River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-06-03
OLD GABE'S COMPANY.
sy julia Truite Bishop
eeeeeseeeeeeseeeeeseeee

As YOU left the town and went out
nOrthward you followed where the road
1railed in an irresoIute manner up hill
and down dale, going out of its way to
pass struggling farms. Most of these
farms we're ill-kept and neglected. but
the most Struggling and disreputabic
of them all belonged TO old Gabe Carter.
'He amt got no call 10 work hard. 3"
said a neIghbOr. in eNtenuation of the
farmers sins OF omission, which were
many; "he amt got nobody To take
,kcer on but hisseIf. and ef he wants
to take things easy, why let i'm. that's
what say"
Old Gabe Carter had never rehelle I
against the tlisrespectful title which the
fates had given him. II had chung to
linn for many years now. and there was
a tradition in the neighbOrhocd that he
had been known by that name 40 years
agO-perhaps even longer than that.
The time had come when he would have
been surprised and disconnected n he
had heard anyone call him MIR. Carter"
Old Gubc was not beautiful To look up
on. His features were thin ard eager, his
hair long and struggling the tall form
was angular to the last degree. \ mis-
cellaneOus assortment of ill-fitting gar
ments generally made up what he called
his "clO'es." though there was mys-
t,riOus outfit hanging up in the spare
Tuom.' known to him as his other
tiC'es." When he went about the farm.
he wore his -'clo'es,' but " hen he went
I'll II 4.
Generals in the community, he came on:
H. all the spleudor Of his other cio'es"
This was SO well recog hized that hen
I;ccky McGuire, CHANGING out from th,.
kitchen window, saw him I'm the glory
If the other cio'es." jogging serrneIy
down the road, She screamed TO her
mother:
"Oh, ma. ma, There goes old Gabc
Carter in his other clo'es.' Run an ask
'im hos dead"
nd Gsie lived alone. with n few
trifiing exceptions. One Of these was
the hired man. who occupied the cabin
at the further side OF the orchard. lie
would lot have even a hireo nan too
uear. ~Cump'ny's mighty good" hc
eNplaiucd 20 that luuctiOnary. but 2
body can have ipo much o. Il. an ef YOU
an MT was to GIT lonesome 'taia't %
fur but what We can call one another. %
NuI set he Vas not ayerse to COMPANY
at mos. seldom did any neicaDor
folio, the road that trsilcJ ras; the
farm b~t ne saw old Gave leaning over
the feEre waiting Ter Inn 81 such
times the cid man hal strang1 things
e. teIl-things which ma5c the neigh
bors stare and shrug their shoulders
when they were out % sight.
''Ne see that rooster, Julius Caesar
he would inquire. with look OF pri ie
illuminating his face. That's the
Smartest critter t.5sy IS in three couu-
ties Maybe you don't know that Julius
foretoT this moruin's rair. 5es' as plain
Is ef he'd a-talked. an been done with
II I knowed when that rooster started
10 bed las night that he had sOnethin'
uu i mind; an he hadn't been there
norr'u half hour before he fOun' out
what IL was. IN then he crew FIVE
times. jcs' As loud as he could crow,
s''s 10 let me know: an right then I
Luowed we vas a-goiu' to have rain.
Julius has been In the foreteIlin' bust
ness some time. an he amt never made
mistake yet. Jes' look at i'm a-strut-
aroun' there like as ef he ON ned the
earth. He knows ever word I been
a-sayin' as well "a ef he'd a-said Il his
self. There amt no critter nov here
smarter than Julius.
Aud, Indeed. Julius Caesar strutted
about with a full sense Of his own inn
portsnce as a rival Of the weather bu-
Teau. which has, like him. been in the
-for.telIin'" business for some time.
hut which has this disadvantage, that
4, has been known % make mistakes.