The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-11-23
gee, STUB"

In the fall of 1877, when / was Just
twenty-one years of age, my brother
Hiram Davidson, and |, settled on a
''quarter section" of land, which we had
''locatedn on the Bee Scies River in
northern Michigan.
1t was wild country, and we were
the first settlers of that particular re-
gion. All about the little farm which
we had been clearing there stretched an
almost unbroken forest for miles and
miles. But we had no doubt that in
time we should have neighbors.
We had not driven in much live stock,
only two shotes and yoke of oxen.
Or rather, l should say, we drove only
the oxen, for we carried the shotes in a
cart, with half-a-dozen chickens, along
with our farming tools and other pos
sessions.
1t is strange how much person, shut
out from the world, in such a remote
locality rs that in which we lived, will
think of the few dumb animals he may
chance to have. We named those
shetes of ours, and even used to talk of
them.
The oxen were really companions for
us in our work of clearing, work in
which they they had no small share
Their names were Pat and Stub-names
at which Eastern readers will smile,
perhaps, since in the Eastern States the
people call their oxen bright and
Broad, "or Buck and Berry, or 'Turk
and Golden" and sometimes ''Star and
Line
But our oxen were ''Pat and Stub"
and old Pat was as good an OK as ever
was yOked. Stub was little inclined
to chang off" NewEngland boys would
laugh to hear US call out, ''Back, Pat!
Come up, Stubr' or ''Gee off, Pat! Back,
Stubr'
1t was we'll that we had but little live
stock, for the winter which followed our
first fall on the Bee Scies was u very Sc
we're one, and we had no fodder, except
ton or more of coarse, weedy hay,
which we had been able to cut along
the river. Our English grass seed had
not had time to grow.
After November we we're obliged to
turn our oxen out to browse on the
twigs of trees and bushes. These we
Topped down with axes for them here
and there in the woods. In fact, we
Jared none too well ourselves, and our
chickens were half-starved.
1t was my business to do outdoor
chores. while my brother did the cook
ing and the housework. We had built
cabin. 1t was about fifteen by twenty
feet in size.. About fifty feet back of it
was our ox-shed, and adjoining that the
pen, or yard, for the two shotes.
| usually turned the oxen out to
browse in the forenoon. and went after
! them towards sunset.
| About noon, one day in December,
heavy clouds began to gather, and by
| four in the afternoon six or seven inches
of snow had fallen. Taking my goad.
stick, | started to find the oxen and tc
drive them home. l was annoyed 'tc
think they had not sense enough tc
come home themselves on such % night
Old Pat I soon saw standing com
fortably chewing his cud beneath the
shelter of a thick pine, which afforded
| him complete protection from the storm
But Stub was not with him. l thought
he must be close by, however, and aftel
driving Pat from his shelter and starting
him for home,-by giving him q toucl
with the brad,-I began to call Stub ant
to look for him among the snow-ladei
| trees.
AS | did not see him, went to anoth
Ter browsing place where had cut brusl
for the animals some days before. Blu
he was not there. AS l was lookin;
about, however, came upon his track
leading back into the woods.
The footprints were partly filled b.
snow,-for the storm still continued
but | had no doubt they were the oil
sluggard's tracks. In no very good hu
NOR | set off after him. To think tina
Us intelligent an OK as Stub should wan
der off into the forest on such a nigh
provoked me, for it seemed to me tina
hc knew better than to do it.
There were the tracks, however, an
| followed them as fast as | could run
expecting every moment to see the an
mails red hide, though it was already s
dark that could hardly have told re
from black.
| went half mile at least, gettin
more angry at every step, and feelin
almost that the old fellow had struc
was raised from a calf. But at length
caught sight of his back, as supposed
under low pine bush beside gre;
birch. He was evidently lying dow
and making himself quite comfortable
felt that he deserved a good braC
ding, and determined to give him sue
a pricking as would send him home ;
q double quick pace. Accordingl,,
holding my goad-stick well in hand,
crept up to within few yards of hin
and then made a sudden rush an
thrust the brad into his old flank
vigorously as 1 could. yelling, ''Ge
j. Stubm
To my utter CONSERVATION . tremen
Gus growl answered this sharp salut