Letter to Editor from "Tuscarora", March 31, 1875
Bainbridge Republican, April 10, 1875
East Spring Hill, Mar. 31, '75
Editor Republican--In your notice to correspondents you invite contributions upon all subjects of "local interest," holding the writer responsible for his own views.
We propose as semi-"local" to put in our five cents, so we begin.
Then we paused and asked: Whose name is to bear all this burden? Why, "Tuscarora!" way down in Pennsylvania, and he may as well talk natural.
Then we begin again, Mr. Editur: It's mor'n 40 years sens we furst seed the Bisby's, the Warner's, the Redfield's and the Stowell's, that cum from Bainbridge to Tuscarora, and bo't a 400 acre lot of land (covered with awful big pine trees.) and built a saw mill and began to manufacture lumber. Though less than ten years old we remember them well. They rented a farm of our father, also took us with them to carry troat when they went fishing. They said "Bainbridge took a puke" when they came away--but there was some folks left. Biglow kept tavern, and "Peter Betts," "Deck Newel" and "little Dick Grizel" lived in Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY].
There was two meeting houses left, and a bridge across the Susquehanna river.
The "Bainbridge company" hired most of their hands and bro't with them, hence the liability of a company of good, bad, and indifferent.
Though our father was a Methodist class leader, he had to go nearly three miles to attend meeting, and as we did not often go we were not often in company with strangers, hence, when the "Bainbridge company" came we tho't it awful for men to swear, drink whisky, or fish on Sunday.
You see, Mr. Editor, how early in life we became interested in the doings of your place and vicinity.
Our place now may be put down about the same size yours was then.
As the boys from Bainbridge and vicinity took away captives as well as our timber, we have in turn tried to get our pay back. How we beat or got worsted we may tell you in another letter.
Tuscarora.
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