Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-10-31
OF OLDEN DAYS.

1t was on the 10Th day of May, in the
year 1854. The hour just before sunset,
and all the western sky was aglow with
brilliant light. A fair young girl sitting
on the doorstep of her home was spinning
flax as she hummed softly to herself
snatches of old English ballads, until she
was startled by the sudden report of a
gun. The frightened girl, realizing the
situation, instantly left her spinning
wheel and fed into the house, where her
guardians wife was preparing the even
ing meal. The house, a story and a half
frame one. was situated in a small clear
ing near the Hoosick river at Peters1urgh,
n. Y, and was one of the first substan-
tial houses erected in that section. 1t
was not an unusual thing for the settlers
in Fetersburgh in those early days to be
attacked by Indians aud to be suddenly
called upon to defend their lives and
their homes by heroic measures.
Elizabeth Manchester, the maiden
spinning beside the door, was born and
bred in England When she was Is
years of age her mother died. and her
father, who had many friends in New
England, embarked for America. taking
her with him. The long sea journey had
made her father very i'll and fatigued him
much more than he wished his little
daughter to know, and he rejoiced when
they were safe in Salem, Mass, with
their dear old friends, the Brimmers, who
had awaited them anxiously. Mr.. Man
chester did not survive the New England
winter. When dying he left his daughter
in charge of his beloved friend, John
Brimmer.
The Brimmer family consisted of the
father, John Brimmer, his estimable wife
and two stalwart sons, Godfrey and
John, Jr. The latter were fine noble
boys, and John especially was very hand
some. At the rime Elizabeth was added
to their household John was just in early
manhood. He was five years older than
Elizabeth, and they called each other
cousins, although there was no relation
ship between them. Their fathers were
lifelong friends and their mothers school
chums in dear old England, so when the
Brimmers found themselves upon foreign
soil. in vast new country, they wei
coined Elizabeth in their family more as
a beloved daughter than friend.
Mr.. Brimmer was very ambitious and
had sought the new world for purpose.
so he and his family pushed on and on to
the then western frontier and were
among the first to settle in Petersburgh.
n. v, truly beautiful and fertile coun-
try, almost in, although beyond the now
latAluuS btTkSnlIG I1illS. here luES
cleared the land and made a home for
themselves, first living in very crude
cabin, but after two years of hard, pa
tient toll they erected their fine frame
house, and with a good three acres of
land under cultivation were beginning to
be very comfortable indeed. They were
aud had always been exceedingly friend
ly with the Indians around them, and
had helped them in many ways. In re-
turn they had as yet met with no hostiIi-
ties from the savages.
Mrs. Brimmer was skilled in all house
hold duties. She and Elizabeth kept the
farmhouse as clean and pure as the finest
manor in old England while Mr.. Brim-
mer and the boys worked diligently to
clear the land and cultivate the fields.
They had been three years in their new
home, and they had been very busy yet
happy years.
How wen Elizabeth remembered the
journey from Salem! 1t had taken them
many weeks to reach their destination,
They had made the journey in summer.
travelling like gypSies. She had been
Cousin Johns especial care on the trip,
and being so constantly together natur-
ally they became very dear to each other.
Then came the building and settling of
the, new home. How much pleasure il
had been to help beautMy the home. for
She loved them all so dearly.
The second year they raised some fax.
for Elizabeth's spinning wheel had been
brought all the way from Salem over the
mountains and hills on the great OK cart
that had carried Mrs. Brimmer'S rock ng
chalr silver tea set used in England and
other very precious household articles.
As this May day was warm and sunny
Elizabeth had carried her wheel out OF
doors. whore she could work in the open
air and listen TO Johns coming. She in.
tended to make great supply of linen
Tor their home and for herself, for John
has asked her to he his wife.
While Elizabeth sat there spinning.
Mrs. Brimmer in the house was LAYING
the cloth for tea and Mr.. Brimmer and
the bows were at work blowing in a near
10y field. when they discovered Indians
approaching. They had never been mo-
| Tested by the Indians, but many of their
neighbors had recently been called upon