Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-10-03

GETTING RAILROAD SUBSCRIPTION.

county. The road was only visible by
the 'three scores" on the trees, the grass
growing on il rank and tall. like that in
adjacent woods. | was striking for the
court house. | passed small opening
in which stood three rickely cabins, but
they were untenanied The road bran
ched off into dozen trails. Complete
ly puzzled, threw down the reins aud
loft the matter TO the instinct of my
horse. He struck into one Of the paths,
and in fifteen minutes halted at large
farm house.
"Iialoo!" cried /.
.lfs Ilaloo yourself" said the man
on the gallery.
"How far to the court house?"
"Where are you from. said the man.
"From Winchester
Then" said he, 'ahe court house is
behind and you have come right by il
;here," pointing to the deserted cabins.
why, | saw nobody there.
81 reckon YOU didn't" said he
"fhere's groggery and a tavern twice
a year, two days at time, but they
come with the court and 90 with the
court"
"And the clerk and sheriff." said /,
where co they ilye!"
"Oh, the sheriff is clerk, aud he clerk
is squire, assessor, and tax collector IN
The bargain, and lie lives away down the
Leaf"
.'But the lots, my frieud-who owns
the lois?"
"I'he same indisidual tha, owns the
best part of Jones coun,y--the only
landlord who never sues for ren;-uncle
Sam"
"Well, sir am tired and hungry-
can | stop with you to-nighg'
Light, stranger light. Michael An
derson never shuts his door on man or
BEAST
Having carefully housed and fed my
horse, soon set down 10 a substantial
supper of chickens and stewee venison,
corn cake, peach cobler, milk, butter and
honey, served with a welcome aud abun-
dance peculiar TO the pine woods. My
host was a shrewd man. well to do in
the world, preierring Jones cnuaty to
any place This side OF Paradise, having
lived there twenty years without admin
istering a dose OF medicine, aud had new
er been crossed but once during all that
Time. was curious TO know wha, had
disturbed the serenity Of such a life as
his.
why, sir" said he, Il don't make a
practice of talking aboutit, but being as
you're a stranger, and I've taken IL
king to you, will narra,e the circum,
stance. May be you're heard how the
legislature chartered The Brandon bank,
to build a railway through The pine woods
away down the sea shore. In these
parts, we go against banks--buI roads
sort of shuck our prejudiccs. Before
the bank could be sci agoing the law re-
CURED so much of the coin TO be plank
ed up. the managers all lived abou,
Brandon, but the metal was mighty
scarce, and the folks about there didn't
have it, or they wouldn't trust 'em.
..Tliey strung what liltle they had "a
round the babies necks, To cut their teeth
with. Well, it got wind that had some
of the genuine, aud the manager kept
sending to me for it. offering TO put me
in The board. But always answered
that my money was safer in the old wo-
mans stocking than in the bank.
heard nothing more about il for three
months, when one night big, likely
looking man rode up, and asked me for
chunk Of fire. ("
Squire Anderson" said he, .'my
men have camped IA quarter OF mile
down there ON the creek. We are sur
veying The railway to Mississippi City,
but have come to dead halt, because
oar line runs chuck up against your clear
ing, and we shall have 10 make bend 10
get round 10 The court house.
"'fhe big man said this with serious
air. and seemed 50 my yslified "a. having
To crook his line around my field, that
his words went right through me. in
vited him in. We talked il over aud
emptied a bottle of liquor on the strength
of il. Next morning We went down to
the camp. He took his compass and
run aline right spang up again my smoke
house, which had just finished after
six months labor"
"Well," said he, ..this is unlucky.-
The road will come right through your
new smoke house; what's to be done!'
"You shah see" said |; so calling ny
boys | ordered them to tear il down.
stranger, there lay the logs, the pretl-
est timber within fifty miles, all hewed
by my own hands. | have never had
the heart TO pnt them up again. Well.
the big man never changed countenaaee.
tie ran on with his line, and the next
day he came back on his return Ia Bran
don. J was mighuiy lifted wi'h the no
lion OF The railroad, and a stopping place
right before my door. | entered six
hundred and forty acres OF land. Ny
nelghbors said we'd get The State House
here. The big man smiled aud nodded;
he pointed oui where the cars would
stop. and where the Governor would
like to have summer seat--and when
he went he carried away three thousand