Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-03-26
CHAPTER Y.

Early IN the summer preceding the hap
penings here narrated, a good, dOuce,
middlelged Scot, on his way from Edin
bro to OhiO-where he expected to pur-
chase land-StOpped for a visit among the
Camerons Of Elder township, to whom
he claimed some distant relationship. The
beauty and fertility of the country. in the
RacCoou Greek Valley particularly. and
the presence here of numbers who at
least knew his forbears," and were pre-
-sumably kin to him. brought about a
change in his plans and instead of going
on to the Western Reserve" as he had
intended. Roger McFarlane bought a.
half-sectiOn of good, though unimproved,
farming land from the widow Cameron
Johns m0ther-and settled down. He
was a bachelor, upon the verge of being
classed as an old" one. and arranged to
live at the widow Cameron's until such
time as be could build home for him.
self on his own acres an achievement
that he feared would be far enough off to
give him more than ample time to find
a mistress for that home among the bux-
ON lasSies Astounding in the neighbor-
hood.
Acquainted only with the hard individ-
ual struggle and sharp competitive strife
of existence in the old world, Mr.. Nc
Farlane had no idea of the common help
fulness by which our early settlers
brought their cooperative forces to bear
for the accomplishment of their heaviest
tolls, such as would have been beyond the
strength and means of individuals. Hence
he arrived, by careful calculation, at the
conclusion that it would take him about
two years of hard, unremitting toll to
erect a suitable house and barn and 10
clear u couple of tillable fields. or
course. that time might be considerably
shortened. if he could make ur his mind
TO hire help, but he was lotn to part
with the "Si.ler" in hand and brayelv
made up his mind to do himself all that
was possible for him, employing assist
auce only in the absolutely needful work
OF raising the heavy logs of which the
buildings would be constructed, a lob
necessarily far in the future.
John Cameron, seeing chance for such
surprise party as does not occur twice
in a mans lifetime. took care not to en-
courage Roger TO any different hope. and
readily Won the cooperation of all who
the patient. industrious. kindly faced
Scot, IN keeping him from even a suspi-
ciOu Of what was in store for him. And
all through the summer and fall Roger
worked steadily on. under Johns con
slant advice. Upon so much Of his land
as he proposed to clear. he cut down the
trees trimmed them. burned the brush
and chopped the logs according TO their
adaptabl,ity for building. fencing or fire
wood. He even "rough-SQuared" those
inteUdei Tor the house. John having ad-
viSed him 20 DO 50 in order that they
might be better seasoned when ne came
20 build, Aud he chose the site for his
new home. which John approved.
One cold and brilliantly clear December
morning Roger MCFarlane was inexpres-
sibly aStoui>hed. He had just commenc-
cd telling huge white oak tree. when
half 4 dozen neishbocS gathered about
him. Hardly had he exchanged greetings
with them when several more Joined the
group, aud before he could express his
surprise more came troopiQg in from all
directions. until he saw around him some
forty stalwart men, provided with axes,
cant-hoOlS, haudSpikeS, horses, bob-sleds.
Tor clearing and building. With them. of
course, came a little army Of boys and
dogs The men simply said; Good morn
ing" 20 him and went TO work. Some lev.
sled the ground where the house and
barn were 70 stand. others hauled the
very corner stones he had selected and
the logs he had ready squared, and com.
menced putting up the two structures
with CELEBRITY and eXpertneSS that fair
ly took his bsesSh away. While this was
going on, another detachment split intl
rails the logs selected for that purpose
and piled Compactly those set apart fol
firing. The boys busted themselves trims
brush heaps and chasing with the dogs
the rabbits that ran out OF them. Tbs
air was full OF the shouts or men; neigh
ing and tramping Of horses; rattle o.