The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1886-03-17

with as much vim and gustO as any son Of
America ever did. After the song one
member of the party procured a brick
from the old chimney, and with much
pomp and ceremony presented it to an
other member whose name happened to
be Brown, and who had a short time be.
fore written and published a book in
England on the John Brown who at ont
time occupied the building from which
the brick had been taken. Then each
OF the party set about to procure a relic
from the house, but falling to find any.
thing in a convenient form, they agreed
to obtain piece OF scantling and have
it made into canes. The piece OF timber
made twenty-five canes, which were sent
to New York to De gold mounted. Ne
informant showed me one Of them which
had been elegantly mounted and appro.
priately inscribed and presented to him
as a token Of his kindness to them in
showing them this famous residence.
John Brown is spoken of as a man Of
strong convictions and unyieiding will,
and fanatical in many of his ideas. He
always avenged an insult, whether real
or imaginary. His opposition to slavery
led him to extremes. Illustrative Of his
reYengeful disposition, the following
story is told; When quite a lad he once
was rebuked by his aged grandmother for
some deed young Brown had committed.
Revenge was the first thought of John
ME, and he at once began tn think how
this could best be accomplished. He at
once concluded to elbow her up, and
accordingly procured a pint bottle, filled
it with powder and placed it in a path
where the old lady was about to pass
By some invention he attached a string
so he could "pull it off" when he desired
from his place Of concealment. All
things being ready, Johnnie took up his
watch and waited patiently for the old
lady to put in an appearance. I can i'm
agine the young rogue chuckling TO him
self when he thought of how he would
abundantly retaliate his fancied insult
At last the tottering old woman came
tottering down the path. John grasped
the string more firmly as she approached
the spot, and finally when she stood over
the pint of powder, bang went the
powder, and everything went of bril-
Iiantly-ncluding old Granny Brown.
Well, the doctors finally succeeded in
pulling the old lady through, but she
had a long siege of it. As to John, 1
presume he was treated to the usual
course OF sprouts.
To a stranger that portion of Ravenna
now occupied by a hub factory is per
haps the most interesting. The site
marks the location of the old lanyard Of
Jesse r. Grant, father of our honored
and late lamented
EN-PREsIDENT T.. S. GRANT.
Early in the nineteenth century Captain
Noah Grant, father OF Jesse r. and grand
father of L. S. Grant, removed from
Westmorland county, Pa, and settled
in the southern part OF this county,where
he died in 1903. leaving his son, Jesse,
iatherless at the age of eleven years.
After his fathers death he went to Ken
lucky and learned the tanning trade.
His hostility to slavery induced him to
come to Ravenna in 1917, where he
bought an interest in the tannery Of Jno.
+. Wells. He afterward became sole
owner OF the business, but not succeed
ing, sold to his former partner and LETT
to look up a permanent location. Right
here said my informant, who was an
intimate friend of Jesse r. Grants, and
who showed me numerous letters writ
ten to him by Grant, II will tell you
something OF the Grant family that the
public has never heard. When Jesse
left this place he was engaged to a Miss
B., who, until recently, lived near here.
He lett with the mutual understanding
that as soon as he could find a suitable
location he would return and claim her
for his BRIDE Gentle reader, this part
of the story was peculiarly touching to
my young and confding heart. I have
always learned to look upon woman as
the very embodiment OF fidelity and
"stick-to-you-tiveness." Would you be.
lieye me if I should confess to you that
the recital of this simple story of Glove
Lost wrung red-hot tears from my heav.
emily blue eyes? Alas will not con.
fess. Miss B. was fair, but Oh how
false, When Jesse was away she abso.
lutely forgot that such a person was in
existence, and when he returned to cal
her his own she completely ignored him
and said 'Nix pass" She soon after
ward married another man, and likewise
Jesse another woe-man. He was a tan
ner, and had become tough under the
tanning influence of his tannery, and
stood the shock admirably. But we an,
not all tanners, and ! have often though
how awful would have been the conse
| quences had / been in Jesse r. Grant,
boots.
Gentle, tender confding youth, le
me whisper a word of advice to you
Don't, for posterity's sake, place you
whole heart and affections on things be
low, where cut-worms gnaw and dude
break through and steal your spondulix