The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-08-22
Jacky Burton's Hard Earned Team

The town of Oakville was built chiefly along one
street which bent and turned just the way the little
river bent. But if Oakville was not very wide it
was rather long and that turned out to be a good
thing for John Winthrop Burton. At the time
this story begins hardly anybody in Oakville could
have told you where John Winthrop Burton lived
Indeed he was only small fellow of 8, who went
by the name of Jacky. Not that anyone liked the
name.
]. WIS favorite playmate was Harry Landon
Harry's father ran a store and had saw mill, and
was well able to buy Harry all kinds of playthings
But to tell the truth J. WIS parents were rather
poor.
One day early in the spring Harrys father
brought home for him young goat. The boys soon
broke Billy to harness. and together had end of
fun Still it was the first time that j. w. had been
fairly disconnected. He wanted a goat of his own.
SO determined indeed. was he that he set to work
seriously to earn billy goat.
He invited first his father, then his grandmoth-
er, then his Uncle George to help him. They all
discouraged him by saying that goat worth hav
ing would cost at least $40 He had only As cents
in the world and the remaining 1886 was a vast
sum- Before long boy who wanted to go to ball
game offered Jacky three white rabbits for his 45
cents.
Jacky never cared much for rabbits, but he
knew he could sell them SO he began at once tax
ing care of them, and waited for them to grow.
But it wasn't all. He had found very good peck
ct knife which nobody claimed though he had post
ed up a notice in the postofhce saying the owner
could have It,
He began to look for a trade. He really had his
heart set upon a wagon such boy named john
ME Myers had. For Johnny did errands for many
of the neghbors living at distance from the store.
When J. w met Johnnie he asked him how
much such a wagon cost. 1t soon appeared that
Johnnie no longer cared for his wagon.
"I'll trade you my knife for your wagon, said
]. w. in busness-like way.
Johnnie at once became very fond of the knife,
while he was really tired of the wagon. 10 make
the bargain sure J. w. promised that Johnnie
should have one of the rabbits besides j. W. took
the wagon. and began repairs. Every loose and rat
Ting part frightened up and the whole was given
coat of dark blue paint. and across the back was
printed Jackys name-John Winthrop Burton.
Then he was ready for business. He went to see
al tbe housekeepers in Oakvie. He took contracts
to keep their wood boxes filed he did errands of all
scr+s from one end of the town to the other; he
carried letters both to and from the postofice; he
delivered groceries and other packages Soon his
LITTLE stock of pennies, lickles and dimes began to
grow OF course, the work not easy, but then
T w. was saving and when he became able to buy
tbe goat he might be able to increase the business
besides.
oors of Oalxville were rivals. One of the grocers
soid IN him: "Jacky, III give you cents every
doIIar,s worth of goods you deliver from my store"
7 w didn't like the "Jacky," but he was after
business so he accented the offer. More than that.
he told the rival grocer about it and received the
same offer. He already had SO. The goat in
sight
But ]. W. thought he must have larger body
built for his wagon. carpenter offered to make
a new body and put seat upon it for $1.50
lust then something unexpected happened. A
e,o oorriaqe with man in it drew up one morn
inc lust as j. W. was starting out.
aThat looks like business" said the man. 81
know where you can get fine team of goats for it."