Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-05-30
ed blessing" pointing, to small oval

| Gu q uiecoLb&3 poAuIlug. TO small oval
table standing near her.
"You seem to have much bodily strength
and good health" remarked, ssfor a
woman so DID,"
eyes" she answered; 'tsister and have
never had any dangerous sickness, We
were married when we were quite young:
have always lived prudent and generally
happy lives; always had plenty of sleep, and
were no gadabouts as most women are now
adays. Why, you'll hardly believe me
when tell you that neither of us was ever
more than five or six miles from where we
were born. The Tellers are strong bodied
and long-lived people,"
The story related to me q few hours later
was confirmation of the assurance that
the Tellers possessed great bodily vigor.
s'Do you remember the French army en-
camping near here the same fall when you
saw General Washington" inquired.
'sOh, yes," she said. "They came from
the south. They creased the river at Kings
Ferry, and all marched by our house.
They encamped at Cromford, below here.
remember how afraid and yet delighted
sister and were as we watched them from
our window as they passed by. We never
saw 80 many soldiers, nor such glittering uni
forms as some of the officers wore; and we
never heard such drums beat. We were
bewildered with the show, and dreamed of
it many nights afterward.'
l said farewell to the venerable woman on
whose head the hand of Washington had
been laid, and to whom kind words had
been uttered by his lips. At her carriage
in front of Mrs. Williams's house I parted
company with Mrs. Van Cortlaadt, and
soon afterward rode to the house of friend
nh fr~n will
neighbor of his we climbed to the top of
Prickly Pear Hill, the summit of which,
five hundred feet above the river, was quite
thickly strewn In some places with species
of cactus bearing that name, from which
the eminence derived its title.
From that elevation we obtained a most
extensive view Of the lower Hudson and its
shores, and cluster of localities of the
most stirring events of the old War for
Independence. That pinnacle Washington
made his chief point of observation while
the American army was encamped near, in
the fall of 1882. There Washington and
his officers and Rochambeau and his French
officers had viewed the scenery together
with profound admiration. At one sweep
of the vision might be seen the lofty crags
of the Highlands and the Fishkill Noun
tains stretching eastward, with all the
intervening country adjacent, to Psekskill,
Verplanck's Point and Stony Point, the
theatres of important military events dur
ing the War of the Revolution, then draw
ing to close. Before them was Hayer-
straw, near which Arnold and Andre COM
plotted; Teller's Point, off which the Vul-
ture lay when Andre went to meet Arnold,
and from which she received cannonading
that drove her down the river; King's Ferry,
where the American armies crossed and re-
crossed the Hudson and Andre made his
way to the eastern shore; Tarrytown, whore
he was captured, and the Long Wharf at
Piermont, near Tappaan, where he was
executed. All these, with the villages on
the eastern bank Of the Hudson from
Cruger's to York Island, might be seen.
AS we were looking at Teller's Point,
far toward the western shore of
the Hudson, l remarked that / had a most
interview at Croton that morn
ing with member of the Teller family,
woman ninety years of age and possessed
of exceedingly great physical vigor.
'tOne of the twin sisters?" said one of
the gentlemen. II never knew q Teller
who was not possessed of an abundance of
bone and sinew. Have you ever heard the
story of a Fishkill bully who encou ntered a
young daughter of Teller living in this
ghborhood?"
81 have not"
s'Oh, you must hear it. That Teller
had two buxom daughters, a little more
than twenty years of age. 1t is said either
Of them could lift barrel of cider. Their
father was noted for great strength and also
for wrestling and pugilistic skill. One day
at the close of the Revolution large,
man came to the door of
Teller's house-an old-fashioned double
door-and leaning on the under one, the
apper one being open, asked one of tho
daughters within, in rude manner,
"'Is Bill Taller homer
s"My father is not at home answered
the girl. what do you want of him!
attend to his business when he is away
"You can't tend to It this time, anyhow.
Nobody but Bill Taller himself can,' said
the gruff man.
'.'Come in and tell me what your bust
ness is said the girl, as she opened the
door.
him, leaving the upper door still open.
"Now tell me, said the daughter,
what your business is and See if I can't
attend to it,
"No, you can't, tell ye,' growled tie
man. Pm Pete Tuttle of Fishkill, the boss
rastler up there. Maybe you've hearn on
me- They tel! me Bill Taller is the boss
rastler down here, and Pm come down to
find out who's the best rastler.'
'.'Oh, if that's all the business you have
said the spirited girl, can attend to it at
once, and seizing the man by his coat collar
and the seat OF bis breeches she threw him
over the door into the grass before it.
The man picked himself up, and look
ing in astonishment few moments at the
girl, who was standing in the door with
arms a-kimbo and smiling placidly, he
sneaked of without uttering word.
"Any more business to be attended tor
asked the girl in provokingly pleasant
voice. The man was too crestfallen to
tarry moment. He joined some COM
panions at the river, who were waiting for
him to return with Teller and give them
the excitement of tussle.
"Didnt you see Teller?' asked one of
the company.
"'Naw, l didn't, said the fellow, in tone
of supreme disgust; Il see one of old
Taller's gals, and that's all I want to
know"
BENSON J. LOSING, LID.
GOOD ADVICE TO oeIRLs.-We have receiv-
ed newspaper with tho following para
graph marked:
siDon't marry n man TO save him. If ho