Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-07-31
HUNTING THE HEIR
She Was Located and the Set
ting Proved a Fine Opening
for a Hero.
BY BRYANT c. ROGERS.

eduuS VI Otutt uleH tNph up anu ~
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 a year. but he passed
them all by and selected the worst
spot in four counties. A portion Of II
was a hill and the remainder a 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
II he had any explanations as to why
he selected such a claim they were
lost as time went on. He and his am
lily lived in his moving wagon for a
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 a 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
" wanted to drain the swamp and tc
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 a real estate Of
fee. 1t was furnished with two chairs
a table, a 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 a department for the sale OF
Bible, and hymn books, and where one
might subscribe for a 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 barks. and in this depart
ment a keg of root beer was always
kept 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 q
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
a money-maker, but he wasn't. Why he
wasn't was a matter that worried him
a 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 who
are not as you are"
Yes, and feel to pity EN-"
Il don't think yon need to. They
are getting new houses and barns, fine
bosses and planners. and we are right
where We was!"
Yes" sighed Josiah.
And I've thought it all over, and
think | know what is the matter"
Il hope you do. didn't hardly earn
my salt this last year"
You are too good"
Can a Teller be TOO GOOD!
He can, and you are a living exam
pie of it. You've got to be like most
other men. You've got to get the big
end of the bargain"
But the Bible commands"
81 know it does, but you've got to
take your chances, same as the rest.
They are trading and selling spawned
HOSES and h%oller.horn cows right
along and expecting to go to heaven
when they die"
I've been thinking 1t over, too
said the deacon. but I dunno-I dun.
no. | want to soar away on golden
wings when my time comes, but I'll
be summed if | want to live the rest
of my life in this tumble old log house.
end eat johhny-cake and fried salt
pork three times a day"
The deacon was waiting for an OPP
portunity to be less good when a keen
eyed young man OF twenty-five blew
into the village. His home town was
why he left it. After hanging about for
four or five days and taking long
walks out into the country he entered
Deacon Hardy's real estate office one
afternoon and flung a chunk OF marble
on the table and asked:
do you know what that is?"
Locks kinder like marble" was the
reply after inspection.
Kinder like? Why. nan alive. it's
marble for sure. And maybe you can
tell what this is"
It's some kind of sile."
You bet it Is. and It's a kind worth
money! It's peat. And what Is that?"
II should say It was clay"
And you'd hit 1t. Fines kind of pot.
ter's clay. And what's this?"
More clay"
You've hit 1t again., It's brickmak.
er's clay and as smooth as silk. once:
what's this?"
There's sand and there's gravel
Good guesser. And where did all
this come FROM"
Dunno"
"Well it's no wonder that all the
flies in Benson county gather on you
In the summer! Say. you haven't as
much getup about you as a blind
horse!"