The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-03-04
'gB&E E0NG UOn-PoLE..


time very young, indeed a mere child, yet
the peculiar character Of the circumstan-
ces, the neiahborhood excitement, and the
sad consequences which followed, made
an impression upon my mind that seems
as fresh lo~day 1t did thirty years ago.
3 few miles from my fathers old farm
there lived two well -to-dO farmers, whom
we will call John and Calvin They were
related by way of marriage. and were once
great friends, but at the time my story
commences they were most irye.erate en-
eDies. Their farms lay side by side on
the country road, some few miles from
the Androscoggin River. For many
years they cut their hay in silence, each
one moving down TO the dividing line
with the precision of a master mechanic.
Each owned hundred rods, and through
part of the meadow ran a brook, which,
like most meadow brooks, was very crook
ed.
Now, John thought it would be an ex-
celient plan to ditch his one hundred rods,
making the brook straight and thereby
saving much land, and making his fields
more conviniont and productive. So he
contracted with a man named Redman TO
dig one hundred rods of ditch al one dol
lar per rod, beginning at the lower end of
his farm and following down the stream
10 Calvin's line. Redman came. with
his two grown up boys went merrily TO
work, and John made him a rod~pole for
the occasion; but being of ireacherous
disposition, he made the measure a dozen
inches longer than usual, that he MINT
get a good return. In this he did not fail.
Re,ImaY worked dilioe,tIy f,r so,,a
davs Calvin was Interested in tba oror-
anon. and careful liz, o.,,cI,ed tho ,.roeio4
ines. often askino Radn,an how nm. ,od.
he had acc,r,cI.sba5 o,d ol,,.a,,. 90,
an honest renIv O,a 5sv as 10 ,.,s
leaning upon his scytbe he caIIed-
IL saw. ReJmyn hoy many rod. have
Won got alonI D,
.sEfuh.y."
"Fiobgyl well. you're ca,linr aInna
fast
Now. Calvin saw at once that he gz,ae
far 700 near his line for eicbtv r,I- orI
musina upun the circumstances lac dsci,
ded there must he mistake Knay;ng
Holm so we'll he bqga, IN su-r.., nc he
c,ns;d.roa ,,,, s,,t;..,.. FIJI IL, -,
p,iobt I,a trv;r, - d..rra,a f,a,l,,.,,, ..,
drSnc;n,, b;s e,,.tba o,I ,-o..g;,,,, H., Ia,
he sat Jo,yn re,r tla rn5.n,,Ia onJ ,nnp
off his b,t r. co,I and rest I;r,saIe
81 say. Rednau lbis j. Lot weather -
..Yes'
WbiIe so sit,i,a no tooL occae;on tn
and 70 b;s daI;rh, bo f,roI = ,,,.,. i,-, ono
r,,t Too lon', H. ,,,aa -, 70 80
,,t,,-,,,o l,;a -, ~,
I2o oI,noo7 NJ no, -, -, Ia,,.,..,i
o,,;o1I, - bis sI'a,.o .,-J ,,.,;,.I g.. 5a,I
man to finish l,;s v,or. Tl;s ,,,o,s a.,
aud the bonos, d;,aor ,,raso,tod - -,
ms ri C,r ooe hundred d,,II.rs roo.i,ed
his nonev and ven, his ,vov
yarv soon .,rtar rb;s ,,,,s :l.,,,,,,r,I;.I,,d
Calvin ,1;scovorod T., J;s ro,t
,rd,ooo,ion ~ c,,,rso ,I,=,, e,,,1,' aro -
hseH ,roso,ssip,, ~, liz ,,oado,,, -, A.,
,,;,,, ai,ob t., o,', L..,,ly,...1 i. ,r=,
90, ,ba Ena ,,t,;,t, ao,..,u.,o,l A.. ,,'
fron, Tn,.a,s ST., -, -, - A.
-, = IL. A.,
-. ~, -,...;..57..., -
renIied ,bat i u,as I2aoa;,-;,,o 49,. -,
swer Calvin started at ono ror tho town
and I,id b;. ,asa bafo,s rho ,iIr..,.. I,,,,.,..
,,h,, ~ o,,.o so,, H. IL, III ,,,,.,,,,;,
fed q oreat n,rong Lnov,n r. ~, r.,a, as
,,5f,,U,, ,,os,,,es;,,', oo ~. l,,5 a., ,,a;,L
bo, = writ was acc,,r,jinoI,, mai. ~,
and the denutv sheriff Of the county 81
much dreaded in those fines. soon made
his apoearance before John. attached his
property for the damage done Calyin's
! land, and summoned him to appear and
show cause.
John was astonished. He visited the
field. and saw AT glance that the ditch
acns over the line, and now for The first
time the awful thought flashed upon him
that in making hls rodepole one foot too