Ogden Daily Standard | 1893-03-12 | Page 5 | Well Paid for Picking

well paid for picking colonel ebinezer sproat who born ia middleborough Middle borough mass in 1752 serve through the revolutionary wai with distinction and being a soldier himself naturally thought that soldiers engaged in their defense deserved to be handsomely treated his father it appears kept a tavern early in the war whilo ebenezer Eben czer was a captain be was at homo on a short furlough and one day three privates on their way home from the army called at the house for a cold luncheon mrs sproat set on tho table some bread and cheese with tho remains ct tho family dinner ebenezer thought this rather scanty fare for hungry men especially as tho bonea were already pretty bare however the men satisfied their and asked what was to pay kaptain sproat answered that he did ho w uld ask his mother and going to the kitchen door hi said matheu bow much is it worth to these bonak i about a shilling I 1 suppose sho answered ho went back to the room took from the drawer 3 shillings and with a smiling face handed them to the men at the came time wishing them good day and a pleasant journey when they bad been gone a few minutes mrs sproat returned and alfed ebenezer what he had done with the money that the men had paid him paid mel said the captain with an air of amazement I 1 ask yon what it was worth to pick those bones and you say a shilling I 1 thought it little enough for such a job and handed them the money from the till and they are gone ebinezer was his mothers favorite son and she accepted the matter as a good joke to be borne without complaining youths companion