Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-12-04
AZ Grinding.
COntribufed

a
There 81 4 certain county populated by
people Of different mathematics that
are infested BY singular customs. one Of
which isax grinding The Law provides
the g.indstone, ard sets the days on
which the grinding must be done, and
each party that has an Ak 10 grind must
furnish his man e tnru the stone. 50
70 be economical they Join il pairs, and
no one man can turn for more than one
other. Il 50 happened that in one case
OF this * grinding, few days prior to
the set day q certain man named James
went to one Of his neighbsrs and said,
10, have an Ak to grind the next
grinding day, aud I want you to help
me-" "Jim," replied 10, 81 can't help
you, Il have promised to help Bill
Peterson, and know that he depends on
Me- Well, ;" said Jim, crow look here
10, I want you to help me. You are the
only man whom ! can get and you let
Bill Peterson go to the devil. He is no
man and he has got no friends of any
account, and you don't get anything for
helping him; and you help me and I will
give you well, you know the Law
don't allow me to give you, anything, but
I will guarantee that you will get 40
many dollars (nakinE figures on his
hand With bis dnger) IN . way 50 thst no
one will know anything shout it, and
you will have more friepds than youwill
if you help that dirty Bill Peterson, and
after this If you want any assistance TO
grind your axes | am with you every
time. You can depend on me sure"
So the bargain was. closed 4 nd wit
messed BY two friends who stood BY aud
heard the conversation. The day set far
grinding arrived and 10 did as he agreed
with Jim; the Ak was ground; 10 got his
money; the two, with the witnesses, and
their friends Joined together in having
big time generally. But how wa. it
with Bill Peterson! Oh! Oh! A mad.
der man never lived without fighting.
He ripped and he swore. He damned
the country and everybody in it: declar-
ing that he would never take any mans
word for anything, that he would never
grind axes ary more, that he would bust
their grind stones and they might all 20
to hell, that he would have no more to
do with such a lot Of old wash women.
Some who heard him rave (who hoped
in the future to get him to help them to
grind tried their best to pacify him, but
it only seemed to enrage him. So he
Joined with what few friends he had and
got elevated in the lowest degree of
beastly happiness. There has been one
grinding day since the above happened,
and Jim then helped 10 to grind his Ak
but Bill helped no one. He remained at
home.
1t appears that in this Ak grinding
country there is stong political friend.
ship among the Ak grinders, and even in
the churches the members assist each
other IN grinding, and the higher stand
ing in society and the more popular any
one is, the better they are suited. = In
some case ones ak is duller than the
others; he has to furnish some refresh
ments. such as beer, viii skey and cigars
and, in many cases, money; but this is
through choice and not compulsiou.
The Ak grinding custom is growing in
favor, and it Is the opinion of many that
it will become general in Minnesota.
Aitkin Age: We learn Of the wreck
ing OF the steamboat built last winter by
Verrill = McGregor on Mile Laos Lake.
II seems the engine had hee,% takan ant