Show A PIONEER SKETCH A TOUCHING TALE OF A BURIAL IN THE WILDERNESS JTio Lonely Griuo of Little Ruth IVhteS Was Cared For by Some Kindly Hand For Thirtyfive YearsA Mothers Awful Grief Almost Alone In the Forest In the year 1829 a steady stream ot immigration was flowing into the territory terri-tory of Michigan The ever restless pee pie of the east had heard wonderful stories sto-ries of the abundance of game and great fertility soil to be found in tho new territory and tho sturdy adventuresome adventure-some farmers of rocky Now Englan were pushing their way westward with tho hope of finding the El Dorado < V their dreams Petroit at this time was a sight tq behold Its streets were thronged with the covered wagons of the immigrants Hunters and Indians half breeds and soldiers were mingled in a chaotic mass Among the great throng of home seekers seek-ers that left Detroit on tho 2d day ol May 1829 wero James Harris his wife and year old baby Young Harris had put all of his earthly possessions into a I covered wagon and bidding goodby to friends and relatives had joined that endless stream of home seekers that were pushing their way into the wilderness of Michigan hoping by their energy and perseverance to build up a homo for themselves and an inheritance for thou children Tho road westward from Detroit followed fol-lowed an old Indian trail and by COD stant travel the mud had become so deep that it was almost impassable Many of the pioneers left the old road and struck off into tho wilderness making mak-ing roads for themselves Among this number was James Harris Har-ris Bud all went well for a few days After camping one night tho wind suddenly sud-denly shifted to tho northwest and a cold rain set in This was the eighth day after leaving Detroit Tho company that hey had begun their journey with had gradually dropped off and for two day they had traveled alone alone in the great wilderness unprotected savo what protection the canvas covered wagons gave them Was it any wonder that as they listened to tho howl of tho wolf and tho hoot of tho owl they became a little homesick Harris had mado a great fire of dry brush and while it was burning brightly tho family had gone to sleep From this sleep the young mother was aroused by a sharp hoarse cough from her baby She immediately awoke hey husband fresh fuel was thrown on tho fire and as it blazed up the young mother peered anxiously into the face of baby Ruth One glance at the little drawn faco resting on her arm I and the mother knew that the baby had I chat dread disease tho croup Everything S Every-thing was done for the little sufferer that the distracted parents could do They wero young and inexperienced raid all night long they fought for the life of their little one but all in vain Jojt as tho first glimmer of light appeared ap-peared iu the cast foe spirit of baby Ruth took its fligut Tho young mother wild with gncf pressed the form of hd darling to her breast moaning and saying say-ing over iind over again Baby is den r She refused to let her husband take tIll little ono from her She would never givo it up no never 1 All that day remained in camp Toward evening the wife became calmer and standin near the wagon with the babe in he arms she saw her husband dig the little grave and when it was finished a rude box was made and she tenderly laid Lef baby to rest with her own hands pine ing it in tho grave and as the dirt rattled rat-tled down on tho lid she fell senseless Into IHT husbands arms After filling tho gravo tho young father fa-ther tooK two little sprouts of Lombardy poplar that he had in the wagon setting set-ting one ac each end of the grave and cutting the words Baby Ruth on apiece a-piece of board ka placed it at the head of the little mound and then thoy re uumed their journey Years passed and a road was laid near the spot The poplars pop-lars l grew and became Jiving monument monu-ment Tho piece of board that had told the little ones name was annually replaced re-placed by some 1 kind hand Time passed quickly and May 10 had come and gone 85 times inco baby Ruth was laid to rest in the wilderness wilder-ness the poplars had grown to be trees and stood in a cleared field near the roadside the surrounding forest had long since disappeared A board was nailed to the trees with the words Baby Ba-by Ruth painted on it A carriage was passing by when tho driver an elderly Plan glanced toward tho trees and saw the Inscription Ho looked at the trees and at the sign hitched lug i horse made inquiry of a farmer near by as to the meaning of the sign and was told that when ho came to the country he found the little grave marked with a rude board and that he had spared the trees and nailed up a new board His informant inform-ant wondered at the emotion of the stranger who staid with him oveinight but his wonder ceased when ho was told the story of baby Ruth as 1 have written it The wife and mother had died some two years before Other children had come to bless her but she never forgot her firstborn and the little grave in the wilderness A beautiful monument no v marks tho spot where sleeps baby Ruth Van Buren County Republican A Pious wisn The emperor once stood before the magnificent tomb pf the Duke Rudolph of Swabia Some of his courtiers were of the opinion that he ought not to al AV his mortal enemy to have so splen rid a monument but that he should have his body exhumed and buried elsewhere else-where rrhereOh let him lie where he is said the emperor HI only wish all my enemies en-emies were as splendidly buried Alle Zeiten und Landen |