April 2009

            "Mother, Chirstine Cornkhite asked me to go along with her family tomorrow."

            "Go along where, Marian?"

            As mother rolled out more cookie dough, she turned toward Marian.

            "Where is her family going?"

            Ben was listening attentively as he stood by the kitchen table nibbling on a molasses cookie Mother had just pulled from the oven.  Christine looked at him and turned to face her mother.

            "To the old Gardiner farm."

            "Oh yes.  I do remember your grandfather telling me that the Gardiner farm had been sold. That surprised me.  They bought it just a few years ago from Mr. Hodges who always told everyone that he bought if from John B. Jervis.

            Grandfather had just pulled the heavy, kitchen door open, stood on the floor mat and scrubbed his muddy boots over it.

            "You all look so serious.  What are you discussing in such a sober manner?"

            Ben spoke up.  "We are talking about John B., grandfather.  Did you know that he owned the Cronkhite property once upon a time, years and years ago?"

            "Of course.  That is how I met him and we became the best of friends.  That is why he stops by for dinner.  But, come to think of it, he has not been around in quite some time, has he?"

            "Grandfather", said Marian, "Remember, you told us that he is now very busy because he was promoted to chief engineer on March 14, 1827.  You said when he took the job for $4,000 a year, he was given just one assignment.  He was directed to survey and locate a railroad route from the proposed terminus of the canal, which was New York City, down to the coal mines in Pennsylvania.  As she stuffed a paper in her apron pocket she said, "Thank goodness I had written all of that when grandfather told me."

            "Oh, yes, yes.  I did tell you all of that.  But why are you talking about this so early on a Saturday morning?"

            Mother had rolled out the rest of the dough, used her cookie cutter and popped them into the oven.  She turned to look at grandpa.

            "They are going to the Cronkhite auction this morning."

            "Oh yes.  I am planning to go also. But how did John B. get into to story?"

            "You have forgotten something."  Mother smiled.  "Think a minute.  Who owned the Gardiner farm when the Gardiners bought it?"

            "Let's see." Grandfather put his head down and touched his chin with his fingers to show us he was deep in thought.

            "Oh, you just told me and I have forgotten already."

            "It was the Hodges and they bought if from John B."

            "Now, I recall the owners' names, when you reminded me again.  Anyway, are all of you ready to go?  Marian, there is your ride.  We will meet you there."

            In just a few minutes, their buggy pulled up beside the Gardiner barn and Ben, father and grandfather jumped out.

            "Grandfather, look at the mob of people."

            Ben was walking ahead of his family.  Just as he was right close to the Gardiner barn door, the crowd standing outside the door parted.  Two men came through the crowd of people.  They were carrying a dresser.  Their bent over posture and the perspiration running down their faces showed all onlookers that they must be carrying a very heavy piece of furniture.  They carefully put it down on the crushed stone path leading up to the barn. A tall man with a bright red shirt went around the dresser and pulled on the handles of every drawer. No drawer opened. An older man, with a beat up hat, grabbed all the handles.  Not one drawer moved.  Quickly he spun around to face the barn.

            "Joe, Joe!"  He shouted at the top of his lungs.  There was a discernible movement within the crowd in the barn.  A short, stocky man began to walk down the crushed stone path.  He headed straight for the man with the torn old hat.  They talked.  The short man went away down the path.  The man with the bright, red shirt and the torn hat older man just stood there.  They never spoke a word to one another, but stared steadily off into space.  Quickly, Joe came up the hill and walked right toward the dresser shining in the bright sunlight.  Marian and Ben watched.  He pulled something small and shiny from his hip pocket, walked over to the dresser, put the shiny object up toward each drawer, and pulled each one open.  He pawed around in each drawer. One had chopped pieces of wood.  One had a piece of crumpled up cloth.  One of the bottom drawers had a dirty, torn, partially crumpled box. The stout man picked it up, quickly turned toward Marian and Ben and shoved it toward Ben, who quickly stretched out his arms to catch the box.

            The man in the red shirt, the one with the old hat and Joe all stared at Marian and Ben for just a moment, then turned their backs and went away.

            Many people were streaming out of the barn.  The auction was almost finished.  Grandfather and father came down where Marian and Ben were standing by the dresser.  They glanced at the big, dirty old box Ben was holding tightly to his chest.

            "Come on, let's go home."  After father brought the buggy around, they all jumped in for the short ride home.  Mother sat on the porch in her rocker as they came up to greet her.

            "Let's go inside", she said.

            Ben set the large box down on the table while father told mother what he had bought at the auction.  Ben tried to remove the lid to the box himself.  It was stuck.  Father picked it up.

            "Come on.  Let's sit right down here and talk about all of the things we saw, as I try to get Ben's box open."  He pulled, and yanked and pried.  The cover did not come off.  In his frustration, he grabbed the cover and pulled with all his strength.  The top suddenly ripped and came off.  Father went staggering back into mother's china cabinet.  She jumped up and ran around the table.

            "Are you all right?"

            The scared look on her face betrayed her concern.

            "Yes, yes.  I'm fine.  Come on.  Let's take a look at these papers and see what we might learn.  The dining room was quiet as they all concentrated.

            "All of the papers I have are mostly letters written to John B. Jervis", said father.

            "Sure.  Why not.  Remember, he lived in that house a long time ago."

            Grandfather and father, Marian and Ben all agreed.  Most papers they had were letters to Mr. Jervis.

            "Say, look at this."  Father was holding a paper much larger than the others.  It was also quite a bit darker in color.

            "Look."  He held it up for them to see.

            "Father, that one is so different,"  said Marion.  "It's not a letter, is it?"

            "It certainly is not", said Grandfather.  "Let me see it."

            Father handed it across the table.  Everyone sat quietly holding their breath.

            "What is it, grandfather?  What is it?"

            Grandfather looked at each one around the table.

            "What is it.  Tell us", they all shouted.

            "This is a report, written by John B. Jervis to the Managers of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co."

            "What did he write?"

            "Well, it mentions in great detail, a number of matters but I'll read several important sentences which will answer the question which Marian asked me a month ago.  Here is what it says, 'While no exact date can be given for their determination to build a railroad as the final link in their transportation picture, it is probable that it was reached at least as early as the spring of 1827.'  And on march 14, 1827 John B. Jervis was then appointed to the position of chief engineer."

            "Did you hear the answer to your question, Marian?"

            "Yes, I did grandfather.  Now I know that the final link in the transportation picture was the railroad.  So now I'm going to learn much much more about the railroad."

        "Great Marian!  And I will be right here to help you,"  said grandfather.