Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1890-11-06
IN TERRITORIAL DAYS.

y
/ covered with grass and scarcely distin-
4 guishable:' said one to the other.
''Yes; what are they, graves
'sThey are, and thereby hangs history
Of the territorial days Of Nebraska
s'The Tol1ny and Richardson families
lived in this neighborhood and owned
adjoining farms or ranches, and were
on terms of the most neighborly char
acter. When their children grew up the
young people Of the two families were
dependent upon each other for society.
They varied the dull routine of rural life
with dances and pic1ics and such inno-
cent sports as suggested themselves to
their rustic fancy, anG though the boys
and girls lacked tho accomplishments
which adorn the Young people Of the
present generation, they had their full
share-the girls of beauty and the boys
of that dash which makes even rustics
acceptable in female society.
Julia Richardson, now in her 18th year,
was sparkling brunette, and could
round up Il herd of cattle with any of the
boys. Jim Tolmy was daslling cow
boy of %. who could jump his horse over
u four rail fence and pick Up silver
dollar off the grass while his steed was
going at the rate Of fifteen miles an hour.
The two, James and Julia, had been
equestrian rivals since childhood, Julia
insisting that she was the better horse
man, so to say, of the two.
Thus the children grew to certain
age when their manner to each other
changed, when Julia no longer talked
defantly to James and challenged him
to daring deeds Of horsemanship, and
when James felt shorn of all his dash
and bravery and was awkward, absent
and timid in the presence of Julia. To-
gether and alone they were silent and
uncomfortable. 1t was only in company
that James seemed to rally, and when
Julia, thinking nobody was watching,
would lift her dark eyes from under
their sweeping lashes and look with
glowing admiration on her old playmate
But there is no use to dwell on the ar
dent though Pickering omens Of love.
1t is sufficient to say that James and
Julia loved. Love is passion which,
however much and long it smolders,
finds expression at last, and the longer
it smolders the more abrupt and palmer
will be the ayowal. The avowa1 came.
James was accepted and the young
couple were happy. Their parents con-
sented, but thought it better to defer the
union for q year. When they were told
of this determination James said: ''Do
you know l think my sister Belle and
your brother Tom will get ahead Of us
if we don't hurry up:" @Tom." she ex-
claimed; why, the gawk is ashamed to
look at a girlr'
s'Never you mind, see them often to-
gethern Thus the lovers confidedin each
other, and the young and old Of both
families were happy in expectancy. But
though year would not be long in
passing, as Julia said, still year often
brings many changes, especially in
affairs of the heart Twenty miles away
lived the Castleton family, where James
in hunting for stray stock had often
called. Mabel Castleton was beautiful
girl, well born, accomplished and affa-
ble-a different type of beauty from
Julia Richardson. She was fair and tall
The mustangs had been straying away
very much Of late in that direction from
the Tolmy ranch. OF course James
would go in pursuit of them and call to
inquire about the fair Mabel. In those
frequent visits he and Mabel became at
tached to each other, when, faithless to
his engagement and forgetful Of the
pretty Julia, he induced her to elope
with him, and the first known of the
affair was that they were married
Julia Richardson's feelings may be
better imagined than described. She
was Sighted, she was betrayed and jeal-
Gus rage fired her. The whole Richard
son family felt outraged, and the Toll
mys, to do them justice, were scarcely
less painfully shocked. The false lover,
knowing that such would be the result,
kept discreetly out Of the way for weeks,
when. supposing both families to have
cooled down, he visited his parents.
When Tom Richardson heard Of his ar
rival he rode over quietly toward the
Tolmy residence with rifle at his sad
die horn. AS he approached he observed
James and his sister together, and he
hesitated how to act.
Tolmy retreated inside, but soon re-
appeared, also with a rife. Seeing this.
Richardson raised dis rife The act was
/ repeated by Tolmy. Both fred stimuli
taneously and Belle dropped dead,
pierced with the bullet intended for her
brother. Frantic and appalled, at hav-
ing killed his fiancee, Richardson gal
( loped away, filed with remorse and
+ despair. The Tolmys now. from being
/ apologists for their relative, became ag-
( gressors and avengers. and the Castle
tons, though Mabel's marriage was none
Of their contriying. took sides with their
brother-in-law. The feud was now be-
gun.
Returning from the interment Of Belle
the Tolmys and Castletons had, or pre-
tended to have, occasion to pass the
Richardson residence. They apprehend-
ing some such course had barricaded the
house and watched for the approach of
the cavalcade. A desperate fight ensued,
and among the first to fall was old Mr..
Toimy and two of the Castleton boys
The Richardson residence was set on
fire, and the desperate fight grew fercer
and fiercer until the night mercifully
came down and stopped it.
Many on both sides were wounded and
killed, but singularly enough the princi-
pals-James Toliny and Tom Richard
son-escaped without scratch.
After this the feud was quiet for some
little time.
just at this stage Of the conflict james
Tolmy had occasion with his wife to
visit the Castletons. He arose early and
went for his horse; but an unusual thing
had happened. The horse had broken
the fence and strayed away. He tracked
the animal long distance. when. tired