Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-06-12

You're right, Uncle Peter. 1t GER
tainly wasn't my game. Will you come
down with me?"
me? Shucks, no! I'm jest poor,
broken old man, now. I'm goin' down
to the square if I can walk that fur,
and set on bench in the SUM-
Uncle Peter did succeed in walking
as far as Madison square. He walked,
indeed, with a step of amazing springi-
ness for man OF his years. But there,
instead of reposing in the sun, he en-
tered cab and was driven to the Van
devere building, where he sent in his
name to Rulon Shepler.
He was ushered into Shepler's Office
after little delay. The two men
shook hands warmly. Uncle Peter was
grinning now with rare enjoyment-he
who had in the presence of the family
shown naught but broken age and
utter dependency.
"You rough-housed the boy consider
able yesterday"
II never believed the fellow would
hold on" said Shepler Pm sure
you're right in a way about the west.
There isn't another man in this Sec
ton who'd have plunged as he did.
Really, Mr.. Bines, the streets never
known anything like it. Here are
those matters"
He handed the old man dozen or so
certified checks on as many different
banks Each check had many figures
on it. Uncle Peter placed them in hia
old leather wallet
Il knew he'd plunge" he said, taking
the chair proffered him, near Shepler'a
desk. Il knew he was a natural borl,
plunger, and knew that once he gets
an idea in his head you can't blast it
out; makes no difference what he starts
on, he'll play the string out. His pa
was jest that way. Then of course he
want used to money, and he was
ignorant of this game, and he didn't
realize what he was doin'. He sort of
dlstrusted himself along toward the
last-but I kept him swelled up good
and plenty"
We'll, I'm glad it's over, Mr.. Bines.
OF course I concede the relative in
significance of money to a young man
OF his qualities"
Mot it's relative insignihcance, Mr..
|Shepler-it's plain damned insignih-
canoe, if you'll excuse the word. II
that boyd gone on he a. been one
of what Billy Brue calls them high
collared Clarences-no good fur any.
plexy or worse by 40. AS 1t Is now,
he'll be a man. He's got his health
turned on like a steam radiator, he's
full Of responsibility, and he's really
long-headed."
"How did he take the loss?"
"He acted jest like a healthy baby
does when you take one toy away from
him. He cries a minute, then forgets
all about it, and grabs up something
else to play with. His other toy was
bad. What he's playin' with now will
do him lot of good"
Hes not discouraged, then-he'a
really hopeful?"
THAT amt any name fur it. Why,
he's actin this mornin' jest like the
worlds his oyster-and every month
had an r in it at that
I'm delighted to hear it. I've al
ways been taken with the chap; and
I'm very glad you read him correctly.
1t seemed to me you were taking a
risk. 1t would have broken the spirit
of most men,"
well, you see I knew the stock.
It's pushin', 14ghtin' stock. My grand
father fought his way west to Pennsyl-
vania when that country was wilder'n
Africa, and my father fought his way
to Ohio when that was the frontier.
seen some hard times myself, and this
boys father was fighter, too. So
knew the boy had it in him, all right,
He's got his faults, but they don't hurt
him none"
will he return west?'
HE will that-and the west is the
only place fur him. He was gettin' bad
notions about his own country here
from them folks that's always crackin'
up the other side 'sif there want any
this SIDE worth speakin' of in com,
pany. This was no place fur him
Mr.. Shepler, this whole country is
Gods country. don't talk much
about them things, but believe in God
"a man has to if he lives so much
alone in them wild places as I have
and believe this country is His favor.
ite. believe He set it apart fur great
works. The history of the United
States bears me out 50 fur. And
didn't want any of my stock CROWN
up without feelin' that he had the best
native land on earth, and without be.
in ready to fight fur it at the drop OF
the hat. And jest between you and
me, l believe we can raise that kind
in the west better'n you can here in
New York. You got a fine, handsome
town here, it's a corkin' good place to
see-and get out of-but it amt any
breedin' place-there amt the room ia
grow. Now we produce everything in
the west, includin' men. Here you
don't do anything but consume-in.
cludin' men. If the west stopped pro.
ducin' men fur you, you'd be as bad
OF as If it stopped producin' food.
You can't grow big man on this
island any more than you can grow
wheat out there on Broadway. You're
all right. You folks have your uses.
l amt like one of these crazy fools
that thinks you're rascals and all like
that; but my point is that you don't
get the fun out of life. You don't get