Connecticut western news., 1922-04-06
CHAPTER VI.

Which Describes the Lonely Life In
 Prairie Cabin and a Stirring Ad-
 venture on the Underground Rail
 road About the Time 1t Began op-
 erations.
 When Samson paid MT. Gollaher, a "detector" came with the latter to look at the money before 1t was accepted. There were many commercials and bills good only at certain discount of face value going about those days and the detector was in great request. Di- rectly after moving in, Samson dug d we'll and lined 1t with hollow log. He bought tools and another team and then, he and Harry began their fall blowing. Day after day for weeks they paced with their turning furrows until hundred acres, stretching half mile to the west and we'll to the north of the house, were black with them. Fever and ague descended up- on the little home in the early winter. s, In al letter to her brother, dated January 4th, 1882, Sarah writes:
 'We have been longing for news from home, but not a word has come from you. It don't seem as if we could stand 1t unless we hear from you or some of the folks once in a while We are not dead just because we are thousand miles away. We want to hear from you. Please write and let us know how father and mother are and all the news. We have all been sick with the fever and ague. It is a beautiful country and the soil is very rich, but there is some sickness. Sam son and I were both sick at the same time. never knew Samson to give up before. He couldn't go on, his head ached so. Little Joe helped me get the fire started and brought some wa ter and waited on us. Harry Needles had gone away to Springfield for MT. Offut with drove of hogs. Two oth- CT. boys are with him. He is going to buy new suit. He Is a very proud boy. Joe and Betsey got back with the doctor at nine. That night Abe Lincoln came and sat up with us and gave us our medicine and kept the ire going. It was comical to see him ' AJAA8 DCS1uG JOG HI HIS UEO1 with his long legs sticking over the end of it and his feet standing on the floor about a yard from the bed. He was spread all over the place. He talked about religion and his views would shock most of our friends in the East. He doesn't believe in the kind of Heaven that the ministers talk about or any eternal hell. He says that nobody knows anything about the hereafter, except that God is kind and forgiving father and that all men are His children. He says that we can only serve God by serving each other. He seems to think that every man, good or bad, black or white, rich orr poor, is his brother. He thinks that Henry Clay, next to Daniel Web ster, Is the greatest man in the coun- try. He is studying hard. Expects to go out and make speeches for Clay next summer. He is quite severe in his talk against General Jackson. He and Samson agree in politics and re Hgion. They are a good deal alike. He is very fond of Samson and Har- ry-calls them his partners. We love this big awkward giant. His feet are set in the straight way and we think that he is going to make his mark in the world.
 You said you would come out next spring to look about. Please don't disappoint us. think 1t would almost break my heart. I am counting the days. Don't be afraid of fever and ague. Sapington's pills cure it in three or four days. would take the steam boat at Pittsburg, the roads in Ohio and Indiana are so bad. You can get steamer up the Illinois river at AL ton and get off at Beardstown and < drive across country. If we knew when you were coming Samson or Abe