Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-19
A Queer Bargain.

Well, you see, said Cousin Sally
Baker, when the railroad people first
came along here with their queer
looking machines, a-layin' out the new
track, we were all nightly exercised
about it. Some took one view and
some another. Some was pleased, nd
said 'twould open up market to us
and increase the vally O. land f; while
others allowed that the farms would
be ruined, the wheat fields set afre,
the cattle run over and killed and the
noise itself be an abidin' noosance.
l tell you some of 'em was real
mad, but the maddest of the hull lot
was ondeniably Betsey Ann Simcoe.
She was a single unmarried woman,
about 10 or more, and lived on a poor
little place of her own, just above the
Cross Keys tavern.
Twas only two or three acres OF
gravelly land, with two room frame
house on it. Folks said she had a
leetle money hid away somewhere, for
she was powerful sharp at making
bargains and held tight grip on all
she got hold of; but, all the same, she
made great talk about poverty as
an excuse for not giving more to the
missionary society and for repairs to
the meeting house.
Still she seemed to get along g well
as anybody with her garden and her
COW and her poultry and the little gal
she'd 'prenticed from the city's poor
house to help do chores.
She wasn't bad tempered woman
in gen'ral, but ] tell you she was
mighty riled up the day the railroad
folks come to her house and told her
they were surveyin' the track and
that it would hev to run right straight
through her house.
She rared up then and lowed the
property was hers, and nobody had a
right to so much as set foot OF it
without her consent. They we're civil
enough and explained, and said they
were willing enough to pay double the
vallv O. tie hull property for the privi-
lege of running the road through.
She wouldn't hear it, but out O.
sheer contrariness refused every offer,
though everybody could see that her
mouth watered at the very mention of
money.
She said she'd never give up her
home, and If they run their milne
through the house 'twould be over her
mangled body. And she wound up
by threatening if they didn't quit in
a short time, she'd have them arrested
for trespass on her premises.
Well, the next day she went down
to Hobbs Holler to see her cousin,
Lucindy Parks, and talk over the
railroad business. Lucindy and the
rest tried to convince her that she'd
get the best O. the bargain by letting
the railroad company have the land;
but she lowed she'd not be turned
out o doors to commodate passed. O.
sassy men folks that cared for nothing
but their own good. She stayed two
days at Lucindy's, and then went back
to her own house at Cross Keys.
Least ways, she went to where she'd
left her house standing, but when she
come in sight Of il, twas gone, and
nothing of it left but lot O. burnt
wood and ashes.
Then there was row Betsey Ann
accused the railroad folks of burning
her house, and threatened TO persecute
'em by the law. They lowed they
could prove by the neighbors that it
had been done accidently by passed.
O. tramps who camped on the place the
night she was away, and made fire
in the woodshed to roast some Of her
chickens for supper. When the chips