The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-22

Will be making money for yourself and
wife and boy-more money than you
ever made in your life before. lam not
doing right, know. am compound
ing felony, so to speak, for the law
requires me to send you to State Prison.
l choose to disobey the law, however; I
take the law into my own hands, and
I'll make better job of the business
before l get through with it than the
law would be able to do"
Reed looked utterly astounded.
Be off with you now and get the
goods you require; you will find me
with the team at the STABLE" said 1.
Reed marched away, did as told, and
presently came to me ate the stable,
when we drove around to the store and
took in his purchases. AS Reeds guest,
L purchased some little presents for
Jacob and Mrs. Reed.
On the way home l gave Reed instruc-
tons. He was to tell his wife that
had paid off the mortgage, paid his store
debts and intended to set him upon his
feet and give him a good start to make
money, giving him almost his own time
in which to pay the note he would give
me when all was arranged, and this l
was doing on account of our old friend
ship in Michigan.
All this he carried on to the letter,
and Mrs. Reed shed tears of gratitude
when she tried to thank me.
remained five days at Reeds ranch,
thoroughly studying it. During the
time l went to Nevada City and drew
more money, also took out to the ranch
an assistant to Reed, countryman of
mine from Deer Creek, man named
kempf. l told this man that Reed was
an old friend of mine to whom | lent a
considerable amount of money in order
to give him fresh start in the world /;
that Reed was good enough fellow, bu.
little inclined to be lazy and shiftless,
therefore l wished him to push him in
the work on the ranch, as 1 desired to
get my money back as soon as possible.
l also told Reed that any soldering on
his part would be reported to me.
found and took up water right,
through which sufficient water could be
obtained to irrigate the whole ranch :;
had surveys made, and at once let a
contract for digging the ditch, which
was but two miles long. l bought an
additional team and lumber for fencing
one hundred and sixty acres of land !;
also for putting private fences about the
house and barn, and gave orders for
fruit and shade trees to be planted. Ali
this did through my robber, Reed. 1
then returned to my mine at Fall Creek,
telling the Reeds l should return in six
weeks.
At the appointed time I was again at
the ranch, and found that all was going
on well. The ditch was completed, the
house and barn had been fenced, also
that the greater part of the fence about
the one hundred and sixty acres had
been put up, and the old fence made as
good as new.
bought ten COWS, one hundred sheep,
caused a well to be dug, walled up and
housed in (before they had been using
water from ditch), hired another man,
and stout girl to assist Mrs. Reed, left
orders for an addition to be built to the
house, and the whole to be well painted
then returned to mine. l say l did
these things, and so 1 did, but no one
knew it, as all was done through Reed.
When winter came, and the mines
were buried in snow, / went down to
my robbers ranch, and went to work
there with will. Mrs. Reed did not
think it strange, as she knew her hus-
band owed me large sum of money,
which was to be made out at the ranch !;
besides, l charged regular wages
which was but right. She could but
know that her husband was rather in
dolent, and doubtless suspected why
desired to be on the ranch and see that
work was pushed.
We plowed and planted the whole
quarter section of land, besides doing a
vast deal of other work, marketing and
the like. The ranch did not look like
the same place.
The next year all the ground was
fenced and brought under cultivation
Fifty head of cows had been purchased,
and two thousand head of sheep, with
many swine, and fowls of all kinds.
Chinese were put to gardening, and two
herders hired, one to attend to the sheep
out in the hills and mountains, and the
other to look after the COWS and to milk
and make butter and cheese for the
market. When the Cinnamon were not
busy at gardening they were made to
work about the house, orchard and
grounds. Thus all was put in shape,
and my robber was made to become a
very industrious man.
frequently visited the ranch, and the
next year began to get back my money.
Mrs. Reed was very happy woman.
1t was her nature to try to get along in
the world and make money, and all was
now going on to her satisfaction. Her
parents lived but five miles away. l fire.
quently visited them, and they were Of
ten at Reeds. began to have good
opinion of my robber, as he was now in
dustrious, and was in many respects a
fair sort of man. Now that he had got
start in the right direction, he seemed
anxious to 60 ahead. He began to feel
pride in his ranch and all its belong
ings, and took great interest in every
thing. 1 had not found it necessary
to keep Kempf over him after the first
year.
All was going on so well that in an
other year or two Reed would have been
able to pay me every cent he owed me,
when an accident happened to him.
While going home from Nevada one day
his team ran away, throwing him out of
his wagon against tree, crushing in his
skull and instantly killing him. was