The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-03-05
SOMERSET. PA, WEDNEDAY, MARCH 5, 1890

the town and started in the grocery busi-
ness IN small way. occupying small
building in mean part of the town. At
this period Of his life be earned all be
got, and was ND early and late, sorting
beans, wor king oyer butter, and cartiDg
his goods to and from the station. But
q change came over him at the end of
the second year, when he sold lot of
land for four times what he paid for it,
From that time forward he believed in
land speculation as the surest wav Of
getting rich. Every cent he could save
or spare from his trade be pat into land
at forced sale, or mortgages on land,
which were Just as good as the wheat, -
he was accustomed to say
Farm after farm fell into his hands,
until he was recognized as one of the
leading land owners Of the county. His
mortgages were scattered all over Cedar
county, and as they slowly but surely
fell in, he sought usually to retain the
former ownes as tenant.
He was not ready to soreclose indeed
be had the name Of being one Of
the easiest men in the town. He let the
debtor of again and again, extending the
the time whenever possible.
i don't want your land" he said.
All l want is the interest on my money
that's all. Now, if y want to stay on
the farm, why, III give y good chance
can't have the land layin' vacant And
in many cases the owner remained as
tenant.
/ In the meantime he had sold has store;
he couldn't spend time in it; he was
mainly occupied now with sitting around
town on rainy days, smoking and gassin'
with the ''boys, or in riding to and from
his farms. In fishing time he fshed a
good deal. Doc Grimes, Ben Ashley and
Cal Cueatham were his cronies on these
fishing excursions or hunting trips in the
time ofchickens and partridges. In win
ter they went to northern Wisconsin to
shoot deer.
In spite Of all these signs of easy life,
Butler persisted in saying he "hadn't
money enough to pay taxes on his land, p
and was careful to convey the impression
that he was poor in spite of his twenty
farms. At one time he was said to be
worth fry thousand dollars, but land
had been little slow of sale of late. SO
that he was not worth 50 much. A fine
farm, known as the Higley place, had
fallen into his hands in the usual way
the previous year, and he had not been
able TO find tenant for it. Poor Higiey
after working himself nearly to death
on it, in the attempt to lift the mortgage,
had gone Off to Dakota, leaving the farm
and his cure to Butler
This was the farm which Council adj
vised Haskins to apply for. and the next
day Council hitched up his team and
drove down town to see Butler
You Jest lem me do the talkin, he
said We'll find him wearing out his
pants on some salt barrel somewears; and
if he thought you wanted place, he'd !
sock i; 10 you hot and heavy. You jest
keep quiet I'll fix i'm. !"
Butler was seated in Ben Ashley's
tore telling fish yarns" when Council |
sauntered in casually.
Hello, But lyin' agin, ha?"
Hello, steve how goes it?'
ooh, $3.50. Too dang much rain these
days. thought ii was goin' Z freeze fr
good last night Tight squeak if git m
pIowin' done. How's farmin with you
these days?"
bad Plowin' amt half done"
''It 'ud be a religious idee fr you Z go
out and take hand y'rself"
don't haff to, +" said Butler, with a
wink.
"Got anybody on the Higley placer
~No. Know Of anybody ?"
"Wsal, no not eggsackly. I've got a
relation back t Michigan who's ben hot
an cold on the idee O comm west fr
some time. Might come if he could get
good layout. What do yon talk on the
farm p
"Well, d. know. I'll rent it on shares
or I'll rent it money rent.
''Waal, how much money, say ?"
well, say ten per cent. en- the price
$3.50. I
Wall, that amt bad Wait on i'm till
e thrashes ~
Haskins listened eagerly to this import
ant question, but Council was coolly eat
ing dried apple which he had speared
out of barrel with his knife. Butler
studied him carefully.
Well, this knocks me out of twenty
five dollars interest"
My relation II need all he's got Z glt
his crops in, said Council, in the same
Indifferent way
Well, all right say wai:," concluded
Butler.
All right this is the man. Haskins,
this is Mr.. Butler-no relation to Ben =
the hardest working man in ali Cedar
On the way home Haskins said
Amt much better off. I'd ike that farm
it's good farm, but it's all run down, an
so m l. could make good farm of it
if had half show. But can't stock it
mr. seed it,
Waal, now, don't you worry," roared
Council, in his ear. Wen pull y thro'
somehow till next harvest He's agreed
{ hire it plowed, an you can earn hun
dred dollars plowin' an y can git the
seed O me, an pay me back when y
cam
Haskins was silent With emotion, but
at last he said
amt got nothin' t live on''
Now don't you WORRY bout that. You
Jest make your headquarters at oil Steve
Councils. Motherll take pile o. COM
fort in hayin' y'r wife an children round.
" see James married off lately, an Ike's
away a good 'eal, so we'll be darn glad T.
have We stop with us this winter. Next
spring we'll see if ye cant git start
agin" and he chirruped to the team,
which sprang forward with the rumbling,
Gathering wagon
Say, looky here, Council, you can't do
this. ] never saw shouted Haskins,
in his neighbor's ear.
Council moved about uneasiIy in his
L - u