The Nome daily nugget., 1935-07-09
NN/MgM @@S\ Johnny APPleseeds Grave SNM SM\ Fort Wayne
A Receipt for Apple Trees as Written by Chapman

| and there Is no way of telling how many thou sands of fruit trees he started during the course of his 40 years of wandering As Ohio began to settle up he spent more and more of his time farther west in Indiana and Illinois, and it is more than likely that he crossed the Mississippi into Missouri and that some of the orchards in that state owe their origin to this queer genius. | With nothing more than an ax, hatchet and q hoe he would seek out a protected spot among the trees near stream and there dig up the soil until it was thoroughly pulverized. Then he would plant thousands of apple peach and pear seeds and build brush fence around the infant nursery to keep away deer and other grazing animals. When the settlers arrived they had only to dig up the apple seedlings and replant them, when they had established their homes, to start an orchard. Johnny planted other things besides apple trees in the wilderness. Small fruits such as grapes and berries he scattered through the | forests.
 Planting trees was not the only activity in the Odyssey of Johnny Appleseed. He was always welcome visitor In the log cabins of the settlers, | for he always carried a Bible and some books from which he would read and preach to them as they sat before their blazing freplaces in the evening.
 Chapman Is said to have been disciple of John Swedenborg and certainly he practced his teachings of humility and kindliness. He never
 
 cooking utensils including a mush pan. which he sometimes hat. Usually he wore a broad-brimmed black hat, but this was about the only article of clothing in which he bowed to convention. He clad In ragged shirt which, loosened about his waist served also as travelling bag in which he carried various artl- cles He usually wore two three pairs of trousers, over the other so that the holes wouldn't show, and his cloak was a common gunny sack with holes cut for the head and sleeves. Most of the time he went barefoot in winter well as in summer No wonder the white men called him "queer!" But the Indians said: He has been touched by the Great Splrt' and he was as welcome in their lodges as In the cabins of the whites.
 This fact made Johnny Appleseed espe- cfally important figure in the early history of the Ohio valley. He frequently gave the settlers warning of Indian raids and in this manner doubtless saved hundreds of lives. During the War of 1912 when the British and Indians were overrunning Ohio Johnny repeatedly warned the Americans of approaching danger. Just as there is variation in the dates as- signed for his birth so do the historians dis agree as to the date of his death The Fort Wayne memorial gives 1t as 1S43, does the tablet the iron fence which surrounds his grave in the Archer burying ground near Fort Wayne. One biographer says the date was March II, 1S45, and another puts 1t at March H. 1S47-a difference of two years but, at least they agree on March Il!
 Whatever the date, 1t is definitely established that the place of his death was in the home of a friend, William Worth, in Fort Wayne. He was buried in what was known as the Archer burying ground near that city, For many years | his grave was neglected and 1t seemed that Johnny Appleseed was about to be forgotten by a generation who knew little of his labors in their behalf Then in 1912 the Indiana Horti- cultural society and the Ohio Horticultural society decided that 1t time to take action from being utterly lost. The burylng ground where he slept was known, but the exact location of his grave was uncertain. Pioneer residents of the locality were sought out and by piecing together their stories 1t was possible to deter mine the plot of ground which held the dust of Johnny Appeseed So an iron fence was built around 1t and on 1t was placed tablet, bearing his name and the date of his death QS43). When the news of his death reached Wash ington 1t is said that Gen. Sam Houston, then a senator from Texas, paid this tribute to him |: "This old man was one of the most useful citi- zens of the world in his humble way He has | made greater contribution to our civilization than we realize. He has left a place that can never be filled. Farewell, dear old eccentric | heart. Your labor has been a labor of love, and generations yet unborn will rise up and call you l blessed"
 Q by Western Newspaper Union.