The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-04-02
FIGHTING THE DUMPS.
The Old Settler Tells Of Boyhood
Experience.
Twenty-Five Wolves and Four Bears,
Two Alive. n Pretty Good Haul for q
Boyle MOdestly Disclaims All
Credit, However.


Credit. However.
How many boys dye s'pose tina is
nowadays, squire. who'd go ont wen
they was only twelve years old. git lost
in the snow in the dep's of Of Squawkee
Hill. lay Their for a week n better, n
then buckle in n fetch up on their own
h'arthstnn luggin' with 'em twenty-nine
VOLTS n four bar, two on EN- alive?
How many twelye-year-old boys dye
think tina is nowadays ez KID do that?"
said the old settler.
bout ez many ez tina ever were,"
replied the squire, . n that's not dunn
one.''
Squire exclaimed the old settler.
sternly. ~ fergit th't l were a
twelve-year-ol' wunst, don't y'?"
NO replied the squire.
"D'ye mean to siniwate. then, th't
I'm liar, consurn YEP" roared the old
settler
.'Wull, major, les see," said the
squire, proyokingly. did you know
this here twelve-year-or boy?"
.Gosht'lmigffy.' exclaimed the old
settler Want himo'
Thar be ag'in.'' said the squire.
''Seems ez if | can't see the pint to
nothin' no more. Course. | mowt ha'
know'd it if Id unly thunk! But seems
to me, major, tht | alluz heerd You
was unly nine year oil wen Y made
that big getherin' o VOLTS n bar.
Sure y hain't put it too DID, major?"
Il hain't SO cons armed sure, now th't
" mention it, said the old settler mol
lifted, ..1h't want nine year OF std
o twelve. But said were a twelve
year-ol' n I'll stick to It. But it want
the luggin' in O the twenty-nine VOLTS
n the four bar. two of 'em alive. th't /
keered for. or th't I'm braggin' of
now. Tina were sumpin' else went
along with them VOLTS n BIAS th't
made the mere getherin' of 'em in
small n trifiin' circumstance. Y
member, squire, how v kid STAN on
one side o Of squawkce an look right
down inter the sugar swamp clearin's,
not more'n miled away, but if v
wanted to git thar y had to go around
more'n nine mlled, cause that side o
Squawkee We're SO durn steep y
couldn't git down it less ". jumped
down n rolled. n fetched up at the
bottom like sassage meat? Y member
that don't yeo''
The squire nodded.
'.Wall, the winter were twelve year
oil, or nine year, jist ez yer min ter
hev it, continued the old settler, my
pap were way down in the dumps.
know'd wat were the matter, n the
futur' looked blue. The prospects was
setch th't pap got lower m lower ev'y
day. n usety lief to spen' most o my
time in the woods to keep my own
sperrits mp. So this partic'ler day
shouldered the gun n struck fer oil
Squawkee. | tramped way around to
the fur side o the big hill n elm to
the top | got to the edge O Skull
Swamp, whar spacted to run again
some VOLTS wen the snow begun to
fall ez ii it were bein' dumped all in a
heap outen morc'n fifty thous'n' four
horse wagons. started back fer
home, but | hadn't fit my way agin
that tumbl:n' snow more'n fifteen
minutes fore | lost my bearin's. n
didn't know no more whar | We're thin
if I'd ben trampin' 'crost kentry on the
moon. Vile | were flounderin about.
| run up again Ii ledge O rock, n right
at the foot of it see hole. Inter the
hole crep'. n fonn' myself, ez nigh
ez | KID tigger out. the place bein'
darisern IA tar bucket, ockypyin
pooty tol'able roomy quarters in the
bosom o that wall o stun. | hadn't
ben in thar more'n i've minutes,
though, fore l diskiverel tht |
wasn't the only ledger in the hole.
The openin' whar Id crep' in want
more'n two foot sguar', n consistently
the light th't kim in were s!.ecrce. but
bimeby | got used to the dark, n
off on one side o the hole
see one big bar, n OFF on
t'other side | see another big bar.
They was both snoozin' away fer the
winter, II suckin' their paws. was
right betwixt the two. l know'd tina
want much danger o. the bars wakin'
up fer few weeks yit, Mess sumpin'
more'n common kim along to 'sturb
'em, n so stretched out fer to take
I'LL tic SIoH Iuil II j
KID crawl out n dig my way home.
Il d'know how long slept, but Wen
| woke mp | see the sun a shinin' a
little in the openin'. l crep outen the
hole. n the sight | see We're amazin'.
Right in front . the ledge were a bare
spot bout twenty foot squar'. On the
right o it n on the left o. it the snow
were driftea up more'n thirty foot.
From the fur edge O. the spot
the SNOW shot down in one straight
stritch more'n Il mile. 1t must have
been fifty foot deep, n had a pitch to it
like tn. roof @ IA barn. The hull long
N short of il were. squire. were stand
in on the steep sid. O Oh Sqnawkee.
with one eenl o that long snowbank
at my feet n t'other eend lynn right
'mong the clearin's q Sugar swamp! l
were unly mile fun home, but |
mowt iist ez we'll ha' ben four hundred.
stood n looked down inter Sugar
swamp with a wishful eye.
"'liome O. my merry childhood" says
!. ''nless tina comes IA rain soon n melts
these onpitying banks o snow, says l,
these here two slumberin' bars III
chaw lEy bones wen the spring tune
COMES says |. m nobody won't never
hef to put flowers on my grave, says /
'Sayin' w'ich, the weather bein' colder
n Greenlan'. crep' back in the rocks
n snuggled down twixt the snorin
bars to git warm. A week passed
! away. | hadn't had nothin' to eat, n
natur' were gettin' her dandcr up. The
two bars hadn't never winked MOI
moved sence | fined 'em. | hated tt
disturb either of 'em, but had to he,
meat, n SO, on the seventh day tool
out my knife, felt ez gentle as passin
zephyr fer the biggest bars wizzen, n
with one goure slit it from chin to gul
let. The bar opened his eyes. looked
up ez il he'd notion 10 see wat were