MR. EVAN WILLIAMS, REMSEN, ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
EVAN WILLIAMS (Bryn Gola), from Carnarvonshire, settled in Steuben in 1801, on the south side of the highway which branches north-west to French Road from the Ty Coch road near the late John R. Griffiths' farm. There was a clearing of about two acres when Mr. Williams took possession, and here he later built a stone house.By his first wife he had two sons, William E., and John E. The latter served in the Pensacola war, but returned here in 1856, and later removed to Chambersburgh, Pa. He had a family of nine children.
Evan Williams had two sons by a second wife, Thomas E., and Richard E. He died May 17, 1837, aged eighty-three years; and Eleanor, his widow, died May 24, 1850. Richard E. died December 16, 1855; Thomas E,, died December 29, 1885, aged seventy-two years, and Catherine, his wife, born at Aber, Carnarvonshire, died February 4, 1886, aged seventy years.
Shortly after the family settled here, they were annoyed by what they supposed to be a large dog belonging to Ebenezer Weeks. For several nights it had been coming into the Williams clearing, tantalizing their smaller dog, and even wounding him severely. Determined to rid themselves of this troublesome visitor, the two older sons armed themselves with sled-stakes one night, and awaited the coming of the intruder. When he appeared they were in readiness, and pounced suddenly upon him, mauling him lustily with their clubs, until he finally lay dead at their feet. Then, fearing Mr. Weeks would resent the killing of his dog, and not wishing to get into any controversy with a neighbor, they buried the carcass. The following day one of the young men chanced to pass the farm of Mr. Weeks, and was astonished to see the latter's dog about the premises, apparently no worse for his clubbing and burial in a shallow grave. It then occurred to them that the dog they had killed also resembled one owned by William Prichard, another neighbor. So to ascertain whose dog they really had killed, they dug up the body, when it proved to be that of a wolf. Now, as a bounty was at that time offered by both the township and county for each wolf's head, they realized twenty dollars from the mistake they had made.