The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-10-15
9eIrlteo GaIe.
From the UaiOn Magazine.
~"CONQUERING A PEACE
BY T. S. ARTnU

rH.EHT
BY T. S. ARTHUR.
He shall doitp
But he says he won't
"Ill show him a trick worth two Of
that-see if | don't!'
L told him just what you said, and he
replied quite angrily, thath he would do no
such thing. That If you expected toget
anything of him by that kind of buster
ing, you was mistaken
did he say that!'
Yes he did,
very we'll! I'll show him that he's
mistaken his man, Ineverdid allow any
one to do just as he pleased with me, and
never will. Right is right, and III stand
up to it while / have breath in my body.
I'll spend the lastdollar I've got, before III
suffer a man like him to do me aninjury
and then insult me when | ask 0 rrepar-
alton
He says there are two sides 10 this
question"
"Indeed! Scthere are. A right side
and a wrong side. And before he'sdone
with the matter, he'll find out who stands
on the wrong side; and that to his cost.
Talk to me about bluster-indeed! I'll
show him something like buster before
we've done.
And thus Mr.. Absalom Pendergast
fumed away because a pair of oxen be-
longing to his neighbor, Thos. Peters,
had broken into his cornield, just as the
green blades were a foot high. and spent
the night there, doing no small injury to
the crop. Most men would say he had
cause for loss of temper, especially q:
Peters very coolly refused to pay the dam
ages as assessed by Pendergast. Blu
let US define clearly the position of the
bellige rents.
The fence around Mr.. Pendergast':
field was certainly not in the very bes
condition in the world; and as o a!
Peters learned that his oxen had been
making d~epredations on his ueighbor't
young corn, he at once assumed that they
must have entered through some broker
panel. Still he felt g%rieved at wha
had occurred, and was about starting L
see his neighbor, when he was surprised
by the reception of a bill after this tenor
"Thomas Peters, to A. Pendergast, DR.
For damage done by oxen in corn-feld
So"
"Mr. Pendergast cannot, certainly, b.
in earnest in sending me this BILL The
surprised farmer said to the messenge
who broughtit.
Yes sir; he is in earnest
Very we'll; do youtell Mr.. Pendergas
from me, that ! am very much astonishe
at his even dreaming that | would pa
such a bill. Tell him, | say if he wish
es to grow corn he must keep goo
fences
The messenger departed, and gave tn
reply Of Peters, in even q warmer an
more offensive manner than it was utteI
ed. OF course, Pendergast fired up q
this insulting language, and sent back tn
bill with a threat of consequences if til
offending neighbour did not Immediate
come to terms. Peters had grown II
cooler by reflections. The more he thougl
about the demand that had been made NJ
on him, the more it fretted him. Whe
the bill came a second time, with som
sharp words and threats, that had grow
sharper since they had left the lips
Pendergast, he was angry and made r
efforts To conceal what he felt.
Before the day had passed, Thorn;
Peters had a summons to appear befo
the magistrate in a neighboring villag
to answer in a suitof trespass brought
gainst him by Pendergast. The tri
was fixed for that day one week.
AS soon as the matter became noise
about, the friends of the two antagonis
we're much surprised, and there was
good deal of talk, and no small intere
felt on the subject. Those to whom Pc
dergast talked, said he was right in +
curing his neighbour to pay damages; al
those with whom Peters talked, said
was right in not paying them. Son
who thus took sides were in earne
while Others, Of the all-things-to-a mi
class, favored the side Of one or the 9th
as heyshappened to be with eitherat
plaintiff ordefendant, and famed wit
double breath the antagonist fires.
But alfdid not do this; there was o
exception in Mr.. Goodyear, a aue a
faithful manin every thing that pertain
tohim. AS Dol as he heard what b
occurred, the first desire he felt was
reconcile matters. He went To Mr.. Pe
dergast and enquired the cause of
extreme proceeding against his neil
Dor. I
'Iti a plain case was the reply. I
oxen broke into my field and destroy
my corn, and he refuses to pay the da
age. What am / to do? He destroy
my property and will not pay for it. M
Icalmly pocket the lossl No-Ab
ION Pendergast is not so meek a man