The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-12-10
From the Hub.
The Long Rod-Pole.

SInce is puDIlcatlOn II the HH6, near
" five years ago, the following sketch
has found its way into almost every Jour
nal in the land 1t has been particular
" popular with religious and Sunday
school periodicals, through which it has
had wide circulation The excellent
moral lesson which the little story teach
es is the secret OF its popularity. 1t has
the further advantage Of being strictly
true. The writer, now q distinguished
citizen OF the Pine Tree State, was. when
q lad, some thirty-tiye years ago, wit
ness Of the scene he describes the prin-
opal actors were his fathers neighbors
which facts invest the sketch with an in
terest which it would not otherwise pos
sess, for true stories are always the most
interesting. The tale with its excellent
moral Is recommended to the reader
The facts here related took place in
The northwestern part Of Maine about the
year 1886, and although ! was at that
ume very Young, indeed a mere child,
vet the peculiar character Of the circum-
Stances the neighborhood excitement,
and the sad consequences which followed,
made an impression upon my mind that
seems rs fresh to-day IL it did thirty
wears ago.
A few miles from my tathero old farm
there lived two well to do farmers, whom
we will call John and Calvin. They
we're related by way of marriage, and
were once great friends, but at the time
my story commences they We're most in
veterate enemies 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
Ane with the precision OF master me-
chanic. Each owned hundred rods, and
through part OF the meadow ran a
brook, which, like most meadow brooks,
was very crooked.
John thought il would be an excellent
plan to ditch his one hundred rods, MAX
ing the brook straight and thereby saw
ing much land and making his field more
convenient and productive So he con-
tracted with a man named Redman to DIG
one hundred rods of ditch at one dollar
per rod, beginning at the lower line of
his farm and following down the stream
to Calvin's line. Redman came, and with
mis- two grown-up boys he went merrily
to work, and John made him a rodpo,e
tor the occasion, but being of treacher-
Gus disposition, he made the measure a
dozen inches longer than usual, that he
might get good return. In this he did
not fail.
Redman worked diligently tor some
days Calvin was interested in the ope-
ration, and carefully watched the pro
ceedings often asking Redman how many
rods he had accomplished, and always
getting an honest reply. One day, as he
leaned upon his scythe. he called
Il say, Redman how many rods have
You got along"
"kightvn
Eighty. web you're getting along
fast
Calvin saw at once he was far too near
his line for eighty rods, and musing upon
the circumstance. he decided there must
be mistake. knowing John so well, he
began to suspect, as he considered the
subject further, that John might be try
ing to deiraud Redman SO dropping his
scythe and crossing the line he sat down
near the rod pole and took off his hat to
cool and rest himself
While SO sitting he took occasion to
measure the pole which John had made
and to his delight he found it was lust one
foot too long. Now here was fun Tor
Calvin Here was chance to plague his
enemy Did he 60 tell Redman? No,
not he. He laughed quietly in his sleeve.
and waited quietly for Redman to finish
his work This was soon done, and the
honest digger presented to John his bill
for one hundred dollars, received his
money and went on his way. Very soon
after this was accomplished, Calvin dis
covered, to his great surprise and indio-
nation of course, that some one had been
trespassing on his meadow by digging
ditch about one hundred feet long, near the
line which separated his land from Johns.
Sending to John he demanded if that ditch
was dug by his authority John, not sus-
pecting any trouble, replied that it was.
Receiving this answer, Calvin at once
started Tor town and laid his case before
the village lawyer, who at once saw that
John had committed great wronn. known
to the law as acslfuOy trespassing ql,1ou the
tand o. q ne1gtbor. A writ was ACCORDING
ly made out and the deputy sheriff of The
county, so much dreaded in those t;,nes
soon made his appearance before .Jobn
attached his property for the damage done
to Calvin's land and summoned him to an
pear and show cause. John was astounded
He visited the field. and saw at a glance
that the ditch was far over the line. and
now for the first time the awful thought
flashed upon him that in making his rod
pole one foot too long he had actually dug
ono hnp6rad foot infI r,1,.:., - Jto