The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-01-03


are many little communities
- Of implanted plank cottages
or even of ''sod" houses whose inhab-
ttants possess more Of the characteris-
tics of the old time Yankee than the
present occupants of our New England
homesteads. And the reason for this
Is plain. These western Yankees are
1neal descendants Of our best Puritan
stock and in migrating to their prairie
homes from the rugged New England
hill farms took the peculiarities and
homely virtues of their ancestors with
them. Boston culture" has been fl
tered over the New England farm
steads, and the old time Yankee or the
old fashioned Yankee community Is an
impossibility in the east.
But these westerners display the in
dustry and frugality of their ancestors
They are handwriting people whose
pleasures come laboriously. For eight
months In the year it is tug with ma
ture for the necessities and few Of
the luxuries of life. The other four
months they are snow bound. 1t is in
this season, when the snow nantes
the prairies and the ice king letters
the water courses, however, that the
Minnesota boys and girls find most of
their pleasures.
1t Is in winter that 'school keeps"
and some of the pupils are well grown
youths and maidens. There is little
time for education during the rest of
the year, and the ambitious are not
,-1,o - rl.o
''book learning" The schoolhouse, usu-
ally in the center of the widely scat
tered community, is the headquarters
for all junketings and frolics. If the
schoolmaster happens to be unsteady
Inclined, SO much the better. There is
at once singing school established
for one evening in the week.
Several years ago in community Of
this kind known as Sassafras Bottoms
the young people formed a singing club
which met at the schoolhouse on Fri
day evenings. The people Of the Bot
toms made up a typical Minnesotian
community-there were none very rich
and few very poor. The young people
had all met each other in the common
school, that great leveler Of class dis
tinction, and there were few cliques.
There was one family, a recent &C.
QUESTION to the Bottoms, which was
rather an exception to this, however.
They had lived some years down St
Paul way In a much more thickly set
tied part Of the state and were inclined
to look down little upon their new
neighbors. Especially was this true OF
the son and daughter. Hiram Ball was
little spick and span fellow, with
dark complexion and eyes and hair al
black as coal. He was very gallant
with the ladies and was inclined tc
snub some Of the boys in way which
they could not resent excepting in
their hearts. His sister Mira was 9
pretty little brunette, but she, like bel
brother, had such an exalted opinion
of her own Importance that she. wal
not very popular. In fact, the coming
Of the Balls to Sassafras Bottoms wal
the sowing Of discord in the social life
Of the community.
The winter of which l write begar
with good fall of snow the day be
fore Thanksgiving, and at once thu
to take the girls to ride. There wer,
all sorts and conditions of sleighs
from the wood sled with carriag
seat affixed and the ordinary ''pung" t
Phil Dement'S old fashioned thigh
back" Phil bennett was the acknowl
edged leader among the young fellow
of the Bottoms, and it was considers
something Of an honor among the girl
to be invited to share his sleigh to an
from singing school, The old highbacl
a huge box affair which had often bel
merry party of six quite comfortably
was an Institution in the bennett fan
lily. 1t had belonged to Pills great
uncle, and Phil patched and painted
every fall with sort Of generation. +,
Phil was merry, good tempered fe
low, and, as have limited, the girls c
his acquaintance were glad to G
sleighing with him. But for two {
three winters past there had been few
er frolics in the old highback. Phil ha
seemed to prefer taking one youn
lady at time, and that fortunate pc
son was always the same-the doctor
daughter, Myrtle Kemp. Other girl
who may have secretly "set their caps
at the big good natured young farmt
had to turn their eyes elsewhere pc
force.
Hiram Ball happened to pass til
bennett place the morning after tt
first snowfall and saw Pills box sleig
in the yard.
Hello, Dennettw he exclaime,
"Whered you get that arkr'
Don't you like the looks Of it
queried Phil coolly.
at looks like relic of the noun
builders" said Hi, with a laugh.
Don't s'pose your sister would ca
to 60 sleighing with me, eh? respon
ed Phil.
"Well, hardly-in that thing"
"All right; l shan't ask her, then"
"Say, you don't really mean to Sc
that you'd ask a girl to go to ride wi
you in thatY demanded Hi confide
TALLY.
Phil looked at him calmly, but wi