The Aegis & Intelligencer

Squire McClellan's Wood-Sled
Probably the largest wood-sled ever built in county was one devised by Squire John McClellan-a great uncle of Gen. Geo. B. McClellan.
For a number of years it was one of the local curiosities of the town of Woodstock, Conn., the early home of the McClellan family. The narrator's father, who saw it frequently when a boy, says it was well nigh thirty-two feet in length by three in breadth. The beams were of squared eight inch timber, with studs to match; and the "shoes," or runners, were over a foot in width. For drawing it, there were two "tongues," or poles, in the forward end.
It was never used save on one special occasion, when the team consisted of fifteen yoke of oxen.
The story of its origin is as follows:
In the parish where Squire McClellan resided it was the custom, every winter, for such of the men who had wood-lots to give the parson a cord of hickory wood, each, and thus make up to him a winter's supply of fuel. The squire, in particular, was always punctual in December with his cord of nicely prepared hickory.
In that parish there was a man who had the reputation of being "snug," niggardly and apt to shrink his due share of the burden of paying the minister. Indeed his remissness in this matter had been a standing grievance in the place for many years.
One autumn, there was a revival of religious interest in the place, and many members of the church were stimulated to earnest labor, and to live more strictly. Among these was the penurious man above alluded to, whom we may conveniently designate as Brother Z-.
Not a little to the astonishment of his neighbors, who had ample experience of his miserly dealing, he arose in prayer meeting one night, and exhorted to liberal giving, not only to the parson, but to all benevolent objects. Waxing exceedingly earnest in language and tone, he declared among other things, that he would that winter give the minister a load of wood. "Yea, brethren," he exclaimed, "the Lord has opened my heart! I will give him a load of wood, and a big one. I will give him the biggest load you can draw from my woods to his yard!"
This unexpected outburst from so drouthy a source was the parish wonder for a week. Many thought Brother Z- must be near his end.
"Truly," said Squire McClellan,-at the deacons' meeting,-"the Lord must have opened Brother Z-'s heart; but," he added with characteristic Scotch shrewdness, "it may close soon, and it may never open again. It behooves us in the parson's interest, to avail ourselves of it. Let us build a sled that will carry ten cords,-and do it at once."
So thought the others. The monster sled was privately but expeditiously framed in a back yard, and early one snowy morning in December Brother Z- was amazed to see drive to his door apparently all the ox-teams in town, drawing the titanic sled, accompanied by a shouting throng of teamsters and all the small boys in the parish.
The squire was riding on the sled. "We've come for the parson's load of wood, Brother Z-!" he called out. "You bade us haul the biggest load we could, and I'm glad to hear that you have lately had a fine lot of hickory chopped."
Brother Z-, however, seeing the magnitude of the sled, tried to explain and to demur; but in vain. The crowd roared him into acquiescence, and with a wry face, he finally led the way across the snowy fields to his freshly corded tiers of hickory in the lot.
It is said that fully ten cords of wood were loaded upon the big sled under the squire's supervision, and then, to the tune of a most vociferous gee-hawing, the enormous load was successfully sledded to the parson's door-yard.
The worthy minister, equally amazed, but more agreeably so, issued forth to learn the cause of the uproar. "Good people, good people," he cried, rubbing his hands, "what meaneth this? Have the windows of heaven opened?"
"Nay, nay, parson!" exclaimed the squire: "but the Lord has opened Brother Z-'s heart,-and that so great a gift could have issued from so small a receptacle is one of the wonders of saving grace. Question it not but take it and keep ye warm."
The minister had roaring fires that winter, but it was long before Brother Z- recovered his equanimity.