The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-10-27
THE OLD SETTLER.
He Hears That the Hatchet Story
Is Not True.

''Gran'pop." said little Peleg one day,
didn't you ever hear of George Wash
ington and his little hatchet?'
''Pelcg.'' replied the Old Settler.
looking sternly at his inquiring grand
son, '''arly an late, an late an 'arly.
I've sot We n warnin' ag'in siniwatin'.
DO you think that cause Sugar Swamp
want swellin' an Dustin with popu-
lation like the ridge Is here that
folks never heerd nothin' there? Do
you think that cause the schoolma' ms
that usety ketch the young idces %
Sugar Swamp by the seat q the pants
and the nap o the neck an churn EN-
till tha We're blisters on 'em-do We
think that cause them schoolma ms
didn't chaw gum an wear their hair
down in their eyes that the young
idee o Sugar Swamp didn't know
nuthin'? You're siniwatin, Peleg,
You're siniwatin' that your poor old
gran'pap didn't git no furdcr along in
his eddication than to stan up ag'In
the wall an spell b-a ba, k-e-r, kcr-
baker, an hoF up his han To asst
wuther him an Bill Bonutt couldn't
please go out an git pail O water.
But l kin tell We, sonny, that the
young idee % the Sugar Swamp dees-
tric' grabbed rarnin in great big
chunks. and the schoolma'm never had
to asst mOre'n wunst how much two
temstoo was. ! hadn't orter say nuth-
in more 10 We cause ye sinIwated, but
just TO pour Goals % fire on your head
III let We know, b'gosh. that ] have
heerd o George Washnton an his
little hatchet, an the onfortinit cherry
tree, an, more'n all that, | don't think
durn sight o. the hull business,
nuther,''
Don't you, gran'pop?" exclaimed
Peleg. well, do you know that it has
been found out that it amt SOP
"Wha at hain't SOP asked the Old
Settler.
why" replied Peleg, what his
tory says about Washington and the
hatchet- He didn't cut the cherry
tree down with his hatchet."
$50 way calculated the Old Set
tier. What did he cut it down WITH
Nothing" said Peleg. He didn't
cut the cherry tree down at all"
AN George didn't 90 up TO his pop
an say: Father, can't tell a lie! l
done it with my lit tie hatchet?'
That's what the teacher says has
been discovered" said Peleg.
sonny" said the Old Settler, this
here has added sumpin' like nineteen
or twenty years TO your gran'pa life.
1t has took load often his mind like
liftin' a fifty-pound weight often
pressin' % head cheese, That's the only
thing | had agin Wash'n ton. Jist TO
think of a man ez liked his little hooter
o. the OF stuff in the mornin's like he
did, with tanzy in, mebby; an man
eZ could handle cusS word now an
then without spilin' it, ez the record
said he did when his men want fight
in jist To suit him, an then to hev him
handed down To hist'ry ez sayIn' that
he We're Il chap eZ couldn't tell
lie! Why l usety say, If
that's so. George Washn'ton mowt
jist ez well not IIeered fer his morn
in snifter. and he mowt jist ez well a
let his sojers act foolish without chuck
in swear or so al 'em. fer this here
little statement that he can't tell lie
spiles the hull business. Some things
about We. George usety say, Is great
but / can't go that little statement
bout lynn. 1t ain natur'.' An so tha
never We're no hatchet an no cherry
tree, hey. Peleg? An George Wash'n'-
ton never said he couldn't tell lie, /
allus said he were the greatest man /
ever heerI on. an now l know ii, He
liked his snifter. an he could handle
cussin' when ne were mad, an ne never
said he couldn't tell a lie-which has
allus been a siniwation, Peleg, that
anybody eZ could tell Il lie We're pooty
fur along on the down-hill side O the
turnpike, | can hardly wait fer mex
Wash'n'ton's birthday 10 come around,
/ want To celebrate il so badi Peleg,
allus keep your eye on the man that
makes p'n't q gettin' reputation fer
bein' man ez can't tell a lie, Folks
done their best To git me up a reputa-
tion like that an. but / fit il and fit an
toll 'em they mustn't
Don't do it, l says 'Tain't right.
Jist cause l don't he / says, 'hain't no
sayin' that / can't says.
Even up to this very time folks
often meets me an, shallin' their heads.
says: You an George is like two peas,
What a team you an him would a
mader they says. That has allus made
Inc madder'n hornet, sonny, but now
when they say that TO me l kin clap EN-
on the back an say:
Right you are, b'gosh. Me an
George a make that team now,
matched to a L, and sound in hoof an
wizzenr
Which gives me a chance to reco-
member sumpin' fer We, sonny. Its
about Il feller citizen had wunst. who
lived in the Sugar Swamp deestric'.
His name was Tugg-Corianaer Tugg.
Now somehow or other he got the name
o. bein' man ez couldn't tell the truth.
but ii want so ut all. Tha never were