The New York herald., 1922-12-04
Frenchtown's Romance.
An Exile From France Who Brought
Bags of Gold to New Jersey.

To THE New YORK HERALD: If
tramp were fortunate enough to get a
bed and breakfast at the little inn at
Neshanic he could take the trail of the
red Jersey road over Glover Hill and
cover the distance to Pennington. the
county seat Of Hunterdon. in time for
the monday meal. If you follow the
highway thence you will arrive at the
Summit schoolhouse. Between It and
the river are two hamiets--Croton, with
its ancient brick church and scattered
houses, and the more considerable set
tlement of Baptistown. which has a
church of tho type of the ancient meet
ing houses of New England. The mo-
notony of broad, treeless acres is broken
by white farmhouses about which clus-
ter red barns and stacked fodder for
kline. AS the river is approached a hill
enticing to speed mania confronts the
wayfarer and recklessness. should It
venture to coast and come off unharmed.
will land one abruptly on the porch OF a
hotel on the crooked main stree. OF
Frenchtown.
Frenchtown has a faint eighteenth
century perfume clinsing to It. This is
elusive and you follow 1t reminded
vaguely OF the scent OF flowers at
funeral. for 1t attaches to the memory
Of one Paul Henry Maliet Provost. II
you inquire about him the folklore will
at last convince you that here at one
time lived romantic figure who had
fed from the impending wrath OF the
French people that followed the down.
fall of the Bourbons.
You viii be told that Provost was
treasurer Of Louis XVI; that he came
up the Delaware In a Durham--one OF
the fiat bottom hand propelled boats
that were the means of navigation on
the river at that remote time: that he
had bags OF French gold with which he
bought part of a county and founded a
village. The old house In which he first
lived and the newer one In which he
died are still pointed out to the curious.
1 trailed this wrath up a stairway
into the office OF tho Frenchtown stor.
In n combination of counting room.
composing room and press room were
the editor making copy and a young
girl setting type. When / asked about
Provost the man smiled gently and pro-
duced from under his desk brochure.
Here Is a history of Frenchtown
that have complied from time TO time {:
you will find reference to Provost In IT,"
ne said. handing me his little pamphlet
OF recollcctions.
I took his tale of local history and
was about to descend to the Street when
he asked diffidently:
"will you give me your nameY I
would like to make your visit an Item
OF interest In the Frenchtown Star"
An item of interest I fed from this
offer of fame to the Office of tho toll
keeper OF what Is probably the last pri-
vately owned bridge. with the excep-
tion OF the one at Eeston, over the Della
ware. An ancient covered wagonway
built by the farmers of bygone gen.
GRAFTON to further trade, Its stock is to-
day closely held by the descendants OF
the shrswd husbandmen who projected
Il. The states OF New Jersey and Penn
sylvania have attempted It's purchase
but the price Is high. the toll collected
from the motor traffic yielding a rev.
enue that the holders of the stock know
to be q generous return on tho cost of
construction and upkeep. There is.
however. one class OF travel from which
toll Is not exacted. The penny for foot
passage Is remitted on Sunday TO per-
sons going to and from church---a GUS
tom that is quite as likely to promote
prevarication as picty.
II washington could have crossed the