The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-03-16


ieas,sl ,.Asa from Western paper Mos,
II ouf cider READERS will remember ,he old
ioll gate keeper!
lbs RIxthLlcAH.~-I have just return.
"a iron visit 70 one Of your oldest pat
rpus, Mr. john Hogeboom. or Uncle
John, a. be has been called For many
wears IL MAS resident o Fairfield Bureau
couut,, living Nth bis soniniaw. Levi
iisiau8p. ~ ehat Is known As Sodlosn.
Waea yon paper MAS first started he vas
among iic subeetiirrs aud has alasys
called il his paper. aud although he has
moved several times. still his name vas
seat 10 for mop RnumAcAS, until this
winter. whep, being quite poorly. be
though, his long life Of over 80 wears vas
dlasine 10 its close. and did not renew
biz subscription
There are many Of bis old friends among
tie readers III the l,ErrBLicAs who know
eouId he Interested 10 hearing OF him. |
talked With him for several hours, seated
BY the ope, lire place in his cosy room at
hls home ~ the little village Of Lindon,
Illinois, and he related many interesting
circumstances il his long and happy life
lie moved from the side OF the grand old
Green Mountains out 10 the bare green
prarirs OF Illinois nearly twenty SIX years
ago; SAW some hard times for the country
was then comparatively new; had to obtain
all their -four aud dry goods and grocer
les either from Sterling. Como. or in the
then small city of Princeton In speaking
OF his age he remarked with a smile Yes
il has been a long life and merry one, il
| should die tomorrow.
lie still reads with perfect ease without
the aid Of spectacles spends the most o
his time reading; is very much interested
in the daily news from the city Of Wash
ingtou; has been and still IL strong Re-
publican; says, and rightly, that "those
who have prospered most under Republi.
can rule are the first TO cry 1t down; the
frs, to cry fraud when meme can be found. "
He lived for eight years on the side of the
Green Mountains OF Vermont and kept
toll.gate OIL the old Perm turnpike aud
made for himself many friends who still
remember the cheerful, happy face of the
toll
As talked with him Of the past his mind
seemed clear and he spoke Of bis old home
in the East of his short stay in southern
Illinois aud said, well, think that Hi.
nois is as good State as you can find, and
the man who cannot make a good living
here, and lay by something for his old age
might as well give mp, He has two
daughters left to comfort his declining
years and without a wish unqualified, with
every comfort surrounded, he can truly
say, my paths are paths of pleasantness
aud all my walks are peace,
In speaking Of bis recent illness he said,
II do not suffer much, most OF the time am
very comfortable; only so cold that often
find myself repeating the lines which my
father.in. law, Noah Whitman, Of Vermont
wrote on his black board short time be-
fore his death:
As ] grow old grow more cold;
cannot be warm alone,
My feet do ache, sit and shake,
Enough to make one groan. f"
What beautiful picture, no, reality, to
see one so aged who can speak of his long |
well spent life, can say that he has moth
ing TO regret in the past, nothing 10 fear
in the future, always happy and content
al We left the dear old man with regret.
seldom have We had sncl pleasant visit
and rs Ne held the thin hands at parting
w thought OF some beautiful lines we read
, short time since:
Such beautiful, beautiful hands.
They are neither white nor small
And you know wonld scarcely think
That they we're fair at all;
Yet are these aged wrinkled hands
Most beautiful to me,
almost weep, as looking back,
think how these hands rested not,
When mine we're at their play.
X. A. II.
Tampico, February 10, 1882