Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1884-11-14

To Ben Gordon three year ago come
fall"
"what did she get for it,
That's what wus tryin' to think;
whether 1t wus-- Say, Dan, whatd
Ben Gordon give Sally Sims fur the ole
farm"
Give 'er e85 n acre. Skun 'cr. too.
like thunder. She might a got hun.
dred fur il jes' s easy s sixty-fSc. III
she'd abeen smart, an put il right up to
auction. Tom Judkins d "a gin 'er any
amount to keep Ben Gordon FUN git
in it,"
whats the trouble between Mr.. Cor
don and Mr.. Judkins." asked the stran
ger.
WAL. ye see, eight years ago they
was some talk o. having moo Methods
church, an Tom an Ben is both big men
in the church, an Tom lives
over yer bout mile L the
west and Ben lives on t'Other side ovel
yer east bout three-qiarters. and tn ey
both wanted the church on their sides O
the town. so the church folk, thought
it d make bad blood IL they bnilt it in
either place, so they didn't build none
at all, an Tom an Ben has fit il ever
since"
After dinner the stranger lighted a
cigar and started on up the base-line
road. When he reached Mr.. Gordons
farm he found that gentleman down
back of the barn mailing board to the
pig yard fence.
is this Mr. Gordon"
That's my name.
The stranger handed him neat little
card which told that he was Francis T.
Huntley, general agent of the American
Overland Railroad company.
Probably you have heard OF our com
pany, Mr.. Gordou.'
WAL, no, can't say hcy."
why, we are the company that is
building that big consolidated system ot
railway from New York TO San Fran
cisco.
BENJAMIN Gordon is man VINO
doesn't like new.fangled nicknames
and has no love for men in tall silk
hats. Mr.. Huntley observed this.
Il came to you for advice. Mr.. Cor.
DON"
II hain't much on the advice, said
Gordon, shortly, without looking up
from his work
ut is not exactly advice. either. that
! want. II is more like information.
! may have some business with Mr..
Judkins. who lives somewhere about
here"
Mr. Gordon stopped work.
And rs never met the gentleman,
but had heard of You as an honorable
man and one of my brother Methodists,
] thought would learn something OF
Mr.. Judkins. Is he responsible"
Responsible for what asked Mr..
Gordon. laying his hammer and hand.
full of nails on fence-pOst.
We'll. suppose he should agree to
give our company a certain amount of
land If We would locate our depot and
vast car shops on a part of his farm,
would he fulfill his prOmise!'
Mr.. Gordon wiped his boots on the
grass and said:
Come into the house and take u
seat"
They went in and Mr.. Gordon whis-
Pcttu sointtnhik tufoukH tut hitcHtu-
door Presently Mrs. Gordon brought
in pitcher Of cider and some glasses
and a pan of dOughnuts.
Air you really goin' 10 build a rail
road through Tamarack? said Mr. Cor
don.
well, we've got to 10 through some.
where. Tamsrack is right on our line,
but Plainield. over here to the south,
would probably give good deal TO have
us come there Of course il would make
property boom right up in price.
II sh'd think you wouldn't like 10 go
out Nv straight line, though.
so We don't, and that's why came
over TO see what Mr.. Judkins would do.
OF course il he will make it an object
for us to locate all our buildings and
side-tracks. and all that on his farm
we'd rather 20 through Tamarack.
Certainly he can afford to do It. because
il would make the rest Of his land worth
hundreds where il isn't worth dollars
now. but
why don't you put your depots and
shops over ycre Oh this side
I'VE would like TO. but whats the
odds: Judkins owns all the land.
and"
"All o what land!
why all this land. Doesn't Mr.. Jud-
kins own this farm you're working
"Who said hc did, asked Mr.. Gordon
in red-faced rage.
"why. thought he did. A man IN
Chicago told me he did, aud ] believe he
said Judkins himself told him So
'les, sir. | thought so, said Mr..
Gordon. storming about the room and
kicking the cat against the clothes bars.
upsetting every thing. That's ies' lik,
the ornery crltter TO 20 tellin' them
kind o li",. ! knowed he wus schemin'
fur suthin dishonest when ! seed i'm
put hull dollar in the plate las
sunday.
I'm sorry ! didn't understand this
matter, Mr. Gordon. before: but it's
none too late yet. II he is u dish0n0r-
able man and has sought TO injure you,
! can and will help you 10 punish him
for bis rascality"
'Can yc. though: An will ye, Say,
how can We do it,
wen, SIR, easy enough; and IN the
meantime you can help me little,
and we'll get on the incest kind to-
gether."
WAL, sir, I'D give half my farm to
beat Tom Judkins IN this ere business
Very well, you help me- get bonus
from this town, and III fix il so YOU can
have chance to bid against old Jud-
kins for the depot and enormous shops
and side-tracks and general Offices and
oyarvt hiu.x -