National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-20
\ TALE or \ TICKLE RIVER.

Whatever soil is washed up on a shore oi
the old Missouri river belongs by law to tn,
owner Of the shore. Sometimes a Who'll,
farm gradually changes hands by crossing
the wicked river In solution. Then the sur
veyors put little erUok In the Missouri
on the maps and say that II has shifted IL,
! course.
Maj. Dugro Buckhinge was born on a
| little farm not far below Omaha, and the
| pretty white farm house in which he first
saw light was not over 500 feet from the
! river. Until two years ago the major had
lived happily on the farm. His father and
| mother were buried on the side of n hill
close by, and he could see the red roof of
| the school where morality and modern
ideas were whacked into him from his
| doorstep. When the major was not out in
his conilcld swearing at the hired man, he
was at home reading the Bible or playing
| with his wife and little ones. lie was
| rough, but he was good.
When he was at home he complained that
the Missouri was the crOokedest aud the
| dirtiest and the snaggiest stream in creation.
| but when he paid a visit TO New York lac
knocked man down and jumped on his
chest for denying that 10 was the most glori-
Gus waterway In the world. On Sundays
the major taught in the Sunday school near
| his place.
1t was two years ago that the river began
TO wash away the farm and cast up the soil
| on the opposite shore, which belonged TO
| Lawyer Deeming, OF New York. The major
had not lived there all his life not TO know
what that meant. Each week n foot or two
OF land was gone. Then the water seemed
! to double its thicvish energy, and as IL un.
dermined the soil sometimes ten feet would
cave IN at once and disappear. The majors $
"a ptp Of a
before year had passed there was nothing
lett but the house and about thirty feet of
the farm.
The major knew nothing about law, but
he had very long head One day he fas.
tened ropes around his house, hired all the
horses In the neighboihood, and had the
house hauled out In the stream. His wife
waded out with thelittle ones, and then the
major poled the house into deep water and
let 1t drift. Mrs. Buckhinge aud the children
sat in the parlor looking back at the dim
Nebraska shore and the old red.topped
school house, while the major stood I'm the
back door Of the kitchen and kept his eve
on the great and growing state of Iowa, to
which his farm had been taken by the river.
wherever the durn house lands Pm
a-goin' to settle, he said, "for Pm drift.
ing lust as my property did and I'm bound
to strike the same place.
In an hour the little house grounded on n
point which had been newly made by the
river. The major ordered his household to
forage, while he hustled around for horses.
Before night the house was hauled hiph and
dry and the major marked off with stakes
the amount of land which he econsidered was
his own. Then he had his farming imple-
ments brought over and in little while
erected good stout fence arouud his
wayward farm. The major got out his
rifle and declared that he was prepared to
defend his property against all coIhers.
During the winter the major made
friends with his neighbors, and swore that
OF all the states in the Union Iowa was the
idol of his heart. lie worked his way into
the village Sunday-school and told the
scholars to beware of the evil one and TO
vote the Republican ticket always. He
was elected as an elder in the church, and.
on the strength Of that, borrowed seed for
next years crop. In the spring the major
worked hard. He plowed up his land,
good shape.
A lawyer came down from Omaha in
May and hunted for the major The two
met in the village,
"Are you Mr.. BuckhingeG" asked the
lawyer.
81 am, said the major
"Well, learn that you have sauatted
clients"
"Oh, you have, have youYn The major
became freezingly polite. 4 little party of
church friends who were with him drew
away.
"Yes, / have; and what's more, l now
hand you notice to quit.n
The major crumpled up the bit of white
paper which was handed to him and
stamped on 1t.
'l'm man Of peace, and have deep
religious feelings" he said, "but durn my
eyes If ! ketch you around my house III iii
you so full Of lead that it'll take two horses
to HTew beH fGsv g%%r n"rtnd nS9rsf" Tho noio
and cleaned his rifle. After the family
prayers his wife sat up until midnight
molding bullets, while he himself sharp
ened the old AK on the grindstone. In the
morning two marshals came out to the
farm and ordered the Buckhinge family to
leave. The major got out his rifle, but
before he could make move he was
thrown on his back and disarmed.
away to jail. Mrs. Buckhinre voWed ,rEed
that she would be true to her husband, and
she made loophole In the door of the
house, and when the marshals came back
she poked the muzzle of the rifle out and
said that she would die rather than give nm
her home. The marshals retreated, but IN
the afternoon came back and opened fire on
the house with rifles. The poor mother at
last creptt out OF the house with her children
and wandered away half naked.
Kind neighbOrs fed the family for n while.
ana the major was at last set free when he
promised that he would abandon the farm.
The first thing he did was to hire horses and
maui the old home up the shadows until he
had taken It far enough to float over to the
thirty feet of the old farm which the Mis-
souri, had spared. The house was dragged
up to Its old foundation.
AS there was no farm left the major told
his family to take care of the house until
he came back. When be started away to
search for living the major cried for the
first time in his life. He earned a little
money here and there at odd jobs and sent |
all he could to his wife and children. All |
last winter he worked In st. 10, heart hun |
cry FOR home, but afraid to 20 back to the |
farm house lest he might lose dollar and |
thus deprive the children Of some little |
comfort or luxury.
ter:
DEAR HUSBAND: Come home at once. Let
nothing delay you. Your wife, JEAN,
win a quaking heart the major hurried |
back to the farm house with his rifle slung |
over his shoulder What was his surprise |
TO lind that the Missouri had changed its |
course a half nile above and had washed |
ne old farm back again, with an addition
81 twenty acres. The neighbors had Joined
together to surprise the absent man. They |
contributed seed, plowed the land, and
'oWed the early crop.
The major wept as he embraced his little
wife and then he knelt down and offered
Up thankful prayer. On the next day he
|ecame Democrat and now lives a life of
and true happiness