Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-09-10
SETTLING A FEUD.

Tor many mics hOuhu ~ uItN n'h
this neighborhood began 10 lind parti.
.ans. and this bitterness became more
intense. Finally. when only three miles
from Bowman's. whose farm ! would
reach first. came upon squat" Gloss
bcside the highway. with woman
smoking n oorncob pipe on tho door sill
I was passing with q nod. when she
called out
"Arter Bowman OF Jordon, stranger
"Neither one" answered a. ! came
10 n stop.
Then who might you'un be-
"rm only traveller"
"whar' do ye speak fromr
"The north"
"Do eIclaimi From way up northl
And what might you'un 10 doing down
ycrc,~
"oh. am travelling around a bat
among tho farmers To see how they get
along"
She was smoking tho dried leaves OF
some plant. and presented her with a
new pipe and somo regular" tobNcco
Tho Gift highly pleased her. and she gave
mo tho door step and took a log and
said.
I'm glad to meet up with you !
rcckoncl you might bo gwino down yan
TO mix In with the fussing Heard yes
leriay that the Jordons bad peppered
Dan Williams powerfully bad. Dan
sticks for the Bowmans. ye know
"Can you tell me tho cause % the
trouble between tho two families"
kin Il Wasn't tho n the ole man
right thar when IL headed QUIT Sartin,
Kin tell yc IL was at an auction down
by MillerA Bowman bid on q bureau,
and Jordon bad on the same. Both got
mad and neither would back down. and
tho crowd divided of In two parts, and
directly thar was a fuss and the sale
was broke up and everybody got bad
blooded."
GLOW long ago was that
"Sigh ten y'ars. reckon"
"And has any one been hurtr"
Hurt Why. thar's bin half dozen
killed and all Of twenty huried. Ny o'e
man has got a hunk Of lead In bis shoul'
der on account Of II. and mebbs you'un
has noticed this scar on my cheek
"Yes."
"Well, I was slttin' right whar
youun l. now ono AFTERNOON year ago
an somo one fired from that bush over
yan to Kill me"
"Dut whyi-
Cause he'un was for DowmAns and
we'uns Is for JordonA"
Don't you think ii foolish TO keep up
a quarrel which started about such a
trihey'
Then Why don't the Bowmans give
lny
had been directed To stop at Bow.
mans for tho night. and reached uhe
farm about O'Clock In the afternoon
A 10y 10 years old. who was posted near
the house as a sentinel, gave warning Of
my approach. but as IL was seen that ]
was a stranger my reception was not
hostile one, although Mrs Bowman
and her two girls regarded inc with dis.
trust for time The father and Oldest
son were hoeing corn quarter u mile
away. and when they came up 10 the
house a, supper time saw that each had
a shotgun. The family. AS a whole, were
far above the average In Intellect and
manners, and the iipl parlor organ had
seen In a month was In the parlor
Nothing was said about the Jordons until
after supper, when all Of US sat down on
the grass for a smoke and talk. Then
began IL myself by saying
lis Ii true that man named Dan
williams was shot by the Jordans yes
terdayy'
Then you've heard OF the JordonsT
queried Bowman In reply.
"Yes. Tho trouble between your two
families Il known thirty miles away"
"And who do they say isahoadr' asked
the son Tom. as he drew himself up.
"They don't say anything about that
They say you are keeping poople away
who would like to settle here and help
clear up the country. They say you
must 10 queer folks TO keep up quarrel
like this over an old bureau worth two
or three dollars They say this quarrel
Is the reason you haven't got a church
and a school In this neighborhood They
say you had store down at the cross
roads, but the owner had to move away
or risk his life. They say you can't get
a shoemaker or blacksmith 10 settle
around here. because hes got 10 take one
side or the other They say the legisla
ture ought to pass a law 10 send one OF
you To the Atlantic and the other TO the
Pacific ocean
For one long minute every one OF the
group stared hard at me. and not lip
moved. Then Tom half rose and whis-
pered.
"Pap, he'un Is fur the Jordons,-
"If that was true. why didn't | pass
on to stop with him over night Iasked-
tom, he'uns dead sot" psrfectly
right. said the old man. after q mo
ment's thought
"You have quarreled and fought. shot
stabbed. killed and wounded too ten
long years. and what have you gainedf
I asked
No one replied.
"Your quarrel has driven people away.
lowered the price Of your lands and put
you TO much trouble and expense Tell
me where you arc aheady
"But does you'un ask Us 70 give In 70
tho Jordonsy' asked Mrs Bowman
"No. ma'am. don't simply AJAX
you to think it all over. meet the Jor-
dons and have talk. and put lis fuss
ing away
"It's they'uns business to come to US. >
said Tom.
swell. suppose they dor VIII you
meet 'em half wayY'
There was another long silence. broken
at last by the old man. who said
"Seems like thar's sense In what you
say. do really believe thar's bin too
much fussing. and that It ought to stop.
swell. now. you think Il over tonight
and In the morning. II you are all agreed,
| I'll 60 over TO Jordon's and have talk.