The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-09-20

miles further back in the mountains3
an rs. ct come home first Id hev to
90 right back agin tomorrow, If took
4 look at the place at all. concluded
to go right on an see it. hopin' to get
home, though, aforc it was SO late. But
when got back to town it was almost
dark already, an neither me nor the
horse had ct bite since mornin', an l
was jest oblecged to stop an let tho
animal rest couple of hours. That
gave me . dark ride home. an the
roads is purity bad over the hills since
the rains come. What time o. nig.lt 10
IL? Nigh on to midnight. reckon"
1.-THE clock struck twelve some time
since" replied Mrs. Parsons. But
what about the place. Is there any
house on it, or an orchard. or ANY,
thing? And what does the man ask
for t?'
There's bit OF shanty on it, re-
turned her husband, IAN few seat
term grape vines. an dozen or two
peach and pear trees. The Place il
well up on the mountain an is of OF
the man road. an sort o lonesome
like; leastwise, I'm afeared twould
seem SO to you an the lad. But there's
chance to make liyin' there even il
it amt very good ore, an | s'pect
may be grapes will do pretty well on part
o the claim. It's mighty rough an
broken. though, an won't be So pleasant
cultiyatin' as this place used to le.
There amt no bottom land onto il.
ner within ten miles OF il fer that mat
As.s A.
an such rs there is IS poor folks. that
couldn't Ct claims nowhcrs else. |
talked with one Of 'em, an he said no
was satisfied they could raise as good
fruit of most kncs rs grew anywhere
in the State; an anyway there amt
any danger of their flood n j; from any
mines; it's too far up on the mounts
aims fer that. an may be the lest til NJ
We kin do is to take it, specially IS the
owner, who lives in town. Ia willin' 10
take 4 par of horses an purity near
anything else we have to turn out to
him. l guess
Then We had better take it." re-
piled his wife. Il had rather have =
place of our own, however poor. than
to he dependent upon somebody
else and obliged to move every ye.r
perhaps. and never feel that anything
is our own, as we would do on "A rented
place. But are you sure about tho
title, John? Don't for PHYS sake let
us buy ranch to which there is no, II
good title
That's just what told Mr.. Blake.
the man that owns it. told him that
if there was anything ut all wrong with
the title wouldn't touch it with a ten
foot pole, but he says it's all right. an
he is to get an abstract Of it from tho
recorders office. The place has never
had but two or three owners, an it's
clear outside of the land grant. so il
there's no mortgages onto il don t
see how there can he anv danger, an
of course the abstract will show
Il almost wish you had told him VIC
would take it. I'm afraid somebody
else will step in and get it first, there
are SO many looking for places now.
When did you tell him you would give
him an answer"
HE is to come over tomorrow and
look ut the things we have to trade. II
we kin agree, then he is TO get the alb
stract, an ii that is all right, its y
trade. wish you could see the place.
mother, before we decide abou. it, but
l don't see how YOU kin, unless we take
Johnny over to kitchic's and leave him
while you 60 an take look at it.
What do you say, Johnny? Will you
stay at Mr.. kitchie's while mother goes
with me to see the new placer"
Won't the water and mud rise Gear
over us and bury us?" asked the Toy.
in his weak little voice.
"Oh, no." replied his father, MIR.
Ritchie's house is higher up than ours,
you know. There is not a bit Of
danger"
Then I'll stay"
But Mrs. Parsons did not wish to 60
to see the place.
1T would be hard days ride" she
said. .'fifty miles there and back. and
we would have to 60 on horseback. l
suppose, for it must be awful slow get
ting along With a wagon. now; and be-
sides it would make no difference any
way. Ii YOU think we can make q
living on it We had best take it, for We
can't stay here many days longer. We
have no other place to so to. and it will
not be easy to find places that we can
trade for"
And SO they talked on while the tea
was made and drank. Then they lay
down, but it was almost day before
sleep came to either Of them.
About noon the next day Mr.. Blake
came as he had promised.
He was q man of medium size and
!, pretty we'll built. He had a red face
. and large mouth. and appeared about
fifty years Of age.
Certainly not handsome man, hi
was yet not noticeably homcly. In
!, fact, there was nothing especially no
ticeable about him in any way. To al
! appearances he was an ordinary kin,
of man. who had doubtless minet
/, some; been farmer back in the States
! perhaps, and at some per. cd in his lfs
had probably kept hotel in coun,r,
town, or engaged in some other occu
! patton which had given him a littl.
more the air Of man of business, AM
a little less that of day laborer.
At dinner, of which he was invitct
to partake, he asked a blessing. A.
they ate he commended the cooking
spoke of the great loss which his hos
had sustained from the destruction o
his ranch by the overflow, and con
demned in strong terms the outrag,
| upon the rights of SO good citizens a
! those at whose table he sat.
Then he passed on to description,
! of his own ranch, which he wished t,
!, sell.
1t was well up in the hills, he said
but it was fine place for fruit, an,
was out of danger from the overflow
| and all it needed to make it a valuable
property was the cultivation and car,
! which MIR. Parsons knew SO well how
i to give it.
He offered it for sale cheap becaus,
he was going back East. and wanted t.
clear everything up before he went, and
| get what he had together.
He would prefer to sell for cash. bu
/ if they could not do that, h. woul,
I, take 4 pair of horses and aay othe
stock they might have to turn out. Ant
if he could not dispose OF them readil,
in the neighborhood. would drive then
| to Sacramento. on his way to New
/ Ynrk and coll fhop, fhoro