The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-06-28

their mother put up her hand and
stroke his beard and face ard whisper
softly something they could not hear.
but which they felt must lie words OF
comfort that were sorcly needed.
1t was Erastus that broke the spell ut
last He had been the first to rise and
had gone out Immediately to feed and
rub down the horses: and returning
had entered just in time 10 hear Mrs.
Parsons speak of the title to the claim.
Then he, too, remembered the rtimor
which they had heard, and knew that
il was true and understood all that it
meant to those who had been the only
real friends he had ever known. and
his young blood grew hot and for
moment he felt that he could kill the
men who were the cause of so much
suffering: and then there came great
wave of affection for the friends who
had given him all the love lie had ever
known, and, stepping forward. he said,
in tone of voice Ut gave a weight 10
his words which his years would have
denied him:
Uncle John. if the land thieves
have it. There must be land some
where that they don't claim, and if
there is Wen find it. and make home
on it. I'm almost q man now. Uncle
John. and I'll help YOU: 50 don't give
up. 1t will be all right yet. -
Yes. John. cheer mp. We will find
n place to start again. somewhere. and
all begin together" said his wife. II
know. dear. how badly you feel. You
have built the house for lis and have
thought SO much about welcoming us
here that ii is harder for You than
for us. who only saw it for the first time
last night.
4 never knew it till just the other
day." said John. striving TO speak in
his natural voice: ..thcy told me
when bought the place that it was MI
straight. and the courts had decided
that nobody had claim on it that
would hold but the settler; but it pears
that the rich fellows that claim il raised
heap of money and bribei Congris TO
reverse the thing. The other squattcrs
got wind Of it and had Il mectin' to see
about it. That was while / was at Sac
ramcnto arrangin' with Joe fer your
comm. and l never knowd anything
about it till Bill Richie. who has the
next claim east came over Thursday
morn to tell me that another mectn'
was to be held that afternoon 10 hear
the report of the committee that hal
been sent to Frisco TO lind out if it was
true or no. And so | helped Bill to
notify the neighbors, and we held the
meetin' at Bills house. and the COM
mittec was thar an they said we was
done for. sure enough; that Congris
had decided that the hui Suscol Ranch
belonged to a few fellows that never
/, struck blow, nor turned a sod, nor
put up shantv; and who never paid
nobody fer dom ii, but claimed il be-
cause some Spanish King or other once
| pretended to give it to some of his cro-
MES before there was any United States
or anything else on this continent but
buffaler, and bars an Iniins.
Il ust to be proud Of my country"
he continued. land was fond of sayin'
that everybody stood an ckil chance
here; but it amt so. Nobody don't
stand any chance except he is IA ra,kil
and = coward into The bargin; stealth
| 'thout gettin' in front of the law. There
| amt no doubt but that Congris was
| bribcd. Our fellows have even learned
| where and when the money was raised,
and some of the Congrismcn and Sem
ators who was bought To vote agin us:
but we cant prove nothing in court.
fer everything works a@in the poor
! man, who only wants justice, an in
favor of the rich one that is >cekin' 10
rob him Of his earnings; and il il wasn't
for the wimin aud children that might
be left wus off if their husbands and
fathers wus killed, there would he Il
fight before some of us give up our
claims"
This allusion to possible violence
frightened Martha Parsons. What if
the squatters should resist and John
should be killed? The thought almost
took away her breath, and she tried in
everyway to calm her husband whom
she had never before seen in SO violent
and bitter Il mood.
He did not really mediate resistance,
| however. Experience and observation
| had taught him that those who could
control both the Legislatures and the
Courts could bring aids To their assist
| anec that made resistance by any force
which the sluatters could command
worse than useless; and after Il little
while he cooled down and began 10 talk
Of what was to be done in the direction
Of seeking u new home.
'.Some Of the fellows are talking Of
goin' up into the foot hills. above Sac
ramento, where they say thar amt no
claim of any kind on the land. and
where it is most rs easy to grow grapes
and peaches an apricots and sch as it
is to raise corn an hogs back in the
States. II they would pay for the work
I've done on this place, or even enough,
to get lumber for another house, we
could start agin up there and do purity
; well may be, but they won't. Stealin'
is their game, and h:,sin' paid Conyris
TO declare stealth legal, 'sposc they'll
60 for everything in sight.
Mrs. Parsons protesscd 10 he pleased
with the idea OF raising fruit, which was
really the case, for she had already seen
evidences since arriving upon the coast
of the liberality with which nature dealt
with such of her products in this eli
mate, and could she have felt ALSO
lutely certain that they could find the
right spot and get claim which would
not be wrestcd from them, she would
have felt in no small degree eontentcd
with the situation. And now she was
ready to encourage any scheme that
would help to reconcile her husband to
the inevitable.
The result OF further conversation be-
tween the members Of the family was
that Mr.. Parsons again mounted his
pony and rode away in the direction Of
Ritchie's shanty: and that that evening
dozen squatters. many OF them accom-
panied by their wives. met ut the cot.
tage, were introduced to the new COM
ers, and when they departed it had been
arranged that John and Bill should
make a trip to the locality spoken OF
and see if it was really suitable for
demonstrating, while others were to 20
to San Francisco and ascertain beyond
possible question if there was any shad.
CIV Of a claim hanging over 1t.
Il don't never mean to settle on