The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-07-05
L0WLAND FOLKS.

luC lliico 4 leiCts 90 ~ "oo SuiiSub
was squatter's farm. That is, Tom
Hines had dumped his wagon load of
household goods down by the highway
at certain spot, built brush shanty to
shelter his family for a few days, and
eventually erected a rude log cabin, and
there he had stuck for the last fifteen
years. He had brushed" over two or
three acres of land around the house and
raised little corn and few bushels of
potatoes, and found him sitting on his
doorstep as good natured and content as
house cat after full meal.
Powerful glad to see yer--powerful
glad, he said as we shook hands "The
stage driver was a-saying you'd be along
today, and was sorter on the watch.
You thar, Jenny
A woman appeared in answer to the
cali, and the man said:
"Jenny, this is he 'un. Stranger, Jen's
my ole woman. We've got boy named
Moses, but he's Off arter roots. Now
come right in and feel home made"
The cabin consisted of one room about
sixteen feet square. There was a fire.
place, two beds made of poles, rude
shelf on which were few dishes, an old
clock which did not go, a rifle resting
on deer horns, few garments hanging
to pegs and photograph of Cleveland
tackled to the logs. The cash inventory,
outside of the rifle, would not have been
IS. Iexpected to hear the woman begin
the usual "nagging" after bit, aud the
man to start off with excuses, but moth
Ing Of the sort took place. On the con-
trary, as soon as had been furnished
with bite Of cold bacon and corn bread,
and washed 1t down with summer
tonic made of roots, we went out for
smoke, and Hines inquired:
"How ar ye findin' the people along
the road?'
"Much discouraged"
"Over whatY'
"Oh, the weather and so on"
That's jis' like EN- the onery, fault
fndersi When it isn't one thing it's an
other. Stranger, kin ye expect to find
better weather than this outside of
heaven"
Hardly"
"That's what l say. Ye found most
VI GIL ldLy iiilu SiluChlSSS, ItChOlE
eyes"
"Well, it's nobody's fault but thar
own. Things don't look very peart
around yere, do theyT
"Well, no."
"Thar's reasons fur it. In the fust
place I'm squatter. Can't tell when
III hev to pull up and git Tharfore, ye
can't expect me to rush things. In the
next place we hev huff to eat and war,
and that's all we want. We is pore folks,
and we is satisfied to be-"
"There are very few that way"
"Zactly, stranger, and that's what
ails this nashun. Thar hain't huff phil.
osophy about common folks. Now, then,
s'posin' the president should pint me
postmaster down at Red Bridge? can't
| read nor write, an can't talk grammar
! an I'd jist feel onery mean all the time
S'posen that Jay Gould should send me
| down q kerridge an hosscs as II free gift
Hev got AIRY place to stable them HOSES
an put that kerridge? How would
look ridin' round these yere parts in q
Thousand dollar risv'
| "Then you don't want to be rich?"
| "Yes, do, but 'tain't fur me Wher
got growcd up to 81, an found myself
pizen pore, an homely, an long shanIed
an ignerent, l knowed figures an riches
wasn't fur me. | cut my sticks acordin
That's jist the way with Jen, too. Jen
come out yere an talk"
The woman came out, lighted her pipt
and sat down, and her husband con
tinued:
"Jen. heun thinks it mighty quar-
that we don't yarn fur bizness an riches
Tell he'un how you feel about it,"
"You was pizen pore an ignerent,
she said MS she looked over to him, ian
was all that billed down an mo-, too
knowed right off that riches wasn't ful
Us, an SO didn't yarn fur EN-"
"And you are content TO live as you dog
"Pooty nigh, stranger-pooty nigh.
had a hull pound of sixty cent tea an
five pounds of brown sugar in the cabil
all to once wouldn't trade places witt
any woman In the state"
aye sec, it's like this" said the hus
band as he dug up the soil with a stick
"lf we was wantin' we'd hev TO hev
fine house Then we'd hev TO furnish
an git hired help. Then we'd hev to he
watches an diamonds an sich, an goo
clothes, an go to the theatre, an travt
around, an keep dressed up, an tall
sweet, an 80 whar' would the comfor
come in? It's too much to put ON pus
sons shoulders"
"He 'un is jist right" added the wife
"We's pore an can't git no better of
What we's got wes got. What W
heven't got don't hurt nor help u.s."
A couple of men, going 10 mill with
few bushels Of corn in a cart, came alon
Just then and stopped to get drink G
water and "chitter" with m
"How's Mandy, JimY' queried Hins
of one.
"Pore-very pore"
SLOWS crapsr
"Powerful bad showin'fur craps tn
year"
"How's yer own feslin's, JimY"
"Only sorter. Hav been chilling (ha'
ing chilly mo- OF less"
"An'how's the children
"Jiss fairly kickin', thank ye."
vi "Waal, now, Jim, yere's q strang'
from the moth, an he can't make us on
Do you want an offisY
.Shucks, mol"
"Want q gold watchY'
"Hul Wizard keep iti'
@Want horses an kerridgesY"
"Shooi Tom, but you ar funnin' me
""Want ter quit yer squat up tina
which ar about the same as mine, q
git rich an big an live In grand stylef"
"Why, Tom, hold yer blabl" gasp
the astonished man.
Z "What want to know" I Iexplaine
q els IL you are content TO live as SOUS
Y L tara navar getting ahead MAYER saeiI