The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-09
The Squatter.

VI null u uuhen bltu WtIt NiVscliS hio
land. He had squatted on the land
twenty years before and therefore call
ed 1t his, One OF the men was squlnt-
ing through a surveyors instrument,
others were using chain, and still 9th.
ers were cutting down brush and driv-
ing stakes. Pop got to his feet and
rubbed his eyes and scratched the hack
Of his head Then he exclaimed 20
himself "Dawg gone my catsl' and
sauntered down TO the strangers and
asked of one of them:
! Now, then, what you all doln'
yere?"
Surveying" was the brief reply.
"What fur?"
"A railroad"
"one o. them things that boots and
draws kyars behind 'em" ~
YES"
"Then git off'n my squat! You all
rant build no railroad yere. l don't
want the hootin'. and won't have It."
The mon laughed Mt him, aud he
went 10 the cabin and got his gun and
threatened them For this he was ar
rested and given three months in Jail.
Ills old wife and his son Joe took 1t
philosophically.
Got him in Jail, hev they2" queried
the wife when she heard TIE outcome
Of the trial. "Waal, he won't git his
feet wet In thar, and mebbe the whls-
Ky II be better"
When Pop came out of Jail they were
building the roadbed across his land.
lie sat down in his old place In the
sunshine and glowered and muttered,
and his son Joe came along and said:
"No use, Pop. Them railroad folks
ere too hefty fur you. That hooters
bound to cum along fur shore"
But have ! ever done anything to
the railroad?" demanded the father.
Reckon not"
"Then what do they want TO come
along yere Dustin up my peace o. mind
fur?"
Cant say, pop, only they are COM
in"
Not if / know 1t, Joe; not IL know
it! I'm a man ms has got to have
chance TO think. and how IN | goin'1 TO
think with hooter a-hootln along
we're? I'm a-tellin' you, my son, that
les got to be stopped
you haln't hefty 'nuff, pop"
Pop went down TO where they were
laying and splking the rails and said
that " work did not cease at once he
would kill man. A constable was Mt
hand TO arrest him, and be was taken
10 town for another trial. This time he
got n year In Jail.
"What fur?" he asked the judge.
"For interfering with the railroad
and making threats"
but didn't the railroad interfere
with me firstY'
"As to how?"
"As 10 Dustin up my chance fur
thinkin'. Jedge, I'm man what thinks
I've got TO think. I've got to sot down
with my back TO the cabin and think II
mighty heap. I've alus had 10 do it,
and now IL this dnged hooter is comm
along yere to bust me up l might as
well hang myself"
What do you think OFF,
"of how TO git whisky and terbacker
aud bacon and meal"
When the boy came home from the
| trial the wife and mother asked no
questions for an hour. Then she care
lrssly queried
How much this time?"
"A year"
"Shoo! Pop is gainin' on It,"
When pop had served two months OF
I bis sentence he broke jail and came
home. He arrived at night. As he en-
tered the cabin his wife awoke and
called out:
That you, popi"
Yep"
what ye doin' outer jallT"
Busted out"
| Coin to hide away In the woodsT
Cant say. Don't talk TO me any
mo-, fur I'm dog tired"
Powerful hefty for your size. pop"
said Joe as he awoke, but ye haint
hefty 'nuff. Better let 'em alone"
When morning came pop ate his
breakfast and said little. Then he de-
parted for his thinking log in the
woods. II was almost noon when he
returned 70 take down his rifle from
its hooks.
Better let it alone, pop" cautioned
Jim.
"Shoo, but how cantankerousw whis-
pered the wife.
Pop walked down on the tracks on
which trains were running regularly.
He took his stand between the rails In
full sight of the cabin, and his wife and
son came out TO see. No word was
! spoken between them. After ten min
utes they heard passenger train
whistllng at the highway crossing a
mile below. Then came the rumble of
wheels and sight Of the train itself.
AS 1t came into view pop drew his
rife TO his face and stood like rock.
The "hooter- hooted at him. AS the
engine drew nearer the engineer
whistled for brakes. The train had
only slightly reduced its speed when
| pop was struck and hurled thirty feet
high and on 70 one side. The mother
and son walked down to the spot as
the train passed on. When they
Al. a. A.. n.