The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-03-29

sound Of brass and tinkling cymbaIs.
One OF the clerical looking men be-
gan to address the crowd. In the be-
ginning his harangue was not unli;se
that Of the average street preacher, but
he impaired gradually and In small In
stallments the information that this
was a missionary party from Utah sent
cut to teach the doctrines of the Church
of Latter Day Saints.
"Mormonsw snorted Ebenezer, and
into the crowd he stumped with per-
emptory order for the meeting to dis
perse and the missionaries to climb the
hill. Representation only moved the
captain to boiling wrath, and he vol
leyed and Numbered such dreadful lam
guage that the six tall hats moved of,
leaving Ebenezer In possession of the
field, but with shattered reputation
for piety.
When small boys offended on his
premises, the captain would roar: Hi.
there; go ashore, you little powder
monkeys! I'll take you all out to sea an
maroon your This would be followed
by wild scampering across the sands.
for the boys were divided In opinion as
to whether NARROWING meant boiling In
oil or hanging mt the yardarm.
For six years Ebenezer and Maria
lived in the shipyard. drew rent and
paid lawyers. The lake currents kept
adding to their sandy domain. and as
the beach widened displeasure grew in
the fine houses on the hill. The ex-
panding acres to which the skipper of
the Raven laid claim gave rise to vi
sions suggested by possible uses to
which the land might be put when the
mariner saw fit to sell, II his title ever
arrived at state Of perfection that
warranted anybody to buy.
The shipyard was bad enough, but
factory, thing of smoke and smell
and chimneys. would be worse. So the
hill folk managed to keep a lawsuit
imminent above the captains head that
he might not become too well estab-
fished in his belief that he was lord Of
the shore.
In the extreme Of their disgust aid
came to the enemies Of the captain
from an unexpected source. The town
upon whose hospitable front the Raven
had become a squatter decided to es-
tabi ! system Of parks.
1t was agreed with entire unanimity
that all the water frontage possible
ought to be secured for this purpose, a
proposition that directed instant atten-
ton to Captain Ebenezer Rowelps con-
tested territory. All the machinery of
lawyers, courts, writs and bailiffs was
once more set In motion. and Ebenezer
and Maria had to form new line of
battle.
Indeed they had come upon evil days,
for the discerning lawyer who had
been their chief defense in the earlier
years Of their occupation was dead,
and they had to intrust the fortunes
of the shipyard to strangers. The ag-
gressive city hustled Ebenezer from
one court to another, summoned him.
examined him, made him depose, af
firm, deny, give bond and generally
feel the pangs Of litigation until he de-
clared himself worried outen his Wit
ties"
allowance Of tobacco and told Maria
that he was sorely tempted to put to
sea again. A little later he gave proof
that this was an idea that had some
grip on him, for he set men to work
calking the Ravens gaping seams and
getting the schooner into something
like sailing shape again
One evening Captain Rowell return
ed and found the shipyard in a tumult
A case had Just gone against him in
one Of the courts. the Judge having de-
clared that title to the land was vested
In the city. and the municipal officers
lost no time In following up this vic
tory. Policemen descended, and the
sheriff came, and with them sundry
stout fellows having In charge teams,
timbers, crowbars and other tools suf1-
cient to make Maria tremble.
She bewailed the absence Of Eben-
ezer, but came part down the steps
that led up the Ravens side and gave
an imitation Of the captain In bad
temper. The sheriff said such language
was shocking. but she refused to listen
to the writ. Before Ebenezer appeared
to defend the premises from invasion
one Of the structures that the sailor
called q boat when he talked to a con-
stable and a house when he conversed
with q tenant had been hoisted from
It's anchorage and placed on skids.
One without occupants had been Sc
lected by way Of beginning, and the
Bird of Freedom, as letters done in the
highest style Of the sign painters art
announced the clumsy affair, was well
on her way toward the street at the
foot Of the bluff when Ebenezer came
snorting upon the scene. He did not
stop to parley with the sheriff. but
Owed into the cabin Of the Raven and
presently emerged on deck with a rifle
In his hands.
1t was weapon that had been pur-
chased in the early stages of the fight
for possession Of the lake front. but by
singular oversight Ebenezer had neg
lected to provide himself with ammu-
milton. However, nobody stops to in
quire with any particularly into the
condition Of gun when that gun is in
the hands Of a man whose hostility is
undoubted, and the whole attacking
force stampeded at the sight of the