Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-04-13
A Queer Bargain,
SUSIE ASTER WATTS.


Well, you see, said Cousin Sally
Baker, when the railroad people first
came along here with their queer ma
chimes a-layin' out the new track, we
were all nightly exercised about it
Some took one view and some anoth'
er. Some was pleased, and said i,
would open up market to US and
increase the vally O. land; whilst
others allowed that the farms would
be ruined, and the wheat fields set a
fire, and cattle run over and killed
and the noise itself be an abidin' moo
sance.
| tell you some of 'em was rea
mad, but the maddest of the hull lot
was ondeniably Betsey Ann Simcoe
She was a single, unmarried wo
man about 40 or more, aud lived on a
poor little place of her own, just
above the Cross-Keys tavern.
Twas only two or three acres o.
grayelly land, with two.room house
on it. Folks said she had leetle
money hid away somewhere. for she
was powerful sharp at making bar
gains, and held tight grip on all she
got hold of; but, all the same, she
made a great talk about poverty. as
an excuse for not giving more to the
missionary society and for repairs tc
the Westinghouse.
Still she seemed to get along's wei
as anybody with her garden, and bel
COW, and her poultry, and the little
gal she'd 'printiced from the city's
poor house to help do chores.
She wasn't bad-tempered woman
in gen'ral but l tell you she was
mighty riled up the day the railroad
folks come to her house and told bel
they were surveyin' the track ant
that it would hev to run straight
through her house.
She rared up then and lowed tb'
property was hers, and nobody had {
right to so much as set foot on i
without her consent. They wer'
civil enough, and explained, and sale
they was willing to pay double the
vally O. the hull property for the pri
vilege of running the road through
She wouldn't hear it, but out o
sheer contraryness refused every offer
though every body could see that he
mouth watered at the very mention
of the money.
She said she'd never give up be-
home, and if they run their injin'
through the house 'twould be ovel
her mangled body. And she wount
up by threatening if they didn't qui
| in a short time, she'd have them ar
rested for trespasss on her premises
Wei, the next day she went dowI
to Hobbs Holler to see her cousin
Lurindy Parks, and talked over th'
railroad business. Lucindy and tn
rest tried to convince her that she't
get the best O. the bargain by letting
the railroad company have the land
but she lowed she'd not be turnet
out o. doors to commodate passel o
sassy men folks that cared for moth
lug but their own good. She staye'
two days at Lucindy's, and thel
went back to her own house at Cross
KEYS. Least ways. she went t.
where she'd left her house standing
but when she came in sight of it
twas gone, and nothin' of it left bn
a lot O. wood and ashes.
Then there was row! Betsey AM
accused the railroad folks of burnin,
her house, and threatened to perse
cute 'em by the law. They 'lowe'
they could prove by the neighbour
that it had been done accidentally b.
a passel o. tramps who camped o.
the place the night she was away
and made a fire in the woodshed t.
roast some of her chickens for supper
When the chips and wood caught an
set fire to the house, they got skeere'
and made short tracks out o. Cross
Keys. Betsey Ann was convince
the railroad folks knew more sbou
these tramps than they chose to lie
on. But she didn't say much-onl
dropped little hint that she'd be ey
en- with them bimeby.
They offered TO build her anothe
house if she'd give up the land. Sh
said she'd consider of it and let 'er
know. Purity soon they came to a
agreement, by which, besides payin
we'll for the land, they was to bull
her a two-story, four-room fran
house, and likewise allow her to trG
vel free on the road for the rest of he
life whenever she wanted to, with
female companion along.
At first they objected to the con
panion; but when she explained tina
she was lone woman and couldn
think of exposing herself to the after
tions Of strange men by travelling vi
protected, they laughed and agree
to put in that condition along wit
the rest, which was done, and th
papers made out and signed and sea
ed according to law, Yon see, they
hearn the neighbors laffing at the ide
of Miss Simcoe ever trsvelin' on th
railroads.&c. had skeercely been ful
ther from home than Hobbs HOLE
or Cowling Green meetin' house i
all her life and was most sfeard
trust herself out O. sight O f her ow
house.
Well, the company kept their wort
and run up q two-story, four-rool
frame house for Betsey Ann-sech @
it was. She declared twas nothin
better than a shanty, that wouldn
keep out the Summers heat nor VIII
ter's cold, and was liable to be blow
away by the first high wind thu
came along. The company said the
hadn't stipulated for TIE exact wa