The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-04

wclwrttcn storics.
~ AM NOT n story writer, neither
am I n story teller, but a plain
professional man whose business
has given knowledge of some
curious incidents. none of which
exceed in interest my own fam
u lily history.
No one suspects that I have a
romantic streak In my make-uP,
and my son and his wife thlnk tnat
my excursions with my two grand
children are uncanny. and they laugh
ingly vow they must be discontinued.
on such occasions we usually speh"
the day from early morn until the sun
goes down. wandering about one ot the
most beautiful spots of Pennsylvah,a,
the lofty, rugged Bald Mount
The recent numerous changes in the
mining interests of this valley com
u, lied me to give zip the deeds ana
tho proprietorship Of some property
that had been ours through seVeral
genera tions. My story tells how this
ownership occurred and after you nave
read it you will understand why l
refused to sell for a number of years
and withheld my signature until | was
called "insane' or "stibborn' as the
animal with the "curly continuation
and I even heard it hinted that L
showed evidences of approaching sec
ond childhood.
While on q busines trip abroad sew
crai years ago. it was my pleasure TO
spend il day with some third ana
fourth cousins at a country house in
1.ecestershire, England. y lady IN
the family told me she possessed the
key to an old cabinet which contained
some letters written from America to
her great-great aunt Elizabeth.
glance through them showed me that
my great grandfather had written
them to his sister Elizabeth.
AS said | am not story teller, so
| will let the story tell itself, in the
parts of letters which ! give to you.
leaving you to consider whether or not
l am justified in teaching my grand
children to love the great monument or
their ancestors. proving that "Truth is
stranger than fiction l think, too
that you will consider me justified in
trying to keep in my family the prop-
erty q corporation rorced me to SELL
and that do right to teach my grand
children to love the place made dear
by many associations.
Philadelphia, December 10th, 17,2.
Dearly Beloved Little Sister-When
I bade YOU goodbye that September
morning. no thought had entered my
mind that I would go to such lengths
to escape the imprisonment in that
barrister's Office in LincolnS Inn
Field. In trying to obey and please
father was disobaying every instinct
of my nature and when the opportu-
nifty of escape offered, | accepted with
out hesitation. and here / am, with the
broad Atlantic between us. The Voy-
age. was rough and cold and very try
ing. but I made some pleasant ac-
uuartances, and find | am not the
only younger SON who has turned his
face westward to seek a heritage.
| have joined a party of happers
and traders and will soon start for
some hundred miles into the interior
and, perhaps, dear Beth, ] may send
YOU handsome skin of my own trap
ming before a year is gone.
Were it not for the sorrow | am
causing poor father would be going
With blithe heart, for you know how
] love the sky and birds and the for
end make me seem not quite go un-
grateful as he thinks.
We may not be in from the forests
in several months. but write often, so
| may receive as may letters as possi-
blc on my return.
Your affectionate brother,
George Harcourt.
March 10th, 1775.
My Beloved Sister-Little did ] think
%hen ] sent you that long letter writ
ten in the wilderness, and the bundle
of skins that 1t would be so long before
] would write you again. I wonder IL
you received the packet and if you are
wearing them. They are the last
raped. and | have been prisoner
,mong Indians. sick, IA cripple, and in
Ill about as unfortunate as Il man
could well be. Shall | tell you; we'll
it will help me spend some time, even
II You never receive it, and I have q
little hope that you may. Our whole
party was captured by Il body of In
dlans, who had ventured out for plum