The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-11-22

4 All thlo WY. ucI
Il Mary and l came
.yJI1REfyy home from the Pa
WK&1T ciiic coast, of course
! WI @S we were wildly en-
" 3E'i thusiastic. We hat
\ I CMi been there when the
Mnu. boom OF Southern
/ California was at it.
height, and when we came back oul
minds were full Of visions of wealth
and beauty. OF memories of the glory
OF earth and sea and air. aud we never
tired of telling our exploits. Mother
was always eager to hear Ills tell ol
tho golden glorics of the beautiful
West, but father pcrsistcntly refused
to be impressed until one evening We
spoke OF the Bailey ranch. and tina,
struck him. think VIC had been al
home about five mouths when one
night, very near to bed time we were
telling us we had SO often told before
OF our visit to Uncle Dick and his little
bit OF IL wheat ranch Oh tho Stanislaus
river We were telling Of some OF his
quaint ways and curious sayings. and
remember mother laughed until sh.
dropped half the stitches from her lcf,
hand needle and jack was trying to
pick them up for her, when said:
"Ihe funniest thing Uncle Dick cvel
did, though, was to conceive the idc:
OF father buying the Bailey ranch"
1.-The Bailey ranch." said mother.
"what is that?'
"Why," said !, at is the mos,
miserable. desolate, drcary, wind
blown old horse ranch just IL few miles
up the river from Uncle Dicks, Old
Mr.. Bailey was quite an extensive
stock r;,iser.and died year or two ago,
leaving this place to distant relatives
in the T. ST. who have been Offering il
for sale ever since. Uncle Dick, who
had known the ranch in its
palmy days aud who was we'll
aware of the quantities of money
MIR. Bailey had coined from its
rich pastures, was never tired of en-
painting upon its virtues. Ilo uamu
IN IRON tho orchard one day, his hands
full OF fruit us usual. and, giving me 1,
nice large peach and II half dozen or
So fresh almonds, suid:
i tell you, wish the Judge would
come out here and buy the Bailey
ranch
buy the Bailey rancho echoed
in astonishment. What would father
do with the Bailey ranch"
do with it? DO with it?' Uncle
Dick fairly shouted. Why. make
money with it. and lots Of it, too
There's no better pasture ranch in
Stanislaus county. Old Bailey raised
as good stock as you can find this side
OF the Rocky Mountains, aud if the
Judge would come out here and go Ia
raising horses and keeping pasture it
wouldn't he long before he'd be IL rich
man, ltcll YOU
"Fancy grandpa as Il ranchcro," /"
broke IN Jack. Grandpa, can you
throw IL lassO?"
But father did not reply. He had put
away his paper some time before, and
now sat gazing intently in the fire.
lie turned to me suddenly. saying:
"llow much do they ask for it?"
To our surprise fordays father could
talk OF nothing but the Bailey ranch.
1t got to be quite Il joke With us, his
enthusiasm on the subject. but it as
tonishcd nc very much when he came
to me one morning, as | sat copying !,
brief for him and said:
"When yeu have done that write to
Dick and ask him to toll INC all about
the Bailey ranch. II | can sell hero
we might move out there; II would
not be Il bad plan to mako !, new start:
=! think it would be best for us all.n
unclo Dick was not long In replying
to the letton The Bailey ranch was
stll unsold; held for $4,000.
"Too mucl," father said and left
the room.
The subject Of the Bailey ranch was
dropped for some time: only in the
moments Of our EXTREMIST yayety
would We hold up to each other the
prospect of Il migration to its dcsolato
regions. Finally. as Jack expressed
it, father "brokc out again" lie
wrote to Cnclc Dick again and again.
and really seemed determined upon
the move if we could sell hero and
make suitable terms thcD. Gradually
VIC got accustomed to tho idea and it
marked turning point in our llvos.
We enjoyed with u kconor relish the
pleasure we fclt. We wcro soon to
leave and strove as best We could to
picture other joys that would come
into our lives Only Jack aud / to.
eetlcr. alone in my little studio,
would condole with each other over
the college course he must give up and
the art study abroad which | must
forcgo. and he would take my brushes
from my hand and turn my poor daub
OF u painting to the w;l!l and sit Oh :.
stool beside me and tell me of the
mighty things We would achieve in
the West, and OF the joyful time that
was 10 come after for us two.
One day Mary aud / were sitting in
the study when father came IN hurried.
ly on his way ia the courtroom. aud
handcd inc Il letter, saying.
II wish you would answer this In
time to reach the moan mail. here are
the notes."
'a;ucss whom that letter was to-"
said to Mary when had finished and
sent it off.
"lf it is ..l"r'lrum I give it up"
she answered.
al suppose you lave hoard Of tho
illustrious Phillip slaunton" l in-
quirod.
"Whoa Philip Staun,or. OF Vir-
ginia' That bright and shining light
of the junior bar, whose praises father
is never tired OF singing' What is he
writing to him about?'
Mr. Staunton is in California and
father has gotten him tO SEQ the n.,nts