Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-08-24
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

8 Inthe Evening He Did Not Live Z
I Where He Had Resided In i:
( the Morning. Z
%o@o*o*o*o*o#o*o%oxo#o*oxoM
When Pete kissed his wife goodby in
the morning, his littlerframe house rested
on rollers. The house movers gang was
hitching clanking chains to the heavy
square timbers, and the brown horse,
with detected droop to his long head,
was ready to circle around the capstan
and haul Petc's cottage into the street.
Don't you. worry bit, Mary" said
Pete as he picked up his dinner pail
1.-THE house mover told me that not an
inch of plaster would fall. So long I'll
pick YOU up six blocks south tonight"
Sure thing replied the house mover
to Pete's inquiry. "This is a dead easy
job. You'll find your house in the middle
of the street six blocks down there to-
night and your wife and kids all o. K.''
Pete was an iron molder, and the foun-
dry where he worked was good hours
walk from home. He went to his bench
in cheerful mood. The elevated rail
road company had paid him good, stiff
price for his lot and had offered to move
his house free of expense to him. Pete
took the money and bought lot cheap in
new street, half a mile nearer the foun-
dry, two blocks from school and with
church just around the corner Taking
it all in all. Pete considered he had
made good bargain.
During the day Pete's thoughts were
on the little white cottage, with its clean
muslin sash curtains and light green
shutters, slowly travelling down the
street. He could almost see Mary anx-
iously noting progress through the win
dows, and the children, wild with the
novelty, racing and tearing around.
Every molder on the floor knew that
Pete's house was on the move. They
discussed the matter while gror.,cd
around the cupola waiting for the iron to
run. They We're full of suggestions, and
Pete received the benefit of the concen-
trated advice Of so sympathetic men.
The foreman once had passed through
the house moving experience, and as he
was the foreman and MS his house was n
two story brick his advice was regarded
as weighty and his suggestions treasured
us words of great value.
After Pete had filled and emptied his
ladle dozen times and had washed up
he started merrily to find his home.
When he arrived at the corner where he
expected to meet his cottage, none an
peared. Pete looked north and sout,,
through the dusk, but as far as he could
see the street was clear. A policeman
happened along.
Say, officer" exclaimed Pete, "haye
you seen one story white frame cottage.
go by here today?"
The policeman stared at Pete for sec
ond, then replied gruf1y, what Ter you
givin mey' :.
That's straight" said Pete, with ener-
gy. They're moving my house. It ought
to be here, but it amt"
Inc policeman grew sympathetic at
once I've seen no house movin, but
there's some red lights over there two
blocks. Mebbe it's your house."
Pete hurried for the red lights. 1t was
house perched on rollers in the middle
OF the street, but it was not his house.
de clambered over timbers. chains and
sklds to the front door, for the steps had
been amputated..
a woman with hand lamp answered
the knock. -
rave you seen one story frame cot
tage' white, with green shutters, and a
little woman with brown hair 20 by this
way today" asked Pete hurriedly.
The woman shook her head.
No." said she. We're moyin FOO NV
man hasn't got home yet either. Maybe
mes hunting for me too" and she girgled
Historically.
Pete gave her no comfort, but spranc
70 the ground. Near the house was n
grocery, and there Peter inquired for his
house. No one had seen it.
"Pshaw!" raid Pete. Its a light house.
and those house movers have got it in on
the lot" -
de almost ran to the new site and
found it vacant. He had spent an hour
searching for the white cottage and Ma
~ he had asked so persons il they had
seen WHITE one story cottage on tour,
and now he seated himself on the edge of
the sidewalk in front of the new lot he
mad bought and tried to pull himself to-
gether. He could not understand it. He
could think of no other path over which
the house might travel
Suddenly new idea struck him. Mrhe
hre department has made them pull the
house into vacant lot SO as not to block
the street III start from the beginning,
and ii don't find it tonight I'll sleep in
the woodshed. They haven't moved that
anyway. Only Mary will be worried.
In quarter Of an hour he was on the
old familiar sidewalk. AS he hurried
along he closely examined every house on
both sides of the street. Absorbed in this,
he forgot his Whereabouts, and he choked
and gulped in surprise when he suddenly
looked into t.}e windows of his own white
cottage and saw Mary with her nose fat
tened against the glass watching for him.
The house had not been moved a foot
Something broke" explained Mary,
helping Pete to a heapng plateful Of liv-
er and bacon, "and the man will be back
tomorrow. "-Exchange.
Where They "Hang Ont"
Il was travelling through thinly set
tied district up the country some time
~ 60 did n Ir,,r,, no ALL Go,