The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-06-25
(R. L. Ketchum in San Francisco Argo.


ship, just as haunted house, OF a mur-
der mystery, or long-lived scandal
might have been--only the feud was
much more satisfactory, because it had
been on for four years, and hardly a
month had passed during all that time
that had not witnessed some new epi
sode in the affair, and each one seemed
more startling than its predecessor. And
so 1t was that the good people of HEX
ey Township held their heads just lit
tie bit higher than their less fortunate
friends who resided in more peaceful
portions of the country.
1.-THE feud-all started on account
of yearling calf-than which, permit
ME "a ck-raiser of limited but fruit,
ful experience) to interpolate, there
never was nor can there ever be a crea-
ture more hopelessly, unreasonably
"ornery,' y and one more productive of
sinful language and display of sultry
temper on the part of its keepers. Year
ling calves have caused the recording
angel more trouble, broken up more old
friendships, produced more family lars.
and, in the form of veal begotten more
indigestion and the insomnia resultant
therefrom than-but this is not an es-
say on the sinful, sportive steeret and
his shortcomings.
ha I ]
been old neighbors for years "back in
1oway" In fact, the elder Walkers
and the elder Benedicts had been mar
rled about the same time, at the be-
ginning Of the war, and had just set
tied on adjoining homesteads when the
first gun was fired on Sumter. The
men enlisted in the same company,
fought side by side, ate and slept and
suffered together; and at home their
young wives waited and wept together.
When the little Walkers AMI the little
Benedicts grew large enough to run
about, they were playmates and boon
companions; the children of one family
felt as much at liberty in the home Of
the other as they did in their own-fol
twenty-eight years the two families had
lived in peace and amity, and then that
miserable calf precipitated an irrepar
able row. 1t was too bad, all the neigh
bors said, but it is noticeable fact
that none of them attempted to patel
up peace-life in Hickey Township
and Hickey Corners would have beer
dull, indeed, but for the feud; so every
body sat by and watched each new
phase of the affair with nervous, NOR
bid interest, and commented thereon
but not in manner likely to prove con
ducive to truce on the part of the dis
putants
1t was in this way. The Benedict
and Walker houses had been built or
adjacent corners of the homestead quar-
ters, and were quite close together; in
fact, one well, sunk on the quarter sec
tiOn line between the two homesteads
had furnished water for both families
for the first four years after coming
to Dakota, and it was only short dis
tance from either house.
But it came to pass thct on the Walk
er domain there was born, and grew
and waxed fat and "sassy' brindle
calf, with a right smart chance of white
in its eye and plethora of deep
mischief in IFS Sou1--and ha (for II voc
young gentleman "critter ~, while
yet of tender age but tough, engendered
the feud. He had wandered away the
day before, and when he returned at
night the gate Of the calf-pe was shut
against him; and in the morning, when
Papa Benedict arose from post break
fast family prayers and, followed by
the younger male Benedicts, hied him
toward the stable, he beheld his neigh.
Dor s incipient steer nipping in the bud
sundry young and toothsome cabbages
and kicking out of the earth, in his
bovine abandon, all he could not eat.
Then was Papa Benedict wroth, and
thereupon did he give way to naughty,
profane words while the young Bene-
diets surrounded the offending calf and
brought him up for Judgment.
Now, Papa Benedict was a man of
hasty temper, but easily GAINED; 50
when the calf was rendered him at the
end of long picket-rope, his wrath had