Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-12-14
Indian "reminiscences.


A writer in the New York Journal of
Commerce of November 22d gives some
very interesting "reminiscences of portions
of Vermont, which we are sure our read
ers will appreciate. We give below a
part of the article:
Fsom all this sou NAV infer that n ride
through Vermont and New Hampshire is
II journey of discovery. We go by in.
qulring almost from mile to mile. A good
map, already marked over and over with
the lines of our old routes, lies on the car
riage seat. We start like ship and lay
our course by compass or rather by the
sun, for some place which on the scale
seems to be at a reasonable distance, and
ask from time to time whether we are on
the right road. Occasionally we 90 wrong.
1t is of no account. We keep on, and ar
rive somewhere
From Newport we drove southwark. [
will not attempt any detail of the pleasant
route through Coventry, Trasburgh, Crafts
bury and Hardwick. Leaving Hardwck
we followed the track of the rail which
leads from Lake Champlain to St. Johns.
bury, and as it turned off from the wagon
road passenger train went by u.s. We
beat it TO the station, for the wagon road
was but about three miles, while the rail
winds some fifteen or sixteen. Thence
we went through Cabot to MarShfeld On
the left of the road before reaching NJ rsh.
field is one of the finest cascades in New
England The water was high, and a
magnificent stream poured in white foam
with deafening roar down rocky prec.
fAip h.,N E
through a dark forest. On looking over
old notes find that once drove over the
hill just at the top of this cascade without
knowing its existence, but made then a
memoran tum that in the forest below me
the stream descended among rocks with a
loud voice. The cascade is known there.
abouts as Molly's falls. Mollys falls
are on Molly's brook, and Motly's brook
flows from Molly's pond. Close by that
pond is Joe's pond, whose waters, by
Joe : brook flow eastward to the Con.
nceticut, while Molly's brook flows to the
Winooski and Lake Champain In a
former year | have written you about
fishing IN JoeS pond.
Joe and Molly are historical characters
in the Coos country. Joe was a Young
Indian from Nova Scotia who, on the
practical destruction Of his tribe after the
siege of Louisburg, drifted to the St.
Francois tribe, and made his home on the
Connecticut where Newbury now is. He
was always on kind terms with the early
settlers, and lived TO n good old age, en-
ioying a pension from Vermont until his
death in 1919. In his early days he took
wife (known to the whites as Molly)
who had by a formnr husband two sons
named Toomalek and Muxawuxal. The
latter died. The former lived to be griei
to his mother. He is described as a short,
broad, fiendish looking, bad Indian. He
desired for his wife young girl. Lewa,
WHO preferred and married another
Whereupon Toomalek watching Tor his
opportunity to kill the favored lover, now
the husband, saw the two sitting by their
camp fire in The evening, shot at the man
and killed the wife. The Indians tried
him by their law. Old Chief John, Il re-
nowned warrior, presided, and laid down
the law that rs Toomalek had shot at the
husband and missed him, he had committed
no crime as against him; that as he had
not intended 10 she )t the woman in shoot
ing at the man, the occurrence was acci
DENTAL so far as she was concerned. Sc
they discharged him. But John lived ia
repent his small knowledge of the distinct
crimes of murder and mansaughter. Too
malek shortly after killed the husband in
IA fray, and again vert free, ii being ad
| Judged that he acted IN self-defense. 1t
WAS old John who saved him again by
his legal acumen.
Old Johns eldest and favorite son Pial
with other young Indians, was walking
across the fields now in North Haverhil
when an exchange of words sprang uE
between him and an Indian girl. She
whispered in roomalek's ear and he, turn
ing short, drove his knife thorugh PiaI
then and there killing him, contrary tC
Indian and white law, and the peace o
both communities. This time the white,
undertook to administer justice, and they
did it with queer int .rmingl ling of whit,
and copper-coored law and practice. Th,
court was apparently a town meeting
called At Newbury the morning after tn,
murder, and the Judgment of death wa
unanimous, including the Indian law tina
the father of the murdered man must XII
the murderer. But first they sent a com
mittee to consult the clergyman, who's,
approval being obtained, they made FOO
malek sit down, and gave John n muske
with which he executed the judgment o
private revenge and public law on tn,
son of Molly.
Joe and Molly we're present at tn,
execution, buried the body themselves
and it is recorded that Molly, who ha,
lately wept long and bitterly over the nat
ural death of her other son, Muxawuxal
shed no tears for Toomalek. nor was eve
heard to mention his name. During tn
war of the Revolution Joe was always ol
the side Of the coonists, was grea
admirer of Washington, boasted of a visi
he once paid to the great father at New
burg on the Hudson. and kind reception
there, and was known to have such per
manent hatred toward the British, that b
would never cross the Canada line eve
in following moose through the forests
His Indian friends could never persuad
him to Join the st. Francois tribe in Can
ada, nor when once they stole Molly an
carried her there would he go afte
her. She came back and died He outlive,
her, and growing very Old received a pen
sion of $40 per annum from Vermont un
til his death in 1919 When he died tn
Newbury pepole did MIN honor, laid hin
in the northwest corner of the buryinI
ground, and discharged over his grave tn
last load which the old Indian had place
and left in bis gun. Says Mr.. Powers
Che historian of the Coos country frou
whose book have condensed this story
With Captain Joe fell the last of tn
Indians at Copsuck that once fairy IAN
of long slumbering generations"
You will see that the names Joe's pom
: and Molly's pond are sacred historical
names. Some one will be trying to chang
: them some day because they are not Q
pleasant sound But they should stand.
A FIRST COUSIN TO BRASS FOUNDRY
The man who travels on the railroad
and sits down by the side of lone female