Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-03-24

all well with thee?" and if it was not
all well, he would answer. Mr.. S.
accordingly attended the funeral,
and after the mourners had retired,
knelt by the grave and fulfilled the
last request of his neighbor, re
ceiving no answer, he went away
with the assurance that it was all
well with David GaskiI. He was an
honest, upright man, and died about
the year 1926.
MAJOR JAMES LUCAS,
who was one of the early settlers,
contributed much to the settlement
and advancement of this town. He
was born in Rochester, N H. March
Ia, 1852, and moved to the town in
the spring of 1855. He entered the
army Of the Revolution at the age
of "a years, as a paymaster Of a
regiment in the New Hampshire
line, and acted as lieutenant Of in
fantry at TIE battle of Bennington,
under Stark, and was raised 10 the
rank of Major near the close of the
war He held many offices of trust.
! For many years after the organiza-
ton of the town, he represented it
in the state legislature; was judge of
probate for the district of Orange
previous to the organization Of the
county Of Essex, and judge of the
county court. He resided on the
farm now occupied by Jacob Rich,
near the mouth of the Ammonoosuc
river from the New Hampshire side,
and his house was a great resort as
a place Of traffic for the Indians OF
the Penobscot and st. Francis
tribes, in their hunting excursions
through and upon the waters of the
Quebec, Androscoggin, Ammonoosuc,
Connecticut, and Nulhegan rivers to
| the waters of the st. Francis, in
Canada, when at one time the fol-
lowing incident occurred: Lucas
had living with him a youngster by
the name of John Jordan who was
hoeing corn in the absence of Lucas,
opposite the mouth of the Ammo
noosuc river which emptied into the
Connecticut from the New Hamp-
shire side, where the indians had an
encampment; and the young Indians,
while the old ones were gone, came
down on the beach with a gun, and
pointing at John across the river,
would flash powder at him in the
pan and perform many insulting
antics, till he could bear with them
no longer, When he went to the
house and asked Mrs. Lucas for the
''old Queens arm" and some duck
shot, as there were some ducks in
the river, and it was given to him
without suspicion, and he returned
to his work. Soon the young H.
dians came down. and commenced
their former antics until Johns
patience was exhausted and he
blazed away at them and wounded
three OF their number-one badly.
He soon after returned to the honse,
where he was asked if he had killed
any ducks? John ansWered-no, but
he had wounded some; soon he be-
came silent and moody,-when ask
ed by Mrs Lucas if he was unwell
he told what he had done, and she
became much alarmed in the alb
sence of her husband as it was COM
ing night. She set herself immedi-
ately about secreting John in an
empty cask in the cellar. Soon Ma
Jor Lucas come and learned the diff
ficulty, and the Indians came home
about the same time on the other
side. Lucas and his wife crossed
over to the Indians Immediately, and
assisted with lights in finding the
one badly wounded, who had drawn
himself into the tall brakes, and
would not answer when called to for
fear it was John. However, they
all got well, and the old ones be-
came pacifed after a time and John
made his way, with help, to Eaton,
Canada.
Major Lucas died of cancer, at
Northumberland, N. H., where he
had previously removed in 1885,
aged SO years.
COL. RICH STEVENS
was born in Haverhill, N. H., the
son of Isaac and Elizabeth Stevens,
the latter most excellent woman
whose praise is in the hearts of all