Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-05


wife and myself when we drove by our
old home place, out on West Second.
We did not recognize 1t until our AZ
tention was directed to what appeared
like couple Of dried jackrabbit ears
perked above the sidewalk-these
, were the two gablNg fronting Second.
Now, when we buff that house it was
a beauty Yankee. Mccoy contracted
which we bought Of a Mr.. Hopkins and
| to remodel the edifice When I went
home from the Office in the evening
didn't find any home-that Yankee had
torn down the whole house level with
the floor, and my family was huddled
together in small back room. In
CONSERVATION viewed the ruins and
that very night 1t rained hard. How.
ever, with but very little more ex'
pense Mccoy reared comfortable and
quite elegant edifice. the lower rooms
containing French windows that open
ed out on pretty veranda, the upper
rooms also opened on the roof of the
veranda through the two gables men
toned. At that time it was one
Of the show residences Of Ottumwa;
but now, as my wife expressed 1t, 1t
showed up like tombstone, the
street having been filed in and raised
almost level with the second story, our
much loved home appeared like a
sepulchre. Indeed we both felt, on
that drive, that we were viewing fine
cemetery, SO many old objects having
been buried and lost in the maze OF
elegant, costly and slightly buildings,
so many ravines filled in, so many
pretty hills cut down and leveled, SO
much street paving even on the hills
that were all verdure in aud lang
syne, repeat that you who have ben
there and seen and engaged in all the
wonderful changes, cannot imagine,
know, the saddening influences that
surcharged our breasts, and yet we
realized that it was the inevitable,
that the old must pass away to make
room for the new. With this mixture
of depression and rejoicing wot 1t
was like intoxication. and haven't
got sobered UP yet. Do you know that
lighting down in Ottumwa right from
the expansive prairies of Kansas
we almost gasped for breath, you seem
so shut in, your streets so narrow,
and your great manufactures belching
smoke in clouds, that if they fioated
over Nebraska we'd LOOK sharp for
tornadoes and hustle for the cellar.
Then your beautiful homes perched
on the sides Of the old eternal hills
picturesque, and to you no doubt
lovingly habitable-why, inquired OF
Will Daum If he kept surcingles and
lariats at the rear Of his house?
"Why, no." said he, what for?"
why" SAID I, "if you should step out
that door and stub your toe and fall,
you'd never stop rolling till you got to
Pekin, China whereat he smiled dis
mally and sized me up for web
footed short grass idiot, guess. Any
how, it is peculiar sensation to us
fellows who can look out clear to the
horizon without, interruption, to look |
upon and ride around in and out, up |
and down your streets Of dashboard
design and know that you are happy! |
Say, couldn't fool my wife a little bit
when l told her that had stepped
out, unconsciously, Of third-story |
door and hadn't hurt myself at all.
She knew at once that that door open
ed upon pretty lawn in front OF the
house, while If had taken step on
the same level from a rear door I'd
be- tumbling yet, or got caught up IN |