The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-08-24
out here with the spade and go to

out here with the spade and go to
shovelling dirt in
"Another interrupted me with:
"'Is your name DAMP
..When said that it was, they got
UP. One started the fire. another went
to the we'll to fill the kettle, the third
got "a broom and went to sweeping up,
the other threw q cloth over his arm
and commenced to wash dishes.
when the FIRE burnt up, one went to
the corner of the house, where an ante
lope hung, and began to cut steaks.
" l believe I'd little sooner have
ham, said l.
They looked at one another, and
then one said: L reckon if he wants
ham Che spoke as though addressing
the others, not meg hell have to turn
cannibal, and in confederation another
produced the ham bone.
However, they stayed the night,
and we put in right sociable evening,
playing poker. When they left next
morning was sorry to see them 60.
for all my spare cash wen. with EN-
and in those times thirty odd dollars
was thirty odd hard iron dollars.
But beans, sl1unks, grasshoppers
and cow punchers' were nothing.
There came, few days later poor
man from Missouri.
HE had come West to make home
for his family, and rare 'em up with
the scouRtrv;' the East was,s.0Ser.
stocked He took up the north haD
of the section cornering on mine, apd
lived with me while he dug his we'll
and got his house up (of course /
helped him.
so the time passed, and fought l
was glad to have a neighbour
He said that his family wre on the
road with the furniture and took, and
he reckoned, since all was fixed Che
had put up good deal bigger house
than mine, but 'reckoned b. could fur
nish it., he'd go East and meet EN-
LAS had advertised 10 prove up, l
persuaded him to stay a week longer
Cyou see, it would take the family
matter of seven weeks o. more to drive
out from MissourD and be one of my
witnesses.
"Well, proved up (after 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 himself). 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 l
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
q 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 cont
know how many there was in that
family, for never to ok the trouble to
round EN- up
lit was about a 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.
"'Fine lad that, l said, as l SHOOK
hands with the boy; Il suppose he's
the eldest?'
"'No, replied the lad smartly. Let
me see Che reckoned on his fingers)
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
lad. Yer see, we raised 'em up (such
raisin' as they had) on hash; they had
it set out to EN- in a big bowl. All
the rest of EN- is right-handed. WAL,
they would all go for it, till round and
round went the hash in the bowl, SC
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 bisness.
Seems ter me it's about time this town.
ship had a schoolhouse.
1.-The deuce, you say l exclaimed
(for you see we were the only two set
tiers. and half the expense would come
on me). But | added, I've got nc
children to send to school, SO dom
see how it affects me-
"'More fool you.' he replied-and ]
don't know now whether he meant fol
having no children or for not seeing
how his having enough for both Cor {
dozen, for the matter of that) affected
me.
"'You see, he went on in an author
alive tone, the law provides that wher
there is certain number of children
in q township there must be scotible
schoolhouse. Now you and me is the
only voters-in fact, we're the schoo
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