The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-01-22

Related by Silas Hawkins, P. IA
and Storolceeper.
lCOpYKlGnT. lsVI

amt much Of a story teller. but
guess ! can give you the straight facts
about Jim Wright's courtship and mar
rage rs Well as anybody. II happened
about 20 years ago, and il interested
the folks around Barl1lcy's corners so
much that for four or five years there
wasn't 10 quiltin' bee. nor mite so
cie;y. nor apple cut. nor raisin'. nor
stump pulin' that somebody didn't tea
something new about il. and ! guess
they're talking about il yet ut the ten
drinLin's. Ii was all brought pack
fresh to my mind one day last weel.
when / found ont my Oldest boy. Silc.
was Kind o. shinin' up to Jim's oldest
girl. Sarah. named after her mother.
Jim's q pretty prominent citizen now.
Hes the manager Of the Barkley place
and a member of the county board OF
supervisors. and some do say he's go;
! Ms eve on the legislature for next term.
Yes: that's him gon' by now. You see.
he's big. tall Teller and looks kind of
inposin' like. When he was a young
sfpr he wasn't exactly what you'd call
handsome. but he looked as solid rs a
rock. and his eyes was always wide
open. only when he had to face girl.
then he used TO weaken. That's what
made his courtship and marriage so
curious.
4 good talker? Well. yes. he is. now.
Not very polished, maybe. but he can
speak to the pint. and that's more than
some Of your college educated fellers
can do. But he never was much of a
speaker till after he got married to
Sarah Anderson.
Jim got well acquainted with Sarah
vhen he was nothing but hired man.
workin' on the Barley place. when old
man Thompson was manager. Sarah
was worhn' there, too. then. She was
Mrs Thompson's hired girl. No; you
couldn't call 'em servants, the way you
city folks look Mt IL. Sarah's father was
old Deacon Anderson. and he stood just
as we'll in the community as old man
Thompson did; maybe better, because
Deacon Anderson owned his own farm
and Thompson was kind of a hired
man for Barkley. The Barley place,
you know is about 500 acres. It's the
biggest farm in this town, and Barkley
himself spends most of his time in New
York and Boston and Europe, and other
iar-awav places. where folks has more
money than brains. and has coachmen
70 drive for 'em and puts on different
coats a, different times Of the day and
all that. Sarah Anderson used to eat
a. he same table with the Thompsons,
q course. and so did lin. Why. ii
either Of hhem had beer asked 10 cat sep
ardie from the family they'd have quit
right OF and everybody arounA the cor.
nrrs would have backed em up in it. too
Nhy the Thompsons would have beer
rua out Of the neighborhood If they'd
MI themselves up to be too good to
ha'e Jim Wright aud Sarah Anderson
sei With them when they ct their meals
'im Wright's father, you know, was
'Nn doctor here for good many years
'hu he wanted to send his boy 10 col
"se' but Jim wouldn't 20. lie like
NpiNln' with his hands better thar
frlyin' books. He said he could max,
Nie money in the long run his way
.lN when he hired our TO old MAI
lAvn 'soh he declared that he'd Is,
MANAGER Of the big farm some day
WV ~ ne Is now, as I told you a lttl
while ago.
AANnc I'm getting Off the story
N nit. but ! just wanted to explain
W" jim and Sarah stood in this neigh