Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-08-18

Seph street. L knew LulS lOf pldCo
Of town gossip, and hoped | might
hit upon something to aid me in my
errand, which was no more than be-
gun, it seemed. Entering the place
shortly before noon, | made pretense
of reading, all the while with al eye
and an ear out for anything that
might happen.
AS | stared in pretense at the page
before me, fumbled idly in pocket
with unthinking hand, and brought out
to place before me on the table, an
object of which at first l was uncon-
scious-the little Indian blanket clasp.
AS it lay before me | felt seized OF
sudden hatred for it, and let fall on
it q heavy hand. AS | did so, heard
voice at my ear.
''Mein Colt, man, do not! YOU
break it, surely.
7 started at this. | had not heard
any one approach. l discovered 10"
that the speaker had taken seat
near me at the table, and could not
fail to see this object which lay be-
fore me.
81 beg pardon" he said, in a broken
sueech which showed his foreign
birth; but it ISIS so beautiful 10
break it ISIS wrong"
I pushed the trinket along the table
towards him.
IT'S of little value | said, and IS
always in the way when l would ma
INV rocket -
But once some one bass made H.
once it bass been value, Tell me-
where you get it?''
North OF the Platte, in our west
ern territories, l said. Il once traded
in that country
You are Americana?
yes"
so" he said thoughtfully. SO A
great country, very great country:
Me- | also live in it.
"Indeed?" l said. In what part!
1T ISIS five years since l cross the
Rockies
you have crossed the Rockies?
envy you"
You meesunderstand me. 1 live
west of them for five years. am now
come east"
7 was afraid my eyes showed my
interest; but he went on.
81 hat been in the Columbia coun-
trv and in the Willamette country.
where most of your Americans are
settled. l know somewhat of Callfor"
MIA. Mr.. Howard, Of the Hudson Bay
Company, knows also OF the country
of California. He said to those Eng"
Iish gentlemans at our meeting last
night that England should hat some"
thing to offset California on the west
coast; because, though Mexico claims
California, the Yankees really rule
there, and will rule there yet more
He ISIS right; but they laughed at
him
"Oh, think little will come OF all
this talk" l said carelessly. 1T is
very far, out to Oregon. Yet all the
time my heart was leaping. So he
had been there, at that very meeting
of which | could learn nothing!
"You know not what you say.
thousand men came into Oregon last
wear. 1t ISIS like one of the great MI
grations of the peoples OF Asia, Oh
Europe. I say to you, it ISIS a great
epoch. There ISIS a Reinforcement
such as we hat not seen since the
days of the Huns, the Goths, the Van
dals. since the Cimri movement. 1t
ISIS an epoch, my friend! 1t ISIS fate
that ISIS in it"
so, then, it is a great country" l
asked.
st ISIS so great, these traders do not
wish it known. They wish only that
it may be savage; also that their
posts and their harems may be undis~
turbed. That ISIS what they wish.
These Scots go wild again, in the
| wilderness. They trade and they trav-
ell, but it ISIS not homes they build.
Sir George Simpson wants steel traps
| and not plows west of the Rockies.
| That ISIS ALL"
They do. not speak SO Of DR.. Nc
| Laughlin," | began tentatively.
my friend, a great man, McLaugh-
| lin. believe me! But he ISIS not Nc
Kay: he ISIS not Simpson; he ISIS not
| Behrens; he ISIS not Colville; he ISIS
not Douglas And l say to you, as /
| learned last night-you see, they
asked me also to tell what [ knew Of
Oregon-I say to you that last night
Mclaughlin was 'deposed He ISIS in
charge no more-so soon as they can
get word to him, he loses his place at
| Vancouver"
f, after a lifetime in the service!"
commented.
"Yess, after a lifetime; and Nc
| Laughlin had brain and heart, too, II
England would listen to him, she
would learn something's. He plants, he
plows, he hass gardens and mills and
houses and herds. Yess, If they let
Mclaughlin alone, they would hat a
civilization on the Columbia, and not
a fur-trading post. Then they could
oppose your civilization there. That
ISIS what he breaches. Simpson
breaches otherwise. Simpson loses
Oregon to England, it may be-"
"Then you think there is a chance
of tro11blo hptwaan orr cOuDtrv ar.E1