Evening journal., 1908-08-04
Mr.. HUKILL TELLS OF
TROUBLES OF YEARS AGO
Letter Mo. 10.


The new cut road and Gum Bush af-
fair described in my last two letters
has not been given as to properly clear
the matter up and 1 win therefore men,
tion some matters closely connected
with it in this article. The land lying
on the western side of the new cut
road and abreast of my fathers land
was embraced in two farms owned by
the Townsends and known as the Log
Landing Farm and Shading Point
Farm, the Log Landing Farm being
the nearest to the head of the creek
and both bounded by the creek on the
west some time in the thirties. Those
owning land adjacent to the creek and
nearer the mouth of the creek coneeiv-
ed the idea that the marsh land bor-
dering on the creek would be more val
liable to them at least reclaimed for
farming purposes than the navigation
would be, rather a selfish and high
handed proposition, and to that end
sneaked, as it would appear, a bill
through the legislature empowering
them to put stopping in the mouth
of the creek and by the construction
Of sluice shut out the ebb and flow
Of the tide and thereby dry and re-
claim the marsh land and proceeded
to accomplish their purpose by driving
piling in the creek at or near the
mouth.
This, IL accomplished would have
totally destroyed the navigation, and
ended all shallow trade up the creek.
The land owners farther up or nearer
the head of the creek had considerable
timber on their land and could read
lily see a hardship and the ruin 1t would
work upon them, for they could neither
get their timber nor grain to market
or lime and other fertilizer to their
land; and resolved to not stand il ami
to take the law into their own hands
by devising ways and means TO pre-
vent IL and sailed a sloop to the point
in question and at low water chained
the few piing already driven to the
sloop and when the tide rose the sloop
would rise with it and draw the piling
and they did, which l think was done
under the cover Of darkness.
l cannot give the names Of all those
who took part in this rebellion but
Samuel Armstrong, who owned the Log
Landing Farm at that time, was one
Of them. After the depreciation had
been committed the opposing parties
prosecuted them and put them in iall
which together with the fines and costs
about ruined them. Samuel Armstrong
lost his farm and became poor in con-
sequence, it being sold by the sheriff.
az which sale l think the Townsends
became possessed Of II, as near as 1 can
tell from the information I have been
able to get. The stopping must have
been pulled out in the latter thirtics
or early forties Mr. Armstrong must
have been quite a young man at tho
time Of the trouble but he did not
down worth cent for he and his good
wife Fannie, both industrious and eco
nomioal pulled together. raising a big
family Of boys who all worked and
worked all the time. I have heard my
father say that while their father work.
ed for him at the carpenter trade. the
boys were working on the farm and
every one doing his part in the strug-
gle to get on their feet again. / heard
my father say. for he and Mr. Arm
strong were always intimate. that If
ne made a dollar he allowed TO save
one halt Of II, but if Fannie made one
she saved it all. And It is my great
pleasure and satisfaction TO saw thev
did get on their feet. They rented an
unimproved farm located on the road
/
Borough, bought Of William Polk. an
extensive land owner, who soon saw
that they were made of the right kind
OF stuff. He gave them a chance and
they prospered. Their luck had turned
ana everything that they did seemed
to turn to money and 1t was not long
before the two eldest boys, Richardson
H. and Samuel c. were farming another
big farm that belong to William Polk
also and the Fields Borough got too
small for the old gentleman and Fannie
and they moved to the big Listen
farm IN 1850 where he remained three
years during which time he bought the
Shading Point Farm and went on II
in 1853 where he died in 1861. and the
stock of the grand children that have
come after are an honor TO their name
many Of whom II is my pleasure Ia
know and some Of them are prosperous
farmers in the vicinity Of Tavlor's
Bridge. It gave me a great pleasure
to behold their up-to-date farming
when was on a visit to them a few
weeks ago.
William Andrew HukilI.