Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/332

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��ITEMS AND INCIDENTS IN HOPKINTON.

��mise thus in order that an approaching narrative may receive a qualified atten- tion.

Among the tales of local Indian perils and distresses, afflicting this town- ship in its earliest days, is one told us years ago by an aged woman, whose story fell upon our ears with that pleas- ure always enjoyed by youth, when lis- tening to exciting tales of by-gone times. Once, in the primative days, she said, two stalwart young men of this town wandered, gun in hand, from the vicinity of Putney's Fort westerly to the plains on the bank of the Contoo- cook river. While wandering there, they discovered that their footsteps were closely tracked by Indians, who perhaps were more intent on capture than on destruction. Not knowing the number of their pursuers, and necessa- rily bent on personal safety, the young men beat a hasty retreat in the direc- tion of Putney's Fort. They soon ob- served evidences of rapid pursuit. A number of Indians were scenting their track. Fortunately both the young men were skilful in the use of the gun, though not uniformly so. One of them could load a gun while running ; the other was equally skilful in whirling suddenly and firing, hitting close to the mark. By a conjunction of separate personal skills, the two were enabled to keep up a successful running fight. They both escaped safely, but not till three Indians had been made, by their well-directed fire, to bite the dust. Having secured companions, the escaped men returned and picked up the bodies of the slain, which were buried just westerly of the present Contoocook road, in a lot now some- times known as the tan-house piece, owned by Mr. Ira A. Putney.

Substantial record confirms a number of Indian encounters in this vicinity, but our present narration is not one of them. We give the old lady's narra- tive — which may be true — for the biased contemplation of our readers.

THE BEST OF FARE.

Several different times Hopkinton was the seat of the legal government of

��New Hampshire. Since the perma- nent location of a capital, she has been close to the center of functional state authority. In consequence of Hop- kinton's peculiar privileges and situa- tion, she was in former times a scene of frequent assemblies with their at- tendant features of social activity and recreation. In those days, the pre- sent railway thoroughfares not being in existence, the tide of travel towards the capital from the western part of the state either stopped at, or passed through, Hopkinton. In later times, too, a governor elect, if he happened to live in a westerly section, would likelv enough be met at Hopkinton by a large delegation of officials and citizens, prepared to conduct or witness his escort to the state capitol. On such occa- sions, Perkin's tavern was the principal resort of the elite, as well as of as many others as could find room for accommo- dation at its hospitable board. We think it was on an historically later occa- sion of events anticipative of an inaug- uration of a supreme state official that, among all the assembled ones seeking hospitality at Captain Perkins', there was a country swain of self-possessed aspect and manner, having in escort his favor- ite rural lass. The pair having taken seats at a dinner table, sur- rounded by a large company of strang- ers of different social style and position, the confident swain was approached by a waiter who asked what dish would suit his special palate.

"The best you've got," promptly replied the rustic Lothario.

The patient waiter mentioned a number of palatable preparations de- vised in anticipation of the occasion. Would he name his choice ?

Nothing seemed to excite his par- ticular appetite. He ruminated. At length he inquired :

" Have* you any salt mackerel ?"

The waiter informed him there were mackerel in the brine, but they must necessarily be freshened before cook- ing, and the operation wquld unavoida- bly consume a considerable amount of time.

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