y, that he received this appellation. His name was Rufus Dudley.
I remember him as an old man when I was a very young child; and his
residence in the neighbourhood dated back to a period many years
previous to the time of which I speak. He was born in the state of New
York, where he resided during the early portion of his life, and where
he married. His wife died before his removal to Canada. When he first
came to the Province he located himself in a town a few miles from the
village of C., where he married a second time. When first he removed to
R. he was for some years employed in a saw-mill and earned a comfortable
support for his family. My knowledge of his early residence in R. is
indefinite, as he had lived there for many years previous to my
recollection, and all I know concerning the matter is what I have heard
spoken of at different times by my parents and other old residents of
the place. It would seem, however, that his second marriage was, for
him, very unfortunate, for to use his own words, "he never afterward had
any peace of his life." I have been informed that his wife was possessed
of a pleasing person and manners, but added to this she also possessed a
most dreadful temper; which when roused sometimes rendered her insane
for the time being; and finally some trouble arose between them which
ended in a separation for life. They had two grown-up daughters at the
time of their separation who accompanied their mother to a town at a
considerable distance from their former home. In a short time the
daughters married and removed to homes of their own. Their mother
removed to one of the Eastern States. She survived her husband for
several years, but she is now also dead. Soon after he became separated
from his family Old Rufus gave up the saw-mill and removed to a small
log house, upon a piece of land to which he possessed some kind of
claim, and from that time till his death, lived entirely alone. He
managed to cultivate a small portion of the land, which supplied him
with provisions, and he at times followed the trade of a cooper, to eke
out his slender means. His family troubles had broken his spirit, and
destroyed his ambition, and for years he lived a lonely dispirited man.
He was possessed of sound common sense and had also received a tolerable
education, to which was added a large stock of what might be properly
termed general information; and I have often since wondered how he could
have reconciled himsel