New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-03
THE Dixie.
A BAFrLING BIT OF PROPERTY.

IT, and no malicious az 10 leave III 10 US py
will We have taken 1t for debt Now that we
| have IT, people seem to blanc us as we'll as PITY
us and yet we had to take this or nothing A
person living within sight OF the dixie told us yes
terday that the general opinion in the outlying COM
munlty was that no but cussed fool would have
taken that kind Of property for debit and that as Cor
its being that nothing Il had better "by darncd
sight be nothln'D But We, In the ignorance OF our
minds had an idea that any kind Of property was
better than no kind Of property. 1t seems we were
| mistaken. 1t IS too late, now, however, for any
regrets. We have gone on to the land In company
with witnesses and have hereby taken possession
ETC., and have the legal papers to show for 1t; also
We have begun to pay taxes and taxes, every one
assures us, ais the only thing that land III ever
amount tor Every meet is advising us, and
condoIng with us. Some Of them take 1t very solemn
ly and shake their heads and assure us It's mighty
poor move we've made. Others begin to laugh when
they sec us and ask jokngly what the dividends
from the dixie. For myself I confess all this has
begun to raise spirit Of combativeness which may
end by my adorihg this this acquisition, which
lies in the town Of Marshfed, on the seacoast OF
Massachusetts,. 1t is in fact land reclaimed from the
by dixie built to prevent the tide from coming
in across the stretch Of fiat lying there There is
great deal Of this fiat In this town and some Of It
is now protected in this way.
One man, who seemed to have more Of a spirit OF
fairness within him, told 1t was so rlch-the land,
he meant that 'twouldnt need no manure for years.
Twas unaccountabe how rich 1t {" But them"
he added, refectively, 1t don't mako no odds, furs
] know, II tits rich You can't do nothn' with It.
II you lived to the Brant, now, and could work
1t somehow. But not lvin' to the Brant, and bein'
women here he paused.
We said 1t was possible to overcome tho first OBJ
jection and live at the Brant, but how could
help being womenl
He looked sadly at MS and shook his head. He
said that there ben dkes he sposed 1t folered that
somebody must own 'em, but he did think It was
agin naur for dikes TO DO owned by women.
This Same man informed that there was a good
crop OF hay there every year but 1t cost thundern'
sight to git It; still
Hero he paused and I began to suspect he was
paving the way by this talk to the making of a low
offer for STANDING grass the dixie And so it
turned out, for he held on to our buggy shaft until
no had delivered himself of bid for the grass qualify
Ing bis bid by the repetition of tho remark that 1t
would cost about as much as the grass was wuth
to git it,
Time was when we would have closed Immediately
with This offer and congratulated ourselves that
were rid OF that bother, for one year al least Now
We said we would think of 1t, and let him know and
were revived in spirit at sight of his fallen
face said this
Depend upon IT, said my friend as VIC drove
away that grass is worth getting What If VIC
should get It ourselves2D
The idea was too startling TO be embraced directly
but 1t remained I'm our minds, slowly Ieavenng in
the weeks that followed We have talked over in
secret the possibility Of our getting in that crop and
thus knowing positively the amount OF
II, and having some idea OF what
this real sestate IS. But thus far We have
been too mld to come to decision 1t is barely sum-
mer yet and we have still tle time I'm which TO
reach a resolve Still we must make up our minds
in to sell before It Is too late Considering
that 1t costs much's IT'S wuth' to git that grass
IL surprising that many farmers in tho vicinity
have made inquiries Of u.s. They are unanimous in
opinion to the fearful expense OF getting that grass
They will be bankrupt by Just getting It, therefore We,
of course cannot think Of charging much for grass
as It stands
For month past my friend and have talked and
dreamed OF nothing but standing grass. Before the
green blades were hardly visible we have had them
grown and cut and dried. We have sold tho crop:
and have made It; we have done 1t all dozens of
times. AS walk about among my friends
and different subjects, hardly know what
TO say for my heart Is afar, not in the Highlands by
any means, but In land low 1t has to be projected
from the ravages OF the sea. When they tell me
things concerning subjects in which l used to DO
interested, alarmed at the indifference l feel.
tell myself that these things have no bearing on
grass dixie lands, consequently they are nothing to
me. sometimes i fancy acquaintance lOOh dt mo
in Unveiled surprise and wonder, but cannot say to
them that thinking Of the dixie II did say that
they would have still look their faces.
Society is not attractive to formerly for when
am In the midst of laughter and conversation |
cannot think clearly my favorIte subject. And
somebody must think clearly on it. My friend and
partner takes this far more lightly than do. When
remonstrate with her account of her frvolty she
says that monomanlac Is enough and She informed
me hat.
calling upon and had expressed his sorrow for tho
death OF Matthew Arnold, asked him II he thought Mr.
Arnold had owned dixie lands, and IL such had
been the case, whether such ownership would have
made any difference in his poetry.
Vow 1 do believe made any such remark
Should not remember it If had done so? Though
she that said that, and that the minister grew
pale with apprehension he heard think my friend
has imagined this But l win acknowledge that 1
was, mentally, in Marshed during that CALL and that
while tho gentleman talking, made accurate
estimate Of how much hay there ought to be 10 an
acre.
There is another drawback to this property Of
ours which have hesitated to mention.
You cannot get 10 it at least. you almost cannot
The way to IT, though there few turns, is yet as
baking and bewdering as If you were essaying to
traverse a labyrinth without the guiding thread.
1t is all easy enough until you get within few |
miles, then you begin to be bafed
We have been down four times this spring 1t is |
fifteen miles away from our home, and the first |
three quarters of the distance we tell ourselves that
we shall have trouble this tmo As we near the |
spot and the air begins to grow SALT We begin |
to be conscious Of little uncertainty. We hate to
inquire the way for two reasons. The first IS that,
when do make Inquiries before any reply is given.
we arc asked II wo the two women that own some
of the dixie down here. Then truth compcs us to say
yes and gazed at curiositlcs that are not |
often and which must be made the most of |
while visible On the repeating of our question some
directions given which mostly depend whether
certain bars are down, or gates open somewhere.
As we ara not yet familiar with the country here
atouts we cannot keep those directions clearly In
mind, and have to beg again, for information,
and again acknowledge that wo are the women who
own nlnety-fye Of dixie.