The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1898-06-09
LONG MEASURE.


y
The facts here related took place in the
norehwes part of Maine about the
year 1886, and, although l was at that
time very young, indeed mere child, yet
the peculiar character of the oircum
stances. the neighborhood excitement and
the sad consequences which followed made
an impression upon my mind that seems
as fresh today as it did more than so
years ago.
A few miles from my fathers old farm
there lived two well to do farmers whom
we will call John and Calvin. They were
related by way of marriage and were once
great friends, but at the time my story
commences they were most inveterate enc
mics. Their farms lay side by side on the
county road, some few miles from the
Androscoggin river. For many years they
cut their hay in silence, each one moving
down to the dividing line with the preoi-
sion Of a master mechanic. Each owned
leo rods, and through part of the mead
ow ran a brook, which. like most meadow
brooks, was very crooked.
Now, John thought it would be an ex-
oellent plan to ditch his 100 rods, making
the brook straight and thereby saving
much land and making his field more con-
venient and productive, So he contracted
with a man named Redman to dig 100
rods of ditch at 81 per rod, beginning at
the lower line of his farm and following
down the stream to Calvin's line. Red-
man came, and with his two grown up
BOYS he went merrily to work, and John
made him rod pole for the occasion;
but being of treacherous disposition, he
made the measure a dozen inches longer
than usual, that he might get good re-
turn In this he did not fail.
Redman worked diligently for some
days Calvin was interested in the opera
ton and carefully watched the proceed
ings, often asking Redman how many
rods he had accomplished and always get
ting an honest reply. One day as he leaned
upon his scythe he called:
81 say, Redman, how many rods have
you got alongS"
eighty"
eighty Well, you're getting along
fast
Now, Calvin saw at once that he was
far too near his line for 80 rods, and, mus
ing upon the circumstances, he decided
there must be mistake. Knowing John
so well, he began to suspect, as he oonsid-
cred the subject further, that John might
be trying to defraud Redman, SO, dropping
his scythe and crossing the line, he sat
down near the rod pole and took of his
hat to cool and rest himself.
81 say, Redman, this is hot weather"
eyes
While SO sitting he took occasion to
measure the pole which John had made,
and to his delight he found it was just one
foot too long. Now, here was fun for Cal
vim. Here was a chance to plague his enc
my. Did he go and tell Redman? No;
not he. He laughed quietly in his sleeve
and waited for Redman to finish his work.
This was done, and the honest digger pre-
scented to John his bill for 500, received
his money and went his way.
Very soon after this was accomplished
Calvin discovered, to his great surprise
and Indignation, of course, that some one
had been trespassing on his meadow by
digging ditch about 100 feet long near
the line which separated his land from
Johns. Sending to John, he demanded
If that ditch was dug by his authority.
John, not suspecting any trouble, replied
that it was. Receiving this answer, Cal
vim at once started for the town and laid
his case before the village lawyer, who at
once saw that John had committed q
great wrong, known to the law as willful
~ trespassing on the land of neighbor.
A writ was accordingly made out, and the
deputy sheriff of the county, SO much
dreaded in those times, soon made his ap
pearance before John, attached his prop
erty for the damage done to Calvin's LAND
and summoned him to appear and show
cause.
John was astonished. He visited the
field and saw at glance that the ditch
was far over the line, and now for the first
time the awful thought flashed upon him
that in making his rod pole one foot toe
long he had actually dug 100 feet into Cal
WINS land. He stood aghast and Their
fastened to find the rod pole that he might
destroy the proof of his guilt, but it was
not to be found. He could not understand
where it had gone, but when he appeared
In court there that ghost of rod pole met
his astonished view. How it came there
none but Calvin knew, and he was silent
The case was soon tried and verdict Of
guilty was rendered, with nominal dam
age and cost of court. This with the ad
vantage of his enemy and the whitening
rebuke of the lawyers was terrible retri
button for poor John.
But more was yet in store. Redmar
saw, by the evidence at court, that he haC
been cheated out of 100 feet of ditch actu
ally dug, SO he commenced suit against
John. Again came the sheriff, again ht
went to court, and again he received tn,
cold cuts of the attorneys and the sneer o.
the people. with the verdict of guilty anG
the order of full pay to Redman and the
costs of court.
And yet more was in store for him. The
long rod pole was still kept for another
use, the worst of all, for now the church
of which John had been to all outward
appearances an exemplary member tool
the case in hand and expelled him from
their communion and fellowship.
Thus did the bitter get bitten. Thus
swiftly did the retributive justice of Goo
overtake the poor cheat W no secretly tried
to rob a poor honest man of the fruit of hi.
toll. The wretched John never heard tn,
last Of the long rod pole. 1t was the stand
ing joke for a generation. and although
nearly all the actors have long since set
tied their accounts with that Being whs
measures all things justly the lesson still
remains and should teach us that in al
our dealings with our brother man Got
will only prosper us when we deal honest
ay and justly.
A Mystery.