Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-02-23

Justify. Hapgood was unframed, and af-
ter Offering to give a similar lesson in po-
litical economy to any man wanting 1t, and
getting no reply, walked off. The others
held public meeting, and passed resolu-
tions pointing With pride to the peaceful
tone of the Brotherhood, and viewing with
alarm the recent occurrence.
Affairs ran on quietly enough for the
rest of the season, though it was generally
conceded that William Hyde was not
proper man for chairman of the board of
managers. Some talk of Hapgood for the
place was heard, but the election was still
in the future. Winter closed down early,
and after a considerable snow storm there
was a thaw, which was succeeded by ex-
tremely cold weather, which made the
roads icy and slippery. Cord wood was
selling for twelve dollars a cord at Yank-
ton, forty miles distant, and there being
considerable timber along Choteau creek,
the Brotherhood wished to send as much
wood as possible to market. But there
was difficulty in the way. The colony
was provided with oxen only, no horses ;
and the icy condition of the roads made it
necessary that they be shod. Now it hap
pened that though there were two or three
horseshoers among the Brotherhood, there
was no one, so far as known, who could
shoe oxen. This may seem strange to the
reader who is not an OK owner, as no doubt
some readers are not, but the fact is that
the shoeing of the patient OK is delicate
matter. In the first place, an OK can never
be taught to stand still like a horse while
the shoes are being applied, but must be
put in an immense sort of vice; in fact,
before the OK can be shod he must, to all
intents and purposes, be put into dry dock.
If this is neglected, and the wrong-headed
animal is not securely fastened, the black
smith will find himself kicked into splin-
tiers. Further, the foot of the OK being
cloven, the shoes have to be made in two
pieces, and OF peculiar shape, and appli-
ed in a particular manner.
The prospect was certainly gloomy.
Wood twelve dollars a cord at Yankton,
roads like a skating-rink, and oxen unable
to skate, though better prepared for it than
for walking. At this juncture Peter Hap
good arose and casually observed that he
had shod more oxen than the whole Broth
erhood could shake a stick at. This intel
ligence was received with shouts of glad
ness. But the next moment they were
turned to means of CONSERVATION. 81 can
not" said Peter Hapgood, edo skilled
work like that, requirin' brains, for one
certifkit a day. The least l will work for
is ten certifkits.'
At first the Brotherhood was speechess,
then all the members talked at once The
matter was discussed for the better part of
a day. Hapgood was appealed to in vain.
All talk of equality of man, eternal justice,
the Tramp of Progress, and the PROSTATE
Poor, made not the slightest impression on
him. He simply folded his arms and re-
piled:
"You bushwackers ignore the great law
of supply an demand. With forty OK
shoers an one OK a certifkit would prob'ly
be all o. K, but with forty oxen an one
sheer the price materially takes a jump.
Ten certifkits or you don't see old Peter
Hapgood hangin' on to the leg of no OK"
OF course there could be but one outcome
of the matter. The constitution was
stretched and Hapgood allowed ten GER
tificates day. Accordingly for the next
three months he worked industriously at
mailing shoes on the unwilling foot of the
struggling OK. He drew his ten certificates
each night while everybody else drew but
one. He spent but little money and lived
quietly. The belief that he was the proper
man for chairman of the board of mana
gers grew, two men that Hapgood occa-
sonally gave lesson in OK shoeing being
particularly outspoken in his favor.
About the middle of February the snow
became so deep that it was impossible to
get to Yankton or anywhere else. Blizzard
followed blizzard, and the Progress Coop
erative Brotherhood was cut off from the
rest of the world. Even the mail bearing
The March of Progress ceased to come
Early one morning, just as another blizz-
ard was beginning to become excited, Hap
good appeared at the Brotherhood store
and said to the man in charge:
"Prices the same, l s'pose, whether a
Teller buys much or little?"
Eyes, sir, replied the man.
"That's right - equalerty of man, ever
lastin' justice, progress humpin' herself
Figure up what yer whole stock is worth
want to buy it,"
The man was somewhat astonished, but
complied. Hapgood sat on a box by the
stove and whistled "Old Hundred" and
occasionally stopped to dump half-scoop
of brown sugar into his mouth. In an
hour the man told him that the entire
stock footed up exactly $1,000.
Here's yer money!" said Hapgood,
pushing stack of certificates over the
counter. 81 shan't need you. think l
can run this yer business myself" and he
pulled out his piece of chalk and began to
figure on his boot leg. The man took the
certificates and started out. He paused at
the door, came back, and said:
"Come to think of it, reckon we need
a bag of flour at our house. I'll be your
first customer" and he handed out two
certificates.
you'll hev to act dif'rent frum that if
you be-" returned Hapgood, as he con-
tinued to make mysterious marks on the
leg of his boot.
"What do you mean?"
81 mean that OWN to the skercity of
flour that the price of the same has riz.
Best quality flour is now six dollars bag,
cash money, as OWN to the stringency of
the times and the financial distrust certif-
kits will no longer be received
The man was dumfounded, but as he
had to have the flour, he took it on Hap
goods terms, and went out into the storm
with the bag on his shoulder.
The guileless believer in equality, who
had wished to get away from world of
injustice, now went out and got the two
men to whom he had given lessons in OK
shoeing and installed them as clerks. He
next got out the half dozen repeating rifles
which were in stock, polished them up,
loaded them, and placed them on the
shelves behind the counters in conspicuous
and accessible positions. Then he wand
cred about the store with blue pencil res
aN.- IL