Connecticut western news., 1883-12-12
CAUGHT IN A BAR TRAP.


| VII @N~A
 ''I dunno but what yer bout right my son" said the Old Settler. "Fros makes the blood hop, skip an jump, an it's wuth { bushel O doctors stuff if it's aroun' when its due. But for stiddy diet to put meat on yer bones, b'gosh the shank of 8 turkey or hunk O spare rib IS wuth turn at the hull durn AT tic regions"
 "There was once man lived in lit. tie town where I came from, over on the Tionesta," said the new school teacher, "by the name of Jansen Jacobs. This s sgR ge pr oes and a est man there was in the whole country. He was great eater and great hun ter. People used to say that it was a common thing for him to eat a whole turkey, and that his wife always pre- pared his meals as if she was getting them ready for four men. He never al- lowed any of his family to eat until he was through, and, if he was in a bad humor, made them wait until he had satisfied the appetites of his half dozen dogs from the table. He wasn't very cheerful man, nor a very popular one; but that didn't disturb him any.
 cone season there was terrible flood in the Tionesta, and 8 great deal of lumber was carried away. Several mill hands were drowned in trying to save property, leaving large families in al- most destitute circumstances. When Christmas times came round some of the folks thought it would be good thing to make up wagon load of things and distribute them among these poor fami- lies, as otherwise their chances of hav- ing much to eat on Christmas would be rather slim. Besides that, almost every man in the settlement volunteered to chop wood for two hours on Christmas morning for the benefit of these families. The committee was certain that, mean as he was, Jansen Jacobs would do a little something in a case like this. When asked if he would give turkey, or a piece of venison, or anything he pleased, he said:
 "'Wall, I've got some turkeys, an I've got some venzin, an I've got some bar meat. An got plenty on 'em, An I'm giniter keep 'em. If any body but me an my folks, widders or no widders, orfnts or no orfnts, socks their teeth in any of lem, 't'll be because don't git in from the woods Christmas to see to it. an I'd like to see the power that'n stor me from doin' of it. Ez fur cutting wood, I'd rather be ketched in bal trap !
 Christmas morning Jansen started fol the woods as usual. He told his wife he wanted his dinner ready by 12 o'clock.
 "sWhat I don't eat 'twixt twelve an one, said he, sye kin divide 'twixt yor- selfs an the poor,' and he went out laughing at the good joke he thought he had made.
 "Well, twelve o'clock came, but nc Jansen. One o'clock, and still no Jan- sen. This was most remarkable, as he had never been known to be minute behind his time. But his good wife kept his dinner hot, and suppressed he, own and her children's cravings for its savory viands. Two o'clock, and still nc Jansen. -...-
 Mother said young Peter Jacobs, @ lad of fifteen, don't let's wait nc longer. Dads struck the trail of deer, an he'll foller it till he gifts it. Anyhow, he said that what he didn't eat 'twix twelve and one we could distribit 'twixt ourself an the poor. Let's take him al his word an pitch in. I'll stan by ye, mother
 s'That was enough, and they did pitch in,' Jansen's family had such g Christmas dinner as they never had before, and the 'widders an orfints' had no such treat that day as came from Jansen Jacobs's table after all, for Mrs. Jansen was famous cook.
 "Old man Jacobs didn't come home that night, nor the next day, nor the next night, and then his wife began tc feel alarmed; for wasn't he her husband and the father of her children? So she prevailed upon party of neighbors te go in search of him, much against theil will. Four miles back in the wood they found him. It seems there hat been power that had stopped Jansel from getting back from the woods ant , preventing any one else from 'sockin E their teeth iE his good things; and a he had vowed that he would rather b. 'lketched in bar trap than chop woo, for his unfortunate neighbors, his choic had been given him-Jansen was foun, close prisoner in one of his bear pens "He had gone there to arrange it fo the night, and while inside had som = way sprung the fall. and down came tn } heavy door that could only be opene 3 from the outside, and Jansen's visions ( Christmas dinner vanished. When take out he was nearly dead from cold an 0 hunger. He was brought safely roun again, however, but the Jansen Jacob l of old was gone. The poor never had !, better friend than he was ever after, an 0 he was the kindest of men to his famil [ to the day of his death."
 O Starved him right" said one of tn
 boys. "Jansen's family had sumpin t
 be thankful fur, but what have we % " to be thankful fur this year"
 "Wall, boys," said the Old Settler l. "thuz one thing, an that is, we ..ain @ none on us ben called on to Ieava n @ widders ner orfints ahind us sence Ia, 1T year this time. I says to M'riar th @ A.a.n;,,, nt 'hrenkfas, sM,riar, snx,s