Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-09
A QUEER BARGAIN.

Well, you see, said Cousin Sally Baker,
when the railroad people first came
along here with their queer looking ma
chimes, a-layin' out the new track, we
were all nightly exercised about it.
Some took one view and some another.
Some was pleased, and said 'twould
open up market to us and increase the
vally o land; while others allowed that
the farms would be ruined, the wheat
fields set afre, the cattle run over and
killed and the noise itself be all abidin'
nOoSance.
/ tell you some of 'em was real mad,
but the maddest of the hull lot was on
deniably Betsy Ann Simcoe.
She was a single, unmarried woman,
about 40 or more, and lived on a poor
little place of her own, just above the
Cross Keys Tavern.
Twas only two or three acres of
gravelly land with two room frame
house on it. Folks said she had leetle
money hid away somewhere, for she was
powerful sharp at making bargains 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 CIV
ing more to the missionary society and
for repairs to the meeting house.
Still she seemed to get along's we'll as
anybody with her garden and her COW
and her poultry and the little gal she'd
prenticed from the city's poor house to
help do chores.
She wasn't bad tempered woman in
gen raj, but / tell you she was mighty
riled up the day the railroad folks came
to her house and told her they were
surveyin' the track and that it would
hev to run right through her house.
She rared up then and lowed the
property was hers, and nobody had
right to so much as set foot upon it
without her consent. They were civil
enough and explained, and said they
were willing to pay double the vally O.
the hull property for the privilege of
running the road through.
She wouldn't hear 1t, but O. sheer
contrariness refused every offer, though
everybody could see that her month
watered at the very mention Of the
money.
She said she'd never give up her
home, and if they run their ingine
mangled body. And she wound up by
threatening if they didn'tquit in short
time she'd have them arrested for tres
pass OH her premises.
Well the next day she went down to
Hobbs Holler to see her cousin, Luz
-cindy Parks, and talk over the railroad
business. Lucindy and the rest tried to
convince her that she'd get the best o.
the bargain by letting the railroad COM
pany have the land but she lowed she ID
not be turned out O doors to 'commo-
date passed. O. sassy men folks that
cared for nothing but their own good.
She stayed two DAYS at Lindy's, and
then went back to her own house at
Cross Keys. Least ways, she went to
where she'd left her house standing,
but when she came in sight oft, twas
gene; and nothin' of it left but lot O.
burnt wood and ashes.
Then there was a row Betsy Ann
accused the railroad folks of burning her
house, and threatened to prosecute 'em
by the law. They lowed they could prove
by the neighb ors that it had been done
accidentally by passed. O. tramps who
camped on the place the night she was
away. and made a fire in the woodshed
to roast some of her chickens for sup
per. When the chips and wood caught
and set fire to the house they got
skeered and made short tracks out of
Cross KEYS. Betsy Ann was convinced
the railroad folks knew more about
these tramps than they chose to let on;
But she didn't say much-only dropped
a little hint that she'd be even with
them bimeby.
They offered to build her another
house if she'd give up the land. She
said she'd consider of it and let 'em
know. Purity soon they come to an
agreement, by which, besides paving
well for the land, they was to build her
a two-story, four-room frame. house,
and likewise allow her to travel free on
the road for the rest of her life when
ever she wanted to, with female COM
panion along.
AT first they objected to the compan-
ion; but when she explained that she
was lone woman and couldn't think
of exposing herself to the attentions of
strange men by travelling unprotected,
they LATED and agreed to put in that
condition along with the rest, which
was done, and the papers made out and
signed and sealed according to law.
You see they'd heard the neighbors