share Of provendur and other
good things; and this, perhaps, was the
reason why he was SO large.
At the age Of five years, when the
writer saw him. CLAM certainly weighed
not less than 200 pounds. From the
great length Of his wool, he o,kcd even
heavier. It was said that the weight o
his annual fleece was fifteen pounds, which
seemed to me pretty Aeavy story.
When lamb, Clam was no doubt gen.
tie, like all of his race; but as he grew
older and larger, he became conscious OF
the fercible arguments that lay in bis
big curled horns and hard head, and used
them to resent familiar,ies from strane.
crs He became a "knock over" in good
earnest to all the neighboring bows
Maxine ana Clam, however, understood
each other, and avoided antagonisms
thai should have no place between
friends.
CLAIMS first exploit of note occurred
when he had reached his third year
Maxime's sheep-pasture was on the
mountain side, above his clos 1t was q
tract OF thirty or forty acres, that were
only partially cleared from trees and
brush. The public morals of that dis
trict are probably not better than those
OF other localities. At any rate, farmers
like Mexicans, who owned lambs, occas
1onally lost them, and the theft was not
unfreqaently charged to their neighbors
and not to the bears and other wild
beasts.
Then, too, the "river drivers" as they
passed up and down the St. Johns had
an unpleasant custom of kidnapping ia,
lambs that might be found upon its
shores, and roasting them over thei,
camp-fires.
During the latter part of Nav and the
first week of June, when the drivers were
coming down the river, Maxine used tc
60 to his pasture once or twice day, te
keep watch over his little flock.
One toggy morning, as he was calling
the sheep together. he was struck by the
appearance of CLAM, who seemed to be
standing guard over something red that
was lying on the grou: d at distance
from the rest of the flock. Whatever the
ob]ect was, it had life; for while he look
ed, 1t rose partly up but Clam, drawing
back, at once butted it fiat again.
Maxine ran to the animal, and, 10
the red object was a red-shirted river
man, who was in sorry plight. He coult
scarcely speak, but contrived to stammer
out the words that he thought his bacl
was broken.
Near by, lying On the ground, was on
OF the best lambs of the flock, with tn
tendons of his hind-legs cut. The would
be thief had dirk in his hand, witt
which he had made desperate efforts t
quiet Clam, but had onl y succeeded il
wounding the sturdy animal
The fellow had little to say for himself
He had caught and was carrying off th
lamb on his shoulders, when Clan
charged him from behind, striking hin
full IN the back; and afterward, when b,
tried to rise, offered continual obiectio,
BY knocking him flat again.
There is little Catholic hospital at St
Basil. The lamb. stealer was taken ther,
and afterward recovered. So Clam wa!
not murderer; though if he had been. II
su h case, for one should have held
him to be fully justified. It was hi
business to defend his flock, and he di(
so at the risk of bis own life.
Next came what is to me less interest
ing event in CLAIMS life. The followin.
autumn, two Frenchmen passed Maxime'
farm, driving before them q flock o
sheep. With the flock was large buck
Seeing Clam, and noting his large size
the men challenged Maxine to match hin
against their own buck for a buttinI
duel.
Max consented, am sorry to say, an.