Willmar tribune., 1903-10-28

He a1n't that sort" said Miller dis.
consolately.
Alan glanced at his father and moth
er. On their wr1nkled faces lay ample
evidences of detection. The old man
seemed scarcely to breathe. Up to
Bartelrs speech he had seemed buoy
antly hopeful, but his horizon had
changed. He looked as If he were
wondering why he had treated himself
to such bright view of thing which
had no foundation at all.
At this junct;ire Abner Daniel rose
from his seat near the stove and slow
ly walked forward till he stood fac
ing the audience. Immediately quiet
feigned, for he was man who was in
variably listened to-
'Gentlemen an ladies'" he began,
clearing his throat and wiping his
mouth with his long hand. "This amt
no put in O. mine, gracious knows. I
hain't got nothin', an don't expect to
lose or gain by what is done in this
matter, but want to do what I kin
fer what think is right an proper.
Fer my part, 1 don't think we kin do
without a railroad much longer. Folks
Is a-pokin' fun at us, tell you It's
Gods truth. T'other day was over
at barley awalkin' along the railroad
nigh the turnin' table, whar they flirt
engines round like children on a flynn
jimmy, when all at once big strappin'
feller with red flag in his hand run
up an knocked me off'n the track ker-
whallop in ditch. It was just in
time to keep me from bein' run over by
a switch engine. He was as mad as
Tucker. 'Looky' heer,' ses he, did you
think that thing was playin' tag with
you an I'D tap you on the shoulder
an run an hide behind a tree? Say,
amt you from Short Pine destrict, this
side O. the mountainsT l told i'm he'd
guessed right, an he said, 4 lowed so,
fer thar amt no other spot on the
whirlin' globe that produces folks as
green as gourds.' Well, gentlemen,
that foored me. It was bad enough to
be jerked about like rag doll, but it
was tough to heer my section jeered at
What makes you say that?' I axed
i'm as I stood thar tryin' to git pas
sic O. wet glass out O. my hip pocket
without cuttin' my fingers. Laugh
ter, led by Pole Baker, who sensed the
meaning Of the reference.] 'Beca'se,'
ses he, you mossbacks over thar don't
know the wars over. A nigger from
over thar come in town t'other day an
heerd fer the fust time that he was
free. Two men over thar swapped
wives without knowin' thar was a law
agin 1t. Half O. you uns" never laid eyes
on railroad an wouldn't have one as
a free gift l turned of an left I'm
an went up on the main street. Up
thar barber ketched me by the arm
an said, ses he: Come In an le' me
cut that hair. You are from Short
Pine, amt you" I axed him why he
thought so, an he said, ses he, 'Beca se
you got Short Pine hair cut What's
that?' ses I. An he laughed at feller
cooked up in cheer an said: It's a
cut that is made by the women out
yore way. They jest turn saucer
upside down on the mems heads an
trim around the edges. could tell
one mile. They make a man look
like bobtailed mule Laughter,
loud and prolonged
Eyes, as said, they are a-pokin' all
manner o fun at us, an it's chiefly be-
case we hain't got no railroad. The
maddest I ever got on this line was
down at Filmore's store one day. A
little, slick chap come along sellin'
maps of the United States Of America
They was purity things on black sticks,
an I wanted one fer the wall O. my
room. I was about to buy one, but I
thought I'd fust make shore that our
| county was on it, so axed the peddler
to pint it out to me. Well, after some
s'arch he put his knife blade on what
he called this county, but, 10 and be-
hold, it was mighty nigh kivered with
round dots about the size of flyspecks.
What's the matter with it," axed i'm.
oh, you mean them dots ses he, an
he turned to lot of reference words in
the corner Of the map. Them ses he,
'them's put thar to indicate the amount
O. ignorance in a locality. You'll find
'em in all places away from the rail-
roads. A body kin say what they
please agin railroads, but they fetch
schools an books an enlightenment.
You've got a good many specks,' ses
he, kinder comfortin' like, but some O.
these days a railroad will shoot out
this away, an them brainy men
amongst you will git the chance God
intends to give EN- Gentlemen, 1
didn't buy no map. wouldn't "a had
the thing on my wall with the specks
a-starin' me in the face. 1t wouldn't
"a done any good to scrape 'em off, fer
Their traces would "a been left. No,
friends. citizens an wellwishers, thar
amt but one scraper that will ever
rake our specks off, an that's the cow
catcher of steam engine. 1 say let
'er come. Some objection has been
raised on the score O. killin' cattle.
That reminds me- of story they tell
on old Burt Preston, who has a farm
on the main line beyant Darley. He
was always a-gittin' his stock killed so