The Holly chieftain., 1919-03-20

la relic of alcient feudalism which
had its beginning in 1929, when the
West Indies company issued its char
ter of privileges and exemptions. That
charter offered to any member of the
company who should, within four
years, bring fifty adults to the New
Netherlands and establish them along
the Hudson, liberal grant of land, to
be called a manor, of which the owner
or PATRON should be full proprietor
| and chief magistrate. The settlers
were to be exempt from taxation for
ten years. but under bond to stay in
one place and develop 1t. In the be-
ginning the PATRON built houses and
barns and furnished cattle, seed and
tools. The tenants for themselves and
their heirs agreed to pay him fixed
rent forever in stock and produce and,
further, to grind at the owners mill
and neither to hunt nor fish.
Judge Westbrook. in whose Office
worked, was counsel and collector for
the PATRONS, notably for the manors
of Livingston and Van Rensselaer,
| two little kingdoms In the heart Of the
great republic.
MIR. Louis Latour of Jefferson coun-
| ty. whom had met in the company of
Mr.. Dunkelberg, came during my last
year there to study law in the office of
the judge, privilege for which he was
indebted to the influence of Senator
Wright. 1 understood He was a gay
I-othariO, always boasting of his love
affairs. and had little to do with him.
One day in May near the end of my
two years in Cobleskill Judge West
brook gave mo two writs to serve on
settlers in the neighborhood of Bald
win Heights for nonpayment of rent.
He told me what ] knew, that there
was bitter feeling against the PATRONS
in that vicinity and that ! might en-
counter opposition to the service of
the writs. If SO was not to press the
matter, but bring them back and he
would give them to the sheriff.
Il do not insist on your taking this
task upon you," he added. II want
man of tact to go and talk with these
people and get their point of view. II
you don't care to undertake 1t i'll send
another man."
Il think l wGuld enjoy the task" I
said in ignorance of that hornets nest
back in the hills.
"Take Purvis with you," he said.
HE can take care OF the horses, and
as those back-country folk are little
lawless 1t will be just as well to have
witness with you. They tell me that
Purvis is man of nerve and vlgor."
had drafted my letters for the day
| and was about to close my desk and
start on my journey when Louis La
tour came in md announced that he
had brought the writs from the Judge
and was going with me.
Il wouldn't miss 1t for thousand
dollars" he remarked. "By JoyeI
think We'll have bully time"
| Il don't object to your going but
you must remember that am in COM
mand," l said, little taken back, for
had no good opinion either of his
prudence or his company.
"The judge told me that 1 could go
but that should be under your or
ders," he answered. I'm not going to
be a fool. I'm trying to establish a
reputation for good sense myself"
We got our dinners and set out soon
after one O'Clock. had read the
deeds of the men we were to visit.
They were brothers and lived on ad-
joining farms with leases which COW
cred three hundred and fifty acres Of
land. Their great-grandfather had
agreed to pay yearly rent forever of
sixty-two bushels of good, sweet, mer-
chantable, winter wheat, eight yearling
cattle and four sheep in good flesh and
sixteen fat hens, all to be delivered in
the city of Albany on the first day of
January of each year. So, feeling that
l was engaged in just cause, brave
ly determined to serve the writs If
possible.
rode in silence, thinking of Sally
and of those beautiful days now reced-
ing into the past and of my aunt and
uncle. l had written letter to them
every week and one or the other had
answered it. Between the lines / had
detected the note of loneliness. They
had told me the small news of the
countryside. How narrow and mo-
notonous it all seemed to me then
Rodney Barnes had bought a new
farm; John Axtell had been hurt in
runaway; my white mare had got
spavinl
"Hello, mister!"
started out of my reveries with a
little jump of surprise. A big. rough
draSSad hon rf3ed man stood Il, tl,o mid