Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-03-29

Among the citizens Of Bet1ville PHI
gath Gubbs stands out prominently
for thoughtfulness,, and It is largely
because he once had grandfather.
That grandfather Of his 10 why PHI
gath is so far-seeing. In every action
of Pilgath's life he remembered his
grandfather, and many of us would
be better OH II we did the same.
The reason Pilgath dug his well
cause he remembered that once his
grandfather had fallen OF the barn
and had broken his arm, and Pilgath
figured that II he should happen to
fall OF his barn he might break his
arm, too, but that II he had good,
deep we'll alongside his barn and fell
of the barn into the well instead Of
onto the hard ground. the water would
break the fall. It was 80 feet from the
top Of the barn to the ground, and
the we'll Pilgath dug was 40 feet deep,
and so. one day. when Pilgath did fall
OF the barn into the well. he went
down 80 feet into the water, and was
so nearly drowned that 1t took five
hours and three quarts of whisky to
bring him to. He saw Immediately
that IL he fell of the barn into the va.
ter q few more times he would be
totally drowned to death, so he fixed
that by pumping all the water out Of
the we'll and plugging up the spring in
the bottom. After that there was no
danger of his being drowned, but the
next time he fell of the barn he fell
clear to the bottom Of the well, 70
feet, and broke two arms and col.
lar bone. Pilgath was very thought
full, foresighted man.
When Pilgath got married and start
ed to build house he remembered
that his grandfather had once built
q house, and then had sold the lot the
house was on and had moved his
house onto another lot, and that NOV
ing the house was lot of work. So
Pilgath. being thoughtful, foresight
ed man, decided he would have no
trouble of that kind, and that he
would build his house SO that II he
ever wanted to move 1t he could move
1t without any trouble at all. The only
way he could think of to do this was
to have the house mounted on wheels,
and have good. strong automobile
engine built under the front porch,
with tank of gasoline in the attic
over the girls room. He saved quite
. sum on the wheels by using eight
old millstones that he had inherited
from his grandmother on his fathers
side, and he got fine old storage
battery at less than cost from Aunt
Rhinocolura Belts, who had used 1t
for her rheumatism. There wasn't
amy electricity In the battery, but
Pilgath figured he could get 1t filed
when moving time came. The crank,
to crank up the engine, stuck out at
one side Of the porch, and was soon
covered with Virginia creepers, 80 the
house looked like an everyday house.
No one would have thought 1t was N
autohouse.
The last person in the world to
think 1t would have been Pilgath's sec
ond wife. Her name was Arbutus Ann.
and she was timid little thing, and
crawled under the bed every time 1t
She was 20 afraid OF thun-
der that she crawled under the bed
every time wagon rumbled across
the Two Mile bridge, and when traf
fict was heavy, at fair time, she staid
under the bed permanently, and Pill
gath had to bring her meals to her On
. tray.
Last Wednesday at four o'clock
terrific thunder storm struck Bets
vile, and Arbutus Ann went under the
bed. Pilgath was in the barn. but he
started for, the house on q run. for
he knew how frightened Arbutus Ann
would be, but when he was half way
to the house there was . tremendous
stroke Of lightning that almost blind
ed him. At that he sprinted harder
than ever, although the rain was
pouring down 90 that he could not see
. yard IN front OF his nose. He ran
swiftly, but In . few minutes he be-
gan to get scared. for he had not
Il