Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-27

safe, healthy, and don't cost half SO
much"
Says /, "An organ was what we had
set our minds on at first"
Wall, ] have got one out here and
will bring ii in"
What is the price?" says l.
1.-TWO hundred dollars, says he.
There won't be no need of bringin' il
n at that price" says ], I" for ! have
heard Josiah say he wouldn't give cent
over q hundred and fifty dollars for one.
" Wall" says the Teller, " I'll tell you
what I'll do. Your countenance looks
kinder natural To me, and ! like the
looks Of the country round here so well
that If your mind is made up On the
price you want to pay ! won't LET trifie
of filty dollars part us. You can have
{ for one hundred and fifty dollars.
Wall the end ont was, be brung il in
and sot ii UP In the other end Of the par
lor and drove of. And when Josiah
came in from his work and the children
came home from school they liked i.
first-rate.
But the very next day new agent
came and he looked skairt when he
ketehcd sight Of that organ, and awful
Uitu anu lHtilRDdbt VIZ
"That villain hain't been tryin' to
get one Of them organs of onto you, has
heY" says he.
"What Is the trouble with en- says
Il N a awe-struck tone, for he looked
bad.
why" says he, there is heavy
mortgage on every one OF his organs. III
you bought one Of him and paid him for
II, ii would be liable TO be took away
from you any minute, when you was
right In the middle Of tune, leayin' you
a settin' on the stool, and you would lose
every cent Of your money"
Good graciousp says !, for 1t skairt
me 10 think what a narrow chance we
had run. Wall, finally, he brung in one
Of hisen and set II up in the kitchen, the
parlor bcin' full on 'em.
Wall, be driy off, and he hadn't more'n
got out of sight when the first organ
man came and treated him pretty cool,
thinkin' in my own mind how he had
tried to cheat us. He see my frigidness
and asked me TO tell him what was the
matter, and finally | up and told him.
And then, oh, how that man swore. He
said % the Teller that just left here was
the biggest liar in North America. He
had been turned out of church after
church just for Iyin';" and then he of
fered 10 bring down lawyer to prove 1t
was q lie, and says he, III swear TO it. !"
You have sworn enough about it
now" says /, coolly, and almost frigidly,
for was gettin' out of patience with the
whole caboodle OF 'em.
Wall, the next day "a new one came.
He asked 200 and % dollars for hisen in
the first place, but when Josiah told him
he had had one offered to him for $50,
he SAID we might have his for l4O dollars,
and he would throw in stool and "a
tune book and spread for it.
Can't you throw in a nice little me
lodcon?" says Josiah, for il sickened
that man to see 'em go on. To see man
fall down IS dollars to one fall.
That Teller hung round the biggest
part Of the day, was there 10 dinner
and supper; but Josiah didn't give
him any decided answer, and finally he
went Off But no sooner would one
swarm go than another came; and before
the week was out the house was full |;
YOU couldn't turn round without hittin
against sewing machine, or piano, or
sunthin.
anu lllt ~ tDiiiih hha Bpth Wv
all hours. For spell at first Josiah
would come in and talk with 'em, but
after while he got tired out, and when
he would see one comm he would
start on the run for the barn and hide,
and ] would stand the brunt of II alone.
One teller see Josiah a runnin' for the
barn, and he followed him in, and Josiah
dove under the barn, as ! found out
afterward. / happened 10 see him a
crawlin' out after the Teller drove oil.
Josiah came In shakin' himself, for he
was all covered with straw and feathers,
and says he:
Il will buy gun the first hard work
do"
Says /, o. would be ashamed of myself,
Josiah Allen. guess it hain't no harder
for you than 1t is for me-"
"Well, was a-calculatin' TO make II
easier for you. What do you suppose
was a-goin' to shootn' 'em forY 1t would
help you as well as it would me TO thin
'em Off little.'
Says ], Josiah, to say nothin' of the
wickedness Of 1t, IL wouldn't do no good
Don't you remember the fox in the BRAN
blesY Let the old swarm remain, for II
YOU drive 'em off hungrier set would
come, and then should be utterly de
youred"
Wall this took place about noon.
had an awful headache, and told Josiah
says i:
How am goin' TO tussel with them
agents this afternoon, don't know,
enjoying such poor health as do to-
day"
When felt well | could get along with
'em better, but il didn't seem to me as ii
could argue with 'em all the afternoon
feelin' as | did, and Josiah had got to &c
in the woods to work.
Says Josiah, I'm fix 'em. III set o
trap just outside the gate and catch EN-
in it,
Says !, That won't do no good, 10
siah, for if you would disable 'em
should only have them to take care of
and If you should ketch one in it the res,
could get over the fence =
Says Josiah, Cant fix the clothes
line so II would trip them upy'
Not in the daytime says ], de