The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-08-16
A FIN.pEDDLER,s ADVENTURE.

1INsHEDDLEh,S . AUf ENIUhE
NV occupation through life has been
somewhat peculiar one. I have been
tin-peddler for fifty-nine years, and
only retired from the business in Novem-
ber, 1881. I was eighty-three years old
in February of the present year, and SO
far as can learn, am the oldest tin
peddler in New England
Peddlers in my early days were more
highly esteemed than they are to-day.
The back counties were then very
sparsely settled, and sewing machine
peddlers, book-agents. Irish linen ped
dlers and all the rest of the genus, were
unknown. The only peddler was the
..Simon-puren tin-peddler, who often
carried, in addition to his stock of tin
ware. calicos, women's shoes, pins,
needles, thread, iack-knives, writing
paper, lead-pencils and q score of other
knieknacks. To the people, and par
tieularly to the housewives in the re-
mote towns, where the country '.store"
was ten, fifteen, or twenty miles away,
the tin-peddIerswas welcome visitor
real necessity.
For number of years one of nv
routes lay through Oxford County,
Maine, and Gorham, New Hampshire,
thence out TO Littleton, Franconia,
Bethlehem, andround southwark again,
past Lake Winnepiseogee.
From 1861 to 1868, | broadened this
route somewhat by including within it
ErFol, N. H., and going up through
Dixville NOTCH" so called, and out to
Colebrook on the Connecticut River.
, And it was while making my round
through this latter section of country.
in the fall of 1868, that the adventure of
which | am about to speak, befell me.
Ihad reached Errol on the Sd of Oc-
tober, and set off from there on the
forenoon of the 4th, to go through Dix
vile ''noteh. The distance from Enrol
iseleven or twelve miles, the road ex-
tending up the open valley of Clear
Stream-a beautiful drive, particularly
at this season, when the autumn foliage
has taken on its most vivid tints.
Even tin-peddler may have an eve
for the beautiful in nature. / used al
ways to enjoy this ride up to the notch,
and also the notch itself, with its frown-
ing portal and remarkable row of Alpine
peaks, forming. next tothe notch in the
White Mountains, the most striking
scenery in this entire section of coun-
try.
For a number of miles from Enrol
there are farms along Clear Stream; and
with these farmers wives / had CON
SIDERABLE trade. 1t was nearly night
when reached the long stretch of uri-
occupied lands, below the notch. But
wished to be at Colebrook the next
Jay, and SO drove on to reach little
tavern just through the notch, where
could stay until morning.
| then owned large, strong, white
faced horse-"Old Charley land nv
cart was large and heavy one. At
thls stage of my round, however, I had
soid the bulk of my stock of tin ware,
but had taken in quantity of rags, in
sacks, which were piled up and lashed
on the top of my cart; while inside the
cart had one or two tubs of butter.
with several fleeees of wool and bale
Oh yarn. My load, consequently, had
an unwIeldly aspect though it was not
unusually heavy.
But the hillin the notchis hard one.
even when it is in repair; and when I
reached the small Dixville tavern, it was
seven o'clock.
ahese were war-times, as the reader
wlll see from the date given above; and
solhe queer business was reported to be
gong ON then, back and forth. across
sanada Line. .'Bounty-iumpers' and
aosuI9te brokers" were playing bo-
peep with Uncle Sam in many of these
..onner settlements. Confederate spies
sh1 agents, too, it was said, were
a.lng these places their points of en-
u IL ,nto the country, and of exit from it.
mere We're i've or six men, old and
lung at the tavern that night, two or
nlee of whom impressed me as being
peouiiar IN appearance and manner; one
peclaliy, tall, well-made, keen-look-
~ man Of twenty-five or six, who had
saw ss uuuss la vigliant gray-blue eyes ever
g" set in human face.
-; ;aoout an hour later, something of a
r;n., 81 was created in the house by the ar
Id la oi three more men, who the land
a eoid me Ia an undertone, were
cow esSaernfaent detectives. They had
o,sae IN from Colebrook.
ola zone Of these things concerned an
Laa. peadler ike myself, however.
wan. ~ corner, smoked my pipe and
ald ~ es se'sliy to bed, first seeing to it that
dea marley was properly fed and bed
wh;cS sae 5nen taking look to my cart,
psn TN mad been drawn under the shed.
thraa.dne next morning was cloudy and
ran @'ened rain. 1t was one of those
ae,sn ea, cold, , north-easterly storms which
of ~ - occur IN this region at this season
Colab.year, year, | was anxious to get on to
earl, s.lLosook, however, and takino an
plid Ut roreaaSiast. | harnessed nv horse.
= NY Dill and left the tavern,