The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-18
6 JOHNNY APPLESEED."
a Unique snd Very Useful Character os
Pioneer Days.

Pioneer Days.
Among the heroes of endurance
and of creative action was one man
whose name deserves to be perpetu
ated. He was Johnny Appleseed," +"
by which name Jonathan Chapman
was known in every cabin on the
Ohio river to the northern lakes and
west to what is now Indiana. With
two canoes lashed together this in
trepid youth Of 26 transported load
of apple seeds to the western frontier
for the purpose Of creating orchards.
He passed down the Ohio to Mariet-
ia, ascending the Muskingum on up
ward to the head of navigation. A
long, hard voyage it was, for the
lone traveller stopped at every invit-
ing place to plant his seeds.
His canoe voyage in 1906 appears
to have been the only occasion upon
which he adopted that method of
transportation, all subsequent jour
neys being made on foot. Securely
packed in leather bags the seeds
were sometimes conveyed on the
back of horse and sometimes on
his own shoulders, when he would
often journey a distance OF $50
miles. The frontiersman who felt
himself protected by his rife against
wild beasts and hostile Indians
found it necessary to guard against
the insidious enemies in the grass
by wrapping bandages of dried grass
about his buckskin Logging, but
Chapman would shoulder his bag of
seeds and with bare feet penetrate
to the remotest parts. Even in the
coolest weather he went barefoot,
but sometimes for long journeys he
would make himself rude pair of
sandals. 1t seems to have been
matter of conscience with him never
to purchase shoes, though he never
was without money.
One cold winter day he was trav-
cling barefoot through the snow
when a settler forced the acceptance
of an old pair of shoes upon him. A
few days after the donor met John
ny contentedly plodding along with
his feet bare and half frozen. With
some anger he inquired into the
matter and learned that Johnny had
met poor man who seemed to need
them more than he did, so he gave
them up.
He was very eccentric in dress,
wearing garment made of coffee
sack in which he cut holes for his
head and arms and pronounced it "a
very serviceable cloak, and as good
as any man need wear. ~ In the
matter of headgear his taste was
equally unique. His first expert
ment was tin vessel that served
for his cooking, but this was open
to the objection that it did not pro-
tect his eyes from the beams of the
sun, so he constructed hat of
pasteboard, with an immense peak
in front, which became his perma-
nent fashion.
During the war of 1912 Johnny
Appleseed continued his wanderings
and was never harmed by the bands
of hostile Indians, who regarded
him as great medicine man" on
account of his eccentric dress and
actions.
For 46 years he devoted his life to
this self imposed mission, and died
placid and beautiful death at the
age of 72. Thus passed one of the
memorable men of pioneer times,
who never inflicted pain or knew
an enemy. q self denying benefac-
tor of his race, homeless, solitary
and ragged, he trod the earth with
bleeding feet, intent only upon max
ing the wilderness fruitful. His
deeds will last as long as the apples
blossom, and the story of his life
will be perpetual proof that true
heroism, pure benevolence and no
BILE virtues that deserve Immortality
may be found under the meanest
aprarel.-Detroit Free Press.