The daily sentinel., 1909-01-15
THE STORY OF
A QUAINT LIFE

One hundred and thirty-four years
ago today there was born in Boston
one Of the most novel figures in
American bistory-Jonathan Chap
man, best known as Johnny Apple
seed, perhaps the most benevolent
hobo and tramp the world has ever
known. The anniversary OF his birth
Is lovingly remembered by fruit
growers, nurserymen and pomolog-
lists throughout the country. and es-
peeially in the central West. where
during his lifetime Johnny Appleseed
planted over 100000 acres of or
chards. About a decade ago a monu-
ment TO his memory was erected in
Mansfield, o., and a prominent New
York clergyman has written a novel
of which Johnny Is the hero. He
died ~ IS47, but the location of his
grave is unknown, except that it is
somewhere in the woods he loved so
we'll.
In Ohio and Indiana they have
many tradition of the barefoot man
who for thirty years moved among
them with tin dipper for a hat and
coffee sack for coat and trousers,
leather bag over his shoulders
brimming with apple seeds. They
tell how he planted nurseries here
and there along the river banks,
came back when the trees We're
grown. and either gave them away or
sold them for a "flip-penuy-bit"
apiece. and how he died a martyr to
his strange business, after seeing
100, 900 acres bearing the fruits of it,
They tell how. with the Massa-
chusetts spirit, he played Paul Re
we're for the fronticrsmen In the war
of 1872 and saved them from Indian
massacre, walking through the woods
from shanty to shanty night and day
without food or rest. giving his warn
ing. There are stories of how he scat
tered the seeds of medicinal plants
as he passed through the forests,
how he preached his Swedenborgian
doctrine to the settlers who put up
for the night and of how he loved
all creatures.
Johnny Appleseed was born in
Boston in 17E5, and although there
is considerable uncertainty in the
records, it has been agreed that Jan
uary ) is to be observed as the eX-
act day of his birth. AS "A boy he
was a lover of nature, a wanderer in
the fields, student of bird and plant
life and sentimental observer of the
stars Among the many romances
which cluster about his life is one
of an early love in Boston, with a
sad ending that made him a bachelor
and wanderer.
The first trace found of him in
history records him as being in the
territory of Ohio in 1901 with q
broken down old horse on whose back
were loaded bags of apple seed. which
he planted on the borders of Licking
Creek. The first orchard thus orig
mated by him is now within the Dor
ders of Licking county.
He never forgot where he had
planted. When the trees We're partly
grown he returned, pruned them and
disposed of them to the farmers fol
transplanting, or in some cases fol
an entire orchard on the spot he hat
originally chosen. If the customer
was poor he could have the trees fol
nothing; if he had no cash Johnny
would take any old piece of clothing
il he wanted to buy the price was q
Zip -penny-bit'' for each tree and i'm
mediate payment was not required
Johnny usually took a note to be
paid at an indefinite date, and his
tory records no instance of his hay
ing tried to collect such notes, as ht
seemed to regard that when the note
was written the transaction was clos
ed forever.
His money he gave to the poor, oi
spent for books or for the purchase
of aged horses. Usually he had {
considerable drove of old horses II
his care, many of them bought from
settlers whom he had found abusing
them.