Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-02-06
A FORETGN s.NATIvE..,
A TustIe With Conscience and what
Came of 1t.

Burdett's Letter to the Burlington Hawkeyc.
Do you remember, some weeks since,
was greatly annoyed by an inquisitive
man down in Maine, and abruptly closed
my letter for the purpose of the aforesaid
man?
Well, 1 stuffed him.
'sMuch of place, your town?'' he
asked.
s'oh, yes,' l said, with the matter-of-
course carelessness of a citizen of the
great western metropolis, ''about forty
five thousand, guess.''
The man eyed me with keen, awakening
interest. $50 big as that?'' he said.
nodded, and he presently said, F'Well,
had no idea there was such a large city
in Iowa. State must be pretty well set
tied up, reckon?'
I said, yes. it was. Some portions of
it pretty wild, though
fEAny large game in the State?''
F'Herds of it, said. 81 killed deer
last winter not two miles from the Bur-
lington Court House,
pacified my conscience for this lie by
explaining to that rebeIlious and vocifer-
Gus monitor that there was no Burlington
Court House; that it was burned down
seven years ago, and the county was wait
ing until it could buy a secondhand
Court House for $I.75 before replacing it.
Therefore, could truthfully say that I
killed all the deer that came within two
miles of our Court House.
ssI want to know!'' the native exclaim-
ed.
'sDoyou, thoughP'' thought I; s'then
the wolves only two years ago made a
raid right into Burlington and killed all
the chickens on South Hill.''
Conscience raised terrible protest at
this, but hushed it up too quick by citing
the welI-known case of Meigs Schenck's
wolf that got loose, and in one single
Summer night ate up everything on South
Hill that wore feathers. The native look
ed astonished and doubly interested.
"Any Indians ?'' he asked.
Gland, yes, told him, yawning wear
lily, as one who talks of old, stale things.
| ''Sitting Bull was educated at the Baptist
Collegiate Institute in Burlington, and
was expelled for trying to scalp Workman
with a horseshoe magnet
'sYou don't tell me ~ exclaimed the
native, in wild amazement. By that time
I was perfectly reckless and told con-
science to keep it's mouth shut and give
me chance.
''Oh, yes,'' I said; F'Yel1ow VOLTS old
medicine lodge is still standing, right out
on West Hill. The Indians come into the
city very frequently, tearing through the
streets on their little ponies.'
"Ever have any trouble with themP''
the man asked.
"Oh, no,'' said, carelessly, ''the eiti-
zens seldom do. The COW boys come uI
from Texas with cattle, hate them teari
bly,, and occasionally drop one of them in
the streets just for revolver practice. But
, nobody else interferes in their fights.''
81 SUPPOSE the man said, 'syou al
carry revolvers strapped around you, on
there?''
ooh, yes,'' replied, ''of course. W
. have to; man never knows when he il
: going TO have trouble with somebody, an
/ and in case of any little misunderstood
: ing, it wouldn't do for fellow not to b
heeled.''
, I think the man shuddered a little
t Then, fearing he might ask to look at N!
e revolver, casually remarked that neve
i carried my barkers when came East.
S He said no, he supposed not. Then h
+ look ed out OF the window a long tim
e and said nothing. Finally asked him
Y VIII at part of Maine he made his home
l. He looked up at me in surprise.
?'' he said. 'sLord, don't live
q this rock patch. I'm only on here visitin
J. some relatives
a In feeble voice I asked him where di
e he live then.
y The man yawned, and again locke
o listlessly out of the window.
a ''Oh,'' he said, ''I live on a farm jus
J. out by Leffler's, about six miles out Q
h Burlington. I wish was back there now.
If So did 1. 1 wished he had never le
IN there.
" We didn't talk together any longe
W Shortly after that the weather change
IN the air grew very cold, and went in
Q the smoking car to look for fire.