St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-02-21

penetrating to the remote wilderness,
planted them in some secluded spot,
combining picturesqueness and fertility
of soil, letting them grow until required
by the settlers, whose homes had in the
meatime sprung up i'll the neighbOrhood
of his isolated clearings. In this way
the wilderness was made to blossom
and bloom like a rose, and the fOunda
ton was laid for that immense growth
of fruit trees whose yield forms so i'm
portant Il part of the annual products
of this part of the state.
JoHNNY's BUSINESS METHODS.
When the trees were ready for sale
johnny either sold them himself, at
very low price, or left them in charge
OF some one to sell for him. And III
this matter of sales he was us methodl-
cal as any merchant. If the customer
was too poor to- purchase trees, which
frequently happened, he got them with
out paV: if in better circumstances,
but destitute of ready cash, Johnny
made some convenient trade, taking
old clothing or supply of cotu-mehl I'D
exchange but If the owner was we'll
to-do johnny demanded money, which
he was seldom without. His general
custom, however, was to take note,
PAYABLE at some indefinite period.
Having received it he troubled himself
no further about the payment, consld-
erino the transaction at an end, as, i'll
deed, it generally was. Caring little
for money and with very limited per-
SonaI wants he frequently came INTO
possession. 10y the sale of trees, of more
money than he cared to keep. This he
soon dispos d Of in gifts to some poor
| family, struggling against the misfor-
tunes common to II life on the border,
III the purchase of doctIinal books of
the Swedenbol giau faith for gratuitouS
! distribution, and in the care of aged
and intirm horses. This latter charity,
indeed, seems 10 have constituted an
important part of his mission. Where
ever he SAW OF heard of an animal be-
ing abused lie at once purchased 1t, and
gave it to some more humane farmer,
stipulating for its kindly treatment.
The severe labors incident to IL rough
frontier life often manned or disabled
holSeS. which, otherwise Il burden to
their owners, were turned loose to die.
Whenever johnny heard of such an
animal he Immediately made dillgent
search for il, and, bargaining for its
proper care during the winter, led 1t
away in the summer to some rich pas
turr which he had found in his wall
dcriug. In this way he often collected
Il considerable drove of animals, the
cunValesccut members of which he per
Sistently refused to sell, but readily
gave away to such persons as hound
themselves sOlemnly to treat them well.
AN EXAGGERATED BERGH.
Upon the same principle he regarded
the mtlictiOn of pain or death upon any
creature as an almost objectionable sin.
His conception at the heinouSnesS OF
this sin, too. was not limited To the
higher forms of life, but extended ia
the minutest insect. and to its mere
disturbance or Inconvenience. One
cool uuiummal night. " hilc lying by his
camp fire in the woods, he observed
, that the mosquitoes blew into the famCs
and were burned. Taking the huge tin
dipper, which answered the double
purpose of cup and mush-p1t, from his
head lIe filled il with water and queuch-
Ell the fire, remarking afterward, Good
forbid that | should build Il fire for my
comfort which should be the means ot
destroying any of His creatures - Al
another time he made his camp fire al
the end of ii hollow log in which he
intended to pass the night; but finding
/, il occupied 10y il bear aud her cubs, h,
removed the fire to the other end, anC
slept in the SNOW rather than disturb
the bears. Walking one morning ovel
ii small prairie he WAS bitten by rat
tleSnake. Some time aftrrward frienC
inquired of him about the matter. III,
= drew Il long sigh, and replied: "Pool
fellow he only just touched me, whcI
/, in an ungodly passion, put the hee
of my scNthe in him and went home
Again. while assisting in the construc
; ton of IA road through the woods,
hornet whose nest had been destroyed
in the operation found lodgment under
meath Juhnny'S shirt. Notwithstanding
the fact that he was repeatedly Stuns
. by the enIaged insect, he removed /
with the greatest gentlencSs. His com
panions laughiugly asked him why h'
did not kill it, receiving i'll reply, 81
would not be right to kill the poo
= thing, for it did not intend to hurt me.
JoHNNY's RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASM.
= Next to his enthusiasm for the cult
I vatlon of apple trees i'll what he termed
= the proper way, that is, from the SeeG
: pruning and grating being an absO
= lule sin in his eyes-was the zeal witt
: which he advocated the peculiar doc
: tIines OF the Swedcnborgian faith. Ii
# the purchase of books and tracts treat
= ing OH this system of religion he eX
e pended much of his revenue, and
e was his custom always to carry IL fey
n old volumes with him. Almost the frs
thing he did upon entering II settler
: house wearied with his long tramp, WA
e to lie down on the floor, with his KNAPP
e sack for pillow, and inquire if hi
auditors would hear "SOme news riGh
l. fresh from heaven" Drawing forth hi
q few tattered books, he would enlarg
Il upol the beauties of his faith until hi
il hearers caught the glow of his ell
e thusiasm, while scarcely comprehend
le ing his words. SO anxious was he tina
, every one should read his books, an
d so limited was their number, that h
l. devised an original method by whic
TX one book was converted into a-seIia
III Dividing volume into many pieces
S, each containing single chapter, b
I'd left one at Il log house, and on Il sui
N sequent visit furnished another fras
ment, continuing this process until til
whole book had been read. In this wa
20 he was enabled to furnish reading maj
~ ter to several families at the same time
g. the only drawback to the process lyin
=. in the fact that the fist instalment give
= to some illiterate backwoodsman somt
IL IL times happened to be the last fractiC
~ of the volume, and the unfortunate II
- cipient was thus compelled to read tt