Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-06-25
LONE MOUND BOOMERS.

tion that the pulling and Wheeling Of the To-
connective drove his team Of half wild ponies
almost frantic and gave him an opportunity
10 exhibit his ability Is driver In control
ing them 1t caused him small qualification
when he overheard bystander remark that
Hank was right smart OF a driver femme
tell you"
During the over trip from Lone found be
had been nursing sort Of unreaso lg wrath
against certain absent and who'll innocent
persons, and their anticipated derogatory re-
marks In regard to the hospitality &c which
he was 10 introduce them. And now that
they had not put in an appearance, he felt
very much as If he hsd been cheated out of a
just vengeance
His feelings found partial vent in pistol
like crack of his black snake whip, that sent
the hals wild ponies flying out toward the
prairie at r. that threatened TO whrl
the wheels of from the old blue blackboard
to which they were attached.
Hank growled, hoarseiy, as he retained his
position on the swaying eat with acrobatic
ease "Mebby they reckon they kin find all
manner o fault jest cuz they wear plug hats
an air pussy. Wal, if they'd a-said two
word, a-pichin' flaws, I'd
He turned about as the last Of a series of {.
shouts reached him. Hal the author Of the
shouts been any other but the man who had
uttered the laudation of Hanks ability as 4
driver of half broken ponies, it is pro,uL.e
that he would have treated the hail vita CON
tempt But it was, he pulled up to S.arn
the pleasure OF the shouter
New conner wants to 90 to Lone MoundH'
was the shout
Hanks spirits rose as he drove back to the
| little station.
"Mebby its one NV EN-. after ALL" he told
himself. Plug hated and pussyi" he ques-
toned loudly, with profound DISREGARD for
the feelings Of the new Conner, whom he might
be describing
"Noapl' answered the informant, very
promptly Pears quiet like, Deacon.
reckon, by his looks"
The Old gentleman, toward whom a desis
| Mating thumb was jcrked, was of benevolent,
almost of humble, appearance, and simple
| dress. His was not u tall or plug hat, and
his spare figure was 50 far removed from
| corpuaney that by no stretch Of ina snation
could Lc be considered pussy
Clearly thi, was not one of the presupposed
fault finders
In his disappointment, Hank Lalf turned
the team about. as if to dash away again.
But he thought better Of ii, and a few min
utes lat the stranger had taken his place on
the seat If tho old blue buck BOARD, and the
pon : were bounding away at rate that
made the passenger cling fast to the seat to
prevent being thrown off by the terrific
jounces
But the old gentleman bore it with such
serene humility hat Hank speedily reented
triile and became confidential as he ierked
the ponies down to something like a regula
! ton trOt.
WAS loobin fer some feers on that train"
he said Stuck up cusses, | reckon, an
pussy too The boys lowed they'd a-tlnd
fault if the grub want prcsizely up to the
handle 50 to speak. Wal, if they had blamed
| If wouldn't But they didn't come, 50 it
don't make no difference what ia o-done
Say"-ths suddenly-'plug HATED an pussy
capitalists is mighty Hble to find heap o
fault if everything h'ain't jest 50, h'ain't
they"
Mystiied, the passenger replied tnodestly
that he believed they bore that reputation.
That's what the boys lowed d." continued
Hank Railroad officials is mostly plug
hated an pussy, h'ain't theyi'
MANY Of them are, | believe"
Wal, that's what we lowed, too. Say,
thar's other ways o spondin' money besides
usin' it to whoop up boom, h'ain't thari'
His companion acknowledged that different
avenues Of expenditures existed aud Hank
lapsed ito silence.
When. At length, the old geu,loaan asked
mildly if the boom at Lone Moan was still
active and increasing, there seemed to be no
cause for the sudden outbreak ON the part Of
/ the p, hrr.
Lam. the boom!' he half roarcd "lIaint
no boom thar, an never viii ha Town
dead; railroads goiu' to New Boston, stead
I .I..,., ,4
But l understood that hveiy boom haf
Just begun there, returned the passenger,
'and-and r
Nv al, 1t h amt! Say, II the money that
has ben raised to whoop up ti2 boom Is used
Ter sumpn else, 1t tue business Nv nobody
but the boomers, is itf'
This seemed more Of defiance than an IN
quiry. aud the passenger quit :! testify and
hastily expressed the opinion q he affair
concerned no one hut the I1!,-r Its.
"Course not Hank arr Vi. "A-i' u them
ere pussy tyllars'- He paused "a, If t.icu-
td.- ll'na ing rs to the proper u.7 p a Do. ir1-
CoiI4e l. INST tho pussy oic'. "WGl, 40
did re, krH ~ Loom, but Tar - 81 ms NV
it nov. .o said, regretfuly. 81. So e
foundation Il a now scdool hOu. an tie
startiu %. a graveyard with o. grave Gir
boom sign"
The interest OF 10 passenger WIS manifested
with such unoh,rusivc humility that pres
emily Hunk began TO tell the story o. tho
dead h5oui
Lone Mound and New Boston, Insignificant
but ambitious settlements were bitter rivals.
The citizens of each were prepared to 50 to
almost any length to advance tho interests OF
their own town AMI discomiie it, opponent.
When the rrauscontinentll railroad de
cided to project its line yestv ard through
the W. unorranized county Of Pawnaw and
onward toward the range country. each of
the settlements WAS on the oui yive to secure
the passage of the line through itself As I,
result, each was determined to make the best
possible showing upon the arrival Of the
officials who were exuectesl to make n tour Of
observation Of the PROMISED route
1t was popularity believed that the settle
ment that appeared to be most prosperous.
and therefore likely to sdi most To tho volume
of the company's business would secure the
railroad Ii was thought. too. that the
quality Of the reception rendered them might
influence the choice Of the INSPECTING officials
The securing of the line meant much to the
town through which it passed, for its import
ance as a trading point would be vastly in
creased, its population augmented by new
arrivals, and when the organization OF the
cou tv finally took place the railroad town
would undoubtedly become the county seat
"An'r-Hank grew standardization