Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-08-22

Tor MS family, ana rare EN- up with
the countrv;' the East was over
Stocked He took up the north half
Of the section cornering on mine, and
lived with me while he dug his well
and got his house up (of course
helped him.
so the time passed. and Thought
was glad to have neighbor.
He said that his family were on the
road with the furniture and stock, and
he reckOned, since all was fixed Che
had put up good deal bigger house
than mine. but 'reckOned he could fur
nish it, , he'd 90 East and meet EN-.
LAS had advertised to prove up,
persuaded him to stay week longer
(you see. it would take the family
matter of seven weeks or more to drive
out from MissourD and be one of my
witnesses.
well, proved up CATER consider
able trouble; but then. you see, was
green, and didn't catch on that the
judge only made these obstacles to get
$40 or $40 or so for himsel). Honest
John was my other witness.
Il looked up north from the shantee
one day, about noon, and here came a
cloud of dust. In it l could see a
prairie schooner and some cattle
trailing behind.
when they came up quite close
was able to take in the whole outfit.
Sitting on the front seat, and looking
out from under the wagon cover, was
the old man; next him was his wife
yOungster in each arm. and strung
along for two or three hundred yards
behind were cattle, horses and chill
dren of all sorts and sizes, till you
couldn't see out To this day l don't
know how many there was in that
family, for never took the trouble to
round 'em up
1T was about week after they had
got fairly settled, when the old man
came over to me one morning with the
two biggest boys, one of them fine
grown fellow about sixteen.
Zine lad that l said, as l shook
hands with the boy; L suppose he's
the eldest?
"'No, replied the lad smartly. Let
me see Che reckOned on his tingers).
there's five gals and two boys older'n
me-but can lick 'em.
You see,' said the father proudly,
Bill here is left-handed. That's it,
why he is such right smart chance of
a lad. Yer see, we raised EN- up (such
raisin' as they had) on hash; they had
it set out to 'em in a big bowl. All
the rest of EN- is right-handed. WAL,
they would all 60 for it, till round and
round went the hash in the bowl, so
as none of 'em could catch much be-
side soup. Then Bill come in with his
left-handed sweeps, yer see, and caught
all the chunks. But, he went on, just
as | was going to speak. 4 come over
this morning ter see you on blsness.
Seems ter me it's about time this town.
ship had a schOolhOuse.'
The deuce, you say l exclaimed
(for you see we were the only two set
tiers. and half the expense would come
on mel. But l added. I've got no
children to send to school, so | don't
see how it affects me-
More fool you. he replied-and I
don't know now whether he meant for
having no children or for not seeing
how his having enough for both Tor
dozen, for the matter of that) affected
me.
You see, he went on in an author
ative tone, the law provides that when
there is certain number OF children
in township there must be a scotible
schoolhouse. Now you and me is the
only vOters-in fact, we're the school
board and the taxpayers. Sort o rocky
on you, he broke off, but laws is laws
perhaps the old man saw a queer
kind OF expression on my face, for he
added quickly:
MAYBE you don't think that I've
got as many children as the law pro-
vides-'
81 don't doubt it one bit. l broke in
(you see, l was sort O. hot), but there's
pile of difference between the law
providing for 'em and Dan Dunstan do
ing it.
''But l saw clearly that l was at fault
for having no family of my own; and, L
swore that that should be amended
Just to get even with him.
so we went peaceably to work to-
gether, and put up the schOol-house on
the school section
I'VE had nearly finished lacking
down the floor one day--the old man
was wedging up with chisel while l
tackled down-when he looked up and
said:
"'Dan, you amt exactly fixed to
board a ''schoolmarm" Che startled
me. for, you see, hadn't thought any
thing about school teacher), and l
amt got room; how would it strike yer
if my eldest gal-she's got her certifi-
cate-taught the kids?'
"Isaid, very agreeably, that it would
strike me where the wool was short
for, you see. l thought that the girl
would be glad to teach her own brothers
and sisters, and any one else would want
pay. Thought he just asked for my con-
sent, so that the motion would be car
ried unanimously.
WAL he went on, I've talked it
over, and, bein' as things is as they
are, she's willin' to teach our school
changed if he didn't lay stress on 'ourO
for S2S dollars a month; we couldn't