The evening world., 1889-09-11

Tile CltlZcun ~ NNttIoEup rue CftCt ~ NbOu
ument to His Memory Conflicting
stories Regarding His Remarkable
Observation-Disclosures Indignant, but the
Monument IL Accepted by the Town
Was He n Hero or NOtS
A white bronze monument to the memory
of Tom Quick was unveiled last Wednesday
Mt Milford, Pa, with q memorable display Of
bunting and oratory. The shaft stands ON a
little hillock of sod on the bank of the Van
denmark Creek, says the Boston Herald, and
marks the spot where Tom Quick's father
built his house in 1873. and where he was
afterwards killed by the Indians.
The monument was erected by Hon. William
Bross, of Chicago, ex-Lieutenant-G Governor
of Illinois. who was born in the vicinity of
Milford. and is q Granddaughter Of the
"Avenger of the Delaware"
Strange as it may appear, the unwilling
of the monument has awakened q storm of
indignation among the older residents of
Pike and Sussex counties. One or two OF the
neiGhborhood Papers have denounced tho
honor paid to Tom Quick's memory. and
their criticisms have provoked the local
historians to make q searching inquiry into
the authenticity of the popularity accredited
tales of his deeds of daring.
The stories of Tom Quick, which were
originally current in the Delaware Valley rs
nursery legends. were first collected in book
form about thirty-6v years ago, by JamesE E.
Cuinlan, of Monticello, and comprised thirty
or more highly co.ored tales of frontier life.
in which the avenger figured as chief hero.
At the time of their publication. when
several of Tom Quick's contemporaries were
living, the stories were readily accepted as
interesting legends of an interesting and his
toric period, but were not deemed more vera
cious than the yellow-covered legends of
Capt. Kidd of the present day..
Three or four years ago, when Mr.. Bross
determined to honor his noted kinsman's
memory, he rewrote one of these stories and
of the Delaware: an Historical Sketch of
Tom Quick" The story If interesting, and
parts of it will bear repetition. 1t recounts
the thrilling experience of the aveuger, his
niece, Maggie, aud Jack his :" stumpy cared"
dog. Quick and his niece had been captured
by the Indians near the Delaware water gap
and we've beng taken up.thelriver. h1hey had
reached Rushkill when Tom caught his
captors unawares, and, by skilfully BRAIN
ing two OF them managed to escape. BY
carefully concealing their traces they reached
q place of safety III the bluffs.
BY this manHuvre Jack played an impor-
liant part. Tn sagacious animal walked on
the opposite side Of the stream from his mas
ter for half II mile, or until his instinct told
lln ne nHu gone III enough 10 6luue Ills DuT-
buers; then he plunged into the water, de-
stroyIng his tracks, and made his way to Tom
Quick's side. This a~rtitce saved their lives
by leading the savages astray.
On another occasion q day later Jacks
genius again came into play. According to
the author, every hundred yards or so the
faithful animal would stop, and putting his
head close to the ground, would listen in
tently for any sound of Oh approaching
enemy"
After q week or 80 of alternating hope and
despair the three fugitives reached the high
knob, where they providertially fell IN with
safety to their home near the mouth of the
Shohola. During this voyage Tom killed Ave
Indians, and modestly accounted to his niece
for the possession OF a tino new canoe by in
cidentally observing: "Oh, l saw a dead In
dian fall out of it just before l left for home.
! thought it might come in handy. and here
The thrilling narrative of Mr.. Bross, whose
grandmother was Maggie Quick, was supple
mented by q lengthy review of the work by
Rev. s.. Gardiner. pastor OF the First Pres
tory of the Indian slayer is given in detail.
From this it appears that the older Quick was
the first white settler of Milford.
Here. in 1874, Tom was born, after whom
came two more sons and two daughters.
When Tom was a young man his father was
murdered by the Indians, who had become
hostile a short time before. The loss of his
father is said to have completely changed
Oh .ho'uiS' A1C IN DCCh oLhOhS
the Indians and spoke their language as his
own, but this murder made him the most
lmplacable enemy the savages had in the en-
tire valley.
To quote from his biogrnpher: TON was
transformed, He was from that time for.
ward known as the : Indian Slayer or, as he
called himself, the 'Avenger of the Della
ware.'" According to the biography the
deadly rifle of Tom Quick robbed many an
Indian wigwam of its husband. father and
head and the tribe of many a brave"
This is one Tom Quick. Another Tom
Quick was described tosa Herald reporter
yesterday by Britton A. Westbrook, called
the best informed local historian in the val,
ley. My information regarding Ton
Quick, 4" said Mr.. Westbrook, comes to me
direct from those who knew him in life.
During the latter years of his existence Ton
spent most of his time in the houses of the
early settlers whom he had known from boy
hood. He was a great talker, a remarkable
story-teller, and knew all the wild tales tha
were current at that time. These stories ht
used to relate to the younger folks. making
himself the hero. That is the way his repu
tatlon was made.
" These stories provoked q certain amour
OF credence from the peculiar character o
the narrator. He was an expert hunter, onC
of the best of his class, and had been know
to kill more than one Indian, as l shall eI
plain further on, 30 the children swallowed
his tales without doubt, and in turn related
them to their children. until Tom Quick grew
up a real hero. I have reliable information