The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-11-20
- *T+++S+.
Between Two Thiavaa;
Record Herald :
-
-Chieaao

Bill Grtscorn of Clariuda, IA was q del
agate 10 the last democratic national con
sention at Kansas City, but he didn't at
Tend to politics very much. because he was
TOO busy telling some OF his old stories
to a new, enlarged and ever varying au-
dience- The conversation turned upon
the respective merits OF different western
states. and when the praises Of. Kansas
had been duly sung Bill took a fresh cut
at his black nav and said:
IT don't know about that. Fact Is,
haven't been out of Page u
-, Iowa, for years, but unless
Kansas has changed a lot IN the
past twenty years I dom think I'd
Ike to live there again. i did try il once,
did my best TO help .upbuild the common
wealth and all that sort o thing, but I
come as close TO being lynched as q white
man can and live to tell the story.
II was past 80 when l set sail from
Anity, Ia, and took up Il claim in Kansas.
/ was as green and innocent, as hard
working and honest for a fact as il I
wasn't telling about IL myself. I had a
few hundred dollars, and l struck In for
farming on the square. I put up my
fences, made q dug~out, got me some tools.
a team and q wagon and put in about
eighteen hours q day working. It was
about twenty miles to the nearest town,
and, as I'd never been away from home
L "a g -SAlE IUI-6SOLIlS KiElS TIL i
got acquainted with Ed He1ernan and
Tom Peabody, who lived ever h hill. and
kept UP q kind of bachelor hall on a Joint
claim of theirs L met EN- in the road
n rainy day and asked EN- into my
place. II was Sunday. and as / was
tickLed 70 death TO have company I killed
two chickens and laid EN- a spread that
made US all happy.
They made q pretty good-looking pair.
and l 6 EN- from the start out. Hef-
Iernan was a big broad-shouldered, laugh
ing irishman, and Peabody, who seemed
a well educated self respecting kind of a
chap, mao all the poise and confidence of
experienced man Of the world. /
showed en- my farm and asked their ad-
vice about crops and things, but, though
they seemed surprised at my progress
and praised the showing I made, they
cidnt seem especially well informed about
ssriculturai matters. But when they left
MS they insisted that I drop in for din
ner next Sunday, and 7 was glad enough
to promise. That started ii, Uant IA
their shack one Sunday and they came to
NINE the next, and in this way we man
ased TO lead a very neighborly and satis-
factory life for four or FIVE months.
i often wondered how they made out,
Tor they didn't seem to plow any. there
were no crops in evidence. and yet the two
friendly ranchmen were dressed well. their
Larder was loaded with good things and
they were satisfied to keep within the re-
auirement Of the homestead law SO far
Toll was concerned. I envied them their
and their good horses. They had
IS many as ten head tbs first time I called. |
during the five months which followed
remember counting as many as twenty-
good animals In their corral. They
aad TWO cows. a few chickens and q cou-
PIE OF but so far as / could see they |
liont farm in the old fashioned sense, !
we got round to THANKSGIVING all
1sht, n l was beginning to plan a small
east LOT my two friends when EefernanI
Foppeo IN on me one evening and said
hat he and Peabody had bought two tur-
Seys in Lawrence and meant to have me-
IS thelf guest OF honor at a sure-enough
turkey dinner / don't think he was any
'lder than I, but he had such a vide
Of men and places. such a
MACK OF conversation and story telling
'Lcl an infectious laugh, that I a1wsys
cit IKE q boy in his presence. Peabody
more silent and sedate, but he was
he better scholar, I think, and / am sure
been all over the world. I was glad
.aough to accept the invitation, and about
0 CLOCK thanksgiving afternoon I set
tut on foot, because my one horse was
tred of the weeks timber hauling and
soon in sight OF Peabody's shack
ven. Sirs, they were like two big ROT
ck1ng boys when I went in. H~effernsn
lis shirtsleeves rolled up and his face red
bending over the hot stove. was
the two turkeys. and Peabody.
With a white apron on and his face
IN friendly smiles, was peeling
'otatoes and stirring the cranberries bv
rms.
Il don't hin 1 ever sat down to 2 bet
er dinner or enjoyed my messmates