The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-04-09
THE LATEST NAN In TOWN.

lou IL get out o The notion when
you see it, said the first, as the two
farmers, each on horseback, took the
road leading to Solomon Boyd's, and q
little further on to the village of Hard
scrabble.
"Why, that's not the placer ex-
claimed the other, when they had
reached the top of a hill overlooking a
tract of country for which Nature had
done her utmost.
Yes, that's Solonon's farm; begins
where you see that tumble-down fence.
and reaches to the forks in the road,
and further back than you can see, for
that woods"
"Well, I'm beat! I never would
have known the place. I've not been
up this way before since Solomon's
father died; that must be nine or ten
years ago. Let's see, he must be buried
just beyond that big walnut-tree yonder,
amt he?''
"Yes, that's their family burying-
ground; good many others buried there,
though; must be more'n twenty graves
there. That field, covered with briers,"
continued he, (Which slopes down 10
that old broken-down stone wall, along
the creek, was the vineyard"
"Solomon's father used to ship loads
of grapes to Baltimore, and on East, so
I was told"
Sand the finest fruit you ever saw;
but there's none, hardly, now. Guess
the hogs got all the apples this year, for
there's not fence on the place worth
mentionin'."
whats that leaning against that
old shed, in the yard? looks like q
tombstoneP''
ut is tombstone-the old man
BOyd's tombstone; and the other side
of that bush you can see the old wom-
ans"
"Well, why in the name of common
sense amt they back there on the
graves, where they belongp Rather
ghostly ornaments for door-yard."
"Why, there was provision in the
will for tombstones, and so they were
bought and paid for; the dealer brought
'em out from town, and set 'em down
here for Solomon to put in their proper
places. He was 50 mortal slow about
it that, finally, some of the church.
members offered to put 'em up. But
the base blocks, or whatever you call
the big square stones they put next the
ground, had been put under the corner
Of the house there where you see it's
sunk down; some of the timbers had
rotted out, and the house was about to
tumble. That wasn't the worst, though"
continued he, slowly; 1--WE couldn't
find the graves"
Couldn't find the graves! You don't
tell me that John Boyd's grave is lost!
Why, he was one of the best men in
the country"
"And right well of, too. No, we
couldn't tell his, or his wife's, from
good many others that's not marked;
and the locust sprouts and 'pisea' vines
were so thick we could hardly tell
where any of 'em were. Solomon
thought the one next the fence was his
mothers, but he was not sure. Step
this way" added he, quickly, as they
.dismounted; you'll 60 through there
and get sprain."
And the warning was not in vain, for
the board walk, which led from the barn.
gate (held up by q rally to the house,
was rottep, broken and jagged.
watch out, too, where you step on
that porch. The well is just covered
with board. Used to have chain
pump, and q trough to carry the water
to q big cemented BASIN in the milk
house, explained he further, as they
approached the lettering, leaky porch
which ran along two sides OF the house,
looking very much as if it wanted to
part company with the main building.
"Why has everything gone to de-
struction in this way? Looks like an
army had peen through here. Is Solo
mon sicklyP" asked the other Is they
rode away.
NO." was slowly answered. "He's
healthy as any man round here. The
fact is, Solomon's lazy. Nothing suits
him as well as goin' to town; and II he
can just get stuck on q jury, and sit
round the Court House about three