Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-07-07
Quarrel Of Squire
Bull and His Son
Jonathan
An Old Time Fourth of July
AllegOry
By JAMES KIRKE PAULDlNG

4 ~ NO4A&N DULL was a NhOttlAC O4A
fellow who held good manor
In the middle of great mill
~ pond and which by reason Of
its being quite surrounded by water
was generally called Bullock island
Bull was an ingenious man, an exceed
ingly good blacksmith. a dexterous
cutler and a notable weaver besides.
He also brewed capital porter. ale and
small beer and was. In fact, a sort Of
Observation-Disclosures and good at each.
In addition TO these be was a hearty
fellow, a jolly companion and .passably
honest as the times went. But what
furnished al these qualities was an ex-
ceedingly quarreIsome. overbearing dis
position. which was always getting him
into some scrape or other.
The tr1th is he never beard OF a
quarrel going on among his neighbors
but his fingers itched TO take a part In
1t, so that he was hardly ever seen
without a broken head, a black eye or
bloody nose.
Such was Squire Bill. as he was COM
monty called by the country people,
his neighbors-one OF those odd, testy,
grumbling, Boosting old dodgers that
neyc. get credit for what they are be-
cause they are always pretending to
be what they are not The squire was
as tight hand to deal with indoors as
out. sometimes treating his family as
If they were not the same flesh and
blood when they happened to differ
with him in certain matters.
One day he got into a dispute with
his youngest son, Jonathan. who was
Familiarity called Brother Jonathan. He
fell upon him ard beat him soundly
After this he made the house so dis
agreeable TO him that Jonathan. though
as hard as a pine knot and as tough
as leather, could bear it no longer
Taking his gun and his ak. he put
himself into a boat and padded over
the mil pond to some new lands to
which the squire pretended to have
some sort Of claim. Jonathan intend
ed to settle the lands. When he got
over he found that the land was quite
In a state OF nature, covered with wood
and inhabited only by wild beasts
But, being a lad OF spirit. he took his
ak on one shoulder and his gun on
the other, marched into the thiekest
Of the wood and. clearing a place. built
log hut. Pursuing his labors and
handling his ak like notable wood
man. he In a few years cleared the
land, which he laid out into thirteen
good farms. and building himself
large house. which he partly finished.
began to be quite snug.
But Squire Buu who was getting old
and stingy and besides was in great
want OF money on account of his hav-
ing lately been made to pay heavy
damages for assaulting his neighbors
and breaking their heads-the squire.
say, finding Jonathan was getting well
to do in the world, began to be very
much troubled about his welfare. So
he demanded that Jonathan should pay
him a good rent for the land which he
had cleared and made good for some
thing.
RE made up 1 know not what claim
against him and under different pre-
lenses managed to pocket all iona
than's honest gains. IN fact, he poor
lad had not a shilling left for holiday
occasions and had 1t not been for the
filial respect he felt for the old man
he would certainly have refused to
submit to such impositiohs. But for
all this In a little time Jonathan grew
up to be very large for his ago and be-
came a tall, stout, double tointed,
broad footed cub Of a fellow, awkward
In hts gait and simple in his appear
ance, but having a lively. shrewd look
and giving the promise of great
strength when he should get his
growth.
He was rather an odd looking chap,
In truth, and had many queer ways.
but everybody who had seen John Bull
saw a great likeness between them and
declared he was Johns own boy, a
true chip Of the old block. Like the
old squire, he was apt to be clustering
and saucy, but in the main was a
peaceable sort of careless fellow that
would quarrel N,..ta hobody If you only
let him alone He used to dress in
hOmespun trousers and always wore a
Hnsey woolsey coat, the sleeves of
which were so short that his hand and
wrist came out beyond them. looking
Ike shoulder Of mutton. All OF
which was in consequence of his grow
ing so fast that he outgrew his clothes.
While Jonathan was coming up in
this way Bull kept on picking his peck
cts Of every penny put into them till
at last one day when the squire was
even more than usually pressing in his
demands, which he accompanied with
threats, Jonathan started up in a pas
sion and threw the teakettle at the old
mans head.
The eholeric Bull was thereupon eX
ceedingly enraged and, after calling
the poor lad an undutiful, ungrateful,
rebelllous rascal, seized him by the
collar, and forthwith a furious scuftle
ensued. This lasted long time, for
the squire, though in years. was cap
ital boxer. At last. however, Jonathan
got him under and before he would let
him up made him sign a paper giving
up all claim to the farms and acknowl-
edging the fee simple to be in Jonathan
forever