The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-11-12
MAX,

Rich alluvial soil covered the little
green valley on the hanks of Clear river.
Gottlieb Lechler, German emigranL,
chanced to come upon it as he was ira
versing a lonely part of Ohio, in search
of work or ofa bit of land which might
be bought with the few pieces Of foreign
gold coin that he carried in small
leather bag in his bosom.
Gottlieb knew little English. He
sought out the owner of the large tract
where this little valley lay. The man
was glad enoughto sell part of it, and
soon the young and sturdy emigrant
was the owner of the emerald-turfed
meadow and the overshadowing belt OF
Woodland.
The very day the conveyance was
made and the purchase money paid,
with instructions for his young wife to
come to his Ohio home.
It was a long while he had to wait
for her, but the time was occupied by
getting o part of his land under cultiva-
tioH and building a comfortable log
house in which to receive the little frau
when she should arrive.
In two years from the time they were
married in the gray old church on the
banks of the far-away Moselle, they
were working away as happy as a pair
of young blackbirds on their Ohio clear
| ing.
When Maurice, their first baby, was
a bright little fellow of ten months, a
party of men with chains and surveying
| instruments and little red flags came
through the woods near Gottlieb's dwell
ing, laying out line for a new railroad.
| By the time the twins, Frances and
Frederick. were old enough to clap their
hands at the unusual hustle, there was a
! great steam shovel clattering away in
/ the hillside back of the house, and pile
driver pounding down long-pointed logs
for the foundation of the piers of bridge
which was to span Clear river.
/ And long before the long haired Joseph
was old enough to creep about the green
turf in front of the house the railroad
trains were running regularly every few
hours, pleasantly relieving the monoto-
nous life of the Lechlers, old and young
|
ramas, with real, living people from the
great towns over the hills and plans
which the delighted children had never
seen.
Tt was not long before the train hands
began to take an interest in this isolated
little log house, with its bright flowers
| il the dooryard and garden, where foul
clean, fresh, handsome children seldom
failed to salute them with swinging
hats, handkerchiefs and hands as the,
passed.
In that lonely region the train wa
almost the only thing that gave an.
variety to the life of the cettagers. ant
it's arrival, although it never stopped
was eagerly awaited. eA
Sometimes, indeed, the engineer OF on
of the passengers would throw some
thing out to the children-an apple,
cake, package of candy or a newspape
= which was alwaysreceived with grea
delight.
And it seemed to afford the trail
hands almost equal pleasure, as ever
face was lighted up with smiles as tn
cars went rafting past.
There was only only one thing tina
gave Frau Gottlieb any anxiety, and tha
was the fear that the children might b
run over; but after a year or two thi
apprehension almost entirely passe
away, as she saw thatthe children wer
extremely careful, and the whistle CAV
warning even before the engine was
sight.
One day the moon freight, whic
8 always went slowly up the grade froi
! the bridge, moved slower than usual.
t think the engineer, John Cham berlaii
t was in the secret.
: When the long, heavy train was jul
q against the house, Frank Caldwell, tt
l l.jolly tail brakeman, /" swung off hal
( died half bushel basket, in which was
fat, round, black and white, six weel
f old Newfoundland puppy.
4 The basket went rolling off down Il
: sandy slope, and the pup, recoverir
d his equilibrium, waddled, full fdeligh
& to the open -mouthed, wondering chile
I rem, who had never seen q dog before.
/, The train-men all laughed and gest
t culated until the great putting locom'
tive had drawn them around the cur,