The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-23

in the Bible, Blessed are the peace-mak.
ers.' This man is q peace-maker. He
made peace between the injured man and
the wrong-doer, by paying him fifty dol
lars out OF the one hundred and fifty, and
now they are good friends, md il. for me-
diatorial services, he received the hun
dred, it's all right. Sheriff, adjourn the
conrt.'"'
In one of the back settlements lived
anumber of Irish families. They had got
into n quarrel among themselves, and,
being stirred up by a travelling Irish pet
tifogger, who saw a chance to get q fee
out OF the affair, went to law. There was
a country justice, living a few miles away,
before whom their differences were
brought for adjustment. These differ
ences did not amount TO much, only in
their frequency. Scarcely a week passed
but some member of the settlement came
before the justice to lodge complaint
against another, and, being backed up by
his "ly-er," would make out a case. Some
times it was a case of cattle breaking into
grainrields, sometimes it was a assault
and battery" suit. No matter what it
was, the aggrieved party felt it a relief to
stake the ly" on his enemy.
1t is said that a woman is always at the
bottom of all troubles, and it was true, at
least, in this case. There was a woman
named Peggy Brushnahan, who seemed
to TAX a prominent part in most Of these
disputes, and was always present at the
law suits, which, by the way, were held
in the only room that constituted the
dwelling Of the justice, the family sitting
back as silent witnesses to the progress of
the suit, domestic affairs being suspended
for the time.
Peggy had a glib tongue, and would
abuse all hands, right and left, whenever
opportunity offered. One day the arrows
OF her sharp tongue were directed against
the pettifogger before mentioned, as he
CHANGED this time to be counsel on the op-
posite side. After abusing him for every
thing personal that she could think of,
she commenced to twit him of his family.
''There is your old mither," said she.
"You are too stingy to keep her, and she
goes around begging for a good
s-t-h-r-o-n-g Cup o t-a-yp
The judge had, several times, repri-
manded her, and now threatened to fine
her for contempt of court if she again
made n disturbance. The threat silenced
her tongue, but, like the woman in the
old story, who was being drowned for
saying scissors" and on coming up the
last time, and being unable to speak,
crossed her fingers in imitation of q pair
of shears, Peggy was silenced but not
subdued. She succeeded in getting a
place at the back of the justice and facing
the lawyer, and whenever she could catch
his eye would make a circular motion
with her f~oreinger, as if stirring up the
'sthrong cup o tay," to the great amuse-
ment of the ''ly-er" himself, and all who
could see the grotesque pantomime.
might go on and narrate many more
incidents, but enough have already been
given to show that pioneer courts partook
very much of the nature of their wild and
uncultivated surroundings.
WORDS FROM II PIONEERS.
l cannot better conclude this portion Of
my work than by giving a space for the
sayings of the pioneers themselves, for
who are so well qualified to speak of these
things as those who participated inthem2
These words are collected from various
sources. Some from the newspaper press
as stray contributions, some from spoken
words at pioneer gatherings, and some
from private contributions to this work.
In collecting, so as to present them col
lectively, 1 have found a pleasant task
Nav my readers pass a pleasant hour, in
living over again, with the pioneers,
+hosa irtarestinr md aarlv daus
RIO be Continued
-- IA