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Stories of New Jersey

BY

FRANK R. STOCKTON

NEW YORK—CINCINNATI—CHICAGO

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Copyright, 1896, by

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY.

STO. OF N. J.

W. P. I

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PREFACE.

This volume of stories, composed of historical incidents, or materialconnected with the history of New Jersey, is not intended to be arecord, even in a condensed form, of the rise and progress of the State.The stories are arranged chronologically, but there has been no attemptto give a complete and continuous account of events or epochs. Thematerial for the stories has been collected from many sources; and theselections have been made with regard to the interest, theinstructiveness, and as far as possible the novelty, of the matterchosen. There has been a constant endeavor, however, to present a seriesof historical incidents in a panoramic form, so that the reading of thestories in their regular succession would give an impressive idea of thediscovery and settlement of the State, of its people, manners, andcustoms, and of its progress and achievements, as it was graduallyevolved from the Indian region of Scheyichbi into the State of NewJersey.

In these stories there is nothing imaginative or fanciful, except wherea reference is made to the early[Pg 4] imaginings and fancies of theaborigines. The stories are not founded on facts, but they are made upof facts carefully collected from the authorities referred to in thetable of contents. Some of the stories are well known, but could not beomitted because of their representative character; but others, it ishoped, will be found familiar only to the professed student of history.The period of the stories extends from the earliest times of Indiantradition down to what may be called our own day; but as there was somuch available matter, and so little space for it, and as there was nointention to give a comprehensive history of the State, it was deemedwell to deal only with the incidents and people that have passed out ofthe boundaries of current history.

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CONTENTS.

The Story of the Discovery of Scheyichbi; or, The Aboriginesof New Jersey. (Period, prior to 1600.)