River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-07-27


a-sayin' those geese for their down.
I'm agoin' to make feather beds out
of it,
Now SEQ here, julie, expostulated her
husband, this man is paying good
stiff sum for these here geese, and we
can raise more of them. Besides, |
never slept under feather bed and
never will
well, Ham Grubbs,' retorted his
wife. holly, Il have and I'm agoin' to
do it again. don't care what you dol"
Ham" Grubbs wanted the addition
to his bank account; his wife wanted the
feather beds. One hasty word led to
another and it ended by Mrs. Grubps
douncing back to the farmhouse and
the peddler carrying off the geese, foS
which he paid the farmers price.
When Ham" Grubbs got back to tbs
house he found his wife still indignant.
There were more words, and then ''Uncle
Ham" said something which never
should have been said
Vow Never to Speak Again.
I'll never speak to you againi" de-
clared Mrs. Grubbs.
.'All right" retorted her husband;
do as you like"
All the children heard the quarrel
Those old enough to understand began
to cry. Husband and wife realized that
their sudden determination never. to
speak again might result in broken
home and distress to the six little ones
Don't worry about them, Ham
Grubbs, snapped his wife. "I'll stay
here in the same house with you till
every one Of them is grown up, and
then we can see what we'll do. But
don't you speak to me-"
"All right, l won't" answered
Ham" Grubbs, and from that moment
to this they have never exchanged a
word.
Soon the neighborhood gossirs heard
all about "Uncle Ham" and aunt
julie agreeing never to speak again.
They wondered little, but made up
their minds that time would bring
about reconciliation, and that all
would be we'll Instead, the breach
widened.
AS the children grew older they be-
gan to take sides. This only served
to make matters worse. Day after day
husband and wife ate at the same
table with their six children, but never
word was spoken between them. The
father labored increasingly and well.
making his farm better and better, and
gradually adding to his wealth until
to-day he owns the farm all free and
clear and has $4,000 cash in the bank.
Meanwhile the mother was doing her
share of the work. She made the
children's clothes, saw that they went
to school, kept the house as spOtless as
hard work and plenty of soap and wa
ter could do it, made the beds, cooked
the meals and made the butter and
cheese. Not a thing that the most
loving of wives could do to add to her
husbands worldly goods was left I'M
done.
But never word did they speak.
Elias Intervention Unavailing.
One by one the children grew up, till
only little Ella was left. Two went to
Kansas, two to Illinois. and one to
Ohio, where they married and pros
pered. Ella at home became the in
termediary between her father and
mother. Every effort of hers at get
ting them to forget the past was an
utter failure. Whenever there were
any matters of Importance to be con-
sidered it was Ella who was spokes-
woman for the two years. A few days
ago Ella had her twenty-first birthday,
and decided to leave home. So the
agreement between husband and wife
was ended. Mrs. Grubbs made up her
mind to live there no more, but to go
to the home of one of her sons in Illi-
nois who had sided with her in the
long quarrel.
Ella told this news to the old man
Ham" Grubbs is So now, and his
wife is so. He protested vigorously
The fact that he never spoke to his
wife, nor she to him had become sec
ond nature to him, and he couldn't see
how he was going to get along with
out her to do the housework. He said
she couldn't go; who would take her
place?
This was the last straw.
Mrs. Grubbs decided to sue for di-
vorce. Papers were served on Grubbs.
in which he was charged with cruel
and inhuma.n treatment, and alleging
that he had cursed his wife III the
presence of their children, and had
said other things to her which no good
husband would say to his wife. There
was a hearing before Judge George q.
Downey. He Investigated and found
that there was absolutely no hope Of
reconciliation between them. though
the quarrel was 21 years old. So the
decree was granted, and a judgment
of $4,000 alimony was granted, which
the old man promptly paid.
Mrs. Grubbs has gone to her sons
home now. Uncle Ham remains at
the old homestead, where he vows he
will end his days alone. And there
is now no prospect whatever of bring
ing the old couple together ever again,
aS all Miller township knows