The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-01-18

cant quarter by the lagoon Uncle hiiiy
Barker expressed The sentiment OF the com
mani,y in bis icrse disclaimer that, 80 Tar
as be was concerned. be didn't have use
for no Yankees. 'Yoa put Yankee INTO
apy range, aud ,har'll be bad blood right
away. They ain's content 10 leave things
as they found en-. but want to cram their
free school ablishen down eyerybodys
gullel.
During the six years that Nerdaut Val.
lev had been settled there bad never been
a dissenting vote cast at the polls II was
the boas, Of the district that this cons'itu
ency was solid for Bigler. aud that TINS
was The banner township Of California
But now the laurels we're about to be
yrested from them. However, there the
intruder was, with his wife and daughter,
and there he evidently intended to stay
A comfortable house and substantial
barn bore witness TO that. After all iah'
KEGS are not SO black as they are painted.
and this particular offender had sturdy
vay of minding his own business, which,
with his uniform affability Of greeting
soon began TO tell in his favor, 80 that'
notwithstanding his denunciation, uncie
Billy was the first to visit him and pioher
his good services. For whatever preln-
dice and narrowness might mark their
minds, the class to which he belonged had
none OF those qualities in their hearts.
Now this diplomatic call of the elder
Barker had two important results. In
the first place, Winthrop (the strangely
wanted to employ some one to help HIM
clear away the timber and bargain was
soon made by which the pioneers son,
Jim Barker, fac stalwart fellow, with a
bit of schooling and handsome face
lust the stock withal by which the world
is replenlshed d. was engaged for this work
Jim was not the least ayerse to this ar
rapgemen,, for-well, he had reasons oil
his own. The second result was that un
Gle Billy, who had just enough learning
to spell out words, one at a time, and who
was desirous OF subscribing to paper
which would keep him informed as to the
stirring events then impending, asked the
advice of the new conner, and was recon-
pended to take the Tribune. He read the
first three numbers painfully aud consci-
entiously, but after that Greeleys Phillip
pics were lost upon his remote subscriber
who regularly put the paper, unopened,
into the fire with the grim remark;
"Serves me right for bein' sich durn
fool.
Those who saw the land adjacent to the
Lagoon before civilization had spoiled it
will remember that it was heavily wooded.
Great oak trees lifted their brawny arms
and sought with hundred leafy fingers
to clutch the impalpable air. Firs were
scattered here and there in stately pride
The madrono, aristocrat of the forest.
showed its saffron bark and its olive leaves.
The undergrowth was thick. The poison
ivy was gorgeous with its fatal beauty.
The manzanita tossed its ripened berries
to the gregarious quail. There was no
| small work ahead in subduing the forces
of nature. The field must be cleared and
ready for blowing before the first rains.
Luckily the rains held of. There were
few inconsequential showers in November,
and then for weeks tine heavens were al
most skyless, one could see so far INTO
them.
By Christmas the underground was
cleared away, and about half the trees
felled. jim, who seemed to have some
plan of his own, suggested that these be
left where they had fallen, to be trimmed
and chopped afterward, so that as fast as
one tree went dowu another was attacked
| But the progress was slow. Christmas
day Jim went home and called his father
into council After hearing his report
the old man replied:
Owe got to give him log rollin' The
Lord has held the rains off about all He's
goin' to. He amt goin to spoil the crops
for tho sake of no Yankee. He's done
enough already, and We got to do the rest.
Wen have 1t on New Years. And, by the
way. Jim. after pause--"you take care
that logs is the only things gets 'emselves
cut up over to the Yankees.
Jim's only answer was blush. but to
be sure, that was enough.
New Years morn. about haif-past five
there was prodigious dog fight at the
preemptor's front door. Now the New
Englander had but one dog and it stands
to reason that one dog isn't going to get
up a fight all by himself, that is, not an.
less he is uncommonly pugnacious, which
this one was not glance through the
window revealed not only three dogs but
two teams, with the horses already hall
unhitched from the traces. The occupants
had alighted upon the ground. Up the
road several teams Of oxen were advancing.
The house was evidently being put into
state OF siege. And in minute the voice
Of the senior Barker called out
'You 'uns had better git up. You're
goin TO have some company"
BY the time the family we're dressed
and hasty breakfast snatched the army
Of attack had taken possession of every
thing. Every moment brought new arriy.
ais. There was kaleidoscope Of men,
women, children. horses. dogs and oxen.
The great festivals Of Western life are bsr.
becues, camp.meeiings aud log -rollings.
Those who believe the American blood is
running out should strike an average Of
the children present on one OF these ocea i.
q a. L.. Il