THE TIMES, NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA., NOVEMBER 13, 1877.
STORIES OF THE DOANES.
THE DOANES onoe well known in
Bucks county, in this Btate, have a
history which is told in a readable
manner, by a writer in the Doylestown
Intelligencer.
At the opening of the Revolution,
during the early part of the career of
the Dunnes, before they had become bo
widely known and notorious as their
after exploits caused them to be, they
attended a military mustering in 11111
town, held at the tavern now known as
Mount Pleasant. This was of the na
ture of a general review of the mllltla,
rind Colonel William Roberts, of New
Britain, was the commanding officer.
They had previously been only known
as having been engaged In stealing some
horses, bearing the character of lawless
young men, and publlo opinion had not
yet become so exasperated against them
as afterwards became the case. A large
crowd of people was congregated to
gether, as was apt to be the case on such
occasion b, composed of all classes, but
including many wild and rough charac
ters. Many of these were engaged in
games and athletic Bports, while whisky
flowed freely. Two of the Donnes, one
of whom was Joseph, were foremost in
these exploits and in which their great
strength and wonderful agility enabled
them readily to excel. These naturally
aroused the admiration and interest of
the crowd, in an age when the exhibi
tion of feats of physical strength were
held In higher respect and estimation
than nt the present day. They, with
others, had divested themselves of hats,
shoes, coats and vests, and were engaged
iu a standing jump over a stick placed
across two upright muskets, whose
height would be about that of a man's
head. About this time some that knew
the desperadoes apprised Colonel Rob
erts of their presence, and measures
nt once taken to arrest them. But such
was the fear of their prowess, and their
cool daring in the stress of danger, that
they must be attacked with overpower
ing numbers ere it was thought safe to
venture to capture them. A ruse must
be employed, and word was secretly
sent around to keep them busily engaged
iu jumping, by raising the stick some
inches higher and thus daring them to
surmount it. But the Doanes, while
apparently acquiescing, suspected some
thing wrong, and almost unnoticed,
were busily engaged in putting on their
shoes, hats and coats, and about the
time when they were to be seized they
broke from the crowd with a series of
tremendous leaps, ran to the southward
with the speed of deers, and gained
many hundred yards before the astound
ed crowd had collected their wits. A
great hue and cry was instantly set up,
and a crowd of men pursued, some on
foot and some on horseback. Much of
the country was then uncultivated and
thickly wooded, and they were soon
lost to sight of those on foot. But those
ou horseback more readily kept them in
view, and overtook them at a place
where a great ditch or ravine hindered
their course. The Doanes easily sprang
across this, which the horsemen were
unable to do. Against these had found
a feasible crossing place to the other side
the fugitives would leap back, thus
baffling their pursuers again and again.
Why they were not fired upon does not
appear, but either their assailants had
not loaded their muskets, or did not
care to shoot them, as they had not yet
outlawed or committed heinous crimes.
Their pursuers becoming too numerous
for longer playing this game, they sud
denly broke for a dense, Impenetrable
ticket of large extent, near the boundary
line of New Britain, where pursuit was
hopeless for horsemen, and dangerous
for those on foot, and the bold freebooters
escaped, to enter more fully upon their
after successful career of crime and
plunder.
The writer received the particulars of
the above Incident from the lips of an
elderly man, whose father was an eye
witness of the scene, and who had at
tended the mustering when a boy of ten
or twelve years. .The latter,' living in
New Britian died something over twenty
years ago, at a great age, and would
ofttimes relate the story to his children
and others.
During some portion of the period of
the Revolutionary War, Amos Griffith,
of New Britain, held the offices of Com
missioner and Treasurer of the county of
Bucks. He resided on the premises now
owned by his grandson, John W. Grif
fith, less than a mile southwest of Chal
fiont. He lived with an uncle of the
same name, a descendant of the Welsh
family, who had at first settled In Ches
ter county, but had migrated to Bucks
at a previous period. Business of a
public nature connected with county
affairs frequently called him to New
town, the seat of the justice, Borne fifteen
miles away. One day, upon returning
home from that place with a quantity
of the publio money in his possession,
his relative called his attention to the
fact that the Doanes were reported to be
in the neighborhood, searching, ran
sacking and plundering wherever they
could find booty, and forcing their tin
fortunate victims to disclose any hidden
treasures which they were suspected of
having secreted. The family had been
in the habit of hiding money and
valuables underneath the flooring of a
room in the lower story, and in the
western corner of the house, as a place
of safety and security which would not
be suspected by the ordinary robber.
But the uncle knew better than to risk
even this place of concealment when
such parties as the Doanes were about,
who, in addition to their own natural
sagacity and experience, seemed to be
well informed by secret allies of Just
who had valuables in their possession,
and Just where they were likely to be
secreted. Accordingly he told his
nephew to carry the money, consisting
of gold and Bllver, to the premises of a
trusted neighbor, Richard Wilgus, living
on property afterward long owned by
the Bummers family, and throw it into
the swill barrel, which was kept full of
the grunting porkers' favorite food.
This was quickly done, Wilgus in
formed of the strategy, and Griffith
returned home. And none too soon, for
iu half an hour five or six fierce-looking
men, members of the predatory band,
came riding up to the lonely farm-house,
and in a threatening manner peremp
torily demanded the money. Even the
Doanes, accustomed as they were to the
perpetration of deeds of violence and
crime, had their own codes of honor,
and some loose, imperfect notions of
morality and justice. So they opened
the conference with the Treasurer with
some preliminary observations, hoping
to gain their object without having to
use force or doing bodily harm towards
one who had never ofl'ended them by
word or deed.
" We do not wish to punish a man of
your age, and know you are a worthy,
respectable sort of man, concerning
whose talk we have Inquired and have
never heard that you have said aught
against us, but the money we must
have I"
This was true, as Griffith, a very care
ful, cautious man, hnd been reticent in
his language and comments to others
concerning the Doanes as he habitually
was on other matters.
" But," said Griffith, " I will tell you
to your faces that I think that you are
a precious bad set of fellows,frnni what I
have heard of your doings."
Rather pleased than offended at his
frankness they replied, " We take this
at your hands, as you honestly say what
you think of us to our own faces, but
have refrained from talking about us
behind our backs, or boasting what you
would do if you had us in your power."
It would have been the worse for him
if the case had been different. Of course
the Treasurer stoutly denied having the
funds, aud told them he could not give
them what was not in his possession.
" But we saw you on the road from
Newtown, and know you had the money
in your possession, although we were
not in a position to take you before
reaching home."
Believing his assertion only a natural
subterfuge to prevent the loss of the
money, they proceeded to put their in
credulity into practice, and forth
with thoroughly searched both the
family and the premises, and especially
making straight for the room whose
flooring had been repeatedly taken up
before and removed the boards under
neath, where they were quite sure that
the object of their visit would be found.
Great was their disappointment and
chagrin at not finding the coveted
plunder, and they told Griffith that they
knew he was in the habit of secreting
his funds there. The latter endeavored
to turn the matter off by saying that it
was a convenient place for the women
folks to store away pots of preserves and
jams for safe keeping. But mounting
their horses the rough-looking visitors
left the house of Griffith without offer
ing violence, who was only too thank
ful and glad that he had so well escaped
outrage and robbery from the bold and
lawless bandits. But his trepidation did
not prevent him from gazing with ad
miration upon the most splendid speci
men of physical manhood he had ever
looked upon, and concerning whose
fine appearance and the story of their
visit he was never tired of relating in
after days.
They quickly proceeded to the house
of Wilgus, more than half persuaded
that here the treasure had been carried
and concealed. His house and premises
were thoroughly overhauled and search
ed from garret to cellar, but iri vain.
Richard Wilgus was old and poor enough
indeed, but he feigned even greater
poverty than the reality at the demands
of his free and easy guests ; saying that
he and his wife had a wretched hard
time to live anyhow, let alone having
riches for them to steal.
" Well, you ought to die very soon,
anyhow," observed one of. the gang,
contemptuously, as they rode away,
never thinking of searching the un
suspected swill barrel. Heretofore the
clamorous swine hud claimed and re
ceived all the contents of that unsavory
receptacle, but we may well be persuad
that on this occasion a certain portlou
was duly reserved for a dlfierent pur
pose than satisfying their voracious ap
petites. Previous to the Revolution, in their
younger and better days, the Doanes
were accustomed to attend partles,frollcs,
and the frequent merry makings then
common in that vlnclnlty, wherein the
isolated lives of our ancestors were
brightened, and at which they were
wont to meet in the bonds of friendship
and formed social ties that were not for
gotten in later life. Among their neigh
bors were the Keppcler family, with a
daughter of which they were well ac
quainted. Years passed away, years
fraught with great and momentuous
events, that had oftentimes separated
companions and friends widely apart ;
perhaps made bitter enemies of those
who had played side by side in happy
childhood. Meanwhile Elizabeth Kep
peler had become the wife of John Reese,
and the story is told that one dark night,
when left alone, a tall man of magnifi
cent proportions opened the door of her
house. At first, only half recgonlzlng
the stranger, she started back with
afl'rlght, and woman-like, cowered to
the farther corner of the room at the
sight of the Bword and pistols with
which he was armed i and it was rather
calculated to increase her alarm than
otherwise to perceive that It was Moses
Doane, from the terror which his deeds
inspired. But he took an earnest gaze
at the affrighted woman, waved his
hand reassuringly, and addressing her
by the old familiar name, Bald : " Don't
be afraid of me, Liz Keppeler ; I will do
you no harm, we have been to too many
parties together for that."
They had once met as neighbors on a
common plain of respectability, amid
scenes of enjoyment and pleasure. But
their lives had grown widely apart Blnce
then, and how great was the contrast
between the Innocent woman that stood
before him and the stalwart man, whose
years of sin, of violence and crime, had
fixed a great gulf between them, across
whose impassable barriers he could
never come again, or walk once more
the ways of peace and honor. Some
thoughts like these seemed to flush
through the outluw's mind, forheshort
ly afterwards departed, and was seen by
her no more.
There came a time when her husband
was called upon by his neighbors to
assist in the capture or slaying of the
Doanes in their places of retreat on the
Tohickon. He had served the patiiot
cause as a teaniBter, making weary
journeys fc nine months, crossing
mountain and flood between Valley
Forge aud Tlconderoga, had courageous
ly faced danger andleath on the battle
fields of Trenton, Germantown and
Brandywlne, and other conflicts of the
Continental armies ; but we may be sure
that he was rather glad than otherwise
that a temporary convenient ailment of
his wife prevented him from takiug
part in that transaction. John Seese,
Jr., the son of Elizabeth Seese, an aged
man of 85, now living at North Wales,
who often had related to him these aud
other talcs of her youth by his mother,
is the personage of whom the writer ob
tained these particulars.
Getting the Worth of His Money.
THE following good story is told of
a landlord who kept a western
hotel, and who tried to over reach a
green looking guest . The stage drew up
at his ranche one day with a passenger
list so beggarly that it reduced the ex
pectant and smiling Boniface to a Btate
of despair, and to an abstruse calculation
of his profit and loss account. Among
the few dust begrlmmed passengers
that filed in to feast on the good things
spread on his hospitable board, was a
verdant looking individual, who tight
ly clutched one of those old-fashioned,
capacious-mouth-carpet bags with vast
bowelled depth that our grandfathers
used in their journeyings, and that were
usually laden with two shirts and a
month's provisions. This particular
carpet bag was notable only for the ap
parent extreme paucity of its contents,
and when our verdant traveler slunk
away bashfully to the unoccupied end of
the long dining table, and seated him
self in one of the chairs, he deposited
his dusty bag on a vacant chair at his
side. So industriously did he attack the
viands before him, that Boniface tapped
him on the shoulder several times be
fore he produced a dollar, the usual price
of a meal.
" Your bill is two dollars," said Bon
iface. "Hay!"
" Two dollars, if you please."
" Gosh all durn it, landlord," he ex
claimed, " you don't mean to say you
tax a fellow two dollars for a meal like
this V"
" Our charge is a dollar for every
chair occupied at the table. Your bag
monopolizes a seat, and the charge for
it is the same as for a person."
" But, Jedge, see here, now, the bag
hain't eaten a durned mouthful."
"Can't help that; there are the vi
ands before it, and if It don't partake of
them, It is not my fault. Come, sir,
pay over I haven't time to argue the
matter."
" Waal, squire, maybe It's all right,
but it seems mighty tough on a fellow.
Here's your two dollars."
And the owner of the bag sat down
and heartily finished his meal, amid
the audible smiles of his fellow-passen.
gers and the very perceptible grin of ex
ultation on the landlord's face. His
meal done, he turned to his bag, opened
It, shook out its creases and folds, and
with provoking sang frold thus address
ed it loud enough for all In the room to
hear :
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Bag, for
obliging you to wait for the second table.
Hungry, eh! I should think so, with
nothing inside of you but a Bhlrt and
paper collar, and there isn't much sub
stance In them. Like roast beef, eh 1
Here's a nice piece, weighing a dozen
pounds, I guess. Whew I You took
that in one gulp, and it don't seem to
distress you either. Try this roast of
lamb V I can recommend it. Sorry the
mint sauce is all gone. Biscuit 1 Yes,
here's a hull plate full. Biscuit are
rather trying on one's digestive machin
ery, they say so ; suppose you try a
of plateful of bread on top of them.
Will you have a spring chicken V Two ?
Well you are cheeky; but here they
are. You don't want to stick them, I
see. Some more biscuit V There you
have 'em"
Suiting his actions to these words, the
owner of the bag stuffed into its ca
pacious interior everything edible that
lay within his reach, regardless of the
consternation depicted In the face of the
landlord, who rushed up to stop him.
" This is robbery, sir ; downright rob
bery I" he thundered. " I will not sub
mit to It."
"See here now, 'squire, jest keep
cool and we'll argue this," calmly re
plied the verdant one, not letting up,
however, in his occupation of filling the
bag. " Didn't this bag pay for a square
meal V What is a square meal, if it
isn't to eat till one is satisfied. Isn't
that so, gents V"
His fellow passengers, who were
roaring with laughter, readily as
sented. " Now, that being the verdict of this
jury, let me tell you, Mr. Landlord.that
this bag ain't going to be satisfied until
it Is chock full. I'm its friend, and any
one that interferes with its meal will
get eternally lammed, that's all."
He meant every word of it, and the
landlord wisely withdrew, looking a
splendid example of the bitter bitten.
When HeYost It.
A citizen, who should be preparing
hiniBelf for the unknown life beyond the
grave instead of being up to such tricks,
removed the setting from his big gold
ring the other day, leaving a marked
and decided vacancy. He gets on a
street car, holds his hands so that the
ring must be seen, and pretty soon a
man bends forward and remarks :
" Excuse me, sir, but you have lost
the set from your ring."
" So I have," replies the owner, as he
looks around the floor.
Every passenger began to peer around
and the man who made the discovery
finally asks :
Was it a valuable set V"
" It was a thousand dollar diamond,"
is the calm reply.
There is another movement on the
part of the passengers. Some look along
the seat, some under it, and some make
a dive for peal buttons and other small
objects.
" When did you miss it V" asks the
first man as the search weakens a lit
tle. " A year and a half ago, when tending
campmeeting in Illinois," is the sad re
ply. Then every passenger straightens up,
every eye looks into vacancy, and not
the faintest smile can be seen on any
face. A person boarding the car just
then would wonder what great man in
the city had just died, and if the pas
sengers were ou their way to take a 6ad
farewell look at his remains.
New Hampshire's Cotton Industries.
The Manchester print works are to
shut down for a month or more because
of the dull market, and 400 hands will
be out of work.
The death of cotton manufacturing in
the State is thus prophesied by E. II.
Cheney, brother of the ex-Governor and
of President Cheney, of Bates College,
and a well known editor, who has spent
some years in the South : " Cotton
manufacturing in New Hampshire has
probably seen its best days. If an old
mill burns it will rarely be rebuilt, for
capitalists are not likely to put more
money Into the manufacturing business
so far from the raw material and where
fuel is so scarce. More mills have been
built in Georgia since the war than are
now in operation in all New Hampshire.
They are all paying factories, too. That
tells the story, and New Hampshire
people may as well look the matter
square in the face."
VEQETINE.
BKV. 3. P. LUDLOW WRITK8 1
178 Baltic bthekt, Urooki.tw. N. Y., i
Hov. 14, 1874. (
H. R. Brnvsm Knq.
flenr Air From personal benefits received by
IU use, a well a frem personal knowledge of
those whose cures thereby have seemed Almost
miraculous. I can most heartily and sincerely
recommend the VKGKTINK for the complaints
which it Is claimed to cure. JAMES I'. LlUHAiW,
Late Pastor Calvary Babtlst Church,
Sacramento, Cat.
VEQETINE.
SHE KE8TB WELL
' RotiTH Pound, Me., Oct. 11, 1870.
Mr. IT. R. Btevkns.
.iff"' Mr: I have been sick two years with
the liver complaint, and during that time have
taken a great many dllferent medicines, but none
vl them did me any good. I was restless at
?,'B,!lva.n.d.,h?c, no PIfltlte. Since taking the
VEUETINE I rest well, and relish my food. Can
recommend the Vegetlne for wha t It has done lor
nie. , Yours respectfully
.., . lt , MBS. ALBEHT KICKER.
Witness of the above.
Mb. ukohue m. VAUOHMAN,
Medford, Mass.
VEQETINE.
GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN.
B08T0H HOMB, 14 ItXXH RREET,
BOSTOM, April, 1876.
H. R. Stbvens,
. Iear Mr . -We feel that the children in our
home have been greatly benefited by the VEttK
TINE you have so kindly given us from time to
time, espeoially those troubled with the Scrofula.
With respect.
MK8.N.WORMELL, Matron.
VEQETINE.
ItEV. O. T. WALKER SAYS.
ir x c Provence, R. I., 164 Transit Btreet
II. R. Stevens, Esq.
I feel bound to express with my signature the
nigh value I place upon your VKGKTINK. My
family have used It lor the last two ears. In
nervous debility It Is invaluable, and I recom
mend it to all who may need an Invigorating, reu
ovatlug tonlo.
, . O. T. WALKER.
Formerly rastor of Bowdolu square Church,
Bostou.
. VEQETINE.
NOTniNQ EQUAL TO IT
., 8outh Salem, Mass., Nov. U, 1876.
Mr. II. R. Stevens.
Dear Hlr ; I have been troubled with Scrofula,
Canker, and Liver Complaint for three years.
Nothing ever did me any good until I commenced
using the VKOETINK. I consider there Is noth
ing equal to It for such complaints. Can heartily
recommend it to everybody. Yours truly.
MRS. LIZfclE M. PACKARD,
No. 16 Lagrunge at., South Salem, Mass.
VEQETINE.
RECOMMEND IT HEARTILY
' South Boston.
Mr. Stevens.
Dear Mr ; I have taken several bottles of your
V EMETINE, and am convinced it is a valuable
remedy for Dyspepsia, Kidney Complaint, and
General Debility of the System. I can heartily
recommend it to all sulierers from the above com
plaiuts. Yours respectfully.
Mus. Ml'NKOE PARKER.
VEGETINE
Prepared by
H. R. STEVENS, Boston, Mass,
Vegetlne is Sold by oil Druggists.
October 16, 1877. lm.
JEATHER &C.
THE subscriber has now on hand at
LOW PIIICKS,
Good Sole Leathei ,
Kip of Superior Quality,
Country Calf Skins,
French Calf,
LININGS, ROANS, &c.
F. Mortimer,
NEW BLOOM FIELD, PA.
' Comblnps more attractions than any other." Beaver
(Pa.) ' Times."
CHEAPEST AND BEST!
PETE R SO N7-M A G A Z IN E
full-size TAPER PATTERNS I
A Supplement will be given In every num
ber for 1878, containing a full-size paper pattern
for a lady's or a child's dress. Every subscriber
will receive, during the year, twelve of these pat
terns, so that these alone will be worth more than
the subscription price..
" Peterson's Magazine" contains, every year,
1000 pages, 14 steel plates, 12 colored Berlin pat
terns, 12 mammoth colored fashion plates. 24
pages of music, and on embellishments, stories,
sc., than any other. It gives more for the money
than any other iu the world. Its
Thrilling; Tales and Novellettes
Are the best published anywhere. AH the most
popular writers are employed to write originally
lor " Peterson." In I6i8. In addition to the visual
quantity of short stories. FIVE OKIUINAL
COPYRIGHT NOVELLETTES will be given, by
Mrs. Ann 8. Stephens, Frank Lee Benedict, Mrs.
F. H. Burnett, and others.
Slauimonth Colored Fashion Flutes
Ahead of all others Those plates are engraved
on steel, twice the usual size, and are unequaled
for beauty. They will be superbly colored. Also,
Household and other receipts ; in short, eveiy
thingluterestiug to ladies.
N. B. As the publisher now pre-pays the post
age to all mail subscribers, "Peterson" Is cheaper
than evert In fact is the cheapest iu the world.
TERMS (Always In Advance) $3 A TEAR.
3 Copies for $3 WJ With a copy of the pre-
5 " " 4 80 J mluiu picture (24 x2u) "Thb
Angels or CumsTMAS," a ttve dollar eusravmg
to lira persou gettiug up the Club.
4 Copies for 80 With au extraeopy of the
6 " 8 00 J Magazine for 1K78. as a pre
mium, to the persou getting up the club.
i Copies for f 60 I With au extra copy of the
g 12 00 Mag,txiue for 1878, and the
11 " " Id 00 ( premium picture, a flue dol
lar engraving, to the persou gettiug up the Club.
Address, post-paid.
CHARLES J. PETERSOX,
306 Chestuut St., Phil'a., Pa.
49-Specimen aeut gratis. It written for.