The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-01

Raneleland can never be stated as an absolute
| fact for historians and geographers insist that
the real foundation of the trouble was pigeona
One of the Shedidnt boys had pigeons three
of them. blue, a black and white fantail,
and Billy Shedidnt set his heart on those
pigeons. 1t appeared that yellow cat belonging
to the Hedids prowIed around in the Shedidnts
back yard, and when last seen was known to
have been gazing at the Shedidnt boys pigeon
| coop. Whether the Hedids' cat really did eat
the Shedidnts pigeons never could be actually
ascertaned, the only positive proof about the
slaughter of the birds was that some tail feath-
ers were found. and that the Hedids' cat looked
for several days afterward remarkably round
and slick.
Certainly Billy Shedidnt felt aggrieved, and
told his big brother, Tom about it, when Tom
declared. that he would get shotgun and lay
out the Hedids yellow cat" Whether he did or
did not execute this threat is not known, only 1t
remains positive fact that. although the
Hedlds' cat was carefully hunted up Tor weeks,
he never was heard again on the back fences
With all the natural Ill temper which belonged
to the two families, events of the startling char
acter just narrated could not long remain I'M
noticed, and an explosion was threatening. But
when, on top of this, something else happened,
then came the crisis.
This time one of the Shedidnt children, three
years old, slipped on piece of peach skin while
playing on the pavement before one OF the
Heidi houses. At once. though the child was
not al Ill nurU having only rOiieO III Tue gutter,
Mrs. Shedidnt instantly taxed Mrs, Heidi with
having strewn the pavement purposely with
peachsklns so as to endarger the lives of her
Mrs. Shedidnts) babies. OF course Mrs Heidi
denied the charge; She said that they had
eaten no perches, because Tom Shedidnt had
stolen all their peaches and they never had q
chance to eat any of their own fruit. Then the
two women went at it, and the air resounded
with their cries of Heidi and 'Shedidnt."
Every little difference and quarrel about the
rid W. hrOup
all the hotheaded people in both families came
to the front and carried things with a high
hand. Little by little the men grew excited
and commenced threatening one another.
1t was the boys both sides who really first
began in it. They called one another names, and
then threw stones, then the girls took it Cp and
made faces at one another and Julia Heidi
asserted that Mary Shedidnt was nasty old
thing" while Mary replied to Julia by stating
that that was all your mother learned you"
Now, somebody sawed half through one Of the
peach trees while somebody else trampled down
somebody elses flower beds. 1t was now indeed
that war was declared.
1t is sad to think how from little, insignf-
can't causes, portentous events follow. Some
learned men declared that from the cutting
down of the peach tree commenced the first
drought i'll Rangleland The fruitful rain no
longer was tempered in its fall on the ground
but came down in torrents, there being no tree
to stop it, and SO the soil was all washed away.
Little by little the flower beds were ruined.
From a temperate region, Rangleland became
dreadfully hot country, and all grass and YER
dure died out
The more wretched the country became the
more the Hedids and the Shedidnts quarreled.
AT last it came to such pitch that the benefi-
cent fairy lost all patience. Certainly, nOtwith
standing the bad behavior of the two families,
she most forgiving.
One day she appeared before them. When
fairies are in good humor they always are very
pleasant personages to see, having beautiful
faces, clad In gowns of gauze, all sparkling with
jewels, wearing shining crowns on their heads
and with two pretty wings sprouting out of
their shoulders Sometimes they have wands,
and sometimes not
Now this fairy appeared in the guise of an old
and wrinkled woman, anu she was shivering as
with the cold. All at once the two families were
conscious that their thermometers were fast
sinking and that it was getting TO be dreadfully
chilly. Scarcely had the fairy lifted up her old
crooked stick and waved it, before the snow be-
gan to fall, and all the ponds were frozen up
The few remaining trees died and split at once
with the intense cold
go away from here, all of you, You cross,
troublesome and i'll grained people, while there
is yet time" said the fairy. You have not
killed one another yet, but have just come in
time to stop that Now scatter You will find
some ships ready far YOU. Now clear QUIT"
Sorrowfuly the Hedids and the Shedidnts
left their beautiful country, and it was only
just in time, for lcebergs were forming on the
coast and great glaciers the land. 1t was
with difficulty that escape was made from
desolate land of snow and ice.
IL is not known where the two families went
to, but it is SAID that some of the members of
the Hedids and the Shedidnt's found refuge in
the United States and certain of them came to
Brooklyn, where they still conspicuous for
the same traits that helped to ruin Rangleand
ages ago.
AS for Rangleland, which remained after the
expulsion of the two families, uninhabited for
many thousands of years, except by occa-
siona polar bear, not so long ago it was redis-
covered by some arctic explorers, and it is now
known as Wrangle Land.