The Springfield herald., 1900-01-19
Old Baldy.

Wheeler chuckled gleefully at the news
and rubbed his hands. "Waal, mobbe
somethin II happen" he went on, IAN
mebbee it won't, but sha'n't be nit
sprised II Old Baldy comes out atop"
1.-The deacon's got right powerful
WILL" Sim Grimes suggested dubiously.
AN SO has Baldy-powerful'st will
In the county, bar none" But crit
ters is critters, and" And Grimes
was Just preparing to unload his mind
OF certain ideas concerning mans
primacy in the physical world. when
the other cut him short.
Now Jest look her, Sim Grimes!
Have you ever hearn tell Of one man
what limbered up Old Baldy when Old
Baldy want SO minded? There's
Tucker. an Smith. an johnson. an
Olsen. an Ordway. an Wellman-
didn't the whole caboodle try their
luck at breakin' Old Baldy's sperrit,
an didn't the whole caboodle give 1t
up7 Jest tell me this, Sim Grimes
did you ever in yer born days hear on
one man or passel of men gtttin' Old
Baldy on his feet when he took 1t into
his head to lay DOWN."
"Mebbe yer right" Sim Grimes as
sented mildly, then, his old faith in
Deacon Barnes returning, "but the dea-
cons got a right powerful will" But
Deacon Barnes jined a prevention OF
cruelty to animals society, didn't he?"
Grimes nodded. AN he don't b1ieve
in whippin' dumb brutes?" Nope"
Then how in the land OF Goshen kin
he make Old Badly git up when he
amt In the mood
Its more'n l kin tell" Grimes an
swered, at the same time starting up
his horses. But before he was out OF
earshot he turned and called back:
But the deacon's got a powerful will"
The farmers OF Shelbyville had little
use for Old Badly, and less regard; yet
he was one OF the finest oxen in the
county, and perhaps the largest in the
state. A good worker and splendid
yoke-animal, stranger might have
wondered at the celerity with which
his various owners rid themselves OF
him, after having been inveigled into
buying him. The same stranger might
have worked him a week before he dis
covered why, and again an hour would
have suficed to unearth the secret.
Old Baldy had but one fault-he was
stubborn. And he manifested this
stubbornness in but one way. When
ever things did not exactly go to suit
him he simply lay down In his tracks,
there and then, consulting neither his
own nor his masters convenience.
And there he would stay. Nothing
could move him. Force was useless;
persuasion as bad. The heavens might
roll up as a scroll, or the stars fall
from their seats in the sky, but there
Old Baldy would stay until of his own
FREQ will he decided to get up and
move along. Never from the time a
yoke was put upon him had q man
succeeded In budging him against his
will. It was asserted that he had
caused more gray hairs to grow in the
heads Of the Shelbyville farmers than
all the mortgages of the past three
generations. He always went absurdiy
cheap, and man after man had bought
him in the fond hope Of conquering
him, and winning not only the appro-
baton of his fellows, but very good
bargain. And man after man haA sold
him for little or nothing, insanely
happy at being rid Of SO much vexa-
ton of spirit.
"As stubborn as Old Baldy" became
a figure of speech, the common prop
erty OF the community. Fathers con-
jured obedience from their sons by Its
use; the schoolmaster employed 1t on
his stifI-necked pupils; and even the
minister, calling sinners to repentance,
blanched the cheek Of the most un-
regenerate with its brand. But in the
language of Deacon Barnes alone II
had no place. 1t was his wont to
smile and chuckle when others made
use Of the phrase. till people remarked
1t would be a blessing II he only got
the tough old OK once on his hands.
And now, after Old Baldy had become
thoroughly set in the iniquity Of his
ways, the deacon had bought him OF
Joe Westfleld for a song. Shelbyville
looked forward to the struggle with
great interest, and SLY grins and open
skepticism were the order of the day
whenever the topic was mentioned
They knew the deacon had will OF
iron, but they also knew Old Baldy;
and their collective opinion was that
the deacon, like everybody else who
had tried their hand at 1t, was bound
to get the worst OF the bargain.
Deacon Barnes and Old Baldy were
coming down the last furrow of the
ten-acre patch back of the pasture.
Five rods more of the plow and 1t
would be ready for the harrow. Old
Baldy had been behaving splendidly