White Oaks eagle. (White Oaks, N.M.) 189?-190?, 1897-09-09

stores ana naFneSS SnOpS anu DdheIlcS
and coal offices. and one man ran from
an undertaker's headquarters, jostling
an approaching company of pall-bcar-
ers as he did so, to offer Zenf an option
on some excellent trackage property.
1t was two months before Zenf fell.
He learned to his surprise that Selig-
man, whose farm was two miles farther
out than his own, had lately p,atted
and sold il at an enormous profit, the old
Se!igman place now being "a manu-
featuring suburb" He also learned
that the land which lay alongside his
orchard was Catalpa View, where the
swell residents were going to build, and
that for a quarter of mile his trees
shook app,e blossomst upon the new
thoroughfare, Montmorency bouie-
yard, which was all iimson weed and
nettles. as a matter of fact. Zenf got
to thinking, and when the talking man
came to visit him one day he struck
sharp bargain. The farm had been
bought by him years before--in the Cd
days before Emsie was born--for $1,000.
He sold for $4,000, and this included
the little tract where the first baby
was buried; but, then, as the agent said,
he could easily remove the crumbled
little coffin to the cemetery and be glad
of heart that there were 10 more of his
dead to transfer.
1t was considerable of shock to
Mrs Xenf, but Emsie and Anton and
the little girl, Lucy, were so overioyed
at the comparison Cf $4,000 TO $1,000
that really there was hardly any objcc
tion frCm any quarter.
One day the Zenfs moved down the
winding lane under the trees, and that
was the last time they ever saw the
house under the grapevines, for the
very next day the agents men came and
cleared it off and drove stakes where
the surveyors had already marked the
new streets and cut trees for the thor
cughfare, and shortly after there was
an auction sale of the beautiful, lot in
Spring Hill addition, and common re-
port had it that the agent sold Sl21,OOO
worth of slightly lots before the setting
| Of the sun.
| Zenf had almost lost Griest, and even
with his $4,000 wondered what he
| should do with himself. \ man has not
| lived all his life when he is only Al years
! old, and Zenf had no inclination for 60
ing farther away and buying another
farm. One day an inspiration came to
him. lie would open a saloon.
Griest though; this was an excellent
| idea. Ten thousand dollars was there
core paid for a 5O-foot lot in the city.
which was now becoming a metropolis,
and for similar amount fine brick
! building was constructed.
Ienf's saloon was prosperous from
the start, but it was much .ess placid
than had been the house under the
| grapevines. There were new friends
aud new business associates and many
calls upon the eX-farmer for his time.
He had two barkeepers, and prosperity
seemed to be raining upon him. He
went down to the city hall one night
to appear with a committee of citizens
! Who wanted something done or some
thing undone, and his little speech
made so favorable an impression that
the leaders of the political party with
which he voted called upon him to &c
forth and work in the vineyard, talking
Politics had never before tempted him
because he had been so idly busy ar
guing with Griest about Bismarck, but
somehow he showed a remarkable apti
tude, and his family saw him less and
.ess as he penetrated further and fur
her into the jungle of craftsmanship
In the end he was nominated for county
treasurer as compromise candidate
and when he went home to tel his fam
ily about the honor which had come tC
him his wife, in hysteria, interrupted
him to say that Emsie had run away
with one of the barkeepers. II was {
bitter blow, for Emsie was the appl
of his eye, and the barkeepcr was
worthless sort of fellow. But time
were too busy for grieving and polite
called for him. The greatest feeling o
sorrow came to him when he was elect
ed and Emsie was not there to be gla
Of it.
lie had been raised to the farm. II
knew all it's taskmastering. and as
young man he had studied in its sever
( school. OF accounts, although a MAJ
, Unacceptable education, he was ignoran
| or. at most, he was not an expert. 5
, he yielded TO the suggestion OF the ora
/ tor who had presented his name an
/ chose that mans son as his deputy.
pleased him to go down to the ofIic
in the county building and to look abou
, him and think that he, Otto Xenf, farm
e er, was the highest-salaried man o
, the pay roll.
z Anton, however. took to drinking.
I Griest came to him one day and tol
@ him that Anton had forged his nam
y to n check for s., 900, and it would tax
that much to balance up the Griest aC
j ,ount. Zenf paid it and whipped til
;, boy, who broke from home that nigh
Q Zeuf was such a good fellow. \
I those who had helped him i'm the elc'
y lion told him so and asked him to len
them money. lie lent his $4,000 /
pieces TO various people, and when b
+ told the other good friends that he ha
no more they suggested that he migl
lend the county funds and not only az
j commodate them, but earn interes
T, lie thought it was in some way wroni
u but they said assuredly no, that a
=