Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-04-08
MOASICK'S PRE-EMPTION.

"Well, no. She's not, ezac'ly, mine,
nor yet my wife's; but we claim her all
the same"
These remarks referred to n remark
ably fine, not to say formidable-looking,
young woman, who had just rened u
high-mettled young horse out of the
home gate into the downward lane.
Take the kinks out of him." said
the old man, as he closed the gate be-
hind the cavorting steed. To which re-
mark the fair horsewoman made reply
by flinging kisses from her whip hand,
and dashing away into a cloud of dust.
"Yes,- he said, in response to my
further question, "she's my gal; but
she's not my da'ter, nor she amt my
wife's da'ter."
Brother
"No. No relation to either of us by
blood"
"Waifp"
81 dunno much what waif rightly
is. call her peremtion."
''Do you mean pre-emptionp"
asked, gently.
"Well, no matter if We call it per-
emtion er pree-emtion,,'' he answered.
shade testify. "What mean is, that
surveyed lands of the U. S."
"Seems to be fine horsewoman,"
said, half musingly, as we were ap-
preaching the entrance to the house.
"Step in," he said; "the doors
open, and that shows ye the old
woman's not to home; and the way
she'll raise Cain, and lectur' on flies,
when she does come home will be
music in this camp, you bet your and
the man chuckled inwardly until he de-
veloped touch of asthma that set him
coughing in way that was more COM
ical than serious. "When l get into
that kind of a cough" he said, resum-
ing, Il mos GIN ely take a little old
rye and loaf sugar" And so saving
he led me into the dining. room of his
comfortable farm house, asked me to
be seated, while he opened the lower
half doors of the dish cupboard, and,
bringing out sugar-bowl, spoons,
glasses, and cut-glass decanter, he
said, gently and interrogatively: "Try
little?h
Whether | tried a little or whether l
did not, is question open to debate,
which may be settled by each reader
according to his or her view of what a
man ought to do in such situation.
"Now," said he, when he had care
fully replaced the implements of hospi-
tality in the cupboard, "let's 90 out to
the barn, and see the colts. There is
where can talk best. Though | amt
q tust-class talker no time, can get on
better when Pm seeing good, healthy
colt reaching for his hay"
II reckon, now,n he said, after hav-
ing shown me his horses seriatim,
"you're thinking I'd ort to tell you how
peremted the gal that went out the
gate on the jumping brown colt.
THE way l peremted Lainey was
this | was in California when the
Reese River mining excitement broke
out in Nevada in 1862, and wasn't do
ing much good. l bought a little cheap
Mexican jack, packed my blankets
grub, tools and cooking outfit upon his
back, took the road behind his tail anc
went afoot into the Nevada mountains
away east OF Reese River, determined
to lind silver mine. j had little
money on hand and a little more com
ing to me from good men, when | start
ed. l sunk it all in two years anC
worked hard, but found nothing in the
mining way wuth talking about. lntht
summer of Ga heard OF the drought il
California, and of how cattle and horses
were dying there of hunger, while
where was there was any amount o.
good hoss grass. Now is my chance,
thought. I'm losing big money mo-
having stock to eat this grass. l tool
my jack and started from Eastern Ne
vada on foot along the overland stag,
road for California, calculating to fetcl
hosses on the shares to Nevada. Be
sides my jack had also dog-a dos
that peremted me-a mixed dog-a kint
of St, Bernard and shepherd dog-ant
he was mighty wise dog.
"On the stage-road them days ther,
was no houses-no houses anywher,
near it only the stables and 'ostlers
quarters mt stations fifteen tc twenty
five miles apart. AZ these station
weren't no women or families--jus
men, and mighty hard citizens most o
them men was. There being no plac
to stop at or fool away time on, / KEEP
right ahead, day after day, with m
percession. There was fust the jack
then me, then the dog, one behind tn
other, all as solemn as could be.
wasn't feeling no ways cheerful myself
but by the looks of things when m
face wasn't too thick with dust, wa
the cheerfulest of the lot. If the jac
wasn't solemn his looks belied him, an
as for that dog, Nep, being a blac
dog, with down TAIL / think he wa
the most serious critter / ever did sec
He seemed mostly to be on the point c
n going to sleep, but he wasn't half a
sleepy looking. There was mighty lit
tie carrying on day or night within
half mile of him that he sabe. And tn
y fondest dog he was of little childre
that ever | saw.
z4i "Well, used to make, with my So
emn little percession, twenty to thirt
miles day, and, as / had about eigh
hundred miles to go, ye see, includin
sq delays, was in for months stead
trampng Some days | would trav,
for hours with one or another of tn
west-bound immigrant wagons or train
as they came creeping along toward tn
end of the hard journey across the cor
tinent, foot-sore, weary, dusty and d
40 lapidated. These trains had childre
with 'em of all ages, and when m
dog got in among them children b
was happy. He walked right vi
raised his dropping tail, and was a ne
dog. But | never camped at nigf
with any of tHse trains only enough {
the common cAmping places to let th
animals drink and to fill my water ke
with fresh water, and then I'd pass Q
mile or two more and go little o
the road TO good grass and some kin
of shelter, ii any shelter was to j
had In such a Dlace / wOuld unloa