Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-09
TERMS FOR ADVERTISING.
How They Settled for the Farmers Old
Horse.

A horny-handed old farmer entered the
Office of the big railroad companies Satur-
day, and inquired for the man who settled
for horses which were killed by the loco
motives of bloatod corporation. They
referred him TO the company counsel,
whom, having found, he thus addressed:
Mister, was driving home one even
ing last week. Been drinkinC?'
strenuously questioned the lawyer. I'm
Centerpoe of the local Tent of Rechabites, >
said the farmer. That doesn't answer
my question, replied the man of the law =;
- SAW man who was boiling drunk vote
the prohibition ticket last year. - e Hadn' t
tasted liquor since the big flood of 1896"
said the old man. - Go anead.'
will, squire. And when | came to
he crossing of your soulless monopoly
il was pretty dark, and zip! along came
| your train, no bells rung, no whistles toot-
ed, contrary to the statues in such cases
made and provided, and again the g ang-
er provisions, and-whoop! away went
ny off hoss scootin' over the telegraph
wires. When had dug my self oul n IL
swamp some distance off and picitpd the
other critter fO mi that thar off boss
was lead as Perry Smith, nn,hin' valuable
about him but his shoes, which IN 'ught
have brought say eight cents for old lion.
Well-n
Well, you want pay for that ere off
norse" said he lawyer, witha sctrcely
| oppressed sneer. Il kinder should, you
see, said the farmer, frankly, i" and |
Ion care abou suing it, though possibly
| d get verdict; for jurics out in our
town are mos ly m .de up of farmers. and
they kinder help each other us II mat, er Of
principle in these eases of stock killed by
railroads." Andthi- ere of hoss, said
the counsel, mocking y, "wrs II Ham e-
,nian colt, out OF An Alb Ialah mare, with
8 Ven cen Messenger crosses, wasn't hs?
He WAS rising four years, as he had been
rpr several seasons pat, and had shown
% on u half mile track in the mud, hadn t
he? Anu you had been offered sixteen
thousand and five hundred doll for
him the day he was killed, but wouldn't
take ii because you were going to win all
the purses in the circuit with him, and
then going TO Nevada and buy Il silver
mine and Srnalor>hip with the proceeds?
Oh I've heard of that horse before
guess there's IL mistake somewhere,
sonny said the old farmer, with an air
Of surprise; "my hosS was got by the old
man Butts roam pacing horse, Pride of
Lemont. outn wall eyed no-account
mare of my own, aud now that he's dead
| may say that he 5 tweny nine next
grass. Trot? Why Fred Erby's hoss that
he was fined for furious driving Of was old
Dexter alongside of him! Sixteen thou
sand dollars? Bl IS your soul. do you
think IN II fool, or any one else is? 1t Is
true WAS made an offer for him the last
time | WAS in town, and for the man look
ed kinder simple. and you know how it is
with ho>s-trading, | asked the fellow
MORN than the animal might have been
worth. asked him sixty-fve dollars, but
I'd have taken forty dollars"
" forty dollars!' :, Yes" replied the far
mer meekly and apologeticaly. it kinder
looks Il big sum, | know, for an old horse,
but that ere off hoss could pull ii mighty
big load conslderin' Then was kinder
shook up and the pole of my wagon was
buslid, and | had to get the harness fixed,
and there's my loss of time; all that
counts. Say fifty, and it's about square"
The lawyer whispered to himself.
"WelI. I'll be bull dozed!" and filled out
a check for five hundred dollars. " Sir
said he, covering the old mans hand,
" You're the first honest man | have ever
met in the course of Il legal experience Of
twenty-three years, whose dead horse was
worth less than one thousand dollars, and
couldn't trot better than 2.34 without
training. Here also is free pass for
yourself and your male heirs in II direct
line for three generations, and if you have
young boy to spare we will teach him
telegraphing and find him lucrative and
steady employment"
The honest old man took the check and
departed, shifting his brawny leg with n
horny hand in triumph as he did so, with
the remark, | knew l'd fetch him on the
home track Last horse | got killed [
swore was trotter, and all | got was
one hundred and sixty five dollars with
interest. Honesty is the best policy. -
Buriinglon Huwkeye.