Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-09
A NUTMEG HISTORY.
REV. 6AMUEL PETERS, BOOK OF COW
NECTlCUT STORIES.
The ParsOn Was Unpopular With the Ear.
~ Patriots. and His Anecdotes Were Not
Always Good Natured-Many Learned
5 Persons Took His Statements Seriously.

~ Patriots. and His Anecdotes Were Not
Persons Took His Statements Seriously. |
The little state of Connecticut, ever as
ISOLATED in memory with wooden nutmegs
and other evidences of Yankee ingenuity, |
has furnished abundant material for tho
amusement and instruction of those inter
ested in the early history of our land. But
of all the accounts and histories regarding
that worthy New England state the ono
which is probably the least known and yet
may Justly be called tho most humorous
is n little book published anonymously in
London in 1881, entitled ga General His
tory of Connecticut, Including a Descrip-
ton of the Country and Many Curious
and Interesting Anecdotes. The author
was the Rev. Samuel Peters, man of
considerable ingenuity and activity, who
by his firm loyalty to the crown immedi-
ately preceding the Revolution, made HIM
self extremely obnoxious to some Of the
Connecticut Sons Of Liberty. Some of its
stories have been considered fully as good
in their way as those in "Knickerbocker's
History of New York. They are present
ed with such evident appearance of truth
as actually to have been regarded serious
~ ny liluuy Iearue0 bCHOlars, anu HUI"
than one writer since has undertaken in a
very laborious manner to show how truly
mistaken the author was in certain state
ments.
One Of Mr.. Peters best stories, which
shows that he possessed q rare magma
tive faculty, is tho celebrated frog story
which he tells In all seriousness, as one or
the notable occurrences in Windham
Frogs, he states, arc very numerous in
that vicinity, so that strangers are often
terrified at the hideous noise. He AYERS
that 30 different voices have been distin-
guished among them, some of which re-
semble the believing of q bull, and then
rises to his supreme effort in describing a
march of Il large number of frogs one
night in July, 1853, when they found
pond about five miles from Windham dried
up They decided to so to Il river on the
other side Of the town, and, to quote tho
author, were under the necessity of TAX
ing the road and going through the town,
which they entered about midnight. The
bullfrogs were the leaders, and the ppers
followed without number. They filled a
road yards wide for miles in length,
and were several hours in passing through
tho town, unusually clamorous. The in
habitants were equally perplexed and
frightened; some expected to find an ar
my of French and Indians; Others feared
an earthquake and dissolution of nature.
The CONSERVATION was universal. Old and
young, male and female, fled naked from
their beds with worse shriekings than
those of the frogs. The event was fatal to
several women. The men, after a flight of
half mile, in which they met with many
broken shins, finding no enemies in pur-
suit of Them made a halt, and summoned
resolution enough to venture back to their
wives and children, when they distinctly
heard these words from the enemy camp,
Wight, Eilderken, DER, Tete' This last
they thought meant treaty, and, plucklng
up courage, they sent triumvirate to
captuate with the supposed French and
Indians. These three men approached in
their shirts and begged to speak with the
general; but it being dark, and no answer
given, they were sorely agitated for some
time betwixt hope and fear. At length,
however, they discovered that the dreaded
inimical army was an army of thirsty
frogs going to the river for little water.
Such an incursion was never known be-
fore or since, and yet the people of Wind
ham have been ridiculed for their timid
ity ON this occasion. l verify believe an
army under the Duke Of Marlborough
would, under like circumstances, have act
ed no better than they did"
The fame Of Wethersfield as an onion
raising town was known throughout the
country at that time, and Parson Peters,
with his critical observation, does not fail
to make note of it, and as usual he brings
in an interesting anecdote. The town, he
says, raises more onions than are con-
sumed in all New England, and it is also
rule with the Wethersfied parents to
buy a silk gown every year for each daugh-
ter above seven years old until she is mar
ried. The young beauty, he further relates,
lis obliged to weed patch of onions
with her own hands, which she performs
in tho cool of the morning before she
dresses for breakfast. This laudable and
healthy custom is ridiculed by the ladies
In other towns who idle away their morn
ings in bed or in gathering the pink or
catching the butterfly to ornament their
toilets, while the gentlemen far and near
forget not the Weathersfeld ladies' silken
industry
Another amusing story, told with much
detail, is the time honored one of the Stay
ing of the bear by General Israel Putnam,
and he compares Putnam's bravery on this
occasion to that of David when he slew
the lion and the bear, and afterward the
giant Goliath. The facts in the case as
told by Peters are that one night in 1854
large bear stole a pig from Mr.. Putnam s
pen. The squoaling Of the animal awak-
ened the resolute Putnam, who, immedi-
ately jumping up and not stopping to
dress but arming himself with huge bill
let Of wood, started out to rescue his pig.
He was obliged to follow the bear for over
half mile, and being guided to the cave
by the dying grunts Of his pig he finally
came face to face with the bear, which he
Immediately killed with a well directed
blow of his club, and then followed up his
work. of destruction by Staying two cubs
also in the cave. The neighbors, on view
Ing the spot where the deed took place, de
clared SO the history says, that Putnam
exploit exceeded those of Samson or David
New York Times
Scientific Breyities.