y o m i n q by Harry S. Douglass - Old Fulton History

Page 92 April 1954
QUER TRAVELERS OF
THE HIGHLURU
by Samuel D. Qayton
Among the characters who traveled the highways oi Wyoming
County and neighboring areas in the late l880's and '90's was Henry
Herman9 better known as "Dutch Henry0" He was below medium height,
in size almost a dwarf, and also below the average In mentality,, He
made his headquarters around Perry but traveled most of the time
from place to place,. He wore a Prince Albert coat, which nearly
touched the ground, and these garments were probably given him by
Rev0 Gutelius, pastor of the Presbyterian Church In Moscow, one who
gave him clothing and helped him in other ways0
Dutch Henry carried two dirty bundles on sticks over his
shoulders, the bundles contained only bright pieces of cloth which
he would stop and sort as he rested by the roadside. At times he
would cut them up into smaller pieces and discard some0 He always
complained that his breath was "no good"| I believe it was asthma,
and one of his remarks was that when he got to Warsaw he would see
what could be done0 He also complained that his sister's husband
swindled him out of money he had Inherited and was very bitter
against the brother-in-law, In the fall of 1900, he was committed
to the Monroe County penitentary as a vagrant for six months„ After
a few months there, he became despondent by spells and was found
dead in his cell one morning,. He had made a rope out of a sheet
which he had torn up, and attached It to a hook in the cell which
was used to hang up the cot, I do not know if Dutch Henry had any
relatives living or where he is buried.
Charles Barnum
Another traveler was Charles Barnum, a Civil War veteran who
stayed at the Soldiers' Home in Bath in the winter and traveled in
the summer as he liked to be free from the Home, When he received
his pension, he would go on a "spree" and they would make him shovel
coal to sober him ux>, He always showed ud about bean harvest time
as he liked to'pull beans by hand. Machines were being used in later
years but there was always hand-pulling on steep side hills,
Barnum carried a cane and a leather satchel. My mother used to
talk to him about settling down some place,not close to the villages
where the saloons would be a temptation. He thought it would be a
good idea and said he would like to build a shack on the edge of the
woods such as the soldier built when he made a permanent camp. My
mother advised him that if he felt he must have a little nip to keep
him, he might have a small jug at hand which would keep him from
going to the village and getting in with bad company, "Yes," he
said, "just have a little jug in the corner, about ten gallons," He
never changed so far as I know and finally died at the Bath Home,
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