Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-05-20

give JOY to the townspeOple. but not
single drop Of water came through
the half inch pipe which rose up from
the main pipe five feet below to the
trough in Farmer Hankins' barnyard
Farmer Hankins then knew it was a
| conspiracy against him and the town
| officials never meant to do as they had
agreed. Hezekiah Banks always was a
rascal. and he might have known bet
ter than to trust him. But at the
same time it was just as much Of a
puzzle to the water commissioner as to
Farmer Hankins himself why the wa
ter went 50 scornfully past the water
trough. He went all over the line him
self. peering into the faucet and listen
ing with his ear close to its mouth in
the vain effort to solve the problem.
Then. to satisfy himself that the work
Of laying the pipe and making the con-
nections had been properly done, he
ordered that the earth all be dug away
and the pipe thoroughly examined.
Everything was found to be right and
no defect anywhere.
Finally an engineer from the neigh
boring city was engaged, and after
very carefully examining the line be
decided that, the spring being so much
higher than the trough. the water came
through the main pipe with such ire
mendous force that it had no time to
stop at Farmer Hankins' farm Some
were so skeptical as to this mans judg-
ment, however, that another engineer
of still higher repute was summoned.
His verdict was that the spring, in.
stead of being higher than the trough,
was, in fact. much lower: therefore
there was not enough force from the
spring to push the water up through
the faucet.
Nov it's my turn to see what the
law II do" said Farmer Hankins.
''They promised me water, and they've
got to furnish it,
Some one reminded the old farmer
that the commissioner had only agreed
to furnish the trough and the faucet
and that the supplying Of the water
was not in the contract It was very
! pei pICAIAS SIluNl1Ou uc IO"u AuuSi
either he deprived of water or the
trough must be supplied with it, and
Farmer Hankins brought suit against
the town officials. And now Hiram
and Agatha were in trouble again.
What would become of their hopes
ters went on like this?
II know there must certainly be
some way to get water into that
trough" Agatha declared. IF had
half the knowledge some folks think
they have it seems to me could fix it. y
Agatha suddenly developed a decid.
ed taste for studying water in it's rela-
ton to supplying cities and towns
through the medium of the gravity
system. When all others would be
sound asleep she would be porting over
books bearing on the subject which
she borrowed from the city library.
Then she made numerous visits to the
spring. She measured the distance be
tween the spring and another. larger.
farther up in the village. on the hiu-
side, as accurately as she could with
her eye.
Still further to complicate matters
Farmer Hawkins forbade his son Hi.
ram from ever visiting Agatha again.
1--WE will have nothin' to do with
Them" he said. They're bad lot I
don't know as l really ever heard of
anything that Hezekiah Banks had
done before this. and l used to think
I'd like well enough to have Agatha
for daughter but this things enough
to convince me that you never would
have minutes peace if you married
her-a chip Of the old block"
Hezekiah in the meantime declared
that Hiram never must darken his
doorstep again. Good enough fellow,
but what's bred in the bone will surely
tell"
So matters remained thus for several
weeks until it was almost time for the
trial Of Farmer Hankins' suit On the
night before the day of the trial Farm
er Hankins was very restless and
could get no sleep. He had always
boosted that he never sued man or
had been sued in his life. but now the
record was to be broken. While toss
ing on his pillow shortly after the
clock had struck - he heard a very
peculiar noise that seemed to be near
the house. upon the hillside. The Of
tener he heard it the more mystificd
and curious he became. He looked out
Of his window. and the full moon was
shining brightly. and by the aid of its
beams he could clearly distinguish a
mans form standing near the spring
on the side of the hill. while from the
ditch he heard the sounds which dis
turbed his slumbers. He dressed as
quickly as he could and went out.
creeping along the fence until he was
within hearing distance.
"Now, Agatha. it's about time you
get out Of that ditch" he heard a voice
say. '"That's too hard work for YOU"
"All right. Hiram. but think your
hands are too sore to dig any more. ~
was the answer Farmer Hankins heart
coming from the ditch.
I'll bet yours are blistered all over
Agatha. This old ditch will kill US all
l guess"
"Oh, they'll get over it, even if they
are blistered." came back the voice
from the ditch clear and loud. Il have
made up my mind that we will see the
end Of this before we 60 back home"
Then Farmer Hawkins sprang to
ward the spot and looked down. Will