The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-09
.J0HNNY APPLESEED" HAS A MONUMENT.
Quaint Old Pioneer Of the Early Northwest Who Travelled for
Years Through Ohio Indiana and Illinois. Planting
Apple Trees and Distributing Seeds

and his fine iow OF language gave the i'm
preston that he had been well educated.
Living upon the bounty of field and for
est. eating fruits and nuts like the beasts
and birds. never harming an animal for
fur or food. Johnny Appleseed" led life
of supreme simplicity. Sometimes he re-
plenished his scanty wardrobe by barter
ing young trees for old clothes or cast-off
boots. More often he gave freely of his
trees. and thus started many a pioneer
orchard. He carried on this work in Ohio
for twenty years or more, and then he
followed the star of empire westward TO
continue his mission IN the newer field OF
Indiana, where he died In lsa5.
r = =
"Appleseed Johnny lived as simple a
life as the animals he loved. He had no
home. seldom any money. and barely any
clothing He lived in the woods ms often
aa not, and hollow tree was his favorits
bed. His long and orduous trips TO Penn
sylvania were made in part in birch bark
canoes. He saw that life was too great
struggle for the pioneers 10 spare the
time for this work. and he devoted his life
TO their service. They had little to give.
and he asked for little. He was always
clothed In rags, and In summer they were
hardly more than shreds. He often went
baro-footed. sometimes trampng weary
miles through the snow without COW
erings fer his feet. In the summer he
was content with sandals Of wood or
bark, fastened TO his feet with thongs of
deer skin. lie literally took no thought
for the morrow. IL near settlement he
could always count on a bit of food. For
his tramps in the woods he carried
saucepan on his head and cooked such
vegetable foods as he could md. Living
much TN the forests. he became an adept
IN woodcraft and wandered at will. He
"a nd ERlEam
molested, even the wild animals appear
ing 20 understand that he was their
friend The Indians respected him, and
perhaps the sight OF woodsnan Without
knit. or gun inspired them with that feel
ing OF awe which they had for an insane
man.
.Iohnny" regarded all animals as
coa,s creatures. and he would suffer him
Soif rather than harm one u the least OF
them, one chilly night IN the woods he
built a fire 10 warm himself but when he
saw the insects attracted to bis blaze h@
extfnguished the IRE rather than have the
death 81 a bug on hts conscience. On an
other occasion he crhwlcd into log 10
steep but finding II already occupied Ivy a
saulrrel and her little ones, he was wor-
IA bv the chaftering Of the frightened
mother and hacked out. TO sleep In the
snow.
uAnniesSed Johnny was n Hefws teos
n,rinr the war Of 1877 Mansfield was
fr,ghtsnea by rumors OF 4 hostile attack.
Tbs nearest soldiers were at Mount Yer
non thirty miles away, where Capt.
,,.s,,clsss mad a troop When a call was
shade for volunteer TO carry a message
- Nlarnt Vernon. johnny stepped for
vvarJ The journey had to BE- made az
asrht over a new road that was iittle bet
80 than trail ana through a country
sS,aru,iag with bloodthirsty Indians. Tho
ms rrre,, Apostle Of Apples sped through
aha woods like runner ana came back
IN the morning with squad OF soldiers.
II was an incident worthy Of poem. but
bas hean almost forgotten.
The death OF this strange missionary
u-ss IN keeping with his life work. The
Iatter wears OF his life were spent near
Fort Wayne. where. although 20 years old,
10 continued TO grow and scatter apple
,resS He learned that some cattle had
hrsken down the brushwood fence OF a
nursery he had planted II was winter
and The nursery was twenty miles away,
hut the brave old crusader started out on
foot 10 save his beloved trees. He work