Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-10-10

but what can, repair the damage,
already done? People finally went to
bed; but there was little sleep that
night for the settlers. The wind
still blew relentlessly and without dis
elimination. Everything in its course
was doomed.
The next morning revealed scene Of
desolation not easily described. All
night long the burning wind had con-
tinued its work of destruction. The
leaves of the corn instead of glistening
in the sun were brown, and ratified
against their stalks as If dried in q
kiln. The injury done to the pastures,
though less obvious, was no less COM
plete. Hungry cattle were already
circling around the parched field in
search of fresh feed, and finding none.
Every hour revealed some new evil
dence of the completeness of the ruin
wrought Everything in the garden
was totally destroyed. The little trees,
which had been planted the first sum-
mer, were brown as in autumn. Set
tiers who had been there long enough
to have small fruit trees beginning to
bear found the apples half baked on
the trees. Nowhere could there be
found any sign of vegetable life. In
every direction the outlook was hope
less. Plainly there was nothing for
man or beast to subsist upon the rest
of the summer or the coming winter.
What to do was the one engrossing
question, and for it there was no an
swer. Stock must be disposed of at
once, but where were the buyers? The
horses-could it not be that such
team could be given away? Yet no
one could take them. Must they be
shot to keep them from starving? But
how could the farm ever be worked
without them? Such were the ques-
tions that were forced upon the Carter
household at every turn. But the chief
question, after all, was what to. do
with themselves. They had no friends
In the east, as many had, to whom they
could go for support. If they had,
they had no money to go with, neither
could they stay where they were with
nothing to live upon.
But that was not all. The capitalist,
to whom they were to have made q
final paym ent this autumn, and then
prove UP their land, would have them
in his power. He might foreclose, and
they would not only be left penniless
but would lose their farm and what
money they had already paid. Look
which way they might, there was no
ray of light or hope.
About eleven o'clock John came rum
ming in with a scared look. ''Mr.
Brown is coming. l can see his buggy
down the lane now"
Heaven help us!'' said the father,
fairly grooming with distress. No one
itor neared the house Harry went out
to hitch the horse, and Mr.. Brown en-
tered. ga az
GOOD morning, Mr.. Carter!"
Morning" was the only response.
Things look pretty bad to-day,
don't they?"
Couldn't be worse" replied Mr..
Carter.
Crops all spilled, reckon?"
Gail gone"
Nothing surer; and they say it's
that way all over the country" said
Mr.. Brown. .' '"..
"The poorhouse won't hold us all,
was the only reply.
You haven't much prospect of pay
ing up that little balance on the note
this fall as 1 can see."
Not cent" said Mr.. Carter, as a
vision flashed across his mind of their
little effects set ont unon the traalas
prairie, while they aHa
~ kinder thought that was the
shape things were in, and 1 thought I
might as well come around this morn
ing and tell you" Here their hearts
fairly stopped beating while waiting
to hear what they knew was to be
their doom.
1T does look pretty tough. We've
never had the hot wind since came