The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-07-09
A Strong Armed
Widow
By M. QUAD
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1918, by Associated Lit
erary Press

and then. but there was always lots of
time for holding the funeral.
When this slow and conservative
state Of affairs had continued for many
years the Widow Cameron struck the
town, and struck II hard.
The Widow Cameron was forty years
old and tall and rawboned. She had
a decisive. commanding way with her
She was business. She might have
come from Australia or town only
twenty miles away.
Just what the Widow Cameron was
going 10 do was soon public property,
She had an acre of ground with the
house. and she put 40 chickens AT
work scratching up the soil and two
incubators working overtime She built
her own coops and wire fences.
A roar went up.
There had been time in the history
OF Grahamsville when every house
holder had his chickens and his har-
vest OF eggs. but the Growing OF roost-
ers had awakened the people hours
ahead OF time. and by common consent
all fowls had been banished. No crows
nor clucks nor cackles for the past ten
years. and here was the Widow Cam
eron breeding thousands Of them.
Something must be done.
Squire Johnson must wait on her
and tell her she can't keep chickens.
"Of course she can't" said the squire
as he started for the widows house to
lay down the rules TO her.
"Oh. | can't. eh?" she replied TO his
oratory
mo. madam. We are very strict on
that point"
You and the rest of the folks can
go TO grass"
One of the ministers called to wres-
tie with her. She held the door against
him while he said:
Madam. our good people are very
much exercised over the fact. the
fact
THAT am raising chickens" she
finished. well. you tell your good
people that II they say much more !
sknnks for their fur and ile!'
Not another objection came from a
citizen. No one was hankering TO ex-
change chickens for skunks.
If they kept no hens in Grahams-
vile they did keep hogs and cows.
feed themselves. The Widow Gamer
on gave public notice through the
county paper that the owner OF any
hog or cow that trespassed upon her
property would hear something drop.
"She can't IAN It." men said to
each other 'Ahy. our animals have
always run at large"
Mr.. Schermerhurn's COW broke her
way In one night. and at daylight she
heard something drop. 1t was one OF
her horns The owner wanted dam
ages. but was told to 20 to.
Mr. Todd's big spotted hog rooted
his way In and got a broken back for
his pains. His owner was just foolish
enough to call on the widow and try
20 collect So I'm cash. and ii was over
the fence for him.
Solomon Price was widower who
wanted second wife. Why not cap
ture the Widow Cameron and her
chickens and real estate and the mon
ey she must have In the bank? Good
thing. except that Solomon had had no
experience counting widows. Some one
had told him that the first move to be
IN
der the chin. He began that way. In
return he received right hand swing
that fractured his jaw. and he went
out of the house followed by No. 8
calfskin shoe
A tin peddler came along and sold the
Widow Cameron some leaky utensils
and got away before she discovered the
cheat. A week later he returned to
the village and was wayaid by his
victim and had both eyes put in mourn
ing.
There was great ianging Of three
church bells on Sunday forenoons. It
was TO warn the people that Saturday
had passed and Sunday had come and
such of the population as cared to could
hear a sermon ut one of the three
churches. No guarantee as TO wheth-
er the sermon would he good, bad or
Indifferent. The widow didn't like the
jangling, and she got out an injunction
and had the bells silenced
There were dogs In Grahamsville-
many dogs. They had come TO realize
that they must not disturb the peace
by fighting. They could growl and
brstle MS they passed by. but there
must be no conflicts to determine
which was the better dog The Widow
Cameron went about encouraging dogs
of every breed to stand up for thei,
rights and to fight at the drop of the
hat II got SO there was n scrap every
half hour.
What the Widow Cameron didn't do
TO the town Of Grabamsvilc could nor
be told In columns She woke il up.
She bossed II. She terrorlzed II. She
made II over into a rapid town. when
II was realized that trade was increas.
Ing. strangers coming IN and that a
railroad was probability public
meeting was called. and the citizens
subscribed $4,000 and bought the wild.
ow ont and saw that she left the town
And YET ms she went she kicked Hiram
Bebee In the shins for cheating her on
load Of wood and also cuffed Moses
Dewberry up 10 peak for saying