River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-01-27
SQUIRE M'CLELLAN'S SLED.
How the NewIy-COnVertedM iser W az
OYerrpached.

Probably the largest wood sled ever
built in county, says an ex-
change, was one devised by Squire
| John Mcclellan, great uncle of Gen.
George b. Mcclellan.
For u number of years it was one Of
the local curiosities of the town Of
Woodstock, Conn, the early home of
the Mcclellan family. The narrator's
! father, who saw it frequently when Il
boy, says it was nigh thirty-two feet in
beams were of squared eight-inch
| timber, with studs to match, and the
''shoes" or runners, were over a foot in
width. For drawing it there were two
tongues, or poles, in the forward
end
1t was never used save on one special
occasion, when the team consisted Of
fifteen yokes Of oxen.
The story of its origin is rs follows:
In the parish where Squire Mcclellan
resided it was the custom every winter
for such Of the men who had wood lots
to give the parsOn cord of hickory
wood each, and thus make up to him a
winters supply of fuel. The squire,
in particular, was always punctual in
December with his cord of nicely-pre-
pared hickory.
In that parish there was man who
had the reputation of being Snug"
niggardly, and apt to shirk his due
share of the burden of paying the
minister. Indeed, his remissness in
this matter had been Il standing griev-
ance III the place for many years.
Ohm oIlt,1t1,, tbora raUixyol nf
religious interest in the place, and
many members of the church were
stimulated to earnest labor, and to live
more strictly. Among these was the
penurious man above alluded to, whom
we may conveniently designate as
Brother L.
Not little to the establishment Of
his nelghbors, who had ample expert
ence of his misery dealing, he arose
in prayer-meeting one night, and ex-
horted to liberal giving, not only to the
parson, but to all benevolent objects
Waxing exceedingly earnest in Ian
guage and tone, he declared, among
other things, that he would that winter
give the minister load of wood. "Yea,
brethren" he exclaimed, THE Lord
has opened my heart! | will give him
a load of wood, and big one. will
give him the biggest load you can
draw from my woods to his yards!'
This unexpected outburst from SO
drouthy source WIS the parish wonder
for week NAM thought that Broth
er 4 must be near his end.
Truly" said Squire Mcclellan at the
deacons' meeting, ''the Lord must have
1 Int - Io
added, with characteristic Scotch
shrewdness, "iC may soon close, and
may never open again. 1t behooves
us, in the parsons interest, to avail
ourselves of it. Let Us build a sled
that will carry ten cords-and do it at
once"
So thought the others. The monster
sled was privately but.expeditiously
framed in back yard, and, early one
snowy morning in December, Brother
L was amazed to see drive to his
door apparently all the OK teams in
town, drawing the titantic sled, accom-
panied by shouting thrOng of team
steers. and all the small boys in the
parish.
The squire was riding on the sled
"Weve come for the parsons load OF
wood, Brother Il" he called out
"You babe us haul the biggest load we
could, and | am glad to hear that you
have lately had fine lot of hickory
chopped"
Brother L, however, seeing the
MAGNITUDE of the sled, tried to explain
and to demur, but in vain. The crowd
roared him into acquiescence, and
with a wry face he finally led the way
across the snowy fields to his freshly
corded tiers of hickory in the lot.
1t is said that fully ten cords of wood
were loaded upon the big sled, under
the 'squire's supervision, and then, to
the tune of most vociferous gee-haw-
ing, the enormous load was success
fully sledded to the parsons doorway.
The worthy minister, equally
amazed, but more agreeably so, issued
forth to learn the cause of the uproar.
Good people, good people" he
cried, rubbing his hands, "what mean
eth this? Have the windows of heaven
opened?"
"Nay, nay, parsonr exclaimed the
squire; 'but the Lord has opened
Brother Is heart, and that so great
a gift could have issued from so small q
receptacle is one of the wonders of saw
ing grace Question not, but take it.
and keep We warm"
The minister had roaring fires that
winter, but it was long before Brother
L recovered his equanimity.