Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-05-01

nearly as warm as II ne nau OASe-
| burner III full blast in his lip pocket.
While he was prepared to sit doWnup-
on anything like sbirking, and while
he had no idea of permitting work to
be stopped, the idea that there must
be change Of some kind had firmly
taken hold of the old mans mind. He
res olved to lay off the next day and
counsel with Giant Enterprise, whom
he thought would be able to help him
in, his emergency.
CHAPTER V.
Next morning, Farmer Jack was up
with the lark. After seeing to the
chores and setting his hands to work,
he put on a clean shirt little frayed
at the wristbands, donned his best suit,
rather seedy and thread-bare brushed
down the nap of his old silk hat, what
there was left of it, and started for the
home of lis ioptei soa. In imitation
of his kinsmen across the river, the
giant called it a castle, and was grad
ually beginning to assume privileges
such as they enjoyed. He was quietly
creating a private armed force, under
The plea that they were necessary to
protect his property. He called them
police, but they were drawn, in many
instances, from the vilest scum thst
infested the island, aud were as ready
TO do his bidding regardless of justice,
law, or even life, as were the followers
of any roDber Baron that ever preyed
upc II IT, e people from behin1 the walls ot
his castle on the Rhine. In few out
of-the-way places, where he possessed
mines and factories, he had cautiously
introduced q species of servltude as
CALLING and oppressive as any that
Giant Des spotism had ever devised so
completely were the men in these places
ensla we'd that they were utterly brok-
en-spirited and helpless, and ia some
cases, those who escaped were driven
back to their work at the points OF the
bayonets oil his soldiers. Usually,
violent measures were not resOrted t.,
for process from his courts-he own
ed courts as W. II as armies-would ac-
complish his purpose.
When the old man reached the estate
of the giant, he was overcome with Il
feeling of astonishment at its elegance
and proportions, What contrast W a.
there in this scene of magnificence to
the meager surroundings of his own
home! Stretching away on every hand
were parks and lawns, over whose
sward the lid deer bounded iii I'M
check Ell freedom, and on the bosom
whose artificial lakes swans and other
water fowl disported themselves as Sc
curelv as if they had been on their
breeding-grounds amid the lcebergs of
the far north. Al his feet famed beds
of gorgeous flowers, the natives OF ey-
cry cline. Broad gravel walks wound |
amidst the groves that abounded with |
rustic arbors covered with trailing |
vines. and here and there were sum- |
fitted with every appliaf ce
that luxury or fancy could suggest,
where seclusion and quiet might be en-
jOyed amid the shadows Of the wood.
Beautiful statues and costly bronZes
graced the scene, and graceful marble
from whose curiously
wrought urns the crystal waters pour
ed with a subdutd murmur of fairy
music, dispensing coolDess, on every
side cleaned from the shaded )oks.
The trees were vocal with the song of
birds aud the hum Of insect life, and
over all, from its eminence, proudly
lowered the grand mansion of granite
and marble and costly woods, as lordly
as if the pride and insolence of its own
er had been impaired to it. To the
farmer this scene of magnificence was
like fairylaDd. He was overcome by
it, and, in order to collect his thoughts
for he stool not little in awe of this
man whose fortunes he had so large a
share in ting-went down seclud-
I'll walk until he came to an oak with
wile-spreading branches,a at whose foot
was a rustic seat. Here he stopped to
res; and pull himself together before
he went to the great house. There was
a feeling Of unrest at his heart. Con-
tending emotions swept over his mind.
A feeling that something was wrong
in all this pervaded him; he could not
reason about it. as yet. He felt, to a
certain extent, q sense of elplessness
anda inability to comprehend what he
saw, very much as an Esquimaux
would feel at suddenly finding himself
in the heart of great city. This feel
ing was Of short duration, however, for
he was sturdy-minded, Independent
old man, not wholly unused to the
ways Of the world, anu naturally very
From the roots Of the tree
H., .t1.E, III