The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-12-31


| THE DISTRICT SCHOOL TEACHER ENTERS.
know that. Come to think on it, he
want Gov'nor, even, in 1910. His time run
out in '39.'
"Wolf want Gov'nor in 40, hays" re-
piled the Old Settler, settling his cane en-
phatically on the floor, "He want, hayi
Wy, Squire, We mowt jist ez well tell me
th't want born in 1897
~ don't care whuther you was born in
1918 or afore the food" exclaimed the
Squire; "but / do care bout the time ez
Wolf were Gov'nor, an I tell ye th't his
time run out in 1917
"Do you meanter set thar an tell me
th't I don't member the year th't Ebene-
ger Spriggs were c'nvicted o. boss stealin's'
said the Old Settler, shaking his cane at the
Squire "Do you meanter tell me th't me
an Deacon Vogel didn't go down to see OIL
Gov'nor Wolf to git Ebenezer pardoned,
cause the boss he stole was nothin' but a
blind one, an Belonged to a man who voted
an worked agin' the Gov'nor? Do you
mean to tell me th't don't member that,
an th't it want in the year o. 1840Y'
81 meanter say jist this" replied the
| Squire, emphasizing his remarks by pound
ing his fist on his knee, San that is th't
you nor nobody else didn't never go to see
Gov'nor Wolf in 1910, cause his time run
out in 80. That's wat I meanter say, an
you haint gointer stop me, even IL you
was born in 1872
"Ebenezer Spriggs were your cousin,
want her" shouted the Old Settler
eyes, he were," replied the Squire;
"but'-
can didn't he steal that blind boss an
have to go down the river fer doin' of it!'
"What If he did?'' Does that
cam did he git pardoneds'
"No; but watts that got to do With
| "Thar We ber' shouted the Old Settler,
triumphantly. "Thar We be! Yer cousin
stole boss an Gov'nor Wolf didn't par
don him, an yit you STAN up an argy with
me th't don't know what ! recomember
| That's primy fishy evidence th't Wolf were
Gov'nor from 40 up ards, or you Wouldn't
try to mako aoat that he want, jist be-
cause you feel mad agin him fer not par
d'nin' out yer cousin!'
| 1HlS IOSlc Oh Cne Olu OeCUler nau any
thing but the effect of convincing the
Squire, and he whetted up his memory and
turned on the Old Settler in kind
"Some folks, mebby, don't hev no longer
mem'ries thin some other folks" said he;
"an' know 'twere in the fall o. '39 th't
my father missed them four shoulders o.
mutton, an gittin' out s'arch war'nt he
foun' 'em in Peleg Dibble's cellar an that
roII N1le
out, an well I member it. But, durn it,
] Major, you'll hef to 'scuse me, fer / f'g1t
th't Peleg Dibble were your uncle or I
wouldn't said nothin' bout itl'
The Old Settler was about to pour hot
shot into the Squire, when old Sol, the land
lord, took his pipe out of his mouth, and
| spoke.
9TH hain't nothin' like havin' a good
mem'ry," said he, "but thur sech thing
ez havin' one th't leaks a leetle, an lets a
few fac's drop by the wayside 'casion'ly.
"That's bout the way with you an the
| Squire, Major. You both member a good
deal, but thur also a thing or two ye don't
neither ov We member. Fer instance, Cow
| nor Wolf hadn't ben Gov'nor fer ten year
the time you fellers is speakin' of, fer he
were 'lected in '29, an CONSISTENTLY that's
| the time he were Gov'nor. Otherwise, 1
| b'lieve both o. yer fac's is 'cordin' to his
tory. Wolf were Gov'nor in 49,"
"Thar Squirrel exclaimed the Old Set
tier. didn't tell ye? know'd We was
way out o. yer reckonin'i Wen I say fell
ler's wrong ye kin set it down fer fact th't
| he Is wrong, an no mistake! Mebby We
want to STAN up now an deny th't this
weather is wuss thin wat we usety hev, an
make yerself giner'ly no company fer no.
bodyr'
But further dispute between the Squire
and the Old Settler was interrupted by
| the district school tea .her
"There might be worse things than hav-
| ing such weather as this at this festive sea-
son." said he. otis better to have bad
weather and something to eat than have the
jolliest of cold and bracing air and a lean lar
| der. We have a good deal to be thankful
for"
81 dunno but wat yer bout right,
sonny" said old SOL "Frost makes the
| blood hop, skip and jump, an it's with a
bushel O. doctors stuff, frost is, if it only
comes long wen it's due But fer stiddy
diet to put meat on yer bones, the shank of
| a turkey or a hunk o. sparerib is wuth a
turn at the hull blame Ar'tic regions.''
"That's so, Sol" said the Squire; San
| ez long ez folks has got the turkey an the
spareribs an all the trimmin's, an wife
| ez knows how to dish 'em up till yer mouth
waters lookin' at 'em, they hadn't orter
| find fault with nothin' at this time o. year.
But some folks hain't got 'em, an it'd be
| mean man ez wouldn't divide with fell
Ter, to start the year with"
eyes, and l knew such a man once, !"
| said the school teacher, ''and as he had all
the meanness knocked out Of him one New
| Years day, now will be good time to tell
you the story His name was Jansen
| Jacobs, and he had the name of being the
meanest man that ever lived. He was a
great hunter and a great eater. People
used to say that it was a common thing for
him to eat a whole turkey, and that his
| wife always prepared his meals as If she
was getting them ready for four men. H.
never allowed any of his family to eat until
he was through, and, if he was in a bad
humor, made them wait until he had also
satisfied the appetites of half a dozen dogs
| from the table. He wasn't a very cheerful
man, and you may well imagine that his
popularity in the community wasn't great;
but that did not disturb him in the least.
"One season there had been a terrible
food in the streams, and great deal of
| lumber was carried away. Several mill
II
| property. They all left large families desti-
| tute. When the holidays come around
some Of the folks thought it would be a
good thing to make up wagon load of
things and distribute them on New Years
day among those poor families, as other
wise their chances of beginning the new year
with anything to eat would be decidedly
slender. Besides that, almost every man
in the settlement volunteered to chop wood
for two hours on New Years day for the
benefit of the families. Tho committee
was certain that, mean as he was, Jansen
| Jacobs would do little something in a case
like this. When asked il lac would give
turkey, or piece of venison, or anything
he pl ,ased, he said
"'Wall, I've got some turkeys, an I've
got some ven'son, an I've got some bar
meat. An I've got plenty on 'em, too.
An I'm agoin ter keep 'em. If anybody
] 'cept me an my oil woman an young uns,
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