The tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1900-1902, 1902-05-08

( A MISSOURI COMPROMISE Z
;
ok EDWARD u. CLARK

there Tor sixty-nve years. That wa
Just his age Hia habitation was rude
but comfortable and hia daughter Bcsa
tended Il with hoasewsfcly care. Bess
was Dude only child. She vas o coy
mountain maid Of ~. and as pretty al
Dne Of the wild flowers that peep trom
the ground In tho Bie Black VALLEY IN
March.
Bud had a noighbor. 81 Nsithers. 50
lived down the stream q ways, and the
holdings OF the two men Joined. 81
had q con Bin. Between tho two
mountain farms over IN a corner lay q
triangular piece Of ground not more
than two acres In extent Outside q
tie woodland this was the only piece
Of land on the Jackson-WIthers hold
lags tha was not cultivated. It was
weed grown, and though Il would have
supported a goodly crop Of grain, no
seed sown by the hand OF man ever fell
there. It was known for miles around
as the Debatabie Ground BUD and 81
both claimed The piece. and had wran-
gled over II for years before the ieud
became deadly. At the present statue
o. things n either n SCI his foot on
the strip the other wouli have shot
him.
Bud jackson had a hobby. He was
q collector Of birds Scientists from
ST. Louis and from the Western state
colleges came 70 his place every sum
mer to look al his collection. He never
would add a bird 10 the iot unless Il
had been killed in the state Of Mis-
souri,, provided always Of course that
The bird was known TO have been sect
IN the state. bud didn't expect to set
and fsmlngoes In Missouri. but II he
should have heard an Indian tradition
that 500 years before a aamlngo had
been seen on the Big Black, he would
not have added the bird 10 his eollec-
ton until ome one had sent him ons
with the proper a~ttestati0n that il had
been killed inside the limits Of hta
native state.
What a collection that vas There
vas pretty near everything in It iron
he r~uby-throated humm.ago.Td 70 ~
his bronze Wild turkey. Bad had q
build an addition to bis horse TO s.or'
his birds Some people said hat Bud
cared more ior his birds than be aid
for Bess. which was q lie. For years
Bud bad secured the moods OF th'
Czarks. extending mis- trips 70 the ad'
Joining counties for tho 1lrpose q
getting n bird. the ivory-lliied wood
pecker. he knew that the ivory Oh
was a dweller Of the southeast Units'
States. but he also knaw that stfsg
sling birds had been seer 10 the deei
goods of the mountains ~ Missouri
and So he kept up his se2rDA With hi
shotgun over his shoulder year airs
soar Tie could awe purchased Al
ivory hilled woodpccker. killed some
Vhsfe else for something IKE see on
hs vould have a Missouri bird Or none
He slept cut nights Ia the woods an'
starved and thlrstei on the trai OF re
pcr,s that the Big bird had been seen
Generally il turned that those WIZ.
told 81 tie appearances Of he wood
packer. BOT knowing much about hlrii
rad seen The big LOG cock and ha.
trken him for hls stu bleger brother
one day IN the summer Pad notice
that Bsss haa something on her min'
she started suddenly whenever b
smoke 70 her ard mere Than oat
blushea vlvidly. The Ola man didn.
say much. but Just thought he'd LET ui
u,ng come oat by itself But Il dtan
come out Bcan just kept on acting
though she worc way 90 somewhere
tho clouds One day - tht old ma
waa coming back from q eorvcting tr'
he could have sworn be saw BIN W1tl
era. old sic son. making OF across %
brook from the direction oi phs tse'
soa hume saa grippea his gau usht'
a felt a lump come ap IN hts thFea
80 thought be knew now bow TO a
count for Bees blashlng. ie kept b
Own counsel however lie knew ~
II old withers know 81 IL be would
t,s, a. hot about q a. ho VeS A1
e,ea nsesle eurloasly when he entcs'
the house and asked n hera had De-
ANY visitors while he had bosn away
NO. stammeFcd the sirl, and foll
blunhibg directly.
olIumph, said the fafhah
Two asys later Bessie wong ont
pick hlactberrlos Halt an hour aft
her father followed Ia her uail n
blackberry patch lay IN tho direce.
Of The Dohatablo Ground BUD car
GO a rise Ia The laad and ioofe1
toward ths triangular BIT Of ground
dispute by the Great Auk whaF y
that he saw There in uhe eepteF
,hr Deha,able Ground were 1911 VII
are and Bcss Jackson holding han.
rnd Bess mnhonnet was pushed v
tack. when Dud recovered pOHieie.
Il he looked beyond the Patch a
there stood ola 81 withera graspinl
rrn ana looking At the pair Of lows
There couldn't be any shooting q
coy on either side and both ola iello