The times., 1897-04-03
JUST LIKE RIP VAN W|NKLE
An Aged Wanderers Pathetic
Return to Sleepy Hollow.
FINDS HIS HOME In RUINS
After Fifty Years Absence Jacob
Minnerly ReyisitS His Birth
place-Old Friends Gone and
Strangers in Their PlaceS-Had
Never Heard OF j. ID. Rockefeller.

| Tarrytowu, N. Y, April 2-"Can you
tell me the road to Sleepy Hollow?" The
! speaker was q very old man, with shaggy
| eyebrows aud long, white hair. His clothes
were seedy and his shoes Were white with
| dust In his right hand he carried u heavy
staff, and pinned to the lapel of his well
worn coat was "a beautiful yellow rose.
lie stood in the town clerks office before
that woithy and the justices Of the peace,
who, as official Canvassers, were counting
the vote on local option They were all
distinguished men OF Sleepy Hollow, but
they paid no attention to the old man'i
question. He sank in a nearby char, Tor he
had Travelled many miles along the Albany
post road aad was weary lie sat in silence
FOR few moments and then again asked:
Can you tell me the road to Sleepy Hol-
lowe"
The town clerk looked askance at the
seedy-looking old fellow, the justices took a
passing glance and returned to their figures
john A. Liant, well-knowD resident, took
pity on the venerable wayfarer and an
swered his question.
Can you tell me who lives on the Con
Ntiti' i'''ii' i4cN' dShttl Jllt oi'l II
DO you know anything about it?''
ventured one OF the c;tnvassing board.
Il was born there" said the stranger
The toard stopped counting the votes
MY name is .aCob Minnetly," said the
Old man; II am a grandson OF Jacob Min
nerly, an officer under General Washing
ton, and the son oil Jacob Minnerly, who
fought in the war of 1912. | was born IN
Il little log house on the CUntant farm
siXty-siX years ago. Fifty-two years ago
| left my home 10 SEE the wolld for
was OF loving turn, and this beautiful
place had no charms for ne. | have fol-
lowed fortune many years ana in many
c!imes, but The tickle Jade cluded me.
For five years | have had a longing Ia
see this old place. was then 10 China.
ana there read Washington IrviHs's Rip
Van Wlnkic." From that ook | tafnGd
that they now call my old hone Sleepy
Hollow, asd, gentlemen, have walked
thousands OF ifhies rs see il again before
die. ! amanotherEip, bat fear That there
is no counterpart Of Jacob Mnnerly to take
my place
The Old man was crying. and the can
vaesing ioard was humid eyed.
Come, Mr. Minneriy' said Liant, Il VIII
drive you Ia yodr old home, a IA the veteran
was helped by kindly hands into wagon
that stood outside he Town Hall
"Why, there ) old C5htalt Hitl, andthcre's
the old Jones homestead, where my grand
mother lived" said hnncry, as they ap-
preached these, places.
There's the Bill Earl house, lie Cried
and there's the Eurrhau house, and here's
the old schoolhc use that | attended when a
boy Charles aGd Daniel Chamberlain were
teachers there Where are they now
Dead" quietly said Mr.. Liant
Then me Old nag va, driven 60 the new
schooIhousc recently erected nv John u.
Rockefeller the STANDARD OH !uaEHatC. The
school was in session, aud when Mr. Liant
told the principal the story of Mir Minner-
ly's wanderings the ScbOolmaSter asked
the wandcrer to say few words to the
scholars.
You have q fine school, children" said
the old man. and the methods are diff
fercnt from those in vogue when l was
a scholar here fifty years ago. l am
very Oil man. and want you to know
that age brings wisdom Take my advice,
therefore Never wander from your homes,
and believe me when tell you that the
legend in my old copy! COX. which l SEE
in yours. is true: "A rolling stone gathers
no moss.
Then Mr. Minnerly was driven to the
house in which he was born. 1t is now
in ruins He walked about it and sur
veyrd the brush and wild vines that al
most hide it from view. Then he asked
who owns this Old house now"
John n Rockefeller" replied Liant.
Who is hep asked Minnerly, Il never
heard OF him"
MI Liant was amazed, but the old man
was in earnest. The legend Of Sleepy
Hollow was justified. Here was Rip Van
Wrinkle in real life in the land made famous
by Irving story.
Mr. Liant drove the wandcrer to the 1omc
Of the Minnerleysin in Broadway, this village.
They are nephews Of this second Rip.
There he sat surrounded by great nieCes
and nephews. as their elders told him of
some old friends killed in the civil war,
and Of more who found Il peaceful end and
sleep in Sleepy hollow Cemetery. OF
all his schoolboy friends, but two remain.