The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-08
THE MAJORS FARM.
A TALE OF A TICKLE RIVER.

Whatever soil is washed up on a shore
of the old Missouri River belongs by law
to the owner of the shore. Sometimes a
whole farm gradually changes hands by
crossing the wicked river in solution.
Then the surveyors put a little crook in
the Missouri on their maps 'and say that
it has shifted it's course.
Major Dugro Buckhinge was born on a
little farm not far below Omaha, and the
pretty white farmhouse in which he first
saw light was not over five hundred 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 a hill close by, and he could
see the red roof of the school, where NOR
atty and modern ideas were whacked
into him, from his doorstep. When the
Major was not out in his cornfield swear
ing at the hired man, he was at Hume
reading the Bible or playing with his
wife and little ones. He was rough, but
he was good.
When he was at home he complained
that the Missouri was the crookedest and
.dirtiest and the snagiest stream in crea-
tion, but when he paid a visit to New
York he knocked a man down and jump
ed on his chest for denying that it was
the most glorious waterway in the world.
On Sundays the Major taught in the Sun
day-school near his place.
Is was two years ago that the river be-
gan to wash away the farm and cast up
the soil on the opposite shore, which be-
longed to Lawyer Deeming, of New Or
leans. The Major had not lived there all
his life not to know what that meant.
Each week d foot or two Of land was
gone. Then the water seemed to double
its thievish energy and, as it undermined
the soil sometimes ten feet would cave in
at once and disappear. The Majors farm
was a long, narrow strip Of land, and be-
fore a year had passed there was nothing
left but the house and about thirty feet
of the farm.
The Major knew nothing about law,
but he had q very long head. One day
he fastened ropes around his house, hired
all the horses in the neigilborhood and
had the house hauled out into the stream.
His wife waded out with the little ones
and then the Major poled the house into
the deep water and let it drift. Mrs.
Buckhinge and the children sat in the
parlor looking back at the dim Nebraska
shore and the old %red-topped school
house, while the Major stood in the back
door of the kitchen and kept his eye on
the great and growing State Of Iowa, to
which his farm had been taken by the
river.
TsWherever the house lands I'm a-goin
to settle, I he said, s.for I'm drifting just
as nay property did and I'm bound to
strike the same place.
In an hour the little house grounded
On d 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 high and dry, and the
Major marked off with stakes the amount
of land which he considered was his own.
Then he had his farming implements
brought over, and ii a little while erect
ed q good stout fence around his hayward
farm. Then the Major got out his rife
and declared that he was prepared TO de,
fend his property against all corners.
During the winter the Major made
friends with bis neighbors, and swore
that Of all the States in the Union Iowa
was the idol Of his heart. He worked
his way into the village Sunday-school
and was elected as n elder in the church,
and, Oh the strength of that, borrowed
seed for next years crop. In the spring
the Major worked hard. He ploughed
up his land sowed his early crop and got
things in good shape.
a lawyer came down from Omaha in
May and hunted for the Major. The v
met lii The village.
Are you Mfr. Buckhingeap asked the
lawyer.
! am, 7 said the Major.
We'll, 4 learn that you have squatted
upon some land owned by one Of my