The Honesdale citizen. [volume] (Honesdale, Pa.) 1873-1908, 1908-09-17
Additional Nearly Forgotten Facts.
Ben FINcH.

dale, go far as notable features OF the .
towns m Aterial and social life 90, * .
tend back fully three score yeare In- ,
deed some special episodes in his even /
earlier days are vivldly remembered
but naturally they are Of q childish !
nature, aud can only be fairly utilized
when an appeal is made to the eppra.
citation and sympathies OF the litLle
folks.
Every village, however, the nun,b-r
Of course depending largely upon the
sizs OF the community, has itl perc5n-
tage of cranks-harmless or othsrwisc
and when it is remembered that for
many years Honesdale was q booming
town, something after, or perhap,
rather typical of the style OF the mush-
room cities Of the far West at later
period, it il not to be wondered at tha.
it soon became the Mecca Of at least its
share OF the morally and mentally dis
torted.
30 it falls out that early Honesdalo,
or at least the writer's association with
Honesdales earlier history, brings up
to his minds eye character after char
scter whose ways, to say the least w.ro
peculiar. Among these were Dan More,
George McGee, Jane Green, The pitts
ton Ponies" Ben Finch, Crazy Sal,
Jonathan ticks and perhaps dozen
more needless to name, unless the fu-
ture drift OF this series should lead them
into greater prominence than at present
seems probable.
Ben Finch and Crazy Sal were easily
the King and que sn Of these celebrities
with reigus far outlastinR the Others III
tale Of years and with idiosyncracios
attracting much greater public atten-
tion.
Ben Finch was toll, straight, finely
proportional man, bearing upon hls
shoulders o head Of remarkable siza;
but, as the writcr rocollects him, with
long and loose j1iuted strido while on
tho Streets and q habit OF throwing one
leg over the other halfway above th1
knee when seated in q house He was
good mechanic, and during the early
portion OF his life worked at the csrpen-
ter's trade, and his diligence and thrift
in this calling was, as will appear, in
considerable measure the cause OF his
mental undoing. Even after his reason
became seriously impaired, he remain
ed capable, and d id good manual ser-
vice, when, on very rare occasions, he
could be induced to work. He could
give q connected and correct account
effectively and Offer fervcnt prayer In
religious meetings. Although his mind
was in ruins he retained his natnrai
shrewdness in remarkable degree and
could reason and converge well except
in reference to certain matters concern
log which he was subject to all manuer
OF curious fancies.
HIS paramount idea was that he Was
a distinguish"d d personago. He was i'm.
mensely ticklai with the title of "Sir
BENZ amin bestowed upon him by the
boys, with whom he was always on the
best of terms, and whose pretended def
erence and homage he accepted as ten.
dered in all sincerity as due his rank
and social position. The red, white and
blue ribbons with which they we're ac.
customed to bedeck him, the feathers
stuck 10 his hat, and the gay scraps OF
cloth with which he was often bedlssned
made him vastly proud, and were WORT
with an air which would have dou
honor to Knight OF the Garter. E,ery
thing Of that nature was taken mJ-
kindly, and regarded as necessary ou'.
ward evidences of his superiority very
properly suppllei by eppra3iiuy,
friends. On several occasions whU
thus decorated he went t. Gu lrch, oi
upon some plausible plea wolli gtAcr
ously permit the sexton to disrobe hIu.
Of his 6uery before taking his seat wit
th, congregation. II, WAS An a,tsl.lV1
listener, and had rein ark able apt,.ud
for applying what hs rJR RArisd AL specin'
hits tn such OF the auiIenc: as he fsl.
have been the objects of the minister
about. and on discovery OF the imag,nai
cllprit, would nod his head a. him -
mach as to say thai tn, d)3'rtlA va
Ig)od and applicable; sometimes eidiuG
10 an audible voice. Yea, thaId it /
"Give it to thsml" or "rhat's u wipe T.
in order to elcoueIS3 t1s proAch,r u
lay on ths truth littls mar Ter, an 40
50 ire the wicked ones IN tbs least. L
his pious heart cneri5hs1 any aversion
to fellow bsing, whatever, il was T.
Elder Miller, Of Abingdon or Hartford
or somewhere thitherw ard, with WHOM
he was in hopeless variance on some
doc.rinal points. Hls custom ary eli
max to a discussion or arglm,ns witt
anyone in which he fAncied himself to
have been the victor, WAS, That's c
good one on Elder Miller II
Ben never forgot thlt he WAS an un
married man, and he was ever on the
verge Of taking to wife some rich or
especially distinguished heiress. For @
time, in the height Of her popularity as
a vocalist, and her reputation as phtt-
anthropist, his fancy turned to Jalny
buo DJuO--
less il he could have ssel hsr ADD gain.
ed her consent he would have marrlei
her. but before tho affair reach "a ia "
Interesting st age, much TO hls disappoint'
ment Otto Goldsmith carried her oil
His next bright particular star wa7 Lady
Jane Grey, although it is hard TO under
staud why he overlooked = Slaan VIC
torla or Mrs. FranklIn ficrco, m"IG
matrimonial entangIoments 3ceming O.
offer but small obstacles tl his tinc. 'H
in this direction. Elo never urei Of
talking Of Lady Jane, and was accu9'
tomel to repeat, as showing the popular
sympathy with his attachment
ITO Syracuse took cruise,
To see my lady that looks 80 spruce 4.
Ana on the way the people say,
He's gOlug 10 Seu the Lady Grey
But no WAS not selfish in his daairo T.
secure rich bride. lie cherished broad