The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-02-14
j j. 4 From the Atlantic Monthly.
The Man Who Stole a Meeting
..-- -........ House. ~ N u
(coNTINuEp.l


"That provoked me little, and /
said, Economyb you're one of the kind
of men that'll skin, flint for sixpense
and spoil a jack-knife worth shilling;
and that isn't economy any more than a
corn-cob is a. fiddlestick, You waste
fodder and grain enough every three
years to pay for a bigger barn, Ito say
nothing of the inconvenience.
"'Wal, Stark, said he, grinning and
scratching bis head, 'I'ye made up my
mind to have bigger barn, if l have
to steal one.' - DIa 4.
"'That won't be the first thing you've
stole, neither says l.
'..He fared up at that. 'Stolei says
he. What did ever steal?
"Well, for one thing, the rails the
freshet last spring drifted off from Tai
colts land on to yours, and you grab
bed what was-that but stealing?'
"'That was luck. He couldn't swear
to his rails. By the way, they'll jest
come in play now ttgrt
q, 80 They've come IN play already says
T. They've gone on to the old fences
all over the farm, and ! could use a
thousand more without making much
show "i if5 "- @] 4. t.i on
"'Thaes cause you're so dumbed
extravagant with rails, as you are with
everything else. A few loads can be
spared from the fences here and there,
as well as not Harness up the team,
boys, and git together enough to make
about ten rods O. zigzag, two rails high
"'Two railsT says Dave, who had a
healthy contempt for the old mans mar
row, contracted way of doing things,
whats the.good Of such fence as that!'
Itll be- says /, 'like the single bar
in music. When our old singing-maS,
ter asked his class once what single
bar was,. Bill Wilkins spoke up and
said ats bar that horses and cattle
jump over, and pigs and sheep run un-
der" What do you expect to keep out
with two rails =
]"tThe la,O, boys, the law,' says Jed
wort. Il know what I'm about. II
make fence the law can'trun under o.
jump over; and / don't care a cuss foI
the cattle and pigs. You git the rails
and I'll rip some boards off IN the pig
pen to make stakes
"'Boards amt good for nothin fo
stakes says Dave. Besides, nom
can't be spared from the pig-pen.'
"1'll have boards enough in day o.
two for forty pig-pens,' says Jedwort
Bring along the rails and dump zen
out in the road for the present, and sa.
nothin to nobody
"We got the rails, and he made hi
J. stakes; and right away after dinner h
called us out. Come, boys, says he
now we'll astonish the natives
: "The wagon stood in the road, wit
the last jag of rails still on it. Jedwor
, piled on his stakes, and threw on tn
crow-bar and axe, while we were hitch
!, ing up the team.
"'Now, drive on, Stark, says he.
II "'Yes; but where shall drive tot
j" TO, the old meetin' house. say
Jedwort, trudging on ahead.
"The old meeting house stood on a
open common, atahe northeast cornt
of his farm. "a couple Of cross-road
IF bounded it on, two sides; and it we
: bounded on the otheFtw by Jedwort
'' oVergrowp stone wall. 1t was square
old fashioned building, with alowstee
: pie, that had belfry, but no bell in il
and with ahigh, square pulpit and higl
straight-backed pews inside. It wa
now some time since meetings had bee
. held there; the old society that used
5, meet there having separated, one diyi
ID ion of it building fashionable chap
ID in the North Village, and the other
fine new church at the Centre
= ''Now, the popularity about the o
church property was, that nobody ha
any legal title to it. A log meeting
, house had been built there when Il
country was first settled and land W
= of no account. In the course Of tin
, that was torn down, and good franz
it house put up in its place. Asst belon
ed to the whole community, no tit
either to the house or land, was ever r
) corded; and it wasn't until after t
; society dissolved that the question can
~ up as to how the property was to
= disposed of. CWhile the old deaco
were carefully thinking it1oyer, JedwC
was on hand, to settle itNby putting
n his claim. DNNhA1 &AA1NN SO
O 9 Now, boys says he, 'ye seeywf
81 I'm up to- ,,st \. X. + ,,.., t3..
eyes says /, provoked as I COT
4 be at the mean trick, tand knew
y was some such mischief all along. Y
a never show any enterprise, as youfo Q
y it, unessit is to get the startof Q peit
81 Dor. Then you are wide awake ii
Y lyon are busy as the Devil in a gale
q wind pol' na2 .ls1-nl igo1 Z, ~ 2, y.
. P9Butwhat are you up to, pa T. ~
Dan, who didn't see the trick yet.
.The old man says, 'pm gOin''
fence ID the rest part Of my farm ;.
5,laa aasWhat rest partf n ,,e,. . =; .. aa,.
}. ao9'This part that never was fence
rug the old meetin' house common .'
to to psBgt, pa, a,'says.D Dave, disgusted Z
was you've no claim on that
Is. "tWal, if I haint, II make a clai
Al Give me the orow-bar Now, here's
: corner, nigh as I can squipt' s47and
!, atucl. tha har into tha Ground. rM;