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Show Stories of j2" Great Scouts , mi , Jl . Western Newspaper Union j "JOHNNY APPLESEED." SCOUT WHO PLANTED ORCHARDS Not all of the great scouts were Indian In-dian fighters. In contrast to the career ca-reer of Iewla Wetzel, who was something some-thing of a professional Indian killer, Is the life of John Chapman or "Johnny Appleseed." Chapman never killed an Indian la his life, but be probably saved as many white men from death at their hands as WeUet did. Chapman first appeared ou the Ohio frontier In 1800. He came floating down the Ohio river In a canoe, tow-tug tow-tug another, and both boats were loaded load-ed with apple seeds from the elder mills of Pennsylvania. His purpose waa to plant the seeds In the wilderness wilder-ness so that orchards would be started for the settlers when they arrived there to make their homes. For the next 80 years he went every where up and down the Ohio country, planting seeds, going from one orchard to another, pruning und caring for tho young trees. He was a welcome visitor vis-itor In the log cabins of the settlers for he always carried a Bible and some books from which ho would read and preach to them before the blazing fireplaces In the evening. Johnny practiced his teachings of humility and kindness. He never killed anything for food. He cnrrlcd a kit of cooking utensils, Including a mush pan, which he sometimes wore ns n hut. Usually he wore a broad-brimmed black hat, but a coffee sack with nrro holes cut In It was his only cont. White men called blm "queer," for he often went barefoot In winter ns well as In summer, but the Indians said, "He has been touched by the Great Spirit." He weut everywhere among them unharmed, for the fact that Johnny never carried n gun convinced con-vinced them that he was under the special protection of the Mnnlto. During the War of 1812 when tho British were overrunning the Ohio, country, Johnny Appleseed performed his greatest service for his people. In his wanderings among the tribes he often learned of their plans for attacks at-tacks on the settlements. Where no other white man could have gone, Johnny passed In safety and mora than once he carried warnings to tho settlers, giving them time to prepare for defense before the red Invaders swept down upon them. All this time Johnny Appleseed wan carrying out hlB cherished dream of making Ohio bloom with fruit trees and many of the finest orchards in that state today owe their beginnings to this strange roan. In his later years Johnny left the country which be had helped beantlfy and went to llva with a relative la lt Wayne, la. He dtad In 184T. |