The record-union., 1897-08-15

chased pork and potatoes of everybody
Iwho raised them, and laid in great
stocks of hay and oats, and bought near
~ hundred horses. A great many
people thought Lie was out of his mind
and ought to resign as Supervisor.
| Il tell ye,'' said old Bill Burton to his
wife, Sar' Ann early one morning as by
lcandle-light he pulled on his boots to
drive to Worthwhile, "Eije Benson is
crazy if ever man was. He's got that
museum of old cloes and hundred
horses eatin' their heads off and more
provision than ten families could eat in
winter, and I believe he's spent every
cent he had"
Then he amt the only old fool in
town, responded Sar' Ann. Il know
one that amt got provision in the house
to last three days and winter comm
right on
Well, amt I goin to Worthwhile
now?" said the old man, in disgust.
I'D gone last week if l hadn't been
KEEP so in the woods"
1t was past noon when Bin pulled up
his borrowed team in front of Hank
| Meadows general store in Worthwhile
Main street Bill was hungry, but he
decided to attend to business first. En-
tering the store he sought the proprie
tor.
We'll, Hank, want big bill of
goods this time"
Hank looked troubled. ''BilI,' said
! he, I'D like to sell you, but unless
you've got good money I can't"
Amt my money as good as any
man's?" said Bill, in much Indignation.
IF it's your county brass money. it
ain't,'' said Hank, land you know it
amt
IT know" said Bill, deprecatingly,
"that folks do like the old kind of
money a little better, but last I knew
you could pass il; you could always
pass a dollar for fifty cents up our way.
But I've been i'll the woods the last
month, and things may have changed
a little. But now, Hank" ne said, his
color rising, 1--WE traded with you
twenty year, and If you go back ON me
now 1ll do all my trading in Wells.
The storekeepers there have got to take
the county money whether they like it
or not
''Yes, but you got to pay their price,
whether you like it Or not" said Hank.
"They have to send down river for
their goods and they can't pay for
them in county money. Sile Donohoe
was here yesterday, and ne said to
Wells they wanted ninety dollars, coUn-
ty money, for a clothes line and ten
! dollars fer q drink, and they won't
sell for nothing but cash neither. for
they can't collect nothing but brass
money if they have TO sue the bills
| they trust out, and it's worth less
| and less every day''
The old mans hand shook. Hank"
said he, IF my money amt good, you
know my name is good. Won't ye
trust me for a suit of clothes and my
winter provisions?''
Hank hesitated a moment. mo,
Bill he answered, ct can't. l know
you're honest, but what property have
you got? I've got every cent trusted
out that I can stand in that county of
yours, where a man can pay his debts
with an old lamp
The old workman sat down on
wash-tub and his face quivered.
Hank said he, ''this morning I
thought I was rich. / owed no man
a cent and 1 had ten thousand county
dollars hid in my potato cellar but if
what you say is true, / haven't got
cent. I've got no provisions in the
house sold my team last month to
Hen Cole, and my very house and farm
are sold, and I've got to give them up
the first of March,
Meadows took a quick stride up and
down the store. 'BiH," said he, Its
a. hard case, a darned hard case, but
you're no worse off than half the peo-
pie up your way. I've had 'em here
every day this week I'd help 'em all
| If could, but I can't. Put what will
keep you a week or two in the wagon
and pay me when you can
Burton drove home very slowly, very
thoughtfully, and although Lie Ben
son lived a dozen miles from the Bur-
ton farm Lie was disturbed at break
fast the next morning. Bill went
straight to the point.
"Lije," said he, 81 thought I was
rich, but I'm ruined; want you should
help me. I've got nothin' in the world
but a wagon-load of old brass. My
farm is gone. I've got no team to
work with and nothin' to eat. But
you're rich. You've got farm, you've
got horses, you've got provisions, and
I've only the clothes 1 stand in"
II won't go back on ye, Bill" an
swered Lie Benson. ''Tve seen this
| comm and I've got ready so far as
I could to help my friends. Come up
! in the garret and I guess we can find
a suit of good warm clothes thatl just
about fit ye and there's a wagon and
| a pair of horses in the barn that you
can take home with load of stuff, and
| if ye'll come back next week I'll give
ye a job to draw bark that'll help ye
pay for the things I don't calc'late
| to make any money on this bust up,
and what you get from me will cost
! just what they cost me-"
The next week the Supervisors met
again. The Boy Orator explained that if
| they would change the weight of the
dollar from an ounce to half an ounce
| everybody would have twice as much
money as before and another wave Of
| prosperity would strike the county.
Hen Cole and Levey the peddler, who
now wore a big diamond IN his shirt
! front, and the agents of the lumber
companies, also expressed themselves
as thinking that the reduction in wages
and the rise III prices was good
! thing and would enable them to COM
! pete with Japan. Yet the repeal OF
] the free coinage act passed the Super
visorS unanimously.
| OF course they could not put things
quite back where they were. Most
! of the property in the county had
| passed into the hands of spectators
or had gone out of its borders to pay
/ for the brass that had come in. But