Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01
THE STORY OF NELLY RAMSEY.
Legend of Christmas Eve Incident in the Early
History of Western New York.
written for the New Years RnoorD-usros.l

the pleasant towns and varied scenery of
the central portion of the Empire State,
has never failed to notice and admire the
chain OF small lakes, lying like necklace
of pearls of irregular and varied shape and
size, ON the green bosom of that tract of
beauteous bill country, once the home and
center Of power of the famous Six Nations.
Here the Alleghanies lose their sternness
their rough outlines softening and breaking
into such beauty of hill and vale as make
a fit setting for our necklace of pearly lakes.
An aboriginal flavor of romance clings to
their surroundings, perpctuating in names
wild and musical the glories of a faded
race-names that stir the heart, and set its
pulses beating with the memories of olden
revolutionary times: Oneida. Owasco, SEN
eca, Cayuga, 0Dondaga
Their utterance will be sweet as the
dream of his youth to the exiled son of
Western New York, whether he sees the
suns decline from the woods of Maine
the corn-felds of Illinois, or the grain
fields of California. The genius Of Cooper
has immortalized Seneca Lake and its sur
roundings, and the witchery is reflected
over all the region. Yet has each lakelet
legends o. its own, which should not be
suffered to pass into oblivion. The one
which is now to be related was told b. lips
beloved lover which the mold OF half a
century has fallen) as the writer, wide
eyed, impiessionable child, sat by the fire.
side and listened, while the wintry storms
walled without fit accompaniment to
the sad, o'er-true story.
In this present year of grace the traveller
on the New York Central Railroad going
east. is borne around the eastern end of
Onondaga Lake. The watts of the great
salt works, with their huge, mushroom
shaped covers, line the shore. He sees the
outer rim of the beautiful and prosperous
city of Syracuse. The green, gently
rounded hills stand about her like those of
Jerusalem of old.
,-7-G The lovely panorama of city. ajiaeent viii
lagos, sparkling lake and hills flashes past
Ikea midsummer dream, and possibly is
soon forgotten in the after glories of the
scenery of the Hudson. Far different was
it, in all but natural features, in the first
year of the present century. Syracuse was
not and the salt works were but a deer
lick known only to tinid sylvan creatures,
anu W lSi iitll near Us VIII is lutl. CT
the lake was not even then alone. A pio-
neer element of civilization had already
reached out from Albany on the east. An
advance guard-strong, hardy resoiute,
northumberland pushed through the will
derness, bringing with them little but their
:. strong light arms and names-now many
of them famous in the commerce, arts and
politics OF the city, born in later times, the
monument of their enterprise. The smoke
Of ,lt
this winter of 1900. not only on the site of
the city. bu. close to the lake, where tiny
bays and sheltering knobs formed inviting
harbors for Lowry nest-building, sheltered
in measure from the fierce blasts which
sometimes swept its frozen surface.
The thick woods of the west end har-
bored camps of woodchoppers. The in
stinct of community brought these settlers
into little groups called "huddles," and
each one bore the name of either the oldest
or most prominent settler in the group.
These names were mostly Scottish, as were
the characteristics of most of The neigh
borhood. On the south side such huddle
bore the name of Ramsey's." 1t was
place OF remarkable sylvan beauty, even
where all was lovely. Probably this cir
cun1tance weighed but little in the choice
- of q home in the keen eyes of Duncan
Ramsey, canny Scotsman as he was but
watchfulness for the main chance for full
fifty years to let slip the glorious prospect
of farm and dairy land unrolled before
him when he built his cabin on the knoll
fronting the lake. His foresight had an
ticipated the tide of emigration setting so
strongly to the west, and he was ready with
his wares when the market came. Beef
and dairy produce and hay for forage were
his in plenty: and he drove a sharp trade
MI hn nnx ho
with faces turned to the unknown lands OF
the Ohio or the Wabash The cabin on
the knoll had been replaced by a new
dwelling, plain but spacious and comfort
able, and from this stronghold Duncan
Ramsey ruled all without and within with
the strength of an iron will, after self
righteous, God-fearing code of laws, in
herited in part from Presbyterian ancestry,
but strongly reinforced by the stern, dom
lneering, uncompromising nature of the
man.
Hewas respected by his weaker neighbors,
not one of whom could point to an unjust
action or an act of kindness received from
him. How this system worked in the
home of which he was absolute master, no
one inquired. And his yoke was borne so
silently by his wife and children that but
few wondered whether or not it were bur-
densome. Perhaps the meek, thin and
to and fro, intent upon household duties at
the Ramsey home, was so accustomed to
submission that no will of her own ever
crossed the placid stream of her unevent-
ful, well-ordered life. All trouble of think
ing and choosing was taken from her. And
her husband was a good provider as well as
manager, and life flowed smoothly on at
Rimseysn
The angular attitude of the master was
bar IN SOeiahilifu hfc md
sorely forbidding to the young. And this
isolation had begun to be keenly felt by his
eldest daughter, who had begun to dream
the sweet dreams OF youth-looking afar
OIL to the waving, light-green lines of will
low and alder that marked the course of
Nine Mile creek until it debouched into
the lake; or looking away over the spark
ing waters, with sweet maiden wis:fulness,
10 where.the roofs of other settlers glinted
in the sunshine. She had girl friends
whom she met at the meetings and
sooer tea drlnkings, often enough te excite
the keenest interest to see more of them. 1t
happened sometimes as she looked and
listened. that mans voice. strong and
CHEEKY, would, with a merry laugh or
snatch of song, wake the echoes Ii might
be more strong than sweet but distance
mellowed it; and the little maiden's face
grew bright. and she laughed happy echo
heard by none but herself; and the day
would seem brighter and happier after. and
her tasks lighter, for that subtle element of
human sympathy.
= So had passed the innocent happy DAYS,
until tie corning of the Christmas Eve
A. d. 1900. The winter had been an open
one, and there was barely snow enough to
make sleighing.' The lake, which had
frozen over smoothly on a still night. was
the best ofthoroughfares, distinctly marked
by the wear of many sleighs. The day
was bright and clear, lighting up the frozen
splendors of lake and shore and crystal
fringed roofs, and trees. There was an un-
usual amount of passing to and fro, less
owing to the beauty OF the day than to the
fact that it was the mid-season of winter
traffic Very little escaped the obsery..
ant eyes of Nelly Ramsey. There were
sober old teams dragging logs to the mill
there Were box-sleighs, packed with straw
aad blankets, between which were sand
wiched happy women and chil6ren-whole
families going to keep Christmas at
grandpa's,' or some other beloved rela-
lives. The childrens noisy fun fioated up to
Nelly's ears and she laughed in sympathy.
There were single couples, in very narrow
atrft, ~