Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1913-04-24
MAN WHO DRIFTED ON
BY GEORGE PATTILlo.

While we dawdled in the shade cast
BY the wagon, the Bantys told us their
history. It was that of restless wan
derers who constitute a never-ceasing
caravan from as 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
THAR wagons take their whining way
through the wilderness.
Surely the goal will prove fabulously
rich; always that hope-it never burns
out. The memory Of starvation can
not aim; 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 goes patiently to work TO
wrest a living out Of the claims
they have abandoned, and wakes,
some morning, to ind that civilization
is knocking at his door and he is
rich.
Banty had tried raising maize close
10 the nations No; the climate did
not agree with him and his wife.
Al liked it, Ed she protested.
But it wasn't doing you no good,
Goldie." he said Il could see that
easy"
He had nothing to say against the
climate. 1t was good enough climate,
but its effects were far from satlsfac-
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 $40 an acre
now, [ observed.
Twenty dollars l swan! Do you
hear that, girl? This genTman says
they're paying $40 an acre for that
plains land said Banty, his eyes gilt
tering And we done sold ours for
81. If we'd only waited
yes" his wife sighed; its too bad.
And we done lost that $1,000 in New
Mexico, you recollect, Ed.
Indeed, he did. Banty wagged his
head over the iuscrutable ways of the
Jade Fortune and murmured, Well,
well. Who'd have thought it?"
This was a WORKOUT tale to US, one
of little meaning Nesters came and
nesters went If they did not go soon
enough we sometimes furnished the
impetus; for. of course, the southwest
was intended by the Creator to be a
COW country ana it is an iniquity that
agriculurists should win 1t for corn
and cotton and other mainstays Of
| life
Banty had fenced a quarter section
near FL Captain mountains, and, with
! this as a base of operations, had put
his nestegg in sheep But the sheep
had diyed over a clif on a night Of
rocking storm and there was none
to prove what, or who, propelled them.
Much good it would have done him
could he have proved it. So once more
he had gathered his scant belongings
into a wagon to set out for that
| promised land
This is the last time; yes, sir, -
cried Banty, in his excited cracked
tones. Where we're going now they
say it's a 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 a crop.
Six cuttings of alfalfa in a year; yes,
sir"
And don't forget how calm and
| peaceful it all is, Ed, Goldie spoke
up Don't you mind how Brother
| Ducey said they were all so friendly?
He said no mans hand was lifted
against his neighbor, Brother Ducey
did"
"Huh-huh.' Dave grunted He had
given the recital his most earnest at
tention, and now he shook his head
| reprovingly.
That's just the way it is every time
the way you done It's what I've
been telling these boys here for ten
years" he declared Birds of a
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 mean. '-McCure's Maya
zine.