The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-10-31

main street, promising that the land
snoud remain rent free to thre
generations of his descendants. Ace
cordiugly Henderson built a row OF
small stoae houses, investing virtually
all his savings in their erection, and
became landlord and man Of sub
siauce among his nelghbors David
Btenner Henderson, the youngest OF
the children. was born in one OF these
h uses on March IA, 1910
KICKED HIM INTO THE STREET.
After a heavy dinner the old earl
dropped dead one night, and the es-
tate passed into the hands of strsn.
gers who knew not Henderson. a
few days later the dead earrs younger
brother called at the Henderson
home and asked to see title deeds or
some other legal documents under
which the land on which the houses
stood was held. But Henderson had
no title deed, no lease, 20 legs j paper
Of suy sort whatsoever. he had
never thought to ask for anything for
the occupation Of the land, so what
need WAS there for papers ? Then,
"a I'd the young laird, the Hendersons
must get out inside of two DAYS
Henderson could not believe his ears,
but the laird meant exactly what he
said. When this was made clear to
bin, Henderson turned. seized the
young geatleman in his mighty
=, dsps'oat.ied dim 10 the door and
kicked him into the street.
la the mind of Henderson that
closed the incident, but his clever
wife knew better. She comprhended
how serious a matter it was for an
ordinary man to commit bodily as
sault on a member of the nobility,
aud knew that something must be
done or imprisonment might result.
s. that night she went to the lard
without her husbands knowledge,
and on bended knees begged for
clemeney, promising as speedy evae-
uation of the premises as possible
without legal contest of any sort, II
only there should be no prosecution.
1t took a long time TO move the an
Rered laird, but he finally relented,
aud six weeks later the family EN-
barked on the old ship Brooksby for
the United States, where two of Mrs.
Henderson's sisters we're living.
The trip lasted many weeks. David
was only six years old then, but he
remembers the stormy voyage rs If 1t
all happened last week.
ABUsY CHILDHOOD.
The Hendersons struggled slowly
to Chicago. When they reached that
place Thos. Henderson had just one
British sovereign Qess than so left
of the money he had realized from the
sale of his effects in Scotland with
which TO begin life anew
George Kerr, nephew OF Mrs
Henderson, met the party at Chicago
to escort them farther on their way
The young man had b olght alone
two covered wagons. In them the
new comers finished their travels
Wasting no time in idle repinlngs
Henderson buckled manfully to his
task, In less than four years he anc
his sturdy boys had established hem
selves so well that they were able tt
buy big tract of government lane
in Fayette county, in the northeast
ernmost corner of Iowa, and there
they settled and spread out, aftel
genuine American pioneer fashion
They named their new home Pleassn
Prarie, but their neighbor wouldn'
have it so. They renamed it Zen
derson's Prairie, and so it is knowT
to the present day.
1t would be hard to conceive OF
buster boys life than that OF DaviC
B. Il henderson in the log home bull
by his father. The whole cOuntr,
abouuded with wild game and th'
streams were full of fish, but the younl
ster had no time to hunt or play th'
angler. Daily in the summer time
unless it rained, it was his duty t
begin work before sunrise and con
tinue until after sunset. On rain.
DAYS, and in the winter time, b
read and studied, in the years be
tween eight and sixteen mssterlnI
Shakespeare, Milton and other En
plish classics. Ga Sundays he wen
to church. HIS only amusement
were athletics and be was chsmpio
wrestler of the entire region. Throug
this the course of his life was change
almost as completely as the episod
with the dead Earl of Buchan'
Younger brother had changed the cir
cumstance of his father.
HOW HE WENT TO COLLEGE.
1t came about in this way Whe
the youpgster was sixteen or sever
teen stranger who had heard Q
David's prowess as wrestler visite
Henderson's Prairie for the purpos
of trying conclusions with him. Th
stranger was taller and heavier tina
his boyish opponent, but Henderso
threw him rept atedly, the strange
finally admitting that the boy was th
better man. Finally the strange
said that if he could have what wa
/, osllad tha 90 rioht hand under hold :,