The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-03-04
Man WHO DRIF1ED ON
BY GEORGE PATrILlo.

While We 0aNuleu III the shade cast
bv the wagon. the Bantys told us their
history. Ii was that of restless wan,
caravan from a. far east as Louisiana
vending westward and north through
Oklahoma, Texas. New Mexico and
Arizona They find virgin country
break it, and nature heaps her boun.
ties in their laps. Then comes a bad
year. and they have made no pro
vision: or the spirit of the rover that
will not die, wakes once more; again
their wagons take their whining way
through the wilderness.
Surely the goal will prove fabulously
rich; always that hope-it never burns
ont. The memory OF starvation can
not dim; hardships and distance do
but fan it: it fires their souls as the
lure of gold tempts prospectOrs. And
on their heels comes the plodding
farmer. who gees patiently to work to
wrost living out OF the claims
they have abaii Toned, and wakes,
some morning. 10 find that civilization
is knocking nj his door Gnd he is
rich.
Bantv had tIled raising maize close
to the nations Nc: the climate did
not agree With him and his wife.
" liked il. Ed" she protested.
But il wasn't doing you no good.
Go.die,' he SID Il could see that
easy"
He had nothing to say against the
climate II Was good enough climate,
but its effects were far from satisfac
tory. In Consequence, they had dis
posed OF their acres to migrate TO the
Panhandle. All that was years ago.
That land IS selling at $50 an acre
now. observed.
Twenty dollars swan! DO you
near that, girl? This gen'rman says
the gre paying $50 an acre for that
plains land, said Banty. his eyes gilt
tering. And We done sold ours for
s.. II we'd only waited.
Yes, mis- wife sighed; it's too bad
And We Zone lost that $1,000 in New
NJ, XicO. you recollpct, Edo"
indeed. he did 'anty waggcd his
head over the inscru,able ways Of the
jado Fortune. and murmured, We'll.
we'll. Who'd have thought it,"
This was .orn.out tale to us, one
OF little meaning Nosters came and
neslers went If they did not 60 soon
enough we sometimes furnished the
impetus; for, OF course, the southwest
was intended by the Creator to be
COW country. and il is an iniquity that
arriculturisls should win it for corn
and cotton and other mainstays Of
life
Ilanty had fenced "A quarter section
Hpar RI tapitdn mountains and. WITH
ta.s as !. base Vi operations, had put
his nostcgs IN sho~p. But the sheep
had divcd over cliff on a night CT
rocking storm. ard there was none
to prove what, or who, propelled them.
Much good it would have done him
could he have proved II. So once more
he had gathered his scant belongings
into wagon to set out for that
promised land
This is the last time; yes. sir"
cried Ranty, in his excited cracked
tones. Where we're going now they
say It's regular Garden of Eden.
like what The Good Book tells about.
All you have for TO do is to stir the
ground some and you've got crop.
Six cuttings of alfalfa in year; yes,
sir"
And don't forget how calm and
peaceful il all is. Ed Godie spoke
up. Don't you mind how Brother
Ducey said they were all so friendly!
He said no mans hand WIS lifted
against his ncighbor, Brother Ducey
did"
Huh huh" pave grunted He had
given the recital his most earnest At
tcntion. aid now he shook his head
rcprovinslE
That's Just the aal it is every time
the way you done It's what I've
been telling these boys here for ten
years." h. declared. birds OF
feather gather no moss
What's that you say. Mr.. Dave"
"A rolling stone gathers no feath-
ers." Dave corrected sternly. you all
know what mcaA."--McCmre's Maya.