The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-09-06
tCopyyf0ht Secured Al Rights Rese,red.l
Driven From Sea to Sea,
Or, JUST A CAMPIN'.
~ G. G. posr.

BY 6. G. POST.
PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION or J. E. DowNEy
Co., PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO.
CHAPTER XV.-CONrINUED.
The work of cutting through the hill
into the neighboring gorge was begun
at once. A large number of workmer
were employed, and everybody who
was directly interested turned out ant
worked with a will, rain or shine.
tunnel was driven into the side Of tn.
hill. and whole kegs OF powder ex
ploded therein, rending the earth an,
aiding greatly in the work of excava
ton, and at last the work was SO fa
completed that portion of the waite
and floating debris was turned asid,
into the new channel.
The rains, too. had now ceased, ant
as the waters subsidized the extent Of tn,
damage done could be positively de
termined
In places. banks of sand and grave
many feet deep extended across field
regarded by their owners as the mos
valuable in their possession. In othe
places the channel of the little stream
bad been entirely choked up, and new
one cut by the waters through pasture.
and grain lands, and in vet others
where little of the coarser debris hat
been deposited, the long standing O
the water had greatly injured vine
yards and orchards. the vines and tree
trunks being thickly coated with the
Zine clay which the water had held in
solution.
Tn the whole the damage was less
than many had feared, and with the ex-
pectation Of preventing any further in-
jury by the erection of the dam, hope
revived in the breasts of all, and they
began repairing as fast as possible the
Injury already done. and the cultiya-
ton of their vineyards and fields for the
coming crop.
The Parsons ranch had suffered with
The rest, but not more than many
others. A hundred grape vines stand
ing upon ground near the creek were
killed or badly injured. Several banks
OF gravel. mingled with larger stones,
extended across some of the most fer
tile fields, the total injury amounting to
thousand dollars or more, i'm pros
pectlve, but not seriously affecting the
immediate income of the family occu-
pying the white cottage under the bluff,
around whose open porch still clam
bered rose bushes heavy with theil
weight OF yellow, and red, and crimson
blooms.
As soon as possible after Johnny had
been brought home from the shanty in
the hills where he lay so many weeks,
Jennie and Lucy had returned to school
In San Francisco, Mrs. Parsons being nov
more than ever determined that the,
should not fail to obtain an education.
III we leave them nothing else
John, let MS at least give them an cdu
tation," she had said to her husband,
knd he had made no objections, though
the house seemed doubly lonely with
out them.
To help Mrs. Parsons with the lighter
work they secured the assistance of ;
young girl whose parents had moved
into the neighborhood but the year be-
fore. and who, having but little to begin
on, were not unwilling that their daugh.
ter should find a home where she would
be kindly treated and paid for washing
the dishes and such other chores as hel
age and experience fitted her for.
As they had missed portion of one
term the girls did not 60 home for the
short spring vacation, but remained in
the city and studied, in order to keen
up with their classes; and when they
did return in midsummer Lucy was en-
gagged to be married to James Annel-
sey.
THE wedding was not to take place
for at least year yet" she told her
mother in announcing the engagement
Mr.. Annelsey had desired an imme-
date union, but to this she had inter-
posed decided negative, and he had at
last consented that she should remain
at school a year longer, when they were
to be married and he would take her To
New York to reside.
This was not wholly unexpected by
the family. They knew that Mr.. An
nelsey had followed the young ladies to
San Francisco, and that he had been a
frequent caller upon them while there
Jennie had even intimated in one of her
letters to her mother that she thought
Lucy and .io would be married some
day.
She said less OF Ensign, who was
almost as frequent visitor as Annel-
sey.
In fact the two young men had made
up their slight differences and frequent
ny called upon the girls in company, or
together arranged with them for attend
ing upon places of amusement; and if
Jennie had chosen she could have in
formed her mother Of the probabilities
OF another marriage. almost as certain
OF taking place as that of Lucy to Mr.
Annelsey.
Jennie, however, was not formally
engaged to Mr.. Ensign.
He had his own way to make in the
world. and had passed the age when
men are apt to act hastily in such af-
fairs. He meant Jennie to understand
that he preferred her to all others, vet
he did not think it well to bind her by
formal engagement until he had some
thing more ahead upon which they
could begin life together
Times for laboring men, and especial
~ for skilled mechanics like Ensign.
were good just then, but the standard
of living for ali classes was also high.
and the art Of saving large fortunes out
OF salaries of thirty or forty dollars "a
week in private life is even yet not well
understood except by few railroad Of
iicials and presidents of savings banks.
, Mr.. Annelsey, infatuated with Lucy.
pad having no necessity for DELAY nu