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Johnny Appleseed
i
Dy ELMO SCOTT WATSON
F Johnny Appleseed, that strange,
almost legendary figure who once
roamed the forests of the Old
Northwest, came back now and
retraced his steps, it is easy to
Imagine the amazement that would
till the mind of the simple fellow
when he saw how many memorials
had been erected In his honor.
In a park in Mansfield, Ohio, he would see n
tall marble shaft on which Is inscribed: "In
memory of John Chapman, best known as Johnny
Appleseed, pioneer nurseryman of Richland
county from 1810 to 18,80.”
In the city of Ashland In the same state he
would find a monument made of boulders to
which Is affixed a bronze tablet which says: "In
memory of Ashland County Pioneers, Including
Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman, an Ohio hero,
patron saint of American orchards and soldier
of peace, lie wrent about doing good. Erected
by the school children of Ashland county, Ohio,
July 28, 1915, on the 100th anniversary of the
founding of Uniontown, now Ashland.”
In the same county, near Mifflin, he would
find Ids name, the date of his birth and death,
and the place of his burial engraved on the
Copus Massacre monument, honoring James
Copus and the three soldiers who were killed
there by the Indians during the War of 1812.
In Fort Wayne, Ind., he would see a huge
grHnite boulder hearing a bronze tablet which
displays the figure of a man and the following
Inscription: "Johnny Appleseed was born In
Massachusetts In 1770. Pled near Fort Wayne
In 1813. Hurled In David Archer’s cemetery.
Pioneer apple grower of Indiana and Ohio. The
Indiana Horticultural society and all those who
are endeavoring to carry on the work lie nobly
commenced join In dedicating this monument
to the memory of his deeds.”
Hut It Is probable that of all the memorials
honoring Johnny Appleseed, the one which will
soon adorn his native city of Springfield, Mass.,
would delight him most. For It is no innrker of
cold stone and bronze. Instead It Is to be a
living memorial, one which will bloom with
beauty each recurring spring. It Is a four-acre
tract of land, which may have once belonged to
his father and over which he undoubtedly roamed
as a hoy, and there the Springfield Garden club,
sponsors of the project, will plant apple trees
and other fruit-hearers and maintain this unique
memorial as a public park.
The tract of land Is roughly leaf-shaped with
the Mill river ns Its stem and Its Irregular con
tours hold promise of making a place of un
usual beauty. Flowering crabapples will have
a place to display their spectacular profusion of
bloom. There will be a wide variety of the
sturdy old New England varieties of apples
which Johnny spread broadcast throughout the
East and the Old Northwest. Low hillsides will
tie fragrant with laurel, and the park will also
contain white oak, hawthorn, red bud, dogwood,
wild plum, butternut, sassafras, honeysuckle,
trumpet vine, the fox grape (from which the
modern Concord grape Is descended), wild
strawberries, blackberries and blueberries—In
fact, all kinds of trees and shrubs connected
with the Johnny Appleseed tradition.
Hustle bridges are to link the banks of the
Mill river In its brief course through the park,
and the Illusion of distance and height In the
small tract will he created by the planting of
tall trees on the upper levels of the slopes.
Although the trees, such as Johnny loved, and
the park Itself will be the memorial to him,
there is also to be In It a large field boulder
hearing a bronze tablet with a brief sketch of
his association with that city.
Although so much legend has become attached
to Johnny Appleseed’s name that it Is difficult
to know where fact leaves off and fiction begins,
It seems clearly established that he was born
In or near Leominster, Mass., on September 26,
1774. He was one of three children born to
Nathaniel Chapman and Elizabeth Simons (or
Simomls) Chapman, who were married on Feb
ruary 8, 1770. Nathaniel Chapman served In a
company of Minute Men at the outbreak of the
Revolution, but after the death of his wife on
July 18, 1776, he appears to have taken his two
motherless children, Elizabeth, six, and Johnny,
two (another son, Nathaniel, horn that year,
had died In Infancy), and moved to Springfield.
Local tradition says that Nathaniel Chapman
supported his family by turning out the wooden
bowls and dishes used by the people of that day
and that young John was his constant com
panion, going with him as he peddled his wood
enware in the towns around Springfield. There
Is also a tradition that Johnny’s love for apple
trees dated from Ids youthful fondness for the
one which stood outside the door of his father’s
log cabin and under which he played as a boy.
cJol'inmj Appleseeds Grave c—
\ Tort Wa^ne --*•*'1
dohnnu Applcseed Monument
^ r r Fort V/mjne
In 1703 Nathaniel Chapman was drowned while
fishing In the Connecticut river near South Had
ley Fails and soon afterwards Johnny's wander
ings began. Soon after his father’s death,
Johnny is said to have packed his meager per
sonal belongings, walked down to the town
| clerk's office, where he left instructions that his
father’s cabin be given to the most needy family
In Springfield, and started for the West.
According to one story, Johnny was accompa
nied west by a half brother. (His father is said
to have married a second time and by this sec
ond wife had ten children, five boys and five
girls. One of the boys was named Jonathan,
and some writers evidently confuse him with
Johnny Appleseed, whom they call “Jonathan
Chapman”). But whether he was accompanied
by Ills half brother or made the trip alone, he
seems to have reached Pittsburgh in 1704, estab
lished himself on a farm there, and planted nn
orchard. From that period in Ills life dated Ills
name of Johnny Appleseed.
To emigrants, floating down the Ohio on their
way to new homes in the West, Johnny Apple
seed became a familiar figure. He would In
variably present each family with a package
of apple seeds and urge them to plant them
as soon ns they had found their new homes in
the West. As there were not enough seeds on
his place to supply all the pioneers, Johnny
went from farm to farm to buy more. His
farmer friends regarded him ns somewhat
“ipieer," but the emigrants were glad enough to
receive Ids offerings. In 1700 Johnny appeared
as a wanderer in the valley of the Potomac. In
the summer of 1800 he was again in western
Pennsylvania.
in uie Tan or iniiu a woman living on tne
banks of the Ohio river near what is now the
city of Steubenville saw a crazy-looking craft
floating down the river. It was made of two
canoes lashed together and heavily laden with
bags. On top of them sat a wild-looking man,
clad In ragged clothes nnd wearing a broad
brimmed hat. It was Johnny Appleseed and
the hugs contained little seeds which he had
gathered from the cider presses of Pennsyl
vania. He was starting out us the advance
guard of the wave of pioneer settlement which
was pouring into the fertile Ohio valleys.
Johnny's idea was to plant his apple seeds so
that the trees would be growing when the set
tlers arrived.
Tlie chronology of Johnny’s life from this
point on is somewhat uncertain. It is known
that he established a nursery at Marietta, Ohio,
and that lie used tills place as the base for his
operations. He wandered from place to place in
that state, planting his seeds and caring for the
trees already growing. His travels carried him
into Indiana, nnd even to Illinois, where, on a
road leading Into St. Louis, there stood until
a few years ago an orchard which lie Is said to
have planted.
Frequently he revisited the cider mills of
Pennsylvania nnd Ohio to get more seeds which
he would wash free of pulp, sort and sew into
deerskin bags. These bags lie presented to emi
grants ns they continued to penetrate the far
ther regions of the rich Mississippi valley, and
some of these tiny bags are still the treasured
possessions of descendants of the pioneers who
profited by Johnny’s bounty. Occasionally word
drifted back to Marietta that the trees which
he had planted were not doing well, or that the
settlers, busy with putting in their food crop,
were neglecting to plant the apple seeds which
Johnny had given them, so he would set out
again on his career of “Horticulture Evan
gelist."
Johnny started four nurseries in Ohio. They
were situated near the present cities of Mans
field, Ashland, Salem and Delaware. He is said
to have established more than a hundred sub
□urseries In various parts of the Ohio valley,
u~rrry/.
Sr^jfg23
A “Receipt for Apple
Trees as Written bij 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 Ills time
farther west In Indiana and Illinois, nnd it is
more than likely that he crossed the Mississippi
Into Missouri und thut some of the orchards In
that state owe their origin to this queer genius.
With 'nothing more than un ax, a hatchet und
a hoe he would seek out a protected spot among
the trees near a 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 a 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.
blunting trees was not the only activity In the
Odyssey of Johnny Appleseed. He was always a
welcome visitor In the log cabins of the settlers,
for he always cnrrled a Bible and some books
from which he would rend nnd preach to them
as they sat before their blazing tireplaces In the
evening.
Chapman is said to have been a disciple of
John Swedenborg and certainly he practiced his
teachings of humility and kindliness. He never
killed anything for food. He carried a kit of
cooking utensils, including u mush pan, which
he sometimes wore as a hat. Usually he wore
a broad-brimmed black hat, hut this was about
the only article of clothing In which he bowed
to convention. He was clad In a ragged shirt
which, loosened about his waist, served also ns a
traveling bag In which he carried various arti
cles. He usually wore two or three pairs of
trousers, one 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 as well as in summer. No wonder the
white men called him ‘‘queer!" Ilut the Indians
said: "lie has been touched by the Great Spirit,"
and he was as welcome in their lodges as In
the cabins of the whites.
This fact made Johnny Appleseed an espe
cially 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 1812 when the British and Indians were
overrunning Ohio Johnny repeatedly warned the
Americans of approaching danger.
Just as there Is a variation In the dates as
signed for hls birth, so do the historians dis
agree as to the date of hls death. The Fort
Wayne memorial gives It as 1S43, as does the
tablet on the Iron fence which surrounds his
grave In the Archer burying ground near Fort
Wayne. One biographer says the date was
March 11, 1845, and another puts It at March 11,
1847—a difference of two years but, at least,
they agree on Mnrch 11!
Whatever the date, It 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 It seemed that
Johnny Appleseed was about to be forgotten by
a generation who knew little of bis labors In
their behalf. Then In 1912 the Indiana Horti
cultural society and the Ohio Horticultural
society decided that It was time to take action
and save Johnny Appleseed’s name and fame
from being utterly lost. The burying ground where
he slept was known, but the exact location of
hls grave was uncertain. Pioneer residents of
the locality were sought out and by piecing
together their stories it was possible to deter
mine the plot of ground which held the dust
of Johnny Appleseed. So an iron fence was built
around it and on It was placed a tablet, bearing
hls name and the date of hls death (1843).
When the news of bis death reached Wash
ington It Is said that Gen. Sam Houston, then
a senator from Texas, paid till* tribute to him:
“This old man was one of the most useful citi
zens of the world In his humble way. He has
made a 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
blessed."
C br Weetern Newspaper Union,
^ The Heroine
By LARRY ALLAN
G McClure Nt*w*pnper Syndicate
WSX1 Service.
INTO the little liamlel of Hartwell
that day came walking and rid
lug, living cruse-sections ot the hu
man countryside, aP intent ou get
ting ns close to the shrouded mon
umem as the crowd of earlier ar
rivals In the public square would
permit.
All Hartwell, all Hart couuty, all
that section of Georgia, were there
on that day to take part in the cel
ebratlon Incident to the unveiling
ot a beautiful monument to Nuney
llart, Georgia's Joan of Arc, the
brave American woman who had
killed her share of Redcoats in the
Revolution and had inspired her
men folk to go and do likewise.
The governor made a long and
well-gestured speech extolling Nancy
Mart and her brave deeds. The
Indy representing the Daughters of
the American Revolution read the
paper on "Revolutionary Heroines"
she had so carefully prepared. Sev
eral patriotic songs were sung. Mrs.
Juanita Floyd, a great-great-grand
daughter of Nancy Hart, sat among
the guests of honor ot the platform
facing the shrouded monument, ner
vously awaiting the moment when
she would Jerk the rope to loosen
the canvas cove. ing.
The governor's speech extolled
Nancy Hart's heroism In resound
.g words and grandiose phrases In
a typical patriotic display of
verbal pyrotechnics, but sitting
next to uie was a tobacco-chewing
Cracker who told me In words of
one syllable the story of Mistress
Nancy’s heroic gesture.
• • •
Nancy was born in North Caro
lina some twenty years or more be
fore the outbreak of the Revolu
tion, nnd eventually married a husky
young mountaineer named Renja
mln Hart. Some time before the
UostOD Tea Party they felt that that
section of North Carolina was get
ting over-populated and migrated
to the wilder mountain regions of
Georgia.
When the Colonies rose In revolt
Georgia called on her sons. Among
the first to respond wns Renjamln
Hart.
One rainy, muduy day when the
small handful of patriots left be
hind to protect homes and families
were out on a scouting expedition,
and Nancy and her smnll daughter
were Industriously preparing the
day’s food for the men, five Red
coats suddenly rode up and stir
rounded the home.
A quick search by them revealed
that there were no male rebels on
the premises, but Instead of going
on their way, the Redcoats, smell
ing the fragrance of Nancy’s cook
ing, demanded that she serve them.
Now, Nancy wns Just a poor lone
woman In the wilderness, but all
of these pioneer women were
spunky. She hated redcoats and,
being an extremely finicky house
keeper, she was mad as a hor
net at the Redcoats for tracking
up her kitchen with their muddy
boots.
And so Nancy laid tbe table and
busied herself about the fireplace
without a word of protest. It was
while she was going to the bln for
more cornmeal the thought sudden
ly came to her that the patriots
might return while the Redcoats
were there. Not realizing their
danger, they were quite likely to
walk right Into trouble. With that
thought uppermost In her mind she
gazed around seeking some method
of escape, and It was then that she
noticed that the Redcoats, their vig
ilance lessened, had stacked their
guns In a corner of the cabin.
Without exciting their suspicion
Nancy walked toward a table near
that corner of the room and renched
down for the Jug of molasses
she kept there. Suddenly she
whirled, seized the nearest rifle and
fired point-blank at the unfortunate
Redcoat who had Just gotten up
from the bed. The four others
Jumped to their feet, but even as
they did so Nancy had seized a sec
ond gun and stood aiming It at
them.
I killed one! ’ she cried nerceiy,
"and If you make a move I’ll kill
you 1”
Then she sent little Nancy scur
rying out to give the nlarm. It so
happened that the little group of
scouts had heard the gunshot and
had turned toward the cabin.
The four King George’s men. each
fearful that he would be sent to his
death If he made a move, stood
there helpless until Henjamln and
the Continentals arrived on the
scene.
“And there’s the story just as
It really happened," the old Crack
er explained.
Just then the ady pulled the cord,
the canvas parted, and amid the ap
plause of the gathered Georgians
the monument to Nancy Hart was
revealed. I was disappointed. It
was an obelisk, ana not a statue of
the Redcoat-killing Nancy.
"Why didn’t they have a statue
of Nancy so wj could see what the
great heroine looked like?" I asked.
“Well, you see,” my local his
torian explained. “The citizens
thought It might look kinda funny.
Dldja ever see this movie fellah,
Ben Turpin? Well, Nancy Hart was
Just as cross-eyed I That’s why she
was able to bluff them Redcoats,
each one thought she was aiming
straight at hlml’’
(joldetilskt tfQuale
Native Transportation on the Sea Islands.
Prepared by National Geographic Society,
Washington, l>. C.—WNU Service.
HB Atlantic's rolling waves
tlo not break against the main
land of Georgia. A startling
statement, that. Yet It Is true, for
the surf shatters on the smooth
sandy beaches of the Islands that
stretch tike a protecting hand off
the coast.
These are the famed Sen Islands
of Georgia, the "Golden Isles of
Guale" ns they were known to Six
teenth century Spanish map-mak
ers.
The low-lying lumps of land,
spawned by the tides and winds off
the 100-mile arc of the Georgia
const, were once friendly hunting
grounds, where Indians stalked
deer, wild turkeys, raccoons, opos
sums, and water-fowl. Today, ns
subtropic playgrounds and winter
retreats of happy Isolation, they
have again become hunting pre
serves and game sanctuaries.
What history has marched across
the savannas and hammocks and
beneath the moss-scarfed arms of
(he mighty live oaks of these Is
lands In the nearly four-century
span since white men entered tills
New world theater!
Here, In the late sixties of the
Sixteenth century, came Spanish
grandees and hlaek-frocked friars,
from their Florida headquarters at
St. Augustine, to plant sword and
cross among the Indians to the
"glory of the king.” Here, too,
came adventurous French voyagers
to trade nnd to make unsustained
colonial claims.
Bold pirates nnd buccaneers,
such ns Argument (the notorious
“Abraham”) nnd Blackboard, after
plundering along the Spanish Main,
brought into the bidden anchorages
of these secluded waterways their
treasure galleons nnd, under cover
of the Islnnd oaks, found respite
from their high adventures.
Here, In the 1730’s, came Gen.
■lames Edward Oglethorpe nnd his
followers, who, within a few years,
struck blows that helped preserve
for the Anglo-Saxon race a large
portion of the continent.
Refugee Santo Domingo plant
ers, escaped French royalists, hu
man cargoes from African “slav
ers," wealthy antebellum aristo
crats of the old South, masters of
extensive Island plantations: then
ruin, and, finally, delayed rehabili
tation, mark the succeeding chap
ters of the Sea Islands’ history.
Five flags have waved over this
off-shore cluster of lands where
some of the earliest seeds of Amer
ican trade were sown.
Lesson in Coastal Geography
However, the unfolding panora
ma gained from the vantage point
of an airplane cockpit la essential
ly a lesson in coastal geography,
not history, even though Isolated
hits of old Spanish ruins, Ogle
thorpe's Fort Frederica, and rem
nants from prosperous colonial days
can still be distinguished through
the foliage.
Retween the leeward side of the
islands and the mainland lie ex
pansive reaches of salt marshes,
ranging roughly from two to eight
miles in width. Generally wide at
the northern end, toward Savan- |
nah, they narrow nt the lower por
tion of Cumberland, the southern
most member of the Golden Isles.
As you fly along the chain of is
lands you can trace a continuous
serpentine passage in the network
of sounds. delta-divided river
mouths, and meandering creeks. It
Is the inside, or Florida, Passage, a
portion of thnt inside water route
which extends all the way from
Mew York to the Florida Keys.
As you swing to a course over
the ocean side of the Islands, an
Interesting feature of their forma
tion Is revealed to advantage.
Heavenly wooded areas appear in
long hands, stretching in a north
and-south direction, anil are sep
arated by slender marshes and
ponds.
Where De Aviles Landed.
One cannot visit St. Catherines
without recalling that April day In
I ."GO when Menendez de Aviles,
one of Spain’s ablest pioneers, and
Ids pnrty of 50 men dropped an
chor and came ashore on this Is
land. He had established St. Au
gustine, in Florida, only the year
before, and was already out to de
stroy the remaining traces of any
settlements the Frencli may have
founded.
One writer pointed out that no
where else had he seen such a de
lightful setting for a great house
as that on Sapelo island. In the
midst of a cnthedral-like bower ol
live oaks, with hoary beards ol
Spanish moss depending from theli
outstretched limbs, stands a majes
tic colonial home. Projecting from
the porticoed entrance Is a cruci
form formal pool which catches
and tosses back the reflection ol
mossy oaks and vast white walls.
Since its reconstruction, two
Presidential parties have been
guests at the mansion. One day,
while one of First Lndles was ad
miring the nearby rock garden, hei
cicerone was heard to remark,
‘They even used Imported stoua
for this rock garden."
The big house of the South End
plantation was first built by Thom
as Spalding In 1800-1802, after hs
had returned from England to taka
up plantation farming on Sapelo.
As noted a farmer ns he was a
builder, Spalding cleared more than
a thousand acres on his Island
kingdom, and raised Indigo, sea-is
land cotton, sugar cane, and stapls
foodstuffs.
He It was, in fact, who Intro
duced cane cultivation and sugar
manufacturing Into , Georgia. The
live oaks which he cut while clear
ing the forests to make bigger
fields served to fill large timber con
tracts for the budding United
Stales navy. He nlso supplied the
navy nnd merchant marine with
beef and hogs.
As a slave owner, however, Spald
ing came ultimately to suffer, even
though he treated his “helpers”
with such kindness that the plant
ers In the South dubbed Sapelo
“Nigger Heaven.”
Then came the Confederacy,
against every protest of this aged
man. Sherman's march to the sea
laid waste the big house and the
plantation developments. Fortu
nately, Spalding did not live to see
that day of ruin.
Vines and bramble claimed the
fire-smoked tabby walls of the man
sion until the present owner cleared
them nnd rebuilt again In 1925.
Modern Improvements.
Today, too, the old canals have
been redredged and new ones have
been cut In many places to supple
ment the drainage of the Island. An
adequate supply of fresh water Is
provided by 36 gushing artesian
wells. More than a thousand beef
cattle now graze on the luxuriant
carpet grass. Japanese clover, and
Hermudn grass that have been
sown In the one-time cotton and In
digo fields.
Delightful trails and motor roads
lace the Island retreat. In many
places they wind beneath bewlils
kered old oaks; elsewhere they
skirt the broad savannas and cross
between marshy ponds that teem
with ducks, teal, and other water
fowl.
On the west shore, commanding
the approach to the Florida Pas
sage, stand the tabby ruins of the
octagonal fort built by the Span
iards In 1GS0. Within Its concen
tric walls troops were stationed to
protect the friars of the Mission of
San Jose de Zapala. Thomas
Spalding built a sugar mill on the
mission foundations, nnd within re
cent years the “long tabhy” has
been converted Into a guesthouse,
a portion of which Is now used as
a schoolroom for the nine white
children on the Island.
A short ride farther north brings
one to the ruins of Le Chatelet.
This old site recalls the colonial
efforts of five Frenchmen who
bought the Island and settled at
several places In their little haven.
The agreement which they made In
St. Malo, France, before the be
ginning of their venture, Is one of
the treasures of the Snpelo library.
Soon to disagree, four of them
moved to Jekyl Island. Later Le
Chatelet passed Into the hands of
Marquis de Montalet, a French
nobleman who had fled from Santo
Domingo, where his whole family
had been massacred In a slave up
rising.
Many of the descendants of Spald
ing's slaves still live on tiny farms
on the Island. Of the three settle
ments—Raccoon Rluflf, Hog Ham
mock, and Shell Hammock—the
former Is the largest.
At Hampton Point and Retreat
on St. Simon Island the first sea
island cotton was grown from seeds
Introduced from the Island of An
guilla, In the West Indies. This
remarkable long-fiber cotton creat
ed much comment among cotton
buyers when the first crop, shipped
from Hampton Point, reached Llr
erpooL