Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-07-21

n0Pn' 4.
Concerning her husband. who has
been dead GG years, Mrs. Damon can
give but little information. He was
born in 1859, and at tho age of 16 en-
listed in the continental army, in a
Massachusetts regiment, and served
five years. He participated in the bat
lie of Long island and several other
important engagements, and frequent
ly mentioned having fought under
George Washington whom he idolized.
The succeeding GO years in the life
Of Mrs. Damon were comparatively un-
eventful. During most of this period
she supported herself by sewing for
tailor and nursing the sick few
years after the death of MIR, Damon
she was granted a pension of $50 per
year, this amount score of years ago
having been increased to $12 per
month. the amount she has received
up to 1905. This 40 cents per day,
since she became too old to work, has
been inadequate to provide even the
most necessary food and clothing, and
although neighbors have not permitted
her to actaully want for food.
During the early years of her widow
hood Mrs. Damon had several offers
of marriage, but she turned deaf ear
to all proposals.
In 1890 she became acquainted with
Mrs. Snow, like herself an aged wild
ow, who fortunately owned a little cot
tage on the mountain. These widowed
ladies seemed strangely drawn toward
one another and the visit, intended for
day, was protracted into a week, and
then it was agreed they should con-
tinue to live with each other for an
indefinite period Mrs. Snow was to
furnish the house and garden. and the
S12 pension money of Mrs. Damon was
to go into the common fund; the story
of Damon and Pythias reduced to FEM
ininity in the closing days of the nine
teenth century
Until 1901 Mrs Damon and Mrs.
Snow lived together in the little white
cottage among the clouds, and never
were bride and groom in a mansion
more happy and contented than they.
BY the exercise of the strictest econo-
my and the gift of an occasional cord
of wood, sack of flour and dress pat
tern they got along on the 40 cents
per day allowed Mrs. Damon by Uncle
Sam.
Mrs. Damon recalled without hesita-
ton the names of practically all of the
presidents and many of the great
statesmen since 1880 and is informed
in a remarkable degree concerning
events contemporaneous with the ad-
ministration of each president. Not
only does this widow of the revolution
possess a memory which is literally
an encyclopedia of events for rs years,
but she has original ideas and convic-
tions upon the great questions that
have occupied the public mind during
that period and commands language
and force to express these views clear
ly and Interestingly.
The 81 years of Mrs. Damons life
have been spent in one little spot on
the mountain top. In her earlier life
she occasionally journeyed to Cuttings
vile or other railroad towns, and she
has upon few occasions made trips
to neighboring stations on the cars,
but aside from these Interruptions for
a day sandwiched in between decades
of years, she has known no other sur
roundings all these fourscore and ten
years except the pine-clad green noun
tains.
Mrs. Damon has oftentimes ex-
pressed desire to visit Mount Vernon,
the old home and present tomb OF
GonrOo nofA 30
capitol and white house in Washing
ton. She had also wished very much
to visit Mrs. Rebecca Mayo, of Vir-
ginia, her partner on the roll of revo-
lutionary war widows, who died last
year, but the slender means of 40 cents
per day would not permit the necessary
expenditure for railway transportation,
and until Mrs. Mayos death the two
last widows of the war for American
liberty were compelled to limit their
acquaintance within the scope of the
mails, exchanging an occasional let
ter.
or all the strange features in con-
nection with the remarkable story of
the life of this aged woman, perhaps
the most striking is the fact that her
existence has been practically un-
known in the state where she was born
and where she has lived for nearly
81 years. Ten miles from her noun
tain home, not dozen persons could,
apparently, be found who had ever
heard of Esther Sumner Damon, the
solitary surviving widow of the revo.
luton.