Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-02-21

| CbhTteT OHeTeu 10 any member or 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.
Mr.. 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, / understood He was a gay
LOthario, always Boosting Of his love
affairs, and l had little to do with him
One day in May near the end Of my
two years in Cobleskill Judge West.
brook gave me two writs to serve on
settlers In the nelghborhood of Bald.
win Heights for nonpayment Of rent
He told me what l knew, that there
was bitter feeling against the PATRONS
In that vicinity and that l might en-.
counter opposition to the service of
the wrlts. If so / was not to press the
matter, but bring them back and he
would give them to the sheriff.
II do not Insist on your taking this
task upon YOU" he added. 81 want a
man of tact to 60 and talk with these
people and get their point of view. II
you don't care to undertake 1t I'll send
another man."
II think l would enjoy the task"
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 we'll to have
a witness with YOU They tell me that
Puryis Is man of nerve and vigor."
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 and announced that he
had brought the writs from the Judge
end was going with me.
II wouldn't miss 1t for a thousand
dollars" he remarked. "By Jove! /
think Wen have bully time
~ don't object to your going but
you must remember that l am In COM
mand," l said, little taken back, for
l had no good opinion either of his
"The judge told me that I could 90
but that | should be under your or
ders," he answered "I'm not going to
be 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 !
pgreed to pay yearly rent forever of |
sixty-two bushels of good, sweet, mer-
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
| was engaged in just cause, brave
y determined to serve the writs II
possible.
I rode In silence, thinking of Sally
and Of those beautiful days now reced-
ng into the past and of my aunt and
lncle. had written letter to them
Every week and one or the other had
1t. Between the lines had
detected the note Of loneliness. They
lad told me the small news of the
How narrow and mo-
lOtonouS 1t all seemed to me then!
Rodney Barnes had bought n new
arm; John Axtell had been hurt In a
runaway; my white mare had got a
SPAWN!
Hello. misterw
started out of my reveries with q
little jump of surprise. A big, rough.
dressed, bearded man stood in the mid.
die of the road with a gun on his
shoulder.
where We goin'T"
up TO the Van Heusen place."
Where do We hall fromT !
"Cobleskln." ,
ION business for Judge westbrookr r !
yes" {
"Writs to server c
YES" l answered with no thought '
" my imprudence
Say. young man. by hockey nettie | o
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