Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-04-30
THIS RIP WAS REAL.
he RETURNS TO SLEEPY HOLLOW
AFTER so YEARS OF WANDERING.
Strange Parallel Of Irving's stOry-Old
Man Minnerly Was Born In the Cats
kills-Only Two of His Friends Now Liv-
inx-Never Heard Of Rockefeller.

Man Minnerly Was Born In the Cats
kills-Only Two of His Friends Now Liv-
inx-Never Heard of Rockefeller.
"Can you tell mo tho road to Sleepy
Hollowp' Tho speaker was very old
nun, with shaggy eyebrows and long
white hair. His clothes were seedy, and
his shoes were white with dust. In hia
right hand ho carried u heavy staff, and
pinned to tho lapel Of his we'll worn cont
was u beautiful yellow rose.
He stood in the town Clerks Office at
Turrytown. N. Y, before that worthy and
the justices Of tho peace, who, us official
canvnssors, were counting tho vote on
legal option. They were I'LL distinguished
luon of Sleepy Hollow, but they paid no
attention to tho old mans question Ho
sank in u nearby chair for he had Travelled
many miles along the Albany postrond
and was woary. Ho sat In silence for
few moments, and then again asked, Can
you toll ,nc the road to Sleepy Hollow:'
Tho town clerk looked uSkancc at tho
secly looking old fellow the Justices took
passing glance and returned TO their 1lR-
ures John A. Liant, a we'll known resi-
dent, took pity on tho venerable wayfarcr
and answered his question.
"Can you tell me who lives on the COu-
tant farm now?' asked the old man.
"Do you know anything about it?' Won
turcd ono of tho canvasSing board.
~ was born there" said the stranger
The board stopped counting tho votes.
"My n,.mo Is Jacob Minncrly,' said tho
old man. IL am Il grandson Of Jacob
Minncrly, III officer under General Wash
ington, and the son of jacob Minncrly,
who fought III the war of 1912. Twas born
In u little log house on tho Coutnnt farm
66 years ago. Fifty.two years ago Left
my homo to 500 tho world, for ! WINS OF II
rowing turn, and this beautiful plnco had
no charms for me. have followed fortune
many years and in many climcs hut the
flcklo jade clu.lcd nc. For five ycnrs
hnvo had u longing to sec this old place. l
was then in China, and there read Wash
ington Irvings Grip Van Winklo. From
thut book learned that they now coll my
old homo Sleepy Hollow, and, gentlemen, l
hive walked thousands Gf miles to sec 1t
again before die. am another Rip, but
l fcar that there Is no counterpart OF Jacob
Minncrly to take my place.
The old man was crying, and the can
wasting board was humid eyed.
Come, MIR. Minncrly, said LIANT. ~
will drive you to your old :ionc,' and the
veteran was helped by kindly hands into II
wagon that stood out side tho town hail.
"Why, there's old COutnnt hill, ana
there's tho old .Junts homestead, where my
grandmother lived, said Minncrly as they
approached these places.
"rhcr s. tho Bill Carl house, " he cried,
land there's the Furnan husr. and heres
the old schoolhouso that a,l' !ldrd when
u boy Charles and Daniel Chamberlain
wero teachers there. Where urc they now?'
"D.md," quietly said Mr.. Liant.
Then the Okl man was driven to the new
sohoolhouse recently erected by John ID.
Rockefeller, tho Standard OH lagnnlo.
The school was in session, and when Mr..
Liant told tho principal the story OF Mr..
Minncrlys wnndcrings the schoolinnstcr
asked tho wnndcrcr to say u few words to
tho scholars
"You have fine school, children" said
the old nun, "nnd tho methods nro diilcr
emit from those in vogue when l was u
scholar hero 50 years ago. am very old
man, and I want you to know that age
brings wisdom. Take my advice there
fore Never wander from your homes, and
believe me when tell you TINT tho legend
In my old copy book, which l sec also In
yours is truo, "A rolling Stone gathers no
moss.
Then Mr.. Minncrly was driven to the
house in which he WAS born. 1t Is now In
ruins. He walked about 1t and surveyed
the brush and wild vines That almost hide
1t from view Then he asked:
"Who owns this old house nowP'
"John ID. Rockefeller replied Liant.
"Who is HOP" asked Minncrly II never
heard Of him"
MIR. Liant was amazed, but the old man
was in earnest. Tho legend Of Sleepy Hol-
low was Justified. Hero was Rip Van
Wrinkle in real life in tho land made ia
nous by Irving's story:
Mr.. LIANT drove the wandcrcr to the
homo of some Minnorlys in Broadway, Tnr-
rytown. They are ncpl,cws of this second
Rip. There he slt that night surrounded
by great nioccs and nephows rs their elders
told him of some old friends killed In the
civil war, and Of moro who found II peace
full end and sleep In Sleepy Hollow come-
terry. OF oil his schoOlloy friends but two
remain.-Ncw York Herald.