The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1915-01-07
REFORMING PlkEToWN
BY MAY CUNNINGHAM coes.

You want to know the way TO
Grange Manor, ma'am? 1t used to lay
over yonder. but Grange Manor amt
on the map no more. It's Piketown
now, same as it used to be. Set down
while I draw you . glass Of milk. and
III explain.
you remember Mrs. Tuition, you
Gay? Well, she amt here no more,
neither. And it's all because of Uncle
Josh Pickering, what put down the
naughty and exalted them of low de-
gree.
"You remember Josh Pickering, who
struck oil in Californy and come back
to the old homestead with twenty mil.
lions? And his niece, Polly, who'd
been engaged to Sam Higginson, the
undertaken, until her uncle come home
rich? Well, that's the start of it.
MRS. Tuition and a lot of them rich
New York grafters got hold of Uncle
Josh and decided to run his affairs for
him.
Josh fell for Mrs. Tufton's game
at first till he caught on it was his
money she was after. First thing, she
transferred Piketown into Grange
Manor. She got Uncle Josh to build
. country seat He had English but.
iors with calves-I mean leg calves
and footmen, and feudal castle arose
ON the site of the old homestead.
You'll see it when you get over the
brow, but the buffers and footmen Is
gone.
Next thing was a pack Of hounds,
Soon all Piketown got wise to the
game. Mrs. Tuition expected the young
fellows to touch their caps when she
went riding by, and the girls to curtsy.
well, sir, the climax began when
Joe Edison shot pesky fox what had
been prowling round his poultry. Mrs.
Tuition heard of it and come riding up
to him.
"'How dare you shoot foxes?' she
began, viciouslike. Don't you know
they're meant for hunting. In England
you'd be shot for doing that
"Joe was so scared he forgot tc
touch his forelock, same as Mrs. TUT
ton wanted. But about this time Uncle
Josh woke up. He hadn't minded the
feudal castle, II Polly wanted one, but
he got lonesome smoking the long
cigars she made him use, and he
couldn't chaw nowhere, except in the
stable, and even then the English
coachman objected. So he used to
sneak round to Joe Edson's place
nights and set and chaw and smoke
his clay pipe with him.
":Joe,' he'd say, things is going
from bad to worse. That Mrs. Tuition
Is a-running my place and spelling my
gal, and I'm pretty we'll through with
II. What would you adviser
"Between them they Matched up q
scheme. They formed the Give EN-
What They Want club. And that's
how we got Manor Grange back to
plain Piketown.
Next time the hounds met half the
village was at the meet, a-bobbing and
a-touching their hats to Mrs. Tuition
and the gentry. 1t was Yes. ma'am,
and No, ma'am' every minute. And
the minute they let the tame fox out
of the bag Joe Edison sets tin trum
pet to his lips and hollers Gone away!'
like they do in the storybooks.
when the hunt come home there
was all Piketown lined up on each
side of the feudal castle, a-bobbine
and a-curtsying as Mrs. Tuition and
her followers swept past. Mrs. Tuition
looked little worried; guess she
. had begun to catch on to the game
though she didn't know it was Uncle
Josh had set it.
after that, whenever Mrs. Tuition
appeared in the village the girls and
young fellows would stand at the
doors, bobbing and scraping at her,
We were giving her what she wanted
But that wasn't enough. Joe Ed
son had an idea which he set before
Uncle Josh.
"'What they haven't got, but wants
Is an aristocracy,' he said. Cant VIZ
rake up few dukes and earls in Pike
town, Josh?'
"That idea seemed good, and at the
next meeting Of the club titles was
bestowed. Uncle Josh couldn't take
none, being sort of traitor from Mrs.
Tufton's camp, but Joe Edison made
himself the duke of Chicken Hollow.
Jim Bates, the liveryman, was chris
tened an earl, and hung out shield
with horse rampant on it. Tom Big
gar. the saloon man, became the Wis
count Schoonersuds, and we gave Sam
Higginson title also.
= !, Then the fun began fast and quick
Next time the hunt met there was oul
sristocracy at the meet, wearing
= crowns, which Bill Smith, the black
smith, had made out Of old horseshoes
and had gilded for US. When Mrs
Tuition saw what was happening she
turned pale.
"Jim Bates steps forward, gallant
=. like, with bow, and holds her stirrup
"'What do you mean, you insolent
fellow? screams Mrs. Tuition.
"Jim Bates takes of his crown and