Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-10-08
CHAPTER XvII.-CoSr1NuEp.

CHAPTER XvITI.-CoNrrNuEp.
when this was all settled between
Shem, and memorandum of the whole
matter made and carefully deposited in
the pocket-book of Mr.. Blake, that GEN.
eeman returned the pocket book to his
pocket buttoned up his coat, and
mounting his horse, rode back to town.
When he was gone Mrs. Parsons gave
sigh of relief.
swell, am glad it is all fixed up,,
she said, 'and / shall feel better still
when the deed is made and we are in
possession. All the time he was here I
was afraid that the trade would fall
through some way, and | can not begin
70 tell how anxious am to get away
from here, or how l dreaded having to
rent place. I'd rather live in a hut
and have it my own, than in a palace
that belonged to another, and l am like
Johnny; L begin to feel as if this awful
mass that is about us might raise sud
denly and swallow us all in moment.
Eyes" replied her husband, lit is
better that we 60, though it's mortal
hard TO leave this place, which was the
purtiest and best in the valley. But it
don't make much odds, s'pose, where
one is, so they have enough to eat; and
guess we can git that up there.
Ill load up tonight, an start TO-
morrow with the first load. It'll take
me two. days to make the round trip,
an hard days at that, but I'll put Oh all
four of the horses and take all kin
pile on the wagon. Then 1'll get
Richie to help with the next load an
we'll take Johnny in the carriage an
make it all in two trips with somebody
to drive the cows. YOU'D better write
Jennie and Lucy, mother, an tell 'em
to come to Phippsburg. SOS to meet us
there when we go with the last load.
That'n save comm after 'em, an
they'll be thar to help you fix things
when we git thar"
''Poor things, what 9 home coming it
will be to Them" sighed Mrs. Parsons.
Nevertheless she wrote telling the
girls what had occurred and how they
must take the boat on the night of the
day on which they would get the letter.
They were to get of at Phippsburg in
stead of the old landing and wait at
the hotel until their parents called for
them on their way to the new home up
in the mountains.
This letter John Parsons mailed the
next day. while his teams were eating
and resting from the pull over the
hills with their load of household goods.
That night he slept in the shanty
upon the place which he had bought,
and the following day returned to his
family and the doomed cottage.
With the help of neighbor he loaded
the remainder of his worldly posses
sions upon the two wagons, the heavy
one aud the spring fruit wagon. This
neighbor was to drive one team and Mr..
Richie volunteered the use of another
animal to attach to the carriage in
which was Mrs. Parsons with johnny
propped up among his pillows.
1t was sad leaving of the old home.
The muddy water was now entering
over the front steps and beginning to
form pools on all the lower floors.
Only the topmost twigs of the apple
and pear trees, which were in lower
ground than the house, and portions of
evergreens in the front yard were above
the deposit. Every other green thing
upon the valuable portion of the ranch
bad disappeared entirely from sight.
Martha Parsons wept as she took a
last look at the place, and yet she was
at heart glad to get away.
1t was like 4 nightmare, staying there
and seeing that mass of mud and water
rise dav by day. And besides, however
poor their home might be, it was hence
forth the only one they were to know,
and she was anxious to get into it and
begin the work of Improvement
As for John Parsons, he looked neither
to the right nor to the left. He did not
even turn his head for last look at tho
old place as he rounded the hill that
shut it from their view.
Pride and ambition were well nigh
dead within him, and he hoped for
nothing beyond bare existence for the
rest of his life.
He would come back, he thought,
when the roads got good again, and if
the buildings were not burned down,
would tear off some of tho boards from
such portions as were not buried by the
overflow, and use them to help patch
up with. on the new ranch. Beyond
that the place was absolutely worthless,
and probably some tramping miner
would carelessly set fire to the build
ings after having camped in them over
night
The fleeing family had perhaps
placed a distance of three miles be-
tween themselves and their ruined home
when from the other direction appeared
two horsemen.
AS they came opposite the cottage,
they looked for evidences of the pres
ence of its former inmates, but did not
pull up their animals.
Evidently, they, too, have pulled
out" remarked one of the horsemen to
his companion. Il say, Jobbers, it's
pretty hard. now. on the poor ranchers,
and I'll be hanged if l don't wish there
was some way of getting out the gold
without running their homes. Look
there now; finest ranch and finest family
in the whole country. Ranch gone to
the dogs and the family gone, God
only knows where
'.Oh 'e's all right" returned the
other. "'E'n get another bit of land
some ers and 60 to work again, and in
few years ell ave it all set out with
trees and grape-vines. Great country,
this for, man as as to work for is
Twin; great country, and wen I return
to Hingland intend to hadvise all my
farmer hacquaintances to hemigrate to
California"
And then the two men relapsed into
silence and rode on. The next day Mr..
Jobbers took the boat for Sacramento,
and from there went to New York, from
whence he returned to his own country,
fully impressed with the idea that how
ever rough life it might be in the
mines for gentlemen, California was a
great place for men who work for
living. and is to day probably advising
60 IL