Connecticut western news., 1897-03-25
HARVESTING HISTORY.

4uc tAsk oi cOlleclng mRteIl6l TOT B scrsp-book of local history-even if it be an unpretentious little one-can be fully appreciated only by those who have undertaken it. To trace back a reminiscence of fifty years ago, with g due regard for accuracy as 10 date and detail, dozen old residents must be interviewed. whose different recolec- tions of the occurrence may tally in substance, but are almost sure to vary in circumstance and the more essential points.
 The average old resident, however, is wiling to conoede the fallibility of his memory. He doesn't claim to be cock sure in his retrospections. On the other hand he evinces a modesty iu that regard that complicates the task of re- search and keeps the ambitious 'his- torisn" on the run, whereas if he were emphatic in maintaining that every de- tail of his version was correct, the re- searcher might chronicle the narrative, in the full confidence of its accuracy. and spare himself the trouble of further inquiry. But the modest old fellow, after giving the details as he remembers them, will recommend visit to some other old fellow, who "has wonderful good memory" with special reference to that particular circumstance An inter- view with the second old resident brings out version somewhat at vari auce with the first. and the historian" is again referred for more reliable infor- nation. to bright old lady who twas there when it happened" The seeker after historical truth calls on the bright old lady and hears history repeat itself in soprano, with variations and grace notes of choice neighborhood racollec- tions to embellish the narrative. And so on. until a dozen pages of memoran- da are accumulated to be sifted down to s dozen lines of history"
 The system of chronological reckon ing employed by some of the good old settlers is both interesting and amusing to the compiler. For instance, the date of certain mem orsble events in local his- tory is reck oned from the date of some other event of more lasting personal in- terest. and these range all the way from the."year of the big wind in Ireland" to tbe month when an oldest son cut his first tooth, or the summer when a neighbor's barn was raised.
 There are other we'll. meaning and helpfully disposed people encountered in this scrap book work, who. admitting that they can't remember back to the time when Church Hill was sh-poud, will give a we'll intended suggestion by referring the seeker, for information, to somebody that is dead. but who, ''If they were alive now," could supply just the intelligence required.
 A fragmentary chapter from the mem- orandum book of local historical scrap book compiler may throw faint side light on the mystery of why the results accomplished in historical research are likely to fall short of the expectations raised in the energetic pursuit of facts and the lavish use of pencil and note book.
 MT and Mrs Blank, (called here MT and Mrs Blank because their name is not Blank a delightful old couple who have passed the allotted three score years and ten, were called on for infur- mation concerning, let ns say, the date of certain fire at the "Lower Corner"
 "The Lower Corner fire, eh?" says MT Blank, musingly. Let's see; I was living on farm in Colebrook at tue time of the hoof rot epi 1emic, and I was about twelve years old"
 Well, that's got nothing to do with the Lower Corner fire, Jabez." inter. rupted Mrs Blank. "He didn't ask us about Colebrook nor the hoof rot. Let's don't drift off into these outside mat tsrs"
 "Well. that's what!I I'm getting at, "pro- ceeds Mir Blank. Ut was three years sfterwsrd that I went to clerking in a store, and that was four years before our folks moved to Canaan. and that fire"
 "There, you're wandering off the subject again." put in the old lady. He don't care for that outside stuff Besides. you've got it all wrong, l. was over four years before your f ks moved, because don't you remember, Sue Rswlins was married year and a half when they moved, and she wasn't married till the spring after the snow caved in the roof of the Baptist church horseshed. Nobody thought She would ever have married Ned. but, my I have to laugh when think of it. What a clever chap Ned was, for all we used to think he was sort O stupid and every ybody knew he was just pining away for Sue, when all the time Sue was Bob Jones' steady company and only laughed at poor Ned's love sick ness. But that sleigh ride-Jsbez I've always thought you had hand in that mischief, making Ned believe that Sue wanted him to take her out behind that spanking black pacer of hls on that moonlight night, and then putting up 8 job with Bob Jones, so he could rig himself up in girls clothes. with a veil on and pass himself of for Sue, just to give him and the rest of you boys g chance to plague Ned for the rest of his life about that ride with a bogus Sue.
 But how different good many things
 might have been if that Tompkius boy hadn't given the whole thing away to