Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1898-03-25

was happening the gossips heard that
railroad was coming.
To be sure, 1t was not to be much %
road-only little tap to the line
twenty miles above, to haul away from
the little settlement forever its wealth
Of pine and cypress, but 1t meant great
deal to the simple-hearted folk, who
had never seen the CLEAN of steel rails
nor heard the screech of locomotive.
1t meant great deal. too, to certain
man in one of the poor, worn-out, dead
and gone villages of the east, whose
father had long ago been adventurous
enough to set out in search of Cali
fornia gold. and who had got on his
journey as far west as the pine hills
of Louisiana, where he had had the
forethought to pre-empt section OF
land and the lack Of thought to go back
east Immediately thereafter. Perhaps
the coming of the little railroad
through this land meant great deal
to the poor son of the poor man who
had entered it years ago, and perhaps It
meant more to the land agent who had
the handling OF 1t for Its owner.
BY the right of assumption this
same land agent had come to be a
power in the neighborhood, and when
he laid off a town site upon the east
ern mans land. so that the little set
Element was left as sort Of strag-
ling suburb thereto, the people felt as
II the great world had come and sat
down beside them instead Of dragging
them out to itself.
In the new town there was to be q
station and a hotel and a postoffice,
There even came to be vague whispers
ings that at the next term of court the
settlement would go down to Sparta in
a body and cast its vote for the court
house to be moved to the new town
rather than to Gibbs or Arcadia. This
| patriotic sentiment grew as the new
| town grew. There was something In.
| spring about the sound Of saw and
hammer, and the glow Of red paint 0nl
| the little squat station. The women
did little else but CAB and gossip, and
the men either laid off work in body
or took turn about in watching the
progress of the building over at New
Town. reporting to the rest of the set
Element after nightfall.
All of this stir and excitement had
its effect upon 'Kiah and Ria along
with the rest With all the lumber
needed, Burnet's mill was kept busy
from daylight until dark, and 'Kiah
found no time to slip down from his
wagon and give Ria lift with the late
cotton picking. Perhaps that Is why,
he stayed longer than usual one Sunday
afternoon when he went to see Ria
and talk to Ikey and Mrs. Tilly He
stayed so long, in fact, that Mrs. lilly,
having exhausted her usual flow of cons
versation, succumbed under the sopori-
fic influence of her steady dipping, and
fell asleep In the chimney corner. He
stayed. so long that Ikey, who had
slipped out the back door, saddled his
mule and ridden away, came back at
dusk to find him still sitting and she'll
ing peanuts.
Been over to New Town." said key
In g hoarsa whisper, lest he should dis
turb the old woman as he stopped down
and felt in the ashes for handful OF
peanuts, TELL yer, things air boomin'
over that a. way, 'Kiah."
Say they air?" said Kiah, fitting
his chair back and running his hands
into his pockets.
THAT they air." likely went on.
Tell yer, that there land agent, he's
hustler"
SAY he air?" 'Kiah ventured again,
running his hands still further in his
pockets.
Eyes, sir. that agent, he's a reg'Iar
hustler from Hustleville," said key.
who had found a good deal Of time to
loaf about New Town, and picked up
its news and its slang.
"Tell yer what he's goin ter do He
says the road'll be though by Chris
mas, an he's fixin' up fer big barbe-
cue that day, when the first train gifts
here. Folks are comm from Sparta
an down on the railroad from fur up
as Homer He's goin' to git some law
; yers here FUN Minden to make speech
es, an the Baptis' preacher FUN Mount
Lebanon, an he's got posters struck
off an stuck up, tellin' that he'll give a
ten-acre lot with a two-room frame
house an th'ow in a mule to boot to
, any couple that'll come to New Town
an git married that day at the barbe-
cue Yes, sir, that's what he's offerin',
an hit faint no po' folks offer, nuth-
er. Ten acre don't seem no big slice
er Ian, but tell you, sight er pota-
toes an peas an turnips an collards
kin grow on ten acre. an SIGH as that'll
come in mighty handy fur the hotel an
railroad folks. Yes, sir, be dog-gone eff
| amt min to set out an hunt me a
gal OF as / am an put in a bid fur
that house an lot. I'd start out right
! now eff the oil mule warn't so tired.
Reckon, though. maybe, better go feed
her an wait tell mawnin'"
'Kiah waited till key had closed the
door, then bringing the chair down on
its four legs again he pulled his long
legs up and drew paper from his left
hand trousers pocket.
Here's that there poster likely was a
talkin' bout" he said slowly, handing
fha OIaPiu0 vollow and hIack hill m