New-York tribune., 1885-08-09
NEW-ENGLAND SKETCHES.
PUTTING IN 4 PUMP.

PUTTING IN PUMP.
frpox AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBUNr1
RANsoME Mass, Aug. 5.-About quarter OF n
mile down the road to the east from where we hve
IS small cottage owned by lady from New York
She comes ont and spends a couple Of months OF tho
summer here for there are two very good Things IN
Ransome--air and scenery. BY this remark do
not mean TO limit the good things. The air is like
that of a noun tain region; and the scenery Is
pleasiug. without being sublime. Miss Armstrong;
place is SO small that it is something like toy
ablislment but it is rerched on hill, and the
outlook is picturesque. There are some drawbacks.
however. The distance from the well 10 the house
ia one of them II is perhaps twenty rods, and is
down hill 40 that one has the privilege OF walking
nm hill with the full bucket rather than the empty
one.
About n week ago. Miss Armstrong suddenly
an nounced that she going to have the water
brought up, and pnmp put in. The determination
created some excitement and reused mild scorn
for the New-York woman who could think OF
violating the usages OF Ransome 1t 10 not custom
ary here to have pump in the house. The men
folk generally do not approve Of such an arrange
ment Judging from appearances. they prefer
we'll from an eighth to a quarter of mile away.
There is a well-curb and chain and crank. and
Won sec tired looking women crcaking away at this
X,
heavily laden. Well-to-do farmers will have water
facilit,esor rather non faclities-in this way. Is
IL for the discipline of their and daughSersf
have never seen any set Of women so old before
their time so jaded so unhappy-looEing "a these
farmers wives about here. But Ransome s an
unusually healthy town, and in spite OF their
suicidal lives these women do not die; they live
and live. until finally dies and Is buried, and
the neigbbors say |" She was jest worn ont MISS
Armstrong was reasoned with. The mon near here
come and straddled about. and spat. and paced the
distance from the we'll to the house, and said It
couldn't be done. Besides. it would cost hundred
dollars. Better pay hundred dollars now than
have broken back in year or two returned Miss
Armstrong and sent for n pump man from
Farnham to como over and judge. lie came and
said the thing could be done easy enough; bade
Miss Armstrong have a trench dug. and no wonsd
come and lay the pipe at cents per pound.
al guess Miss Armstrong has money rottin' or
she ncver'd fling 1t outn this kind of n tom-fcol
wayD said Mr.. Fearing he stood gazing down
into the trench sLkely's mot they'll come 20 a
ledce'n hev ter blast. Reglar womans notion"
Mr.. Fearing was one OF the first to arrive on the
scene. He was followed by the man who lived
down tho bill. and who raised hens as means OF
livelihood He was known in the neghborhood as
the - hen man." his name never being mentioned
There was always great speculation as 10 whether
the hen man was bright" ornot: meaning. had the
usnal amount Of wits. He never spoke, save in the
barcst monosyllabic way; he was stolid looking
and he was fat. But he knew how 10 raise hens.
and he was capable of computing to grain OF corn
how mnch each hen cost him. from the time 1t
chipped the shell until il was eaten or sold.
When nv sister and | reached the spot. there
were FIVE neighbors viewing the operations. and
l.tl m.
over herself and young girl from Neponset. who
was visiting her and who considered the whole
affair as something gotten mp for her amusement
The sun poured down IN that bllstcring way of
which that.lumnary is capable some clear DAYS in
August The last shovel from the trench was flung
ont as the pump-man drove into the yard. accom-
p.nied by huge coils Of lead ripe and a copper
pump: also by boy to help.
sOf course You don't expect no pnmp TO work
that distance" ?" asked Nahum Rogers. who had
prcdicted that IL couldn't be donc. nohow.
q Deacon stoder. over at the Mills had one nut In ;
Il lest smoked n wheczed n smoked. N the fust
winter IL bustcd all tn thunder"
This remark was made as the plumber let himself
down into the trench and began slowly TO unwind
a coil preparatory 10 adjusting an end OF the lead
in the WELL He turned up his rcd. dripping face an
instant toward Rogers. but hc did not speak
BEFORE tue pipe WHs TfdliJ piH''u w Au' "'iis AN'
more men came from the old Cargill dccstrct" O
mile and half away. They descended pondcrously
from n hay cart. and let the horse to feed slowly
along the road Mt his own w.ll which led him
presently into n thcket Of young locusts. where he
strn gcled Intellectually 10 get ont and where nobody
noticed him IL was found eventually that he had
wedged wheel so tightly against tree that the
tree had TO be cut down. there was no chance To
pnll the cart from the other way. AZ the two men
approached and cxpectoratci. the herman looked
at them. moved his hand toward tho lcngth Of
pipe. anil said. Long" in n very squeaky voice
which however. suddenly failed NJ that pitch. and
on tho last two letters went down 10 the most
husky baritone This tho irst time had heard
him speak. and thought knew Immediately why
he smoke so rarely. He evidently could not control
his voice He was about sixty. n bachelor. and
lived by himself in little house back OF the
encafnpment Of his hens. Tine two men whom hc
addressed nodded, and after awhile one OF them
said
The hen man nodded In his turn
"Woman dom of it. eh I" was the next question.
Another ailrmatory nod.
aNow tell ye what tie" spoke tho other now
conner with sldden animation. " in some places n
u sbouId saw that here" squirting contemplatively
down the ditch. that here 1t would not"
"What arth was the matter with tho well ~
twas 7" questioned Mr.. Fearing, coming and
pick ing mp n to chow. "'rain't fur % carry
water I've been tellin' Of Hiss Armstrong here that
sho ought ter do as Ben Fisher did when he lived IN
this house. He he'd n yoke made n he used ter
bring mp two pals TO time. This here new;
tangled notions about pumps n things is beyond
ont n the we'll ] tell her sbe may go ter bonsekeep
IN fur some other man. mint agoin' ter hey her
New York folks acomin' In here and gitn our
ncghbors dscontcntcd amt plcasin' to me. Yister-
day llcerd Miss Ardent asayin' cf she could only
cit the money. she'd hev a pump ternorrcr. All
because she heerd o. this, ye see"
Mr. Fearing spoke in whining. wheedling sort %
tone ana his face n deprecating silly smile
tb. oh we'll os irritattop \ Ene,y hp