Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-01-27
The County Farm.


name in the REGISTER a short time
ago. which brought to my mind a wo-
man at the county farm who lived with
you and your wife, way back forty
years or more ago. Now, l want you
to go down to the farm and see her.
am afraid she is not we'll cared for
and | want you to write me her con-
dition. | am poor man myself, but
| would take her home with me to live
if she is not comfortably situated"
So, last Monday morning, as it was
very pleasant, | thought las 1t Is but
mile cross lots through the farms and
woods. / will walk" When | got out
to the woods, along the path the chill
dren came to go to school, l stop
ped to look at the old-tjme hunting
grounds. For this part of the Valley
was one OF the best hunting grounds
in all this country. There were more
deer. turkeys, and other game. than |
ever saw IN so small a space of coun-
try The woods were full OF game.
As l walked along so many scenes
came up, one after another, it made
me feel as though / should love to live
some of these days over again. As |
got out to the top of low ridge that
overlooks all of the Valley east, aud
the county farm, | stopped and Toasted
my eyes on the fair scene. and my
thoughts were of the old hunts | had
taken IL all of that part of the world.
One | love 20 think over One morn
ing | wanted to kill a deer-not be-
cause | was hungry, or we did not
have plenty to eat-but the fever was
on me. But did not have time to go
out in the mountains, as was my habit.
for always kept this part for short
hunts. So called Carlo. my big dog.
did not often take a dog with ne
hunting deer, but | was in hurry. |
said to Carlo, You go down towards
the bottom field and start a deer and
fetch it around the Suck hill and | will
kill it when it comes around past me.
That dog seemed to understand what [
said, for he looked up at me as if he
fully comprehended all | said. said.
go now, and | will be out on the
ridge" So off he had started the way
! had pointed him. In a few minutes
I heard him open up. | said, Now.
get to your placer for | knew just
where the deer would run. | had
hardly got to my stand when here
came one of the finest big deer with
that hop-skip-and-jump - two short
jumps, then a long one in the air. AS
that deer came in front of me. about
fifty or sixty yards off. as it made one
of those long high leaps, | brought
Old Betsy to my face and touched the
ri "a # Nil 40 hat
deer just kicked high and flew along
as if the Old Harry was after 1t. 1t
ran about two hundred yards. and
turned a somersault, and then it fell
dead. By this time Carlo came with
his nose to the ground, giving out that
cry. He had a lovely voice! When
he reached the place the deer had been
when | shot, he fairly screamed and
went just as fast as his legs could car
ry him. When he came to the deer
he was going so fast that in trying to
stop he turned a sOmersault right over
it. As he picked himself up he gave
long howl, as much as to say, Come
on have got it." | was soon with
them, and fine deer it was. 1 had
put the ball through that deer's heart.
As | walked along looking at the
trees, so many of those early scenes
came to me, | almost felt as l did when
the hunt was made. | love to live all
of those times over again. Well, as
had to 60. | walked on until | came to
Mr.. Mulligan's. l stopped a few min
utes to talk with him, and he said
few days ago he rode his mule to Ar
cadia, and as he went to get off, the
animal got frightened at something,
and he fell to the ground with his foot
in the stirrup, and that mule ran away
with him. dragging him over the
ground. He said, My foot came out
of the boot | wore, and the mule ran
away with the boot in the stirrup, or l
would have been killed"
As | walked across the fields and
meadows of the County Farm, | saw ev-
erything looked up in good shape-the
fences whole aud the fence-corners
clean, and everything looking nice.
As | came 10 the yard | saw men at
the wood-pile cutting wood, and one
man picking up trash and burning it.
| saw a nice field of wheat, and every
thing looked clean.
As | reached the house the matrOn
came to the door and waited upon me
into the house. l made known my err
rand and gave her the letter to read.
| then asked her to go with me to see
the woman and hear what | had to say
to her. The old lady l had come to
see had seen NE first and knew me,
and she was at the door. | was taken
into the room and seated by a good
fire. / told this old lady | had come
to see her and had a letter from one OF
her friends. | asked the matron to
read it to her, which she did. When |
she had read the letter | said. Now. |
what have you to say?" She said, las !
far as living is concerned, | have
plenty to eat, and that is good, ard |
plenty to wear. My home is very |
comfortable. | have only one thing |
that / don't like. Some of the folks | |
don't like" She said, You can tell |
the man that writes to you | am well !
off, but if he wants to take me to his |
home l will go with him if he will |
come for me-"
| was invited to stay and take dinner |
and spend the day, but as | had other |
calls 20 make l did not stay long I
was invited to call when | felt like it. |
| think the poor of Iron county have
nothing to complain of, for the home |
is good and the fare is good, and it is |
a very pleasant place to the eye.
When left | walked over to the |