An Odd Pastime

[Ninurta]

I like to read odd old newspaper articles. Must be the historian in me. But I found one not terribly far from where I live that happened just a 140 years ago. I wonder where the item is now...

Transcribed from the Inter Ocean, 1880-01-09 

A PRAYER-BOOK IN A TREE’S HEART 
A correspondent writing form Eaton, Ohio, says: “Recently Nelson Davis, of West Alexandria, this county, cut down an oak tree about six feet in circumference, in the center of which was a cavity about seven inches square, partly filled with some rotten kind of wood and a roll of cloth, which crumbled, when touched. Inside of all was a German Catholic prayer-book, bound in leather and much worn. The book was printed in 1729, and had a Latin introduction, while some of the blank leaves are filled with writing in French, part of which is unintelligible, but enough is easily read to show that the owner was a French soldier, tells what battalion, and mentions the name of one of the officers as De La Magne. It may be of interest to the members of the Historical Society. A growth of at least five inches over the hole where it had been slipped into the tree hermetically sealed and preserved the book. It is now in the hands of W. C. Barnhart, at his book store in this place, and is regarded by all as a great curiosity.” 
Contributed by Nancy Hannah.

I dunno where West Alexandria is in OH, but there was a religious community founded by Germans and populated by Indians (mostly Lenape as I recall) at Gnadenhutten. They were massacred some time during the settlement of Ohio, and I wonder if this German prayer book might be linked to that? The French were active in the area as traders, which might explain how it got into the general vicinity, and the Gnadenhutten Massacre might have a bearing on how it got hidden in the middle of a tree.

Daniel Boone was long-hunting across the river in Kentucky with a brother in law when they came under attack by Shawnees and got separated. his brother in law was never seen again alive, but 20 years later his skeleton was found in a hollow tree by a settler. he had gotten wounded, and taken refuge in the hollow tree to hide, and never came out of it.

My 7 greats back grandfather was Adam O'Brien, who lived a couple years in a hollow sycamore in central WV before he got the gumption to build a cabin. Hollow trees are just where stuff and folks went to hide from attack back in the day.

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