Show Ichabod Cranes Crane's Grandson Tells St Story S n Y q S f j Life LifeS Life'S rj rK George D D. D Merwin vin Into Fam Family y Lore for FJ S tion Facts HARTFORD Conn Dec 11 NE NEA NIA Service Service The The grandson of Ichabod Crane Coon that lanky immortal of t the le Washington Irving legend who rode through most of our childhood fancies fancies fancies fan fan- cies pursued b by the headless horseman is a s businessman business businessman man of today His name is George D. D Merwin and somberly gazing from J. J he e w wall of hi his library is a photograph of ot of othIs his grandfather Jesse Merwin the original Ich Ichabod bod I l 1 didn't k know ow it for years rear smiles miles Merwin in telling the story to Ills Wis About 30 years ago I w went nt to the village school at atKind Kind Kinderhook ind a village near wh what t Irving called SI Sleepy epy Hollow It was the very school around which the legend was wa's as a's written Of course I had read the tale and had bd seen illustrations of of it hanging about the house A And then thea I found that it was waa old Jesse who seems to have known that n ne at was was Irvings Irving's target t f for r we bave have a a. lettel letter letter let let- ter tel that my grandfather wrote IrvIng Irv- Irv lag ingv and signed with the name of Ichabod Im sorry that I cant can't provide a a. happy ending for the characters Irving Irving Irving Irv Irv- Irv- Irv ing had used but I must report that the beautiful Katrina Van Tassell Tassell Tas- Tas sell of the story and who was really one Katrina Van Allen died without without without with with- out having married The grandaunt grandaunt grandaunt grand- grand aunt of this young joung Jad lady Mary Van VanAllen VanAllen VanAllen Allen Herrick supplies the Information tion thon that Irvin Irvin- had called up upon n Katrina and thus drew a a. a first hand picture of her charms Merwin upon learning S that his grandfather wa was none noie other th than n Ichabod spent considerable time gathering lore about the other ch characters char characters characters' r- r He ie is able to place Ui th the fa famous famous fa- fa a- a mou Brom Bones a as one Brom Bram Van Alstyne about whom there are aie as many tales of prowess Ss In the co countryside coun n- n as ever aver surrounded the fa fabled fabled fabled fa- fa bled Brom Bones 5 Il Irvings Irving's n s classic It will be recalled had bad o. d to to do with Ichabod Crane Ta a lanky hanky ludicrous young school teacher who rode roda his his' horse Gunpowder across a a Jonely legend haunted val val- lew Jew when he went to court Katrina Van Tassell This This- young oung lady was sought rought by others Including Br BOmBones BOm m Bones who would rood brood In a cOtner corner cOt cor ner ncr during a dance The Th legend went that a headless Hessian was wont to ride down the valle valley valloy upon stormy nights and upon such a an a n night ht Ichabod is pictured meeting the horseman horEman and being madly pur pur- sued My lly grandfather taught sc school ool and Irving knew him because Irving was wasat wasat wasat at that time tutoring several chil- chil dren recites s Merwin Old Jesse Merwin boarded boarde 1 about In the neigh neighborhood and if It if happened that he came to board at the same place where Irving stayed They be became gr great greit fr friends ld i You u will iii recall that Ichabod h b d w was s lazy My grandfather wasn't exactly exact ly Iy that but he ho disliked school teaching teach teach- hag ing fh and preferred to to talk politics with Irving Merwin that his his' grandfather married not married not Katrina but Jane Van Dyck Dyck for whom Merwin r recalls calIs the youn youngsters of the family saved pennies pen nies and bought snuff Also he says say the little town of I Kinderhook J Irving Ir to wed wedI the girl Irl he used as his heroine but and she Rhe died unwed I But prefers to know them all In their fiction role iole Merwin Merwin Mer ter terI win will concluded A And Aim th tha little town will whit never nel forget the echo of the flying hoofs I What t I like to think though is that It is my old granddad who in inspires inspires In- In spires all aih the tho dulls chills that rUn rtin through young spines as IS they first ter tr the thrilling story Although In life ho hr seems to have been chiefly a fine tine old fe fellow low liked to stand around and a argue politics and talk taUe talka a lot |