Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-09-28
|SKEDGER'S
CHARGES
AN EXPERIENCE IN
CAMPING OUT

the season. He prospected around for
some weeks and at last discovered
Skedger and the Skedger river farm.
He described Skedger as lone of those
shrewd, sturdy, practical American
farmers but ne was not enthusiastic
about him even at the beginning; he
kept his enthusiasm for the river, with
it's beautifully wooded shores, it's clean,
sandy bed and it's fish.
"A lovely river altogether, my DEAR"
he said to Mrs. Chriswaller, land this
Skedger place is the prettiest along it.
I've got the sweetest camping spot you
evel saw picked out. My idea is to
take. out a couple of large tents, some
cots and bedding and an oil stove and
stay there, you and the boys and girls,
all summer. I can come over for the
weeks end and perhaps get a day or
two off now and then"
They went down. There were Chris,
waller and his wife, Jim and Rob, the
TWO boys, aged Is and -, respectively,
and Annabel and Laura, 10 and 10.
They all liked the place, strange to
say. and they didn't think Skedger was
such bad sort at first. He was a
lanky, long-nosed person, with sandy
hair and brick-red countenance and
eyes which had peculiar cross, 50
shat in conversing with him the family
found an embarrassing difficulty in
telling which eye to look at. He came
down to welcome the Chriswallers in
rerson and took quite kindly interest
In their settlement, offering some val
liable suggestions as to pitching the
tents and swimming the hammocks. He
informed them that they could have
ice brought by the little steamer from
which they had disembarked and ex-
planned that handy refrigerator could
be made by sinking shoe box in the
ground. 'Ill fix it for you," he said, and
he did so quite cleverly. i :
81 think he's most accommodating"
said Mrs. Chriswaller, after their land
lord had taken his departure. What
made you dislike him, father?" a.. ST.
II didn't say disliked him." replied
Chriswaller. Il must say though, l
thought he soaked it to me on the boat.
Three dollars a week seems rather stiff
for the use of that old tub. He's getting
a good rent for his camping ground, too.
call SIC a month good price. You can
rent six-room house in the suburbs for
that. -.
"Still, guess he's all right.
That will certainly make 4 cracker
jack of an ice box when we get some
ice for it. Well, we ought to get plen-
ty of good fresh vegetables and milk
and eggs cheap, and the boys ought
to keep you in fish. Our. living won't
be expensive; that's one thing to be re-
membered."
Having got the encampment ar
ranged, Chriswaller went back to town
He did not mention that he had agreed
to pay 81 a month for the privilege of
fishing in the river of the Skedger prop
erty. He had blamed himself for this,
but Skedger had pointed out that it
would be more convenient to fish at ones
own front door, as it were, and that it
was only just that such convenience
should be paid for, as the fish supply
would naturally become exhausted in
time and he would no longer be able to
stroll down to the river and catch a
mess of bass from the landing before
breakfast, as had been his custom. So
Chriswaller had succumbed.
When he went down again on Saturday
he found that Jim and Rob had fished
steadily for four days without getting a
bite from anything but swapping tur-
ties. Moreover, Skedger had objected to
their diggisg in the cornfield for
worms, but had supplied them himself
every morning. Later on Skedger came
down to the camp and presented his bill.
One of the items was: Worms, 10
cents"
you don't mean to say that you
charge US for worms?" said Mr.. Chris
waller, Indignantly. -f. .-.
why. no. smiled Skedger II might.
of course, but then there amt no use
l,ein' small. I amt only charged for the
time diggia' 'em. throw the worms in