Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-01-26
THE END OF A FEUD.

III and about Hickey township, just as
u haunted house or muruef mystery
or a long-lived scandal might have been
only the feud was much more salts
factory. because il had been on for four
years. and hardly a month had passed
during all that time that had not wit
messed some new episode in the affair,
and each one seemed more startling
than it's predecessor. And so it was that
the good people of Hickey township
held their heads just little bit higher
than their less fortunate friends who
reside in more peaceful portions of the
country.
1.-THE feud-all started on account of
yearling calf-than which, permit me
ia stock-raiSer of limited but fruitful eX
perience) TO inteIpolate, there never was
nor can there ever be a creature more
hopelessly, unreasOnably. emery" and
one more productive of sinful language
and display of sultry temper on the part
of its keepers. Yearling calves have
caused the recording angel more trOu-
bic, broken up more old friendships,
produced more family jars, and in the
form of veal begOtten more Indigestion
and the insomnia resultant therefrOm
than-but this is not an essay on the
sinful, spOrtiye steerlet and his short
ComingS.
The Walkers and the BenedictS had
been old EeighbOrs for years, back in
Ioway." In fact, the elder Walkers and
the elder Benedicts had been married
about the same time at he beginning
of the war and had just settled on adj
joining hOmeSteadS when the first gun
was fired on Sumter The men enlisted
in the same company, fought side by
side, ate and slept and suffered together
and at home their young wives waited
and wept together. When the little
Walkers and the little Benedicts grew
large enough to run about they were
playmates and boon companions; the
children of one family felt as much at
liberty in the home of the other as they
did in their OWn-fOr twenty eight years
the two families lived in peace and ami
ty, and then that miserable calf precip-
ttated an iTeparable row. 1t was too
bad, all the neighbors said, but it is a
noticeable fact that none of them at
tempted to patch up Il peace-life in
Hickey township and at Hickey Corners
would have been dull indeed. but for
the feud; so everybody sat by and watch
ed each new phase of the affair with Il
nervous, morbid interest, and comment
ed theron. but not in manner likely to
a truce on the part of the diSputants.
1t was this way: The Benedict and
and Walker house had been built on adj
iacent corners of the homestead quar-
tiers, and were quite close tOgethr; in
fact, one well. sunk on the quarter sec
ton line between the two hOmesteads,
had furnished water for the first four
years after coming to Dakota, and 1t
was only a short distance from either
house.
But it came to pass on the Walker do
main there was born and grew and
waxed fat and sassy Il brindle calf,
with q right smart chance Of white III
it's eve and a plethora Of deep died mis-
chief in it's SOul-and he fOr it was It
young gentleman 'critter,') while yet
of tender age, but tough of record, en-
away the day before, and when he re-
turned at night the gate of the calf-pen
was shut against him. and in the morn
ing. when Papa Benedict arose from
pOst-breakfast family prayers, followed
by the younger male BencdictS, hied
him toward the stable, he beheld his
neighbours incipient steer nipping in the
bud sundTy young and toothsOme cab
hageS. and kicking out of the earth,
in his bovine abandon, all he could not
eat.
Then was Papa Benedict wroth, and
thercupOn did he give way to naughty,
profane words, while the young Bene-
diets surrounded the offending calf and
brought him up for Judgment.
Now Papa Benedict was Il man of
hasty temper but easily Gained; so
when the calf was rendered him at the
end of a long rope his wrath had de
creased several degrees, and he wound
the rope around his hand and started to
lead the calf home.
1t was while he was bordering on
what to say to the calfS owner that the
calf suddenly remembered previous
engagement, and started in some haste
to keep it, heading directly across the
croQuet-ground. Papa Benedict wished
TO follow with more dignity than the
calf desired; and presently his feet were
scraped from under him by a wicket,
and he was being handled the way the
vaoueroS in South America are supposed
to make butter-at the end of a laSso.
He did not look very neat when a few
minutes later he reached the Walker
residence and called his neighbor out.
He was holding the calf up short, but
his temper had slipped its tether and
caused him to say bad words, TO which
Pop Walker replied in knd-Whereat
Pop Benedict seized a convenient neck
woke and killed the cause of the trouble.
OF course Their was a fight and con
siderable ill-chosen language; then, as
soon rs possible, Papa Benedict sued
Papa Walker for the damage to his cab
bages, and Papa Walker sued Papa Ben
edict for the value of the calf. After
that they prosecuted each other for as
sault and battery; the younger members
of both houses "SaSSad" each other at
every available opportunity; Mrs. Walk
or and Mrs. Benedict did no more neigh
horin': and Mort Benedict and Nellie
Walker "busted up with each other.
That is. Nellie broke with Mort who
for his part had a wholesome contempt
for fellds and such nonsense, and would