Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-04-14
THE DOFE-BASTBR AMI TIE BULL.
A TRUE STORY.

=
tween Iowa City, then the capital OF the
State, and MuScatine city, tiourlshlng
town on the Mississippi, in q section OF
. the country called the WapsinOenOc-Se set
Element, from a creek bearing the name,
which runs through the settlement.
3 II was in 50 and that part Of Iowa
was then thinly settled, that found
myself one evening at the Eagle Hotel,
in West Liberty, village OF some IlNe
houses, about one mile west Of Wap5i-
noenOc creek, { Wdspi-white, noe
creek: literally, white-earth creek, and
situated on a beautiful prairie billOW.
Some half-d0Zen travellers and villa
rers were IOunging in front of the ample
Fireplace in the bar-rOOm; for, though
the settlers had only few days since
finished their harvest, the evenings We're
somewhat cool, and a small tire was
necessary to the perfect COmtOrt-talk-
inr of their prospects, and whether there
was likely to be a large emigration pass
through to California in the spring 10
buv their surplus feed and other produce,
when q new character burst upon the
stage, As the door was flung open, all
ewes We're fixed in q stare Of astOnlSh-
ment and wonder upon the new conner.
The stranger was n tall, raw-bCned,
lantern jawed individual, with haXen
locks struggling about his shoulders
His long spindle legs were encased IN
blue jeans, and he wore coat OF the
&" steel pen cut" and in color what he
would have denOminated but'pt' with an
Oil-cloth cap drawn so tightly down upon
his head that it had the appearance Of
having been pasted on"
Then what appeared most strange and
unaccountable was, that he was wiring
ing dripping wet. His whitish yellow
ear locks were parted down to his cheeks
and streaks Of dirt marked the divers
miniature water courses across his fore
head, and down his nose; water drlpped
from the Claw-hammer tails of his coat
and from the wristbands of the same
On his back he carried an Oil-clOth car
.pet-bag, securely fastened by stout leath-
. er straps which crossed on his breast
Marching into the middle of the room
with an immense clatter of cOw-hide
boots, he halted and cast an inquiring
glance around the circle occupying the
benches in front of the fire. Mr.. Bage-
/ Iy, the landlord of the " Egale," " arose,
nodded and said:
"GOOd even'n', sur"
"Heow dye dew? Be yew the land
lord o. the beouse ?"
" Yes-r.n
''Wan't t'know? Reckon ye could
MT keep felleT hUr, nor give him a
bite suthin' for super, could yer?"
"Yes-ru
oYe mean to say ye ken-bed an
breakfast? ?"
"Yes-r."
"GoI darn glad to hear on't-an' if
you kin iist mix feller a little sUthin'
hot an strong with a good deal o. rum
int an but leetle water, it'll do me a
mazin' sight O. good"
"Yes-r."
Strong, mind; a good deal o Ticker.
You've got rum"
| "Yes-r."
While the landlord was preparing his
rum the stranger stood in front Of the
/ bar, with the pack still on his back, evil
IDENTIFY bent on seeing that the correct
thing was done in the rum and water
mjngl'ng. Then having imbibed q reg
ular snorter,' he 'lIed the landlord to
assist in removing his pack. This being
done, he was about handing his carpet
bag over to the landlord to put behind
the bar, when he caught sight of an i'm
mense rent in it, and therefrOm prOtrud
ING the corners of articles Of clothing
within II. The instant he made the dis
covery, the carpet-bag fell from his
hands, his jaw dropped, and for q few
seconds he stood the very image of de-
sDair. At length he reused himself, and
striking his clenched fists against his
forehead, he howled, in voice of heart
rending agony; Ruined ruined ruin
ed! TeetOtally busted in smash! One
hundred and fifty acres of the best land
that ever lay out'T door, rippled all to
flinders! Oh, Sarer Ann, little knOwest
that we are q ruined, busted family
Little thou thinkest thou art O beggar
Oh, Jerewsalem! Heow shill I ever
meet YOU, sim this destruction hev bin
wroughted? ATter all our skrimpin' an
sinchin, an tUrnin an twistin'; arter
sellin' the tew-yeaT-Old heffer an the
nine shoats an arter thou, oh, Sarer
Ann, goin' to church in caliker, we're a
busted family!- Oh, JeTewsalem AL,
all lost-gone in a mint! Oh, how, lee
tie Jed, an SareT Ann, ken I meet
yeou ?"
This outburst from the tall Yankee
took us all by surprise. We could not
imagine what had happened to cause
him so much alarm and grief, for the
tears were flowing plentifully down his
brown weather-beaten cheeks.
"What in the world has happened to
you sir, to cause you so much distress
You are certainly not lamenting at this
rate over that rent in your carpet bag?"
asked I advancing to where the Yankee
IOh, no, no! Holy JerewsaIem, eff
twas nothing else but that! Oh, mur-
der, murder-I darsn't hardly think ont I!
There's poor little Sarer Ann, feelin' so
proud, an talIin' to poor Jed about our
p fine new home in the prairies, jest like
me an her us't to dew, an here, oh
Jewdasil is a hull quarter section of the
neatest land in Iowa gone to eternal
smash ~
The Door fellows feelings now COM
pleteIy mastered him, and he hid his
face in his hands and sobbed like q child
His last words, however, gave me a clue
to the mystery, and taking up his car
pet-bag commenced hauling out shirts,
vests and handkeTchiefs, all thoroughly
water soaked till at the bottom found
a carefully rolled bundle.
Mr.. Yankee had now controlled his
grief, and stood near, with his hands on
: his knees, bending over me in breath
less suspense. UnrOlling a hickory
, shirt, I found within large brown pa
per parcel, and within that handker-
chief, carefully pinned, and within it q
package done up in newspaper. On
opening the newspaper found what
expected to find from the first, viz; q
land waTTantOf $50 acres Of government
land, all snug and safe.
It is almost useless to attempt to de-
scribe the extravagant joy Of the Yam
kee. The moment he saw the land war
rent was safe and sound, he gave a per-
feet howl Of delight, and snatching it
from my fingers, he pressed it to his
bosom, as he might have done Sarer
Ann had she been present, and with
tremendous strides he commenced pac-
/ ing back and forth across the room. 1t
: seemed impossible for him to be still an
instant.
"GIory cried he; glory to the most
highest! Sarer Ann, all our savin' an
sCrimpin' aint in vain Go on with your
tOrE-plan an kalller-late Take little
Jed on yer knee and sing! In the evenin,
when you go out to milk, look tod where
the sun is gOm' an think-thar I've %
happy hum. Your Peleg'u thar; he'll
Z hpv the land and viii be happy vet =
The steers is saved the shOats is all
e., right the hcfIer aint, an old Barney s.
= bound to count! On fellers you sec
in your midst a happy head Offer famcr-
Iy-yer witness Il joyful human
of you viii excuse my intCrrUpting
you sir, and difitis fair question: said he
how did you come in this sorry pickle?
, " Excuse the question? Sarting sart-
ing? Tell yer the bull story in a mint
give the hull particklers-a full ackount!
Jewdas what a naTrer escape that quar-
Tor sngtiOD did HOY ~