St. Landry democrat., 1891-10-17
" JOHNNY APPLESEED."
ONE OF THE QUEEREsT CHAR
ACTERS THAT EVER LIVED.

Wandering for More Than Twenty
Years Through Western Wilds
Planting Apple Seeds -Consider
ate Toward Every thing Alive.
One OF the quaintcst, quccrest, ani
most original characters that ever trot
the trackless wastes Of the Western will
dcrncss was Jonathan Chapman, know
as old johnny Applcseed. Pioneer phil
osophcr, phiIanthropist and pomologist
is he, taking no thought Of himself anC
living for others only. He would not
could he prevent it, suffer the slightest
harm to be done to the meancst of living
creatures. In the great Western soil
tudes he led the life Of the primitive
Christian, taking a thought only Of the
hour and letting wise Providence look
out for the future. He thought hunting
moral y wrong, and he would let mos
quito sit on him and suck his blood I'M
til the insect was satiatcd to bursting. i.
This odd old man was the pioneer Or
chard planter of the West. For over
twenty years he wandered over the States
OF Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri,
planting apple seeds, and selling and
giving away the seedlings. Many Of the
great apple orchards Of the West owe
their origin to Johnny Appleseed. Old
Johnny was born in Boston in 1713. In
1901 he appeared in the Territory of
Ohio with a load of apple seeds, which
he planted in various places in and about
Licking Greek. The first orchard orig
mated by old Johnny was on the farm of
Isaac Stodden, in what is now Licking
county, Ohio.
Il have often wondered why there was
such widespread ignorance of old
Johnny Appleseed in the Vest OBJ
served a friend Of the writer recently.
even among horticulturists his name is
scarcely known. There certainly was no
character any more fully identified with
the West than he in his day"
Thus it is with all who have ever heard
anything Of the quaint old man. The
wonder is that his name is not q byword,
and his history part of the common
school curriculum of the day. One of the
early histories of Ohio says that Johnny
Appleseed was originally from Massa-
chusetts. Some years ago Harpcr's
Magazine published something of the
man, but nothing like a detailed or COM
plete history has ever appeared.
The earl Western pioneers who knew
him but slightly considered old johnny
vagabond From cursory observation it
would appear that their views were pretty
well founded. A more mcouth individ-
ual it would have been difficult to find.
Ills garments were bundle of rags.
His shoes, when he wore any, could
scarcely be held on his feet by bits of
twne, so dilapidatcd and worn were thev.
His pinchcd and grizzlcd features were
covered by growth Of very shaggy
beard. His hair was quite long and very
much faded by constant exposure to wind
and weather. But old Johnnv's crown
ing glory was an old tin mush pot that
had a long handle. This battered old
culinary utensil he wore for hat. When |
he was tramping through the Western
forests the old man always cooked his |
meals in the old mush pot. The cravings
If hunger satisfied, he would give the !
Dot careful washing, put it on his head .
md tramp on. This was his practice for .
over two DECADES The old pot was
FRIGHT enough on its inside, but its ex-
crior was a sight to behold. so blackcned .
md battered was it,
With all his uncouthncss Of personal
ty, however, old Johnny Appleseed had
N intellect as keen as the most polished
scholars of the day. His ideas were far
II advance of his time. Those who have
eceived personal impressions of the old
nan say that he was philosopher whose
purity of thought was as clear as
PERENNIAL spring and whose life was as
nipple as that of child.
The name, Johnny Applesccd, was
'iven him by the early settlers with
'hom he came in contact because he
earl y 2lways carried bag full of apple
ecds with him. These seeds, by infinite
oil he gathered from the cider presses
mong the Dutch farmers in Pcnnsvl-
ania. Frequently the daughters and
ives OF the farmers would assist him in
is task, but most Of the time he pursued
is work alone. When sufficient guam
ty OF the seed had been gathered, old
ohnny would load the fruit of his labor
l canoe and start on voyage down ,
ne Ohio River into the great wilderness
the West. In Indiana and Illinois,
hercver there was the faintest suspicion {
settlement, he went and planted his {
ople seeds. Sometimes he would select
L open place in the forest, his Judgment
ling him that some day the white man '
ould be there. The discovery of fruit
airing apple trees in the woods in these ,
atcs has led many to believe that the
'ples are indigenous to the soil When :
diana and Illinois became we'll II
titled, old Johnny extended his wander 5
gs west of the Mississippi River and
anted his apple seeds on Missouri soil. Il
the wigwam Of the Indian and the 5.
bin of the pioneer he was known and II
ways welcome. He must have made RI
'enty such annual trips as the one S
ove described. When his seedlings "
came large enough he gave them to |.
e settlers or sold them for food and
othes. He generally made a sorry
rgain, the garments he got being of
G very poorest variety. During the
MINER he almost always Travelled bare h.
oted. One enthusiastic historian says II,
at the old man even travelled barefootcd w
len the snow was on the ground. One A
rson calls him the "John in the Will A
rness'' of the New World. B
One Of the most peculiar Characters B
s of old Johnny AppIeseed was his b
igion. He led simple, moral and 5(
rmless life. He was the follower Of be
} new church, a Swcdenborgian, and SC
never lost an opportunity to expound tn
doctrines. He carried with him al As
VS. little bundle Of tracts. These he %
tributed among the early settlers on Oh
e I