Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-03-24
40 L JIM

luaSi'ellt' n most silly things, and
yet prospered. At school he was
noted for his folly, as well as for pluck
and GOODNESS. Ii a big boy maltreated
a little one, instead OF minding his w
business, as a sensible boy should,
Fool Jim would take it up and thrash
the bully.
When that wretLaed little Dick
Greene, the 0 OF old Corney Greene.
a sort CT odd-iobb man about town,
broke his leg by q fall from a cherry
tree, Fool Jim used to go around and
cheer mp the little brat, and spend his
pocket money, ofwhich ne had plenty,
Tor Dicks benefit. All the leading big
boys OF the school thought him n fool
but no one dared to tell him so, for.
though he was not quarrelsome, he
was quick to resent an insult, and
was a tough customer in a rough and.
tumble fight.
Follamble left school for an acade-
my where they prepared boys for col
lege, and went afterward to college.
L lett at n same time TO become un-
der-saiesman and general drudge in
D grocery shop OF Figs & Oalchieze.
lost sight OF him then, except at va.
cations, until he was graduated. and
had come home. His father. n con.
hrmed invalid, was very rich, and
made a great fuss over him when he
returned, and was very proud OF the
lact mat Jim was at the head of his
class. There was no nonsense about
JIM, i must say. lie remembered all
ms Old schooImates, and put on no
airs. lie would come into our shop
at all times and talk with me when /
was not busy, and, as he would be
very rich IN time, old Eggs, though
he did keep his peoples noses close to
n grlndsSone, never grumbfed at 1t.
Not that Jim was an idler. He
took a vast deal off his sickly fathers
hands IN managing the large planta-
ton. No little job that was, either.
~Fol!anlbe place embraced over nine
teen hundred acres, and with the ex-
ceptlon OF a hundred acres of wood.
land, and about three hundred of
pasture and meadow, was closely cul.
tlvated. There was a fine herd OF
Jersey cattle, then coming into vogue,
and over forty blooded horses, besides
Others for plough and wagon.
For four years there was nothing
worthy of note, except that | got to
be head salesman and a sort OF gener-
al manager IN III concern, which,
considering my age. was a big lift for
me. But old Foljambe died at this
time, and as James was motherless,
and an only son, he succeeded 30 the
property. Then began the follies of
this son, which made talk for the
! country around for years.
The first exhibition was in the mat
ter of the Peabody mortgage.
There had been two Peabody broth
ers. Nathan and David: but David,
the younger one, on his fathers death
had taken Thousand dollars in
cash for his share. and gone off to
Mexico to seek his fortune. He wasnot
heard of-aiterward, and was believed
to be dead. Nathan stayed on the old
place. He was a shlftless man, and
though he married Ben Merits
daughter, who was a tidy housewife
and a prudent woman, he could not
get along. The farm was pretty well
worn out and he aid not improve it
at all. The crops grew less and less,
and Nathan drew a crop OF debts. To
wipe that out, he borrowed another
thousand dollars on bond and mort
gage from the same party who held
the first mortgage given to raise
David's money. Things grew worse
and worse, and at last the interest
remained unpaid for two years, and
proceedings weretaken to torecloset the
! mortgage. Nathan took sick over it
and died. The doctor said it was the.
typhoid fever, but every N thought.
it was the trouble, and that Nathaa
had given up the ghost because he
could not face his difficulties. At all
events he died, leaving his widow with
one child, a girl OF fourteen. She was
very pretty-the image OF her father
and all the peabodys were fine look
ing people; but she had her mothers
ways.
Everybody pitied the widow, for it
was well understood that the farm
would bring no more than the debt
and law expenses: in fact, that the
mortgage would be obliged to buy it
in. With the exception OF one spot,
the farm was a WORKOUT sandy loan,
over-run with sedgegrass, the sign OF
sterility. The exception was a hill,
covering about forty-tyo acres, APP
parently composed of q tough, gray
! ely clay, unfit for even brick-making,
and incapable OF cultivation. To be
- A. g 80 o,a orNrnI tho hnnEn
which was at m end ofthe place, had
been used as a vegetable garden, and
/ that was in a little better order. 1t
was "a sorry piece OF property. So
when sale day came, and | happened
to be over at the county town, / drop.
ped into the courthouse where the
Sheriff was to sell. | found only a
half dozen persons, and one OF these
was Foljambe, and another wasPhipps
who held the mortgage.
The sheriff, stating that every one
knew the place, which had been with
the Peabodysf for overa hundredyears,
asked for a bid. The amount against
the property, including the legal costs.
was twenty-three hundred IN eighty
four dollars. Phipps put that IN as a
bid, but remarked he didn't want 1t
at any price, and any n advancing
or that might have 1t.
"That leaves nothing for the wild
ow," observed Foliambe.
Suppose you bid more. then, on
her account" said Phipps.
81 shall" replied Foliambej "thirty.
five hundrad dollars"
sis that your bid Mr.. Foliambe2"
inquired the sheriff.
"That is my bid, sir"
So the farm was knocked down to
MIN. When We were coming away
Foliambe said to me:
"Coffev, you 60 past the Seapody
Farm on your way home. l WISH
YOU'D stop and tell Mrs. Peabody that
the plaee has brought over twelve hun,
dred dollars more than the debt, and
she must take out letters OF admins
tration. And tell her for me not te
think OF moving. She can nave tine
house and the garden around 1t lfet
of rent, She's a thrifty woman ano
with that start she'll get along.
felt that F~oliambe,s conduct wa
through an impulse OF generosity
which he could well afford. But tht
general verdict was that ne iooi'
p-' ne bid a hundred over Phipps,
ar even two hundred. 1t might nave
nassed. but to throw away-aosolute-
" throw away twelve hundred o
larsi When they heard afterward that
he had aiyen the widow a life estate IN
H. ho,Sa and garden, it was general