Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-29

nothing but the past. With a man OF
his temperament 1t was the present and
the future that counted. This man,
even in his advanced years. lived in the
present-hs present-and kept his gaze
on the future. There were stories 10
the effect that the good and kindly old
man was not quite right in the head,
but as he was very different from the
general run of men ii was easy for
such stories to start. 1t. indeed, was
curious that a man would mark out z
line of conduct for himself and devote
himself exclusively to promoting the
benefit of other people without thought
of gain for himself 1t was reasonable
to assume that such man was slightly
touched" in the head Then. Johnny
AppleSeed was a man with a single idea
and a single purpose. His miss on
10 give to other men the benefits OF
apple trees. 1t is quite likely that
man with a single idea and a single
purpose should appear queer to
other persons if. indeed, he did not
actually become queer"
When the important chapter in the
life of Johnny Appleseed opens he had
an orchard in the wild hut growing
town of Pittsburgh, and the site of
that orchard was long. long ago built
over. Immigrants from eastern Penn
sylvania. from Maryland and Virginia,
crossing the Alleghenies, destined for
the section then called far west, which
is often now classed as in the effete
east came to Pittsburgh to take passage
on the rough boats that were poled
down the Ohio river. which was usually
in the spring at the times of high wa
ter. The blooming orchard of Jonathan
Chapman attracted many Of these trav-
elers and filed them with thoughts Of
the homes they had left behind them.
There was a famous spring on Chap
mans little farm and a great many
persons went there to drink. Loving
his own apple trees and seeing SO many
mon and women leaving the east be-
hind them for the then little known
west, he conceived the plan of taking
apple trees to them. He collected the
pomace from the cider mills in the east.
carefully washed out the apple seed
and with a bag of them would start
into the wilderness at the first sugges-
ton of spring. 1t was his mission to
promote orchards.
To some persons he would give seed.
and 1t is related that he gave some to
had settled near the mouth of Licking
river, and that the nursery established
there was the first in the new north
west territory.
AppicSccu pldHled Deu OF
seed on the farm of Commodore Whip
pie, near where stands Marietta, and
from that nursery distributed trees
throughout the region. He also put in
nurseries at various places along the
rivers Sciota and Miami very early
in the settlement of those regions. H.
was friend of the great Indian chief
Logan and because of acts OF kindness
maintained friendly relations with the
Indians. He was also a friend of the
Blennerhassetts, who bought the Isle
is now called Blennerhassett Island, on
which fragments of the Blennerhassett
house were visible few years ago and
probably still are Harmon Blanner-
hassett was born in Hampshire, Eng
land, In 1864. He was of Irish blood.
He came to this country in 1896 and
bought the island, which is close to
the town of Marietta. His wife was
the granddaughter Of Gen. Agnew of
the British army. Aaron Burr visited
at the Blennerhassett home and Blen-
nerhassett was involved in the Burr
conspiracy and his house was de-
stroyed, though he himself was dis
charged of the accusation of treason
in 1907. Later he became a cotton
planter near Port Gibson. La. and
failing, began the practice Of law In
Montreal. He died in England in 1881
and his widow came to this country
to press upon Congress the Blenner-
hassett claim for redress. She died in
New York in 1871.
Tho Blennerhassetts knew Johnny
Appleseed we'll and were often with
him on his tours through that part of
the country. But, then, all the old or
early settlers in the Ohio river country
knew Johnny Appleeeed-