The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-07-29

mine invited me to go out to his
country place and enjoy the freedom
of the green fields, the home of the
skipping lambs and the sad-eyed cows
I saw myself resting in the shade of
tall, upright trees. and being called
to dinner by fish corne-. l said |
would go, and we started. His place
was near a Minnesota town, located
in a sag of the n. P. railroad.
Freight trains had been stalled at
this point so often that the company
had found it necessary to establish
a water tank, which was the chief
feature Of the town near my friends
country place.
We arrived at the water tank in the
heat of the day. After the train had
left us, my friend asked a man, who
was looking for the mail sack in a
patch of pig weed, if he knew where
we could hire team to take us into
the country. He said the store keep
er had a horse, which he OCCASION
ally hired, but three weeks before, 1t
had died, and the town had been
without livery stable ever since.
The place consisted of store, black
smith shop, saloon and afore-mention-
ed water tank. In front of the sa-
loon, a team of mules were securely
tied. The owner, who had been re-
moving some Minnesota dust from
his throat, came out, and he was in
terviewed regarding the best way to
reach a farm which my friend owned,
but which l found he had never been
any closer to than an abstract office.
The man thought he knew where the
farm was, and said he would give us
lift as soon as he got his ploWs
sharpened. During the delay, we
walked over to the grocery store and
watched the storekeeper sort out eggs
with an x-ray candle. He found
number of critical cases, which SEEM
ed to make him cross, and he refus-
ed credit to a barefoot boy, who was
after vinegar.
After the plows were sharpened,
we started, and the driver, who had
evidently Stacked his thirst several
times during the wait, insisted on
the mules hurrying. The road was
rough, and as we had to stand up be-
hind with the plows, we were almost
glad when the man turned off of our
road, and left us to make the rest
of the journey on foot. We hurried
along the hot road, now and then
taking off vest or a coat as they
appeared to be in the way. 1t was
one o'clock when we reached Bill
Gray's place on the banks of Duck
Egg Creek. Mr.. Gray's specially was
children. There were seven in the
house, and more hunting eggs in the
barn, and a gray mare under an OAK
tree, couldn't turn around for fear OF
stepping on one. Mr.. Gray was en-
tertaining a neighbor, who was smok-
ing a cob pipe in the parlor, ana
reading the locals in a Wadena pa
per. We had a pleasant visit with
him. He was an old settler and had
two mortgages on his farm, which
ran to rocks and hard luck. Lately
he had a mule killed by lightning.
We sympathized with. him, and offer
ed him a cigar in his bereavement.
He accepted the offer, and left with
Mr.. Gray for Wadena, which place.
they wished to reach before the bank
closed. We then had three course
dinner. the last course being the
same as the first and second. While
we were eating, Mrs. Gray directed
us to my friends farm, which we
reached after an hours walk, and
the accumulation of saddle gall on
my right foot
The farm was a delightful place.
The house had been burned down by
tramps at least three weeks before
We reached there The barn had been
operated on for fire wood by movers
and thrifty neighbors; the well had
cayed in. and the lawn was busy rails
ing tall sorrowful looking weeds. My
friend told me to make myself at
home, and offered to play me game
of billiards. 1 accepted the offer, and
we played the game in Detroit as
soon as we could get there.
Poison Carrots was elected presi-
dent of the school boardin his dis
trict last week, and in assuming the
office, he delivered himself of a short
but hastily constructed speech. The
hired man was present, and showed
his indifference of Poison's eloquencef
BY reading out loud out of a geogra-
ply to show that he knew where he
was. This annoyed Poison, and he
asked the secretary to kindly throw