The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
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1076*<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mlssi.^Ml'ii Iv<strong>in</strong>ily ([i. ioj4) m<strong>in</strong>ilicu- a ( .>|.,ml 111 llie Rivululi iiy \\,ii, .111. 1 .1 (...vc<strong>in</strong>or of that State,<br />
who was also one of its bravest GeiieiaK <strong>in</strong> the War ol the Civil Keliellion.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tennksshe and Kkntucky Family (p. 1048), compris<strong>in</strong>g 16 sons, 12 daughters, and 21 children of the<br />
daughters— total 49—shows strong legal record, viz: Hve Lawyers and four married to Lawyers, and one to a noteii<br />
Speaker of the Legislature; two Judges; one Sheriff; one President of an University; one Physician; one Surgeon; two<br />
Soldiers <strong>in</strong> War of 1812; one Artist; one Editor.<br />
<strong>The</strong> SoiTHERN Tier Counties Family, of N. Y. (p. 1054), aggregat<strong>in</strong>g 39 sons, 35 daughters, and children of<br />
daughters, records one Judge; one State Senator; one Colonel; one Sergeant; one Soldier <strong>in</strong> the War of 1812; one <strong>in</strong><br />
the Civil War; one College Graduate.<br />
Buy<strong>in</strong>g a Baby.—A story worthy of preservation and alike reflect<strong>in</strong>g credit on the <strong>in</strong>dividual as well as not<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
<strong>family</strong> characteristic, is told of the Hon. Noah Humphrey Osborn. When a young man, he engaged for some years,<br />
like many of his active and enterpris<strong>in</strong>g associates, <strong>in</strong> the bus<strong>in</strong>ess of sell<strong>in</strong>g clocks <strong>in</strong> the Southern States. He had<br />
succeeded fairly well, and became the owner of his bus<strong>in</strong>ess, and was what may be called well-to-do. In his vocation he<br />
called at a house <strong>in</strong> an obscure neighborhood <strong>in</strong> lower Pennsylvania or upper Virg<strong>in</strong>ia, and .isked the woman of the house<br />
the customary question, if she would not " like to purchase a clock ? " " Yes," she replied, "I would like right well<br />
to have a clock, but I have noth<strong>in</strong>g to pay you with, unless you will take one of my babies. I have got plenty of<br />
children, but no clock." "Well," said the dealer, will<strong>in</strong>g to humor the joke, " I have plenty of clocks, but no children.<br />
Which one of yours would you like to exchange for the clock?" "Well," said the woman, "you may have that<br />
one," po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g to a little stubbed, shoeless and hatless boy, some two years old. "Well, my boy," said the dealer,<br />
"would you like to go with me and ride on the wagon and help take care of the horse?" <strong>The</strong> boy was not at all<br />
averse; so, after some further banter<strong>in</strong>g, the clock was put up <strong>in</strong> its place on the wall, and the dealer then said to<br />
the mother, "I suppose you will let his clothes go with him— it is usual to give the halter when you sell the horse."<br />
"O, yes," said the mother, and she got his meagre traps upon him and at the conclusion Ufted him up beside the<br />
dealer on his wagon, without a word of regret. <strong>The</strong> joke had now gone so far that the only way out, was to go through;<br />
so, with the little boy beside him, he slowly drove away, turn<strong>in</strong>g his eyes from time to time over his shoulder for some<br />
signal from the mother, to return with the child. But he looked <strong>in</strong> va<strong>in</strong>— no signal came. He spent his first night<br />
<strong>in</strong> the immediate neighborhood, not doubt<strong>in</strong>g that by morn<strong>in</strong>g the mother would have relented, and that she would come<br />
or send for her boy. But no mother or word came. He washed, fed and dressed the boy, rid<strong>in</strong>g with him by day,<br />
and sleep<strong>in</strong>g with him at night, frequently <strong>in</strong> close proximity to the parents' home, but they never came for the child.<br />
After a time, the future Judge took the boy to one of his married sisters, paid his board and school<strong>in</strong>g, and when the<br />
Judge settled <strong>in</strong> life, he took the boy so strangely obta<strong>in</strong>ed and raised him <strong>in</strong> his <strong>family</strong>, as one of his own, giv<strong>in</strong>g him<br />
a fair education, and what was better, such example and council, as fitted him for good <strong>citizen</strong>ship <strong>in</strong> life. When the<br />
lad had nearly arrived at man's estate, the Judge told him the entire story, and said to him: " You are free from all<br />
claim from me. Your parents live at such and such a place. You had better go down and visit them, and if you like,<br />
cast <strong>in</strong> your lot among them." <strong>The</strong> young man did so, rema<strong>in</strong>ed some weeks, but returned, say<strong>in</strong>g he preferred to take<br />
his name and his chances <strong>in</strong> life with the k<strong>in</strong>d, worthy and humane man who had been his fast and firm friend from<br />
early childhood; and so he has rema<strong>in</strong>ed, always call<strong>in</strong>g himself and be<strong>in</strong>g known by the name of his foster father.<br />
A good story is told of the Hon. Elijah O. Humphrey (pp'. 381), characteristic of the historic energy of the<br />
<strong>family</strong>. He was raised upon the paternal farm <strong>in</strong> the Genesee Valley, and situated a few miles from the historic mansion<br />
of the Wadsworths', the owner of the largest tract of land <strong>in</strong> the Valley. <strong>The</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter had been long and severe, and<br />
the fall pasture unusually short, and toward spr<strong>in</strong>g his cautious father, look<strong>in</strong>g over the prospect, said to Elijah, then<br />
a lad not yet out of his teens, "Elijah, I fear we shall be short of fodder <strong>in</strong> the spr<strong>in</strong>g, and I wish you would hitch<br />
up and go over and see Mr. Wadsworth, and ask if he will spare us four or five tons of hay." Elijah did as his father<br />
desired, and was <strong>in</strong> due time ushered <strong>in</strong>to the presence of the autocrat of the country, to whom he said, "My father,<br />
Mr. Humphrey, sent me to call upon you, and ask if you could not, as a favor, sell us some hay, as he fears we shall<br />
be short" " How much do you want?" replied Mr. Wadsworth. "Well," said Elijah, "four or five tons he th<strong>in</strong>ks<br />
will do us." "Well," returned Mr. Wadsworth, "I never sell hay, as you may know. But," he added, reflectively,<br />
"there is a barn over <strong>in</strong> such a lot, which holds about forty tons. You may take what there is <strong>in</strong> the bam at such -<br />
a price," nam<strong>in</strong>g a sum considerably below the then market value. " My father only told me to buy four or five ton,"<br />
replied Elijah. "Yes, I know," said Mr. Wadsworth, "but I can only sell you the barn of hay, as I have named.<br />
You may take the hay and dispose of it as you like, and settle with me at your father's convenience. I know your<br />
<strong>family</strong> very well, and have entire confidence <strong>in</strong> the result." "W'ell," replied Elijah, "we will take the hay, and are<br />
obliged for your good op<strong>in</strong>ion." When Elijah related the circumstance to his father, he was eluded a little for his<br />
rashness <strong>in</strong> buy<strong>in</strong>g so large a lot of hay. But the result justified the judgment of the boy. He sold out the hay, to<br />
such of the neighbors as wanted it, paid Mr. Wadsworth for it, had enough for their own stock, and a very snug sum<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the barga<strong>in</strong>, thus beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g a career of honorable prosperity which cont<strong>in</strong>ued through life.