The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-05-16
H0WTHE RANCH WAS SAVED.
Journey 81 8 Postal Car Which
Ended IA 8 smash-Up
Scramble fap e. Mau Fanch-@Soo,DoO Of
Nneie sam'a Money IA nnnRsr-Lntor
v1eW with TIE Pcstmaster-Gonorul
IAN Expedited Pension.


There IS no use IN ugur1nHs NANCY, z
unIess L get she pension and the back
pay wen lose the place. said Mr.. Jeni- !
Ter, gloomily, rs he pushed away the
pencil and paper. Mrs. Jenifer looked
at her husband, blankly. SIS it as bad
ais that Hiramqa she asked.
sThene is no help for it, replied Mr..
Jenffer. '.The mortgage company at
Omaha will foreclose the mortgage on
the ranch unless the note is paid. The
wheat and the corn are harvested, and
at outside prices won't meet the note
by 5000"
There was silence for a few minutes,
broken only BY the click Of Mrs. Jeni-
Ser's knitting needles.
what did the pension lawyer at
Washington write in his last letter
about the prospects Of your claim get
ting through ~ she asked.
ssYhy, you know what he wrote,
Mandy. He said there were 1000 or
1000 cases ahead OF mine, and that the
s,ension bureau is very strict about
considering cases in their regular or
der. He said II might be over a year be-
fore they reached mine. When it is
taken up though he thinks I'll getsthe
pension and the back pay-that's about
$4,000, you know-for the proof is all
eight, and / have a clear case under the
1aw."
"It seems kind Of hard that. il the
government is going to give you the
back pay some time, you can't get it in
time to save the ranch from being sold
over our heads" sighed Mrs. Jenifer. 2
ssYes, and the hardest part Of it is
that they do sometimes take up cases
sout Of order . replied her husband, "but
the lawyer said it requires influence to
have that done, or some one must show
the commissioner Of pensions that there
IS a special reason for Il. have no in
Tuence away out here on q Nebraska
ranch. / can't even get down to Wash
lngton to plead my own case. There
really seems to be no help for us"
During the course Of this conversa-
tinn there had been a. interested but
silent listener on the opposite side Of
the table, who now arose and passed
through the kitchen door. This was
AJeck French, Mr.. Jenifer's nephew.
HE sat down on the bench outside and.
foked across the dusky prairie, lying
i'm and still iii The mooplight In
direction a group Of scattered lights
showed the location Q fthe railway and
the station.
V III they only knew all about it at
Washington he thought, II am sure
Ahey would take up our case first. Obi
e i could only get to Washington and
tell themi" A long time he sat there,
4hinldng, with his chin in his hands,
looking out over the prairie, AS he
gazed be saw a light some distance
away, moving rapidly along. He knew
at was the headlight OF q locomotive,
for he had often watehed them, miles
away creeping over the level plain.
Soon he could hear the rumble Of the
ears. and by the absence o Eghted VIM
sdows knew that 1t was not a passenger
train. When it stopped at the station
the lowing Of the COWS and some dis
-cordant squawks and grunts told him
at was a stock train bound for Chicago.
Every day these long stock trains
passed, and sometimes they stopped
while the cattIenen fed and watered
the live cargo. The cattlemen always
accompanied the train, and Aleck had
often en9ied the lot Of the young men
who were going to see the great city.
Then an idea came to Aleck-the pos
sibility Of doing something to ave the
ranch. He 500 stoIe away to his bed,
where he fell asleep thinking about it,
and took 1t up.again early next morn
ing when hewent to feed the stock.
After breakfast he went into the
kitchen, where his aunt was washing
the dishes. There he told her his plan
growing enthusiastic in the recital. HI
wanted to 20 to Washington and tel
the commissioners Of pensions the story
of their troubles and ask him to act
upon his Uncle Hiram's claim at once
Az he talked she, too, became interested
and her wan face was lighted up for
moment by hope; but she soon became
grave again.
"Buk Aleck, we could not spare eve
ave dollars TO buy your food on thl
way. for perhaps your plan might fail
Mo. 1t won't do said his aunt, shaking
her head.
Aleek went ont Of the kitchen with
heavy heart and walked towards iii
barn. When bio reached the gate hi
own little pony, Brown Bess. came run
ning to the bars and anectionatel.
thrust her nose ~ him to b4 stroked
AS he patted the mare's head nnothe
tdea came to him. Ina moment he wa
iii the harness room, Juggling at hi
Haddls on the hook; and Ave minute
later he was gallopsng over the prairi
towards the station. Up the principa