Page 50
History of Orange County
Town of Newburgh
Page 50
Having, as we suppose, by this short note given the reader a clear notion of this old patriot, we crave permission to mention an anecdote. The doctor had a row of fine bearing cherry trees, planted along the road in front of his house, where the people travelling to and from Newburgh, were very apt to stop and pluck the fruit. At that early day property of this kind was looked upon by country people as held more in common and for public use than at this, and did not feel as if they were committing a trespass in gathering a handful of cherries from a tree by the road side. The writer has done this self same thing, and been ordered of by the doctor in no mild or fatherly accents.
One day along came a countryman in his wagon, and nearing the doctor’s trees, saw that the fruit was ripe. There the cherries hung, gushing, laughing ripe, right full in his face, before his eyes. The vision was too tempting, his horses almost refused to pass, the driver must pluck and eat,—and sure enough, he drove his team beneath the branches of ladened fruit. He did not mean to rob the tree, but simply to pluck and taste the fruit. At such a time the doctor’s thoughts were as intent on his cherry trees as on his patients, he saw the wagon stop and, the felonious conduct of the driver.— The doctor, a little vexed, was not slow in making his appearance, and down the path he came with rapid stride, and as he came addressed he offender:
“Sir, what are you doing here? Do you not know that these are my cherries?”
The man answered that “he did not know there was any harm in getting a handful of cherries.”
The doctor replied that “there was, that he must be off, for he allowed no one to take his cherries.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said he, “but, I have as much right to them as you.”
“Why so?” inquired the doctor, incensed at a claim an unexpectedly set up.
“I have always understood,” said he, “that nobody owns what is found on the highway."
“ Ah!“ said the doctor, “ perhaps there is something in that,”—and while he seemed to acquiesce in the truth of the new proposition, stepped up into the wagon himself though quick subtlety was deep in his bosom, intending to give the man a practical application of his own doctrine.
The doctor, looking round and into the tree, observed that there were some fine ones, pointing to them, and suggested that he had better put his foot in a limb of the tree, get up and reach them. The friendly nature of the remark was sufficient, and up jumped the countrymen into the tree.
No sooner was he fairly up and engaged with the cherries, than the doctor took up the lines, drove the wagon from under the tree, and down the road towards Newburgh. Seeing this, down came the man hand over hand and after the doctor, hallooing at the top of his voice, as he ran:----
“Stop, sir! where are you going? That is my team,” and after a short but quick run, came up with it. The doctor leisurely stopped, enquired what he wanted and what he was making so much noise about.
The man answered that that was his team, and he wanted it.
The reply was :—“This is my team; I found it on the highway, and I concluded to drive down to Newburgh, while you were gathering your cherries.”
It is needless to say the man stood self-convicted, and we never heard that he stopped to taste the cherries afterward.