Milford chronicle., 1896-06-12
III ol.n.rAsAIoNgp FAMILv.



ty-Four sons
The venerable proprietor of veneer
able tavern in Otscgo county had told /
the guest from the east part of the state
that he had "raised" family of seven 4
girls and four boys, and the guest had
COMMUNICATED him on the achievement /
"Yes," he said, sit wasn't so bad.
But. talloin' about fine, big families, l
don't believe anybody ever seen a finer |
than the one that put up at this house I
one day about 80 years ago. That family
allied four wagons that pulled up here
abont two hours before dinner-time,
and a strappin' big fellow walked up to
me and 'nounced that his people had
to be fed.
elbow many of'm is theyY SEE !.
sTwenty-six,' sez he, and all
hungry
..'Ail right SEE I, wen fix 'em, and
1 runs out to the kitchen and tells my
wife. She and the gals begins to hustle
right away, and goes back wonderin'
what kind OF a gang had to deal with
We'll. 1 soon found out. The big fel-
ler-he told me, afterwards, that ne was
GO years old, but he didn't look more
than 50-he sez to me: I want 70 'es,'
80 naA.4os. INN an old
count book which had some blank
leaves and some writin' material, and
he takes his pen in hand. The fust
name he puts down was Bartholomew
Stryker.
THAT'S me- he sez.
'Then he puts down Mrs. Bartholo-
new STRIKER and sez: That's my wife,
And then under them he puts down Bar
tlolomew do. Jr' and John do and
William do and Stephen do and a
lot more front names o. men with do
after 'em. They was "a of EN-, b'gosh.
Il know what do means now, but
I didn't know it then, and when he
/ gets Through pints to 'em ard SEE:
What does them dos" meanp
"What l have just wrote there he
seq, means that Bartholomew Stryker
and his wife and their "a sons is putin
up at this tavern fur dinner
'Whoo.e-el,' hollers, and then
SEE: shake, you're the best man ever
SEEM And we shook and he grins and
SCI. modest like: Yes, we've done
purity well, me and the old woman
"'Any stepsons?' 1 SEE.
"'Nary a one sez he, GRIMM again.
"WeIl, when they heard the dinner
bell. they came a-troopin' in like school,
bows. though some of 'em wasn't no
chickens. It was a sight worth seem T.
The mother was tall and strong-looSin',
and she was smilin' all the time, jest
like she never had minute o worryin'.
The boys was all big and clean built
and they all had honest faces. And you
ought to seen 'em eat. They bout
cleaned us out, but, Lord, how they did
enjoy it.
"When dinner was over the old man
come up to me openin' a big wallet full
of bills.
"'How much?' he SEE.
"'Not durn red cent sell
.Whatter you tall1in' about% SEE he.
ann talllin' what I'm feelin',' SEE l.
you and your wife and them fine boys
is my guests.
"'They amt no sense he SEE, in feed
in a family Just because it's big
"'Well,' sez 1, its done me good to see
'em and I'm goin' to do rs please about
. | it. Eub up bnaD WdlActi SCI - e'ilN ~
calm me durn fool he did it. Then we
had a glass O. rum and he told me he was
from Canada and that he and the boys
had decided to pull up stakes and GO
west, believin' they could do better
farmin' in this country than they could
in Canada.
How long you been marriedT SEE l.
'Forty-two years. he SEE.
saint none o your boys married%
SEE !.
"'Oh, yes he SEE, seven Of 'em is, but
when we made up our minds to strike
. out we thought we'd better leave the
woman folks behind till we got kinder
settled out there. Then the boys could
come back and get EN-.
But your wife9 SEE I.
ooh he SEE, she wouldn't have moth
{ in to do with that kind of an arrange
ment. She Jest sez she's goin', and that
l settled it. She come
"Well, they drove away, and never
q seen nor heard of 'em since. But you
; can bet your boots that that family is
+ all right and prosperin'. IN. Y. Times