The Springfield herald., 1913-03-28


my farm. and l hops to God it'll be
tho curse to them it's been to NAL
There the farm Is. And look further
down"-shifting the switch to another
direction-"there's another dropping
to pieces. Lord. when think Of the
stories they told me about the crops
when l fust came and put In four hun
dred dollars that I'd worked hard for
in q sawmill. and think how We used
to set round the IRE evenings, my
wife and l. talking about how the
town was aegrowing and what 1t would
be when the trees was growed and our
children was going to school. and how
we'd have q cabinet organ and we'd
have top buggy. and we'd send for
her mother, who didn't Jest like It
with Bills wife-we was Jest like chill
dren, making believe! But that amt
what was driving at. Here 1t is.
We calculated that we'd be let alone.
because the poor. miserable remnants
of stock and machines and farms we
got simply wasn't worth outside folks
taking. and inside folks wouldn't risk
their lives by dispossessing US. That's
how we sized 1t up. amt lit"
'T don't see yet what you're after.
Wesley"
You will. We reasoned that way.
But along comes this company. this
trust. that's clean against the laws
and don't give a curse for that. and
1t buys up the whole outfit tell you,
Mr.. Robbins, there amt five men in
this community that that trust amt
got the legal right to turn out on the
prairies tomorrow. They've all been
foreclosed, and the year of grace is
up. Most Of US here ain't got no show
at a1l-legally. And so they send a
man down here to see about Citing
out writs and finishing US up"
But who'll they get to buy. Wesley
Orr?"
They're not needing much buying.
They're on to new scheme-going to
turn all these farms into big pastures
and fatten cattle with alfalfa, raise 1t
and ship 1t; then the lower part Of
the county, down below town. they in
tend to run ditch through from the
river and irrigate 1t. They will fetch
in colony who'll pay them about ten
times what they paid. / expect. and"
"But. we won't let them"
Depends on how many guns the
colony's got and how much fight
there's in 1t. They'll try 1t. anyhow.
unless"
"unless-" repeated Robins un.
easily.
"Unless they're scared OF. unless
they think It's death for q man to
tackle u.s."
Robbins rubbed his hands harder;
he bit his lip. A little space Of 81
lence fell between them. OF to the
south. where the little town was set
like an island in the darkening prairie.
the lights began to twinkle: they were
yellow and scattered. Even at that
distance one could tell that they
burned few to the house.
II kinder wish," said Robbins, that
he came from another town"
Whats the difference about the
town."
"oh. none. guess. But that town.
it's in Iowa, and 1t sent the best things
we've ever had. One woman put In
lot Of jams and jellies and tea
such tea! MY wife was sick then. and
/ didn't know but I'd lose her. gave
her some of that tea and some jam.
and she Began to pick up from that
day. 1t was ounce jam, and made
her think of home, she said. Her
father was Connecticut man, and
they had an orchard with ounce trees
In tt remember" He did not IN
ish the sentence but he sighed as he
absently ran his eye over the gaps In
the harness mended with rope.
II bet he didn't have nothing to do
with that box" said Orr; most like,
the people sent us that were poor
folks themselves, and had to pinch to
make up for the things they sent us.
'Taint' the rich people are sorriest for
poor folks. This young Wallace-his
fathers the owner of a big paper, and
rich besides. and he's got this boy in
training for editor; and when that
first duck couldn't do Eothing out here,
the old man said he'd buy In. and the
young one thought 1t a mighty smart
thing to do to come over here and
turn lot Of half-starved women and
children out in winter. What's he
care? What do any of these rich
folks care?"
II don't think you're fair, Wesley"
said Robbins. "All the rich folks
aren't mean. l know more about them
than you" He spoke with dawning
of pride in his tone. which deepened
little.
Yes, l know you used to belong to
them" said Orr, "and guess you
were decent to the poor But you'll
admit you didn't have no notion how
1t cuts to work every muscle In you
and to lay awake thinking yourself
half crazy to puzzle out better ways
to make money and yet to feel every
year you're a-sinking deeper In the
slough! I've worked five years here,
and 'cepting the nrst year. every
single year has piled interest on the
mortgage. Every year we've had less
clothes to wear and poorer stuff to
eat, and it's been mend instead of buy.
and we've had more debts and more
worries every year. tell you, Mr..
Robbins. thought It would kill me,
once, TO come on the county. I'd a
said I'd starve frst: but you can't see
your wife and children starve. went
in last winter. and asked for relief.