The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-06
am ECHO OF OLD CONCORD.
New York SUM-

To the Editor. ! WAS Nisilhie
cord. Mass, some while ago ana one
day during a stroll in the nelghoOOI
hood came across a vestige OF the great
perfod which may perhaps interest some
Of vour readers. In a field about Two
miles from the center of the town
very aged man, WORKING with noe
caught my attention by his pictut75que
appearance. | stopped to watch MIN
and then succeeded in interTuptinS MS
Iabors for a chat, which he at hrst re-
sented: but soon. on account pernaps
Of the warmth OF the day. he itag@d Oh
his hoe more willingly and answered.
my questions He turned out tn pe d
small farmer, born and bred III tIe
township. and over 80 years ~ age
After some overtures we camc upon
these "reminiscences, which / ho'eu
down at the time:
The Native-MT. Emerson? On, yes
remember him pretty well. He save
ninety-one free lectures in Concord
The Tourist-Were they interestinsE
The Native-Well, yes. He atWeys
had something new to say mat $
where he was strong
The Tourist-But wasn't II hard 10
understand him?
The Native-Well there we're Few
long words going around In this town
those days. One woman from the coun-
try was at one Of his lectures ard
wrote home saying how Tine II was.
and gave a string of all the long words
he'd used. There was AlcOtt, did YOU
ever hear of him? He was more SocIa-
bic. more conversational than thu.
others. He was always ready for talk
with any man. He said he'd 20 to
meeting if he might answer the MIN
lister back. He wouldn't so unless ne
might speak, too; but, you see, II would
have baked the minister all to pieces to
have him talking back. He was never
strong on the money side. but his
daughteT-I've heard she made $4,000
Of $4,000 off one of her tales. Haw-
thorne? Yes, I've often seen him going
for walks in the north wooGs with Mr..
Emerson and Thoreau. Emerson was
the only Mr." in his recOIIectfOns.) He
liked keeping to himself. but he-d 50
for walks with the others-sometimcs
No, / never read any Of his tales. I've
read some OF Henry ThOrvaus writing
and I heard him deliver the first lecture
he ever gave.
The Tourist-Was il good?
The Native-Oh, yes; he worked some
wit into it. 1t was about the thine he
was living at Walden Pond. He said
some one had asked him what he went
Time will show" Ha, ha!
The Tourist-Did he speak well?
The Native-Oh, yes, well enough. IN
his manner Of leCtIriH-s 1 guess he wac
trying to ip'. late Mr.. Emerson a gO"C
deal
The Tourist -Tho.cau knew all about
the woods. dii-'t ne?
The Native--Tes. Mr.. Emerson sai-
he knew mora than any man III tn,
county. Thee was q hunter here IL
those days who made his living b.
hunting. 1 guess h knew almost as
mucn about some birds as Thnreau III
Tuf ;eau voul1 have long talks viii
Tin: in he woo7-, mi the n;.ui,r U'u 40.
tA'l him aboJc soma birds ne ha5
killed. This was the queer thing, the
| hLIisr wasn't ever sober when M h;t
any money; but ThOreau wouldn't tall
with him except when he was ln hi.
rsLI nal sen,es.
Tin Tourist-Hdvirya all these le=rrp.
men in the town mus have made {
great difference. Did the people stoI
going TO church through all these lee
/ lures?
/ The Native-Wher Mr.. Emerson CAV,
/ up going to mee1ing, that rlads IA diff
| ference to them. People didn't 90 afte
/ that as they used to in my young days
The Tourist-Thoreau wouldn't pay
1 his taxes, would he?
| The Native-NO, but someone els,
paid them for him. They 'lidn-t keel
/ him long in Jail. You see, IL belisveC
/ i'm nature, and so for that reason h
/ didn't believe I'm law.
The TOurist-He used to make 70
/ himself everything he wanted?
The Native-Not everything. H
/ learned to make a lead pencil
I The FTpnrfcF-TQid he live
] trader
/ The Native-I guess his mother AM
sisters helped him some.
His general feeling toward the grea
1 period was neither admiration nor con
| tempt He surveyed 1t with an indie
pendent, judicial calm which nigh
have pleased Thoreau himself. G.