Evening journal., 1908-12-07
Article No. 81.


be conservative. I may say thousands
Of cords OF wood. besides an unknown
quantity of ship timber. were shipped
whereas now not a boat trades at
either of those landings, according to
information obtained a few days ago.
The reader will pardon me while
digress little before leaving this
point. being so near my old tramping
ground (Gurlbush). and while noticing
the great changes time has wrought in
65 or 20 years. 1 had longed and sigh
ed for the last ten or fifteen years for
one more tramp with gun and dog over
the old hunting grounds OF my boy
hood days. So when the game law
was out on November 16, about 6
o'clock in the morning l bought my
ticket for Blackbird and was soon on
the desired spot with gun in hand to
try my luck over again. Now l hear
someone say:
Hukill now you would be funny
You're after making mirth.
Could you waylay a fleeing bunny
And bring him prone to earth2
But come let's be in earnest now
And lay all jokes aside,
He seemed to come my way. somehow,
AS though he me defied.
So to left shoulder as often done,
And shut the other eye.
Then slam -bangl went my loaded gun,
And bunny fell to die.
Then on we went the game to spy
I
grasses.
Whereas once used the naked eye,
l now must use my glasses.
But became so absorbed in things so
much more interesting than rabbit
hunting. looking for the old farm lines
and other landmarks, strayed away
/ from my company. and perhaps I miss
ed some good shots, but / enjoyed my
tramp all the same. Young growth
/ timber suitable for walking sticks
sixty years ago was transformed into
saw logs and rail timber, and ground
from which 1 husked corn and gath
cred beans fifty-five years ago was a
dense forest. In olden times If a man
had a few acres of arabic land to in
close the same and make less fence
material do. he would cut a ditch and
with the dirt from the ditch would
form a bank on top of which he would
put his fence which did not need to
be so high as If put on the land. there
by saving one-half of his fence stuff
! Those old banks are still there. and
many OF the old woods roads are still
there by which I kept my bearings, and
it was an interesting tramp to me.
Now let's get back TO the pine tree
and move on toward odessa. We find
a farm on our left formerly owned by
Chief Justice Lore. on the right. lands
formerly of William Polk now Of Mr.
Collins. which brings us to Fieldsbor-
ough. I'm olden times Hardscrabble. 2
cross roads leading east to Taylor''
bridge via Collins schoolhouse and
through territory already written up
The road to the west. at right angles
with the State road leads to Middle
town via Knoxentown mill and Drum
monds mill. Scrabble was a small vii
lage Of four or five families and 8
store. and was noted for its Methodist
prayer meetings i'm the old log house
where Levi Scott was converted. HI
later was the known and distin-
! guished bishop of NJ f. Conference who
died on the old home farm near Fields.
borough. and who Is buried at ole
Union. two miles below. Fieldsborougf
has not made q very progressive oi
rapid growth IN the last fifty years
and I think my old friend with a higi
, forehead, James x. Roberts, might bs
considered mayor of that borough. pro.
vided none of his neighbors dispute his
title / don't happen TO have the re-
turns Of the last municipal election a.
, hand Leaving Peterborough. we frs
pass the spot where Alexander Lea
the good old colored preacher, live'
! and died.
The Mark Davis home farm. TIL
Bishop Scott home farm, and tn
= James Mathews home farm now occu
pied by lea Sparks are ON our left. an'
2 on the right from Peterborough W.
pass the farm known as the Henry Ap
, pleton farm, or stone house farm
! which house was built from field ston
, picked from the surrounding fields b,
John Lyman in 1s47 and mentioned Il
a previous letter. Next comes Popla
Hill. now owned by Columbus Wat
kins heirs. but formerly owned b,
} James V. Moore, and where Elias \
] Moore took a little Jersey giI
a bride in 1855 This brings Il
: TO the schoolhouse at Mat
thew's Corner and the Neck road
Passing ]. L. Gibson's farm. we find tn
old gentleman. Elias n Moore. who
/, honorably entitled to that distinction
j not because Of his inactivity. but be
cause of his time-honored hoary head
D and with whom 1 have both gunne
{ and travelled in long gone-by days.
. My first recollection Of Mr.. Moor
was when l was about four years ole
He came with his parents to visit m
parents. and he and I were exercisin
at the chopping block at the wood pill
He was using the axe and 1 was hold
ing the POLE Of wood in place with M
/, foot while he welded the axe. VI
n older sisters demonstrated against Il
proceeding by telling me to take N
foot away, but Elias said. don't yc
. mind them" and encouraged me to
IL brave and stick TO nv post. and at II
!, next lick with the axe my foot WI
badly cut. and there were two scari
bows and need for a doctor. I ha'
I always carried the scar to rememh
a. Elias.
Ia He and ! went on a canvass togeth
e., in 1869. He for the SOAP business I I
re- stump puller. The first night \
10 put up at hotel In Dover. and VIII
re we we~e TO retire for the night we
assigned both 10 one room and {