Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-12-14
years ago. an snterprlslng pioneer

uameO ASA GURUS, Dullt SaWm1Ns
taking his power through a flume out
OF the ready-at-hand fails OF the Mizzy,
and floating his logs down that stream
az sprlng-freshet time. Gradually
others Joined him, until half-dozen
houses we're grouped near the junction
of the three streams, and the spot be-
came known as The Forks. Then
others came, clearing up the fertile
valley below and erecting houses. A
grist-mill and dam were built just
above the mouth of Fall Brook, and
following these natural adjuncts OF
civilization came a small log school,
house, and later little church in the
valley below. A semi-weekly stage
line was established to larger vii
lage 20 miles further down the Mizzy,
and where it Joined river, which
service was finally increased to daily
one. A tavern with a capacious open
fireplace in its Office and bar-room
combined, was built; one, two, and
finally three stores were started, and
in place of ''The Forks" the village
name was changed to Greenvale.
In the meantime the Revolution had
been fought, the village cemetery had
grown to ample proportions, Asa Cur
tbs had passed on, his son lothian, in
heriting the saw and grist mill, had
become old, and as gray as the flour
that daily settled upon him, until he,
too, was laid away in the quiet part of
the village. willing the two mills, his
lands, and ever SO many acres of for
est, together with the capacious house
he had built at the head of the valley,
to his two sons, David and AMI, with
the queerest kind of provision.
There was to be no division, but the
property must be shared in common;
neither could sell foot of land while
the other lived, and the survivor
should inherit all. Both were to oc-
cupy the dwelling, taking care of their
mother while she lived. David, the
elder, was to manage the saw and
AMI the grist mill. AS might be ex-
pected, tying two men together in such
a manner was sure to produce discord,
and it did. Then, to make an unhappy
situation worse, the two brothers were
Numerically opposite in temper and
disposition. David was close-fisted to
the verge of meanness, narrow
minded, conceited, self-willed, and
bigoted in his religious opinions:
while Amzi-free-hearte kindly ma
tured, easy-going, knew not the value
of money, nor Garcia dreamer who
loved nature, and was totally indiffer-
ent to the rigid Calvinism that consti-
tuted Greenvale's religion. He would
rather raise flowers than corn, 20 fish
ing than work, and liked to spend his
Sundays in the woods better than in
church. In due course he married,
though his brother never did, end
after a year built small house near
the sawmiC, and, with his young wife,
left the paternal abode. BY this time
a feud had started between the two
brothers, SO bitter that they were not
on speaking terms. Then a child--a
girl-was born to AMI. A freshet
destroyed the dam above his mill, and
David refused to rebuild it, though
begged to do so by the neighbors, who
knew the situation. AMI got into
debt and discouraged, and then to
crown troubles, his wife sickened and
died. He grew more morose and
respondent, was often absent in the
woods all day, until one June morning
the little girl, Angelina, woke up to
find herself alone in the house.
Her father had taken his gun, few
of his clothes, and had left for paru
unknown.
Then the girl, old enough to know
the bitter feeling that existed between
her father and uncle, took refuge with
her mothers older sister, widow liv-
ing farther down the valley, and the
little house by the mill was closed;
and for many days and weeks the en-
tire village waited and watched for
the missing mans return, but in vain.
Mrs. Comfort Day, or Aunt Comfort,
to whom the child had flown, was ad-
vised to take legal action, but refused.
''The Lords wrath II overtake him
some day." she said, en- while we're
Waitin' III take care o. Angie"
She adopted the girl, rearing her as
her own; and so, to all intents and
purposes, the heritage of Amzi re-
verted to David.
But it carried a curse, for sense of
justice, beyond the power of foolish
wills or law, existed in that simple VII
lage, and all considered David Curtis
responsible for the strange disappear
ance of his brother. In time he re-
built the dam, fol grist must be
ground, atten ded to his saving, went
regularly to church, as usual, grew
more exacting, avaricious and mean
than ever, If that were possible; re-
fused to pay the debts AMI had in
CURED, held converse with but few, and
that solely on business, and seemed to
defy the tide of public opinion which
he knew was setting against him.
In the meantime Greenvale slowly
increased in size; the falls of the
Mizzy shouted in the spring and MUIR
INJURED in summer: winter EVENING"
found many Of the villagers gathered
in Capt. Tobey's tavern, swapping
news and slipping toddy; crops and
silos and the cheapest fertilizers were
here discussed; the village was divided
into districts, and each district was
furnished with a more modern ant
framed schoolhouse, and Angie Curtis;
now grown to young womanhood, was
installed as teacher in one of them.
A new orthodox church, fitted with
a tall spire, larger bell, and also q
mortgage, had been erected; another
and smaller, Unitarian church, also
arose, tlourished meagerly for two
years and then closed, also in debt.
Solomon Finch, a Quick-wiited though