The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-29
HUNTING THE HEIR
She Was Located and the Set.
ting Proved a Fine Opening
for a Hero.
BY BRYANT c. ROGERS.


Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
In the pioneer days of a certain west
ern state. a man named Josiah Flint
took up eighty acres of land. Thou
sands of other men took up land in
the same state, but there was no par
ticular occasion that the act Of SO do |
ing should pass into history.
Josiah Flint could have taken up for |
est or prairie land-acres that would
double in value in year, but he passed
them all by and selected the worst
spot in four counties. A portion OF It
was a hill and the remainder marsh.
There wasn't even a decent site for a
cabin on the entire claim. Josiah
might raise huckleberries on his marsh
and blackberries on his hill, but men
said he could hope for nothing better.
If he had any explanations as to why
he selected such a claim they were
lost as time went on. He and his fam
lily lived in his moving wagon for
few months and then passed on.
In ten years almost all the land In
the county was settled up except
Flint's hill and marsh. The nearest
farmer opened gravel pit at the base
Of the hill. and sold enough to pay the
taxes each year, and constituted him.
self the agent Of the absent. The coun.
ty wanted to drain the swamp and to
cut roads, but no one could find Josiah
Flint. The only information was that
he had gone further west.
BY and by, in the village that had
grown up two miles away. there came
| to be such a thing as real estate Of
lice. It was furnished with two chairs,
a table, Bible and Deacon Hardy.
The deacon was one Of the first set
tiers and a good man.
In connection with the real estate
office was department for the sale OF
Bibles and hymn books, and where one
might subscribe for Sunday school
paper or donate any sum he chose to
the welfare of the heather of Africa
There was another department de-
voted to the sale of garden seeds and
roots and banks, and in this depart
ment a key Of root beer was always
kent on tap. Every caller was invited
to drink whether he bought land or
not. And lastly the deacon's wife held
herself ready to take orders six days a
week for notices Of: mo Place Like
Home" at very reasonable prices and
money back If you were not suited.
With all these departments in full
swing the deacon ought to have been
money-maker, but he wasn't Why he
> WASH was a matter that worried him
long time and was still worrying
when his wife said to him one eve
ming:
Josiah, you are honest and truth
full and conscientious"
II try to be, Martha" was his reply
There are lots Of other men wht
are not as you are"
Eyes, and feel to pity en-"
II don't think yon need to. The!
are getting new houses and barns, flint
bosses and pianers, and we are RICH
where we was!"
"Yes," sighed Josiah.
And I've thought 1t all over, and
. think l know what Is the matter"
II hope you do. didn't hardly ear
my salt this last year."
"You are too good"
Can q Teller be too good?"
"He can, and you are living exam
pie Of It. You've got to be like mos
u. other men. You've got to get the bi
end Of the bargain"
But the Bible commando"
IL know It does, but you've got t
take your chances, same as the res
They are trading and selling spavine
bosses and holler-horn cows rigf
along and expecting to 60 to heave
when they die"
i've been thinking It over, too
said the deacon, but l dunno-I dul
l. no. I want to soar away on golde
- wings when my time comes. but +
be summed If l want to live the rel
of my life in this tumble old log hous
and eat johnny-cake and fried sa
pork three times day"
!. The deacon was waiting for an o
. portunity to be less good when kee
. eyed young man of twenty-five BILE
into the village His home town WI
fifty miles away, and he wasn't sayil
why he left it. After hanging about f
four or five days and taking loi
v. walks out into the country he enter'
= Deacon Hardy's real estate office o.
afternoon and flung chunk OF marb
on the table and asked:
do you know what that Isl"
Looks kinder like MARBLE" was t
reply after inspection.
"Kinder like? Why, man alive, i
. marble for sure. And maybe you c
tell what this is"
ats some kind of sile."
,s "You bet It Is, and It's kind wor
=, money! It's peat. And what is that
' 81 should say it was clay"
r And you'd hit 1t. Fines kind OF p
J" ter's clay. And what's this?"
more clay"
you've hit it again. It's brickm'
er's clay and as smooth as silk. Ont
what's this?"