The Honesdale citizen. [volume] (Honesdale, Pa.) 1873-1908, 1908-08-13
Additional Nearly Forgotten Facts.
A PIONEER FAMILY OF WAYNE
(Continued.l

A few neighhorhood items OF the long
ago may be interesting to some. Our
nearest neighbor was Major Freeman,
who made the "Aour at the mills, and
be aud his wife we're very interesting
old people to us children. Next were
ar. and Mre. Hiscox, who always gave |
US choice, red. sweet apples when we
called on them. 'Old Fox" we remem.
Der, too, "a diguihed, church going white |
horse, which Mr. Hiscox drove oil the |
way to Aun Arbor, Michigan, when he
was said to be ~ years old in the sum |
mer Of 1888. lie went to visit his son |
and family living there.
d. w. Stearns remembers an incident
which occurred at Hiram Mumford's-
ano her neighbor. When boy of eleven
years he went to assist Mr. Mumford in
haying time and one task set for him
eYcry night, after supper. was to go
back hn!t q inlIc To the hill pasture, and
drive into the yard flock OF sheep One
night he met the flock coming in q great
rush, and discovered that two immense
wolves we're after them. or course he
lost no time running to acquaios Mr..
Mumford Of the fact, and he With his
men .and neishbors was soon on the
scene, finding about thirty sheep dead
or dying. The wolves Withdrew in good
order, but were followed for some days,
and finally were all killed by neigh
bora.
E'quire Truman Wheeler was another
neighoor who had been teacher of our
fathers in his boyhood, and was highly
respected by him. Some Of hrs children,
too, In time, became our teachers. |
remember one stormy day he called,
probably to discuss politics with my
father, and now conclude they must
have both been old tims Wings, for ono
remark OF MIR. Wbeeler's struck us chill
dren IA applicable to our use. 1t wos
that "Tne Democrats were getting very
selfish. They wanted all the offices
themselves and gave their neighbors
zone" A day or two later little three
year'old sister Irene, thinking that some.
one had appropriated more of the pop
corn than was fair, promptly quoted
Mr. Wheeler: II cay. you be Dmercat,
tor Pheeler says sol" A few years later
Esquire Wheeler emigrated to Indiana
with his grown-up family OF several
sons nnd daughters, who had mostly be-
,one teachers.
In 1887 Mr.. and Mrs Jabez S.earns
arranged to send thei oldest daughter,
Harriet E., to Fran kiln Academy, tu
prepare her for the teachers profession.
About the same time, too, they conclud
ed to make another change IN their
homo location. Accordingly he secured
land in Damascus (now the Lybolt farm
Whero he spent his spare time for Il
year and half in preparing the home
before moving his family, which no "
numbered one son and five daughters.
Mr. and Mrs. 5tearns hal now lived in
heir home at the mills nine years. and
though their small children had played
on the banks Of the stream and pond
Gear which the house was located, nc
accident had occurred to them but
during the preparations for moving in
the summer of '3S, two-year-old bapy
Frances was found one day floating ou
the pond, unconscious. Through very
prompt and vigorous treatment by @
lady visiting at the housc, however, she
was restored, 10 Us to be able to stand
IN about two hours, and lived to gro "
up in the Damascus home, where, later
availing herself OF opportunities for an
academic education, she, like tho Older
sisters, became teacher for few year,
in the public schools of Wayne county
She died Jan. 9Th, 1861.
Irene, too, became q teacher for eomt
fifteen years. She died in 1872 Oul
mother also died about tho same time
and two years later our father, Jab z
S.aArns, died, he having lived in his Da
nascus home thirty six years.
Two of the rem mainiog daughters were
eichers for long period; the elder
Mics Ii K. Stearns, from 1887 to 1877
ABOUT which time they left their Da
mascus home and, after a short resi
ience in Port Jervis aud Honesdale, re
moved to Scranton, which was thei
, nome for nearly fifteen years. Abou
1894 they removed to Hancock N. Y.
which has since besl their home.
the second daughter OF the family
Polly Church, was married in carll
life to Ira Stelnuacn, OF Gibson. Aftel
\ few years residence in Wayne Ant
, Susquehannu COUNTESS they removed u
sullivan county, where the remaining
/ thirty six years of their life we're spont
, and where their eight children wer
l reared and from which ireside the,
went out to make homes of their own
t ia which all have achieved q measur
of success.
The oldost, Mrs. Adelaide Bushnell
and son, Adelphe, have home in Da
muscus, and are the only descendants o
that Stearns family residing 10 the coun
ty, Another daughter resides in Scran
ton; two in Williamsport, Pa; one il
BrayIner, Mo. and one in San Antonio
Texas. A son, l.. l.. 9teinbach, reside
in Homer, N Y, and another, l.. d
, Ste,nbach, in Clearfield, Pa.
. d. w. SLearns, only son of Jaboz, mar
, ried Gertrude Pratt, Of Ohio, and thei
+ family consisted of three sons Eli
g business was that of lumberman
i which he followed in Damascus unit
t 1891, when he removed to Delaware Co.
3 N. Y, where he had previously pur
: chased quite O large tract Of lumbe
+ land, and Where he carried on his busi
:, ness with good degree of success for
+ period Of some thirty years, after whic
: he retired from active lIte in some DE-
= gree. Since his retirement his secon
u son, ID w. Stearns, Jr., has conducte
> the business. His eldest son, BENZ w
!! reaIdea in Binghamton. and Fred. W