Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-09-18
SETTLING A FEUD.

enCO 10 tho tTOuDle uJWcSu tlo DO"-
mans and tho Jordans, the two families
Of this name living In the same neigh-
borhood and being tho most prominent
for many miles around. AS drew near
this neighborhood began to find parti-
sans, and this bitterness became more
intense Finally, when only threo miles
from Bowman's, whose farm would
reach first, camo upon squat" close
beside tho highway, with a woman
smoking a oorncob pipe on tho door sill.
l was passing with a ned. when sho
called out;
"Arter Bowman or Jordon, Stranger
Neither one," answered as came
TO stop.
"Then who might you'un beT'
"Tm only traveller"
"Whar' do yo speak fromS"
"Tho north"
"Do exclaimi From way up north!
And what might youNn DO doing down
yeror'
"Oh, ! am travelling around . bit
among tho farmers to roe how they get
along"
She was smoking the dried leaves of
somo plant, and presented her with a
now pipe and some regular" tobacco
The gift highly pleased her, end she gave
me the door step and took log and
said;
"pm glad to meet up with YOU l
reckoned you might DO gwine down yam
to mix In with tho fussing. Heard yes
terday that tho Jordons had peppered
Dan Williams powerfully bod. Dan
sticks for tho Bowmans. ye know"
"Can you tell me tho cause of tho
trouble between tho two familiesy"
.'Kin I! Wasn't me n tho ole man
right thar when it headed out! Sartin,
I kin tell ye. It was at an auction down
by Miller's. Bowman bid on q bureau,
and Jordon bid on tho Same. Both got
mad and neither would back down, and
tho crowd divided of In two parts, and
directly thar was fuss and tho sale
was broke up and everybody got bad
blooded."
"How long ago wa that"
"Nigh ten vars, reckon"
"And has any one been hurtr
"Hurt! Why, thar's bin half dozen
killed and all Of twenty hurted. My Ole
man has got hunk Of lead In his shoul-
der on account Of II, and mebbe you'un
has noticed this scar on my cheekS"
eyes"
"Well, I was sittin' right whar'
you'un Is now ono AFTERNOON year ago.
an some ono fred from that bush over
yam to kill mo"
"But whyY"
"Causo ho'un was for Bowmans md
we'uns is for Jordons."
Don't you think II foolish to keep up
quarrel which started about such a
tri1e2'
"Ihen why don't tho Bowmans give
inY'
l had been directed to stop at Bow.
mans for tho night, and reached the
farm about o'clock In tho afternoon
A boy 10 years old, who was posted near
the house as q sentinel, gavo warning Of
my approach, but as it was seen that
was q stranger my reception was not
hostile ono, although Mrs. Bowman
and her two girls regarded me with dis
trust for a time The father and Oldest
son were hoeing corn quarter Of mile
away, and when they came up to tho
house at supper time saw that each had
shotgun. Tho family, as whole, were
far above tho average in intellect and
manners, and tho first parlor organ had
seen In month was In the parlor.
Nothing was said about tho Jordons until
after supper, when all of us sat down on
tho grass for q smoke and talk. Then
fbegaA 1t myself by saying:
"ls IL truo that o man named Dar
Williams was shot by tho SoriAns yes
terdayv
"Tben you've heard Of no Soraonsr
queried Bowman ip reply.
"Yes. Tho trouble between your two
families is known thirty miles away"
"And who do they say Is ahead?" asked
tho son Tom, as no drew himself up.
"They don't say anything about that
Thoy say you arc keeping people away
who would like to settle hero and helr
clear up tho country. They say you
must bo queor folks to keep up quarre
like this over ON old bureau worth two
or three dollars They say this quarrcl
Is tho reason you haven't got church
and school In this neishborhood- They
say you had store down al the eros
roads, but tho owner had to move away
or risk his lifo. They say you can't gc'
shoemaker or blacksmith 30 scttlC
around here, because hos got to tako ono
side or the other. They soy tho legisla
ture ought 70 pass law to send one oI
you to tho Atlantic and tho other 10 the
Pncific ocean,
For ono long minute every ono Of tho
group stared hard at mo, and net a liI
moved. Then Tom half roso and whis
pered:
Pap, houn Is fur tho Jordonsf'
If that was truo, why didn't / pas
on 10 stop with him over nightr Iaskcd
Tom, bo'uns dead sot" perfectly
right, said tho old man, u5scr a mo
ment's thought.
"You havo daarrsied and fought, shot
stabbed, killed and wounded for ten
ong years, and what have you gaincdr
asked.
no ono replied.
"Your quarrel has driven people away.
lowered the price Of your hnds and put
you to much trouble and expense Tell
nlr where you are ahcadf'
.;al dogs you'un ask ne 10 a'ro IN 70