Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-12-23
Wherein Is a Brief Account of Sundry
Curious Characters Met on the Road.

Wherein Is Brief Account of Sundry
Curious Characters Met on the Road.
At Utica they bought provisions
and tin trumpet for Joe, and a doll
with a real porcelain face for BetSey,
and turned into the great main thor
Oughfare of the North leading eastward
TO Boston and westward to a shore
Of the midland seas. This road was
once the great trail OF the Iroquois,
by them called the Long House. be-
cause 1t had reached from the Hudson
to Lake Erie, and in their day had
been we'll rooted with foliage.
Soon they came in view of the
famous Erie canal, hard by the road.
Through 1t the grain of the Far West
had just begun moving eastward in
a tide that was flowing from April
10 December. Big barges, drawn by
mules and horses ON it's shore, were
cutting the still waters of the canal.
They stopped and looked at the barges
and the long tow ropes and the tug
ging animals.
There is a real artificial river,
hundreds o. miles long, hand made
of the best material, water tight, no
snags or rocks or other imperfections,
durability guaranteed" said Samson.
ut has made the name of Dewitt
Clinton known everywhere"
81 wonder what next!" Sarah ex-
claimed.
They met many teams and passed
other movers going west, and some
prosperous farms on a road wider
and smoother than any they had trav-
sled. They camped that night, close
by the river, with a Connecticut fam
lily on it's way to Ohio with a great
load of household furniture on one
wagon and seven children in another
So they Jared along through Canaan
daigua and across the Genesee to the
village of Rochester and on through
Lewiston and up the Niagara river
to the falls, and camped where they
cor!1 see the great water flood and
hear its muffled thunder. When near
ing the latter they overlook family
Of poor Irish emigrants, of the name
OF Flanagan, who shared their camp
site at the falls. The Flanagans
were on their way TO Michigan and
had come from the old country three
wears before and settled in Broome
county, New York. They, too, were
on their way to land of better prom
ise. Among them was a rugged,
freckled red-headed lad, well along
in his teens, of the name of Dennis,
who wore q tall beaver hat, tilted
saucily ON one side Of his head, and
a ragged blue coat with brass buttons,
as he walked beside the oxen. whip
in hand. with trousers tucked in the
tops of his big cowhide boots There
was also q handsome young man in
this party of the name Of John Nc
Neil, who wore ruffled shirt and
swallow-tail coat, now much Soiled by
the Journey He listened to Samson's
account of the Sangamon country and
said that he thought he would go
there
Sarah gave the Irish family a good
supply OF cookies and jerked venison
before she babe them good-by.
= When our travellers left, next morn
ing, they stopped for last look at
the great falls.
Children said Samson. 81 want
VI you to take good look at that It's
the most wonderful thing in the world
and maybe you'll never see it again"
"The Indians used to think that the
Great Spirit was in this river" said
Sarah.
Kline o. seems to me they were
right" Samson remarked thoughtfully
Kind o. seems as if the great spirit
of America was in that water. Ii
moves on in the way it wills and no
thing can stop it. Everything in it's
current goes along with it."
And only the strong can stand
the Journey" said Sarah
These words were no doubt inspired
by an ache in her bones. A hard seat
and the ceaseless jolting of the wagon
through long, hot dusty days had
wearied them. Even their hearts were
getting sore as they thought of the
endless reaches of the roads ahead.
Samson stuffed sack with straw and
put it under her and the children on
the seat At word of complaint he
was wont to say:
81 know it's awful tiresome, but we
got TO have patience. We're goin' to
get used to 1t and have wonderful
lot OF fun. The timeIl pass quick
you see." Then he would sing and
get them all laughing with some GU
xious bit Of drollery. They spent the