The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-06-21
UNCLE JOE IN COURT.
BY COL. DUNLAP.


Gle Joe" every body called him-and
though possessing but very few of th,
goods of this world, yet he was one o
the most useful men in town. If any on,
wanted an odd job done he was the maj
to dc it. In short, he was sort of uni
yersal "Man Friday" and for consider
alton he would perform any work which
might be called for. He was happy
lold fellow; as full of fun as an egg is full
of meat, and he could crack some very
hard jokes without hurting anybody. HI,
Iowned little cottage over back of tn,
Village, to which was attached few acre.
of good land; and besides this he had +;
Icow, and some other items of stock. 81,
lived quite comfortably, and the impres
|sion had gone abroad that he had man
laged to lay up some money.
| Capt Daniel Lober, who had recently
settled in the town, owned fine piece O
land adjoining uncle Joe's lot,and he wa.
not long in making himself very disagree
liable to cur good man Friday. He was ;
proud, selfish person, and little NEAR
withai. Uncle Joe had some geese anf
they ran upon Lober's land; upon which
LuC udnb tnI66lS4CQ w oAOO
them if he caught them there again.
"Ef yo'd make your fence tighter, my
geese wouldn't get through, meekly sug-
gested poor Joe. ~
"My fence is as tight as the law re-
quires," answered the doughty captain
and with this he walked away. @.
| So Uncle Joe had to go to work and
tighten the fence, and put larger yokes
upon his geese. is5 :.
Lober's next move was against his
hens. He swore that he would shoot
them if they were not kept out of his lot
Joe built a hen-house, and placed his
feathered birds therein; but it was sore
trial to him, and people sympathized with
him, though they could not help him.
One season Capt. Lober plowed up bis
Handsome ten acres of it-ahd sowed il
with wheat. The grain came on finely
and the owner used to take men out there
to show them his field. 1t was acknowl.
edged to be the best of wheat in town.
But the captain was destined to a piece o.
ill-fortune which he had not thought of
This land was at some distance from his
dwelling, and when busy at some Other
points week or two might pass withou
visiting it. One afternoon he came to Sc,
his wheat, and when he reached the edg,
of the field he stood aghast at the sigh
that met his gaze. The tall grain wal
trodden aud trampled down over half the
lot, presenting a scene of havoc and de-
struction truly horrible to behold. Ant
the astounded owner was at no loss to ac-
count for the desolation, for near the cen
ter of the lot he saw horse. 1t was 9
jaunt, heavily built animal, of dingy
white color; and though evidently vel
stricken with years, yet he capered ant
| frisked about with marvellous spirit--noV
cropping few of the weli-flled whea
heads, and anon trampling away upon tn,
devoted grain, as though he were treadinl
the wine vat. sfs
I should net dare 80 tell all the oath
which Capt. Lober then and there pouret
| forth; but they were terrible ones, and tn
white foam stood upon his lips as he raw
| ed. As soon as he could collect hi
thoughts he started for Uncle Joe's. HI
knew that oe must have seen the hors
in therefor the animal could not hav
been less than three or four days at tn
work-aud perhaps the depredator Nigh
belong to Joe. Just as the captain reaehe,
the road, he met Sam Warner. Sam wa
not temperance man, ner did he belon
to the church, but he was particula
friend to Uncle Joe, and didn't thin
much of Daniel Lober.
,lbs "Mr. Warner" cried the captain, trem
bling all over with rage, "does Joe Bas
, sett own horse?'
"Yaas. B'lieve he dees. Squire" re
turned Sam.
"Is it a white one" ~ 4asF S.
"Kind O. whitish."
"How old is it?''
! "Wal-'tain't t very old nor very young
But it's kind q shaky around the knees
; Capt. Lober posted off to Uncle Joe
cot, and found the old fellow at wor
! about the premises. ~ .
"Mr. Bassett,'', he said with an awf,
meaning, "do you.own horse?"
avail rather kalkilate as how de,
SQUIRE" answered the old fellow.
sand did you know that your hors
had destroyed more than half of M
5 wheat?''
"Je-resv-saleml. You don't say 8
9 Squirrel exclaimed Joe, in terror. $.
e sIt is fact, sir, and now you may sc
7. tie it or suffer the consequences,
e "But, 'Squire--railly cant believe
My hoss is such.a quiet critter. ia
q "Are You willing to settle, it" erie
8 the captain, madly.
But-'Squire--railly / couldn't pi
We moth 'n-sartn couldn't" .
: "Then you'll pay somebody else, Y
know that your horse has been in u
g feld2"
n 81 couldn't swar at he hadn't, that's
L fact" sz
y, "Thats enough. And with this 9
le captain went off. He went to one Of :
g assessors, from whom he learned that j
e owned two or three hundred dollars wor
OF of property; and then he vent to la
yer, and had Joe Bassett sued, setting t
damages at one hundred dollars. 7
ne lawyer sent Joe letter, but the old f
nd low refused to take any notice of it, a
hi the case was carried into court, Capts
Lober having n-that he would pu
! Uncle Joe to the last extremity
2, The court was in session, and the d
of for the trial arrived. The room v
l. la1 nhr~