Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-08-06
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Quarrel Of Squire
Bull and His Son
Jonathan
An Old Time Fourth of July .
AllegOry
By JAMES KIRKR PAULDIN0

~ pond and which by reason of
its being quite surrounded by water
was generally called Bullock island.
Bull was an ingenious man, an exceed
ing1y good blacksmith, a dexterous
cutler and a notable weaver besides.
He also brewed capital porter, ale and
small beer and was, In fact, sort Of
Jack-of-all-trades and good at each.
In addition to these he was a hearty
fellow, jolly companion and passably
honest as the times went But what
furnished all these qualities was an ex-
ceedingly quarrelsome, overbearing dis
position, which was always getting him
into some scrape or other.
The truth is he never heard Of a
quarrel going on among his neighbors
but his fingers itched to take part in
it, so that he was hardly ever seen
without a broken head, black eye or
q bloody nose.
Such was Squire Bill, as he was COM
monty called by the country people,
his neighbors-one Of those odd. testy,
grumbling, Boosting old dodgers that
never get credit for what they are be-
cause they are always pretending to
be what they are not The squire was
as tight hand to deal with indoors as
out, sometimes treating his family as
IL they were not the same flesh and
blood when they happened to differ
with him in certain matters.
One day he got into a dispute with
his youngest son, Jonathan, who was
familiarly called Brother Jonathan. he
fell upon him and beat him soundly.
After this he made the house SO dis
agreeable to him that Jonathan. though
as hard as a pine knot and as tough
as leather, could bear it no longer.
Taking his gun and his ak. he put
himself into a boat and padded over
the mill pond to some new lands to
which the squire pretended to have
some sort Of claim. Jonathan intend
ed to settle the lands When he got
over he found that the land was quite
In a state Of nature, covered with wood
and inhabited only by wild beasts.
But, being lad of spirit, he took his
AK on one shoulder and his gun on
the other, marched into the thickest
Of the wood and, clearing place, built
log hut Pursuing his labors and
handling his ak like notable wood
man, he in few years cleared the
land, which he laid out into thirteen
good farms, and building himself a
large house. which he partly finished,
began to be quite snug.
But Squire Bull. who was getting old
and stingy and besides was in great
want Of money on account of his hav-
ing lately been made to pay heavy
damages for assaulting his neighbors
and breaking their heads-the squire, !
say, finding Jonathan was getting well
to do in the world, began to be very
much troubled about his welfare. Sc
he demanded that Jonathan should pay
him a good rent for the land which he
had cleared and made good for some
thing.
He made up know not what claim
against him and under different pre-
lenses managed to pocket all iona
thans honest gains. In fact, the pool
lad had not a shilling left for holiday
occasions, and had 1t not been for the
flial respect he felt for the old mai
he would certainly have refused t
submit to such impositions. But fo
all this in little time Jonathan grew
up to be very large for his age and be
came a tall, stout, double jointed
broad footed cub of a fellow, awkward
In his gait and simple in his appear
ance, but having lively, shrewd lool
and giving the promise of grea
strength when he should get hi
growth.
He was rather an odd looking chap
in truth, and had many queer ways
but everybody who had seen John Bull
saw a great likeness between them ant
declared he was Johns own boy,
true chip of the old block. Like tn
old squire, he was apt to be blusterini
and saucy, but in the main was
peaceable sort of careless fellow tina
would quarrel with nobody If you onl,
let him alone. He used to dress Il
homespun trousers and always wore
lnsey woolsey coat, the sleeves o
which were so short that his hand an,
wrist came out beyond them. lookin
like a shoulder of mutton. All o
which was in consequence of his grow
ing so fast that he outgrew his clothes
While Jonathan was coming up i
this way Bull kept on picking his pocb
cts of every penny put into them til
at last one day when the squire wa
even more than usually pressing in hi
demands, which he accompanied wit
threats, Jonathan started up in pas
sion and threw the teakettle at the oil
mans head.
The choleric Bull was thereupon ez
ceedingly enraged and, after calm
the poor lad an undutiful, ungratefu
febellious rascal, seized him by tn
collar, and forthwith a furious scufn
ensued. This lasted a long time, fo
the squire, though in years, was a car