Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-27
A QUEER BARGAIN.

a lay1n' out the new track, We were al
nightly exercised about it. Some were
pleased, and saio 'twouid open up a
market to use and increase the vally o
land; whilst others allowed that the
farms would be ruined, the wheat folds
set afize, the cattle run over and killed,
and the noise itself be an abidin' nuisance.
II tell you some OF 'eIn was real mad,
but the maddest of the hull lot was unde-
niably Betsy Ain Smcoe.
She was q single, unmarried woman,
about 40 or more, and lived on a poor lit
tie place of her own, just above the Gross
Keys tavern.
Twas only two or three acres of gravel
Iy 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 a
tight grip on all she had hold of; but, all
the same, she made great talk about pow
erty, as an excuse for not giving more to
the missionary society and for repairs to
the meeting house.
Still she seemed to get along's well as
anybody with her garden, and her COW,
and her poultry, and the little gal she'd
prenticed from the city poor house to help
do chores.
gen'ral, but / tell you she was mighty
riled up the day the railroad folks come
TO her house and told her they we're
surveying in the track and that it would
hev to run right straight through her
house.
She reared up then, and lowed the
property was here, and nobody had a
right to so much as set a foot on it with
cut her consent. They were civil enough,
and explained, and said they was willing
to pay double the vally o. the hull prop
erty for the privilege of running the road
through.
She wouldn't hear it, bat out o. sheer
contrariness refused every offer, though
anybody could see that her mouth
watered at the very mention of the mon
ely.
She said she'd never give up her home,
and if they run an injine through the
house 'twould be over her mangled body.
And she wound up by threatening if they
didn't quit in q short time, she'd have
them arrested for trespass on her prem
ises.
Well, next day, she went down to
Hobbs Holler to see her cousin, Lucindy
Parks, and talk over the railroad bust
ness. Lucindy and the rest tried to con-
vince her that she'd got the best o.
the bargain by letting the railroad COM
pany have the land; but she lowed she'd
not be turned out o. doors to 'commodate
a passed. o sassy men folks that cared for
nothing but their own good. She stayed
two days at Lucindy's, and then went back
to her own house at Cross Keys Least
ways, she went to where she'd left her
house standing, buG when she come in
sight of it, twas gone and nothin' of 1t
left but lot o. burnt wood and ashes.
Then there was a row! Betsy Ann &C
cused the railroad folks of burning her
house, and threatened to persecute 'em
by the law. They lowed they could prove
by the neighbors that it lad been done
aocidently by passed. o. tfamps who had
camped on the place the night she was
away and made a frs in the woodshed to
roast some of her chickens for supper.
When the chips aud wood caught and
set fire to the house they'd got skeered
and made short tracks out o. 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 lit
tie hiatt 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 paying we'll 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, whenever she wanted TO,
with female companion along.
At first they objected to the oompsn-
ion; but when she explained that she was
8 lone woman and couldn't think of ex-
posing 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 ard signed and
sealed according so law. You see, they'd
hearn the neighbors laffiug at the idea of
Miss Simeoe ever trsveIin' on the rail-
roadside that had skeeroely been farth-
er from home than Hobbs Holler or
Bowling Green mee5in' house in all her
life and was most afeared to trust her
self out o. sight of her own house.
Well, the company kept their word,
and run up a two-story, four room frame
house for Betsey Ann-sech as it was,
She declared twas nothing better than
sudpbY. Undb WOuluh Keep Ouh TIE SUN
mer's heat nor winters cold, and was
liable TO be blown away by the first high
wind that came along. The company
said they hadn't stipulated for the exact
way the house vas to be built, and they'd
done the best they could afford to do, and
she ought to be satisfied. She shut up
then, bat sot her jaw IN way she had of
her own when she'd made up her mind
to something she didn't choose to talk
shout jest yet.
At last the road was finished, and one
day everybody turned out to see the in
line, for the fust time, come tearin' and
scheecain' up to Cross-Keys. Betsey
Ann Simcoe, she stood on the bank and
looked on, with kind o. emile of triumph
for all the world s If the hull concern be
Ionged to her. Every time the train
passed she came out and looked at it, till
she got used to seeing it snd hearing it:
unearthly noise. AND then one day she
tuck her little white help along, and got
aboard the cars, and rode up to the next
station. as she said, to see how it felt and
how she liked it. Next week she went
ag'n as far as Cloverdale, and little
while after made another trip. long with
her cousin Luclndy Parks, clear up &c
the city.
Purity room she got to be known TO al
the railroad folks along the line, ane
there were no end to the jokes abou
her.
by goshr says old Mr.. Potter, TO one
O the conductors, one day, "I'm thinking
you'll hev to fix up car for her spesha
'commodatlon, If tgoes on this way muct
longer"
"Ob," answered he, a smiling, sits
novelty to her at present, and we dc n