Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-07-29
CHAPTER /.

Which Describes the Journey Of SAM
son Henry Trayior and His Wife and
Their Two Children and Their Dog
sanbo Through the Adirondack Viii
derness in 1881 on Their Way to the
Land of Penty-Furthermore 1t De-
serlbes the Soapins of the 6rim-
steads.
In the early summer of 1881 Sam
soa Traylor and his wife, Sarah, and
two children left their old home near
the village of Vergennes, Vermont,
and began their travels toward the
setting sun with four chairs, a bread
board and rolling-pin, a feather bed
and blankets, a small looking glass, a
skillet, an ak, PACK basket with a
pad Of sole leather on the same, a
water pail, box of dishes, a tub of
salt pork, a rife, teapot, a sack Of
meal, sundry small provisions and a
violin, in a double wagon drawn by
oxen. 1t Is pleasure to note that
they had violin and were not dis
posed to part with it. The reader must
not overlook its full historic signif-
canoe. The stern, uneompromising
spirit of the Puritan had left the
house Of the Yankee before a violin
could enter it. Humor and the love
Of play had preceded and cleared
way for 1t. Where there was fiddle
there were cheerful hearts. A young
black shepherd dog with tawny points
and the name of Sambo followed the
wagon.
If we had been at the Congrega-
donal church on Sunday we might
have heard the minister saying to
Samson, after the service, that it was
hard to understand why the happiest
family in the parish and the most be-
loved should be leaving its ancestral
nome to go to far, new country of
which little was known. We might also
nave heard Samson answer:
TITS awful easy to be happy here.
we slide along in the same old groove,
that our fathers travelled, from Ver-
sennes to Paradise. We work and
play and go to meetin' and put shin
plaster In the box and grow old and
narrow and stingy and mean and go
up to glory and are turned into saints
ana angels. Maybe that's the best
nng that could happen to us, but
Safah and / kind o. thought we'd try
new starting place and another route
to heaven"
oarah and Sampson had been raised
"a adjoining farms Just out OF the
'Hlage. He had had little schooling,
Ou' his mind was active and well In
elned Sarah had prosperous rela-
yves IN Boston and had had the ad-
'ahtage OF a years schooling in that
zcty. She was q comely girl OF a
sS'e and refinement unusual In the
pace and time of hei birth. Many
"en'ravored youths had sought her
nano' but, better than others she
,'Aeu me big, masterful, good-natured,
humorous Samson, crude as he was.
naturally in hes hands his timber had
auuergone some planning and smooth
us ana his thoughts had been gently
- INTO new and pleasant ways.
LEI US take a look at them as they
,o"ly leave the village of their birth.
ne wagon is covered with tent cloth
as"h over hickory arches. They are
.'.,ng on seat overlooking the oxen
tle wagon front. Tears are stream
y Gown the face Of the woman. The
aon ; head is bent. His elbows are
sung on his knees; the hickory
anu,e OF his OK whip lies across his
=, Tue lash at his feet. He seems TO
ooking down at his boots, into the
VI which his trousers have been
.eu' he is rugged, blond. bearded
tu with kindly blue ewes and
49, 4.r,sr prominent nose. There Is q
s'ls expression Of power in the
- ~ ana shoulders Of Samson TravIor
/, oIeadth OF his back, the size OF
!, wrists and hands, the color Of
1age oetoken a man OF great
sngth. This thoughtfuI sorroTvf,,l
~ 'uue Is the only evidence Of emo
N,an.."' ich ne betrays. In a few
na as ne begins to whistle a lively
Oe-s,. 10y Josiah-familiarly called
slsns s beside his mother. He Il
okln. = sweet-faced Lad. He is
b Is, up wistfulIy at his mother
a 1e girl Betsey sits hetweo,, H.,
. her father. ' between n'm
buss :. evening they stopped at the
the "a. an old friend some miles
4Her. 4s'y road to the north.
pa ,bo,. We are-goin' west" Sam.
30 'eo to the man at the door