The Wahpeton times., 1889-08-29

n IN
II said I Thought could. Then
he filed 9 bottle with milk, which he
put N one coatpocket, and in the
other he put q lot of bread and ham.
Then he brought a sheet, which he
folded like q shawl, and placing me
on it tied me up as though had
been Q bundle. Then he put his
head through the loop of the sheet,
raised me in his arms, locked the
door OF his house, and started to
carry me the five miles to my home.
1t must have been terrible hard
work, for l was q stout, heavy
girl for my age, and he was
an old man who did not look
strong. By sitting down to rest fire.
quently he bore me along, however.
until we came down the mountain
road to where our house could he
seen in the valley. Here he sat tdown
and called again with all his voice.
but there was no one at our house
to hear him, and he toiled on with
his burden until he had me at home
and laid on my mothers bed.
"He then, after resting a few min.
utes, took the long tin dinner-horn
and blew blast which must have
awoke all the mountain echoes. He
also took father gun out and fred
it off, to call home not only nv own
folks but the people fall the neigh
borhood for miles around, who had
been out on the mountain huntinu
for me.
"They all came rushing home, and
a terrible fuss they made. Mother
and dauntpromptly washed me allover
IN hot wate:, gave me a dose of some
kind othorrible weed tea, CRYING and
scolding all the time, till they had
me in bed, aud tucked up in q blank
ct 80 tight that I could do nothing
butsweat: and they were SO busy
over Hog Mackey and something he
seemed to have done. Everybody
was trying to feed him and give him
drinks all at once, and he seemed not
to mind much until Aunt Isabel put
her arms around his neck and want
ed to give him a drink of nv weed
tea: Then he got up and looked a
little scared, as he said, quietly but
firmly:
"'Good folks, you all being willing,
guess I'll go home
Father insisted upon taking him
in the carriage, and at last he con-
sented. Before going he said:
"I'd like to look at the little GIRL
who thought might eat her out of
season."
"Then he came into mothers
room, and after looking all around
to see that no one was looking. he
suddenly bent over me and kissed
me. Then saying "Don't tell, little
girl" he went away.
"Ot course I was soon about and
as well as ever; but I had lost great
deal OF my interest in Musconetcong
Mountain, except so far ais John
Mackey was concerned. The first
useful work ever did was to knit
him some warm woolen stockings and
mittens and take them to him. It
was not long before l learned all of
his history that was to be learned.
He had, it was unnerstood, been an
officer in the Federal army during
the war of 1912, and at its close re-
turned to his home in Brooklyn. In
1915 he disappeared from his home,
which was with a brother, who died
in 1920. In 1917 or 1918 heappear-
ed in Bethlehem on horseback. car
rying only valise containing a few
clothes. Away up on the side of the
Musconetcong Mountain, just after
the Revolution, q man named Croffut
had built house upon a section of
Government land which he patented
with a soldiers right. He cleared
about 30 acres, but found it
SO stony as to be worthless
for farm land, and being dis
appointed in not finding the iron he
expected to, he abandoned the place
because he could not sell it. Mackey
found this place, and, hunting up the
heirs of Crofut, bought it for asong.
In this way he became the owner Of
a tolerably fair house and 36O acres
of about the most undesirable land
in Warren County. After furnishing
his house and procuring q COW, his
last purchase was a half dozen choice
Pennsylvania hogs.
"He now settled down, after letting
it be known that he had no particu-
lar desire to be unsociable, but he
wanted no woman ever to come into
his house or set foot on his place.
His life of seclusion soon gave him
the appearance and reputation of o
hermit. His only business and osten-
sible means of living was in his pigs.
Itsoon became widely known Mackey,
on Musconetcong Mountain, sold the
best breed of pigs in the country;
hence he got the name of Hog Mac
key. His life was perfectly harmless.
His only eccentricities were that he
visited nowhere, spoke to no one un-
less it was absolutely necessary, and
would allow no woman to enter his
house.
every Christmas until 1 was Is
years of age, sent him remem-
brance of socks and mittens, to which
| mother. oddod 70 hlo 1ol;oco:n, ~