Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-01-16

3
out in the dercely burning hate Of
these men whose eocestors had been
/ comrades.
( Old Spicer South and his nephew
4 Samson we're the direct lineal descen-
dants Of the manner Of Misery Their
+ kInsmen dwelt about them: the souths,
j the Jaspers. the Spicers. the Wileys.
the Mnlers and 3fcCagers. Other fam
lies. related only by marriage and
!, close association, were. in feud align
ment, none the less "Souths." And
over beyond the ridge where the
springs and brooks flowed the other
way 10 feed Crippleshin dwelt the
Houmans. the Puryises, the Asberries,
the HoIlises and the Daltons-men
equally strong in their yindictive
fealty 10 the code Of the vendetta.
BY mountain standards old SPices
South was rich. His lands had peer
claimed when tracts could be had for
the taking, and, though he had 10 make
his cross mark when there was a con
tract to be sgued. his instructive mind
was shreWd and far seeing The tinkle
Of his coWbells was heard for a long
distance along the creek bottoms. His
hillside fields were the richest and his
coyes the most fertile iA that country.
Some day, when a railroad should bur
row through his section bringing the
development Of coa5 and timber at the
head Of the rails, . sleeping fortune
would yawH and awake 20 enrich him.
There were black outcroppings along
the cliffs. which he knew Tan deep In
veins Of b.tumin0us wealth. But 70
that time be looked with foreboding.
for he had been raised to the stand
ards Of his forefathers and saw in the
coming OF a new regime a curtailment
Of personal liberty. For new-fangled
ideas be held only the aversion Of
deep-rooted prejudice He hoped that
he might live out his days and pass
before the foreigner held his land and
the law became q power stronger than
the individual or the clan The law
was his ener 3, because il said to him
~ hon shalt net" when he sought 70
take the yellow corn which bruislng
labor had coaxed from scattered rock
strewn fields TO his own mash vat and
stilL IL meant. also, a tyrannous
power usually seized and administered
by enemies. which undertook TO forbid
the personal settlement Of personal
quarrels. But his eyes. which could
not read print could read the signs
OF the times. He foresaw the iney-
liable coming Of that day Already he
he had given up the worm and mash
vat. and no longer sought to make or
sell Illicit liquor That was a conces-
sion 70 the federal power. which could
no longer be successfully fought. State
power vas stlll largely a weapon in
lactional hands and in his country
the Hollmans were the office holders.
To the Hollmans he could make no
concessions. In Samson born to be
tie lighting man, reared TO be the
lighting man, equipped by nature with
deep hareds and dgerish courage.
there had cropped out from time to
time the restless spirit Of the phllos-
CIPHER and a hunger for knowledge
That was q matter in which the old
man found his bitterast and most Sc
crct apprehension
1t was at this house that George
Leacott. distinguished landscape paint
or of New York and the world at large.
arrived in the twilight
Whatever enemy might have to be
met tomorrow old Spicer South rec.
ognized ass more immediate call
upon his attention the wounded guest
OF today One of the kiusmen proved
to have a rude working knowledge of
bone setting and before the half hour
had passed Lescotts wrist was in a
splnt. and his injuries as well tended
as possible, which proved 10 be quite
well enough
While Spicer South and his cousins
had been sustaining themselves or
building 40 completeness by uning
their soil the leaders Of the other fac.
ton We're basing larger fortunes on
tho profits of merchandise and trade
So. although Spjcer South could nei
Their read nor write his chief enemy
Micah HOLMAN. was 10 outward seem
ing an urbane and fairly equipped man
OF affairs. Judged by their heads. the
clansmeu We're rougher and more fIit-
crate on Misery. and in closer touch
with civilization on Crippleshin. A
deeper scrutiny showed this seeming
to be one OF the strange anomalies Of
the mountains.
Micah HOLMAN had established him.
self at lliXon, that shack town which
had passed Of late years from feudal
county scat to the sections one point
Of contact with the outside world:
town where the ancient and modern
orders brushed shoulders: where the
new was tolerated, 3ut dared not be.
come aggressive. Directly across the
street from the courthouse stood an
ample frame building, on whose side
wall was emblazoned the legend
Hol,mans Mammoth Department
store That was the secret strony.