davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-02-12
SYNOPSIS

WattstM Baxter and her sister. Patience
Patty, keep house for their widowed
mean father. Ivory Boynton, whose ia
ther~ disappeared, is interested In Waitstill.
He takes care OF his daft mother.
Ivory's father abandoned his family to
eolow Jacob Cochrane. a mystic. Pa
ttence chafes under her fathers stern
rule.
Patty has two admirers-Mark Wilson.
On educated young man. and Cephas Cole
who is unlearned. Mark kisses her.
Waitstill is spending her life in loving
care Of Patience. Aunt Abby and Uncle
Bart Cole are friends OF the whole COM
munity.
Cephas Cole, tending store for Baxter.
proposes to Patty and is rejected. In his
agitation he let's the molasses run all
over the store floor.
Although they love each other. Waitstill
and Ivory suppress their affection because
Of their household cares.
Patty and Waitstill go to church, al
though their father u too mean to give
them fitting garments. Waitstill sings In
the choir.
pew. a visitor from Boston. makes Patty
Jealous. Haying time arrives.
Waitstill decides to disobey her father
by paying a visit to Mrs. Boynton. Uncle
Bart discourses to Cephas on woman's
ways.
Mrs. Boynton conf1des in Waitstill, tell
ng the girl she believes Rodman Is not
~ sisters child. but she cannot be sure.
TO punish waitstill for ~disobedience
Deacon Baxter locks her out all night.
She spends the night In tho barn. Pa
oence sympathizes.
Patience baxter 10 embarrassed amid u
multitude of suitors. She thinks Mark -
Ackle.
Trying to trace his father. Ivory writes
TO Waitstill q long account of Boynton's
following Of Cochrane, with which Mrs.
Boynton was not in full sympathy.
The village gossips are busy with the
names Of Waitstill M Ivory. but in .
friendly and sympathetic amer.
In Ivory's absence young Rodman min
listers to Mrs. Boynton. She is i'll and
sends Rodman for Ivory.
Ivory receives proof Of his father death
and succeeds in convincing his mother Of
Il. Waitstill volunteers her help In tho
Boynton housekeeping.
Despairing Of winning Patty. Cephas
turns his affections elsewhere. Patty and
Mark are now sweethearts.
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10
SANDY BEND JUSTICE
The Town VIII Soon Be Civilized.

but our guns have kept it away.
W"hhleS As ! talk of civilization com
ing I" this happy community We
have hung the horse thief about one
a week for wears past About once a
week. also. so".e man had been shot
! for holdin- hve aces at poker. we
have had the Holy Terror here. and
we have left him hanging to a limb
We have had cowboys ride in here and
Shoot up the town. and some of them
didn't get back 70 the ranch again.
Sandy Eend has been a little Paradise
on earth. And now II is to be crushed
I-wrecked-ruined forever as the right
KIND kind Of a town to live in. Why the
the dogs will run away from it, Since
that toot of the locomotive the other
morning. there has been a man here
TO see about a street car line A street
car line for Sandy Bend to take the
place of the cayuse. Ye Gods. can you
skeercely believe it. l was drinking
a a, mint jplep when told Of it. and the
| tered into thousand pieces.
And along comes man who says
Sandy Bend orter have water works.
Water works for Sandy Bend. and the
only water We have seen in twenty
years was that which descended from
shirts in. Of course. There wasn't a
man in camp mean enough to drink II,
And along comes another man and
says We are to have gas works. 1t
was three minutes before could cali
him a liar-three long minutes. and
vet I. Jim Hoke. have been known to
FIRE three shots and account for three
men in that time.
Hadn't Sandy Bend got along with
tallow candles and kerosene torches
all this time. and has anybody kicked
a bout It?
And We are to have a church. a
town hall. sidewalks. and a police
force I shan't blame any Of We II We
call out that am a liar. but Tn tellin'
the solemn truth.
Here is a most beautiful and happy
spot. There are mountains all around
In the mountains grows the grizzly
bear and the wild Indian hunts for the
white mans scalp. The sun ever shines
there. There are no spring floods. The
winter don't freeze a man to death.
The birds twitter. the 5ack-rabbits
play about like lambkins, and there
Is Jest shootin' enough to keep the
blood In good circulation.
And all this 10 to be wrecked and
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

about an old shirt and drew their guns
and nred bullets at each other. Btll
may oe IN the right. or Ace High has
the right on his side. amt goin into
the case as court, but ~ an inoi.
vidual. l am goin' to turn them botn
out doors without their guns and Ist
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

ruined and brung low! What for;
That the thing called civilization might
move from east to west and gooole
tup everything in its path 1t comes
happiness away. 1t drives us from
homes We built up thirty years ago
1t drives US to desert the graves of those
We love
And what do we git by the change
We get the plug hat and cane; we ge,
the tan shoes and red neckties. We
get the dress coat and the eye-glass;
we git the poodle dog and the class OF
men who are not mnce better
The first thing that will take place
here will be an order for us to hand
over our guns. and instead OF defend
ing our honor. hand oyer the honor
along and spit all over your boots, and
the only recourse you have Will be TO
have him arrested for assault ana oat-
terry. Isn't that enough to chlil tne
men who must turn over a gun Win
fifteen notches cut into the stalk;
IF We remain here amidst all these
changes We have got to dress dlner
ert. live different. act dinerent' and ana
will give u.s. Why. we'll begin TO ole
off like flies in a hail storm, and inside
of six months the toughest OF us WIN
ms be buried with our friends up on
the hillside, but the newcomers VIII
start what they call cemeter5 anu
sell the land on at ten 0oildiS -
and make a law that anybody VINO oies
has got to be buried there.
Now, about myself AS court OF
jestice. / haven't given you much law
but I have given you jestice. as l un-
derstood it If have made any error:
it was an error of judgment ana NOT
of the heart There will come alonS IN
few weeks a man to take my piaee,
He will run this court accordln "
law There will be dozen lawyers
in the room and no dogs admitted. ~ i.
Chinyman gets in he VIII nave 10
keep mighty quiet One lawyer are ,e
another will get up and CAB: one wilt VIII,
ness after another Will tell the t.usn
or lie about it. 1t will take tnat mar
court whole day to try q case tna'
you have heard me decide IN nVe min-
uteS
besides bein' a court Of law. ! own
and run the Red Dog saloon, as YOU
all know. 1t has been the cracker oaSK
saloon for forty miles around II VIII
here and build saloons with coiorne r,
glass in the windows and lots slt
on the front door,. The bar Will pc OF
hard wood and the railing OF prass.
Every saloon will have private I9oms
for poker and for politics. EvsrythinE
will be so bang up that you VIII thihk
you are walking into Q church.
Can the Red Dog saloon stand up
agin this new eivilisationf fou know
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10
UNCLE ELPS FABLES
Something as Good as Aesop.

ing the Philosopher put a spade into his
hand and pointed to the field and said;
Go thou forth. my son. and learn phil
| II know all about it now" promptly
replied the boy. o.. .,,u,.
I know that you want to give me the
backache for the next two weeks spad-
ing up that old field. When it is done.
they sprout I will have to hoe them.
and as they mature 1 will have to dig
them and won't get a blessed cent for
my free labor. and 1 don't see it."
Moral.-And when the Peasant came
his lesson sse 1a Of @ he en fonnd
him gone to the circus. and the Philoso7
pher exclaimed:
nh thee mus. snGE that ghiIo'e,
may teach me that hog roots because
he can't scratch. 1t may teach thy son
that hen scratches because she can't
deduction; Take him home and let him
grow to it."
One day a Peasant who lived for
years in peace and quietness- and was
found pot of gold as he was dig
carried the treasure to his house and
his good luck was known to 100 peo-
pie. His wife promptly decided to
buy a piano and have a new house.
and when the old man didn't think
much of :.;s So. c.leme she upbraIded
him for his selishness and went about
in the sulks. His three sons decided
that, they would blossom out as jim
dandies and work no more. and his
two daughters howled for diamonds
and silks. A Deacon called and
wanted him to give $500 to the Afri-
can heather. and he was asked to
esta blish foundlings' home His
mother-in-law demanded a brick house
and new carpets. and his ten sisters
and brothers arrived and wanted the
SpondulicS to make a tour TO Europe.
Neighbors who had loved him now
referred to him as a stingy old var
mint, and men who had asked nm
to be a candidate for town super
visor sent him word that they'd snow
him under if he ever ran for Office.
In a fortnight he found himself with
out friends and mixed up in score
of broils, and, taking the gold to the
river. he dumped it In. and exclaimed:
That over which I rejoiced has
brought me only sorrow. and, durn
my pictur' if I want any more of it,"
Moral-Riches do not bring happi-
ness. but he ought to have kicked the
whole crowd and invested that money
in per cents.
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

been spotted by detective as a conn.
dence man. but he looked to the man.
who was going to Mars. as an honest
upright gentleman. who wouldn't ever
ser didn't get a look at him ana there.
fore could form no opinion. When the
couple had taken seats. Mr.. Bowser
anNiously asked:
Well. do We go?"
Does the wife CONSENT asked the
She does with great willingness She
wants me ~ YIN the great tame and
fortune tha: awaits me so all is a5Su'
Just trihe. Mr.. Bowser. smiled the
man. What of the money!
You said 500, I believe"
Just 500 and that is dirt cheap Tor
fair to Mars
Couldn't take hundred off. eh?''
Not a penny. Mr.. Eowser. Mr.. Vim
cent Astor would probably pay me a
million dollars for the privilege you
get for a paItry five hundred l called
500 on account. I want 1t to buy
heavy clothing with. have ordered
all-woof undershirts. sixteen inches
morrow % The balance Of the five hun
dred can be paid at the First National
Bank in Mars. when We get there"
Mr.. Bowser made no reply. None was
needed. He was thinking Of the agree
didn't look so honest and upright as
he had looked at the door.
please do not detain me. Mr.. Bow.
SER" said the man.
L won't" was the reply. You can
go"
What do you mean"
You can go. sir. and the sooner the
better"
Then you have given up tie trip to
Mars"
Il have. I am going to stay right on
this earth and make IT my business to
look out for swindlers. Good night,
sir"
Mr.. Bowser waited at the door for
a minute after the man had passed
out, and then put on his hat and coat
and took a walk. He did not want to
face Mrs. Rowsed-not until he had
recovered from the shock. The good
woman waited and waited. and when
he came in at last she pleasantly in
1uired if 1t looked as II IL was going
to snow-and that was all.
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

Mr.. Bowser walked nine times the
length of the sitting-room. when he
paused and said:
Mrs. Bowser. there may be a gentle
man to see me this evening.
About a hive of bees?" she Iueried
No. ma am
You have bought everything but bee
in the last ten years. and l didn't know
but what you had got around to them.
Mr. Bowser sat down and chewed the
Mrs Bowser. there is a planet called
Mars"
1T had been talked of in the papers
ever since you were born. but l didn't
know whether you had taken any in
terest in it or not. Then you have read
or heard that it is inhabited
sort: >
Il congratulate you. It is supposed to
nat ton dwells there: 1t has its noun
tains. rivers and plains. II probably ma 5
an ocean or two. 1t has Its birds and
beasts. It may have its Wall Street. ts
Rockefeller and Carnegie"
why don't you so there" innocently
asked Mrs. Bowser.
BY thunder, BY thunder. exclaimed
Mr., Bowser. as he brought his fst down Ti
on his knees. Il was lust about TO tax
to you on that question: For. the last
two days l have been thinking strongly
of going TO Mars"
Mrs Bowser smiled cynically. =,
oh. YOU think 1t one Of nv fads. :"
continued Mr.. BowSer, as he noticed the
smile Let me tell you. my dear woman
that 7 was never so earnest IN my nie
/ want you to be with me in this thing
| want YOU to encourage me. dozen
times over l have been near fame ana
fortune. but you have stood in the way
For heavens sake give me helping
~ can, | will. Of course. was the
reply , :. ~. foo,
mlngle with the people. and take notes
and bring them back to this world. whl
be a greater man than any king VINO
eyer eye ,;Sds ruled; Money will await him 0Y
And the question with You is how to
No. that question has already been
oh, see. Well: you can take the
next train. If you have any other way
of going you may state it"
Mr.. Bowser smiled and chuCk!ed and
slapped his leg. and IT was half "A min
ute before he said:
The planet Mars is in the sky. isn't
1t? l have got TO try the upward way
Mrs Rowser saw that he had been
quite carried away with this scheme ,
eve She therefore asked:
is this your idea alone?'
NO. no. an air craft man is with
me- in il.
Then he must be fool He ought
to know that no human being can get
above a certain height from the earth
without freezing to death. | believe the
limit is two miles. while Mars is some
thing like seventy or eighty millions
miles away. After a certain height the
air becomes SO rari:ed that no one
could breath
"Don,t Won think We know al this.
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

house. and showed him a nice. new rope
| fastened to the limb of a peach tree. II
had hangman's moose at the end of It
and this moose swayed to and fro inv IT.
| ingly- in the morning breeze.
I'll bring out an oIu chair for you
to stand on" she said.
Don't trouble yourself. Mrs. Bliss"
was the suihn -cply % the peIaIer, as ne
turned and walked away; and , forsve, e,
Il was so different with Mr.. Burton,
He could talk Of soils, crops. swanps,
and never let a hint fall that he intend
ed some day to talk Of love and mail
mony The widow mentally .pitied nim
for this and yet she felt bit piqued.
Mr. Burton was a surveyor and his
duties called him into the neighborhCo cd
of the Swamp Farm about once week.
He could probably have made 1t once
in two weeks. and perhaps once In f"'lr.
about Wednesday n every week. tn
widow would look out Of the front door
and see Mr.. Burton surveying or pre-
tending to-. He would look up by acGi,
would be invited in to drink glass OF
This thing had gone on for a lorg:
long time when he called one day. iot
widow. / have been coming here a
long time" c began.
"4nd it has tired you outT' ste laugh
Not a BIT. I came today to ask you
to be nv wife,
"Mr. Burton" replied the widow, Il
made up my MIND "a so8us t;u.e tnas aas shsii
marry the man who can tell me how to
make money out OF my old swamp.
When I am sure that he has told me
right he may bring in the preacher
aTSat old swamp has been . bleak spot
for fifty years" he said, after time,
land ii may take a sharper man than I
am to see any money IN t. Il II i, y e0uia @ 1,,e ne
farm. but it can't be drained without
digging a ditch seven miles to the river.
By the way: you don't own all the
"No There's twenty-eisht acres Of It
that belongs to Mr.. Cooper. but he can't
do ANYTHING more with his part than l
can with mine. Then you can't tell me
how 10 make any ,ksG money dSvn 1't to o the edge
Of the swamp and back again. and then
he sat down and took his head In his
hands and thought and thought By and
81, 6y fs face to1a and said:
solved the problem. You arc to turn that
swamp into frog ,; iar~ %bo.v.r heard Of
such . thing" she exclaimed: :.
.Iots Of folks have heard Of II. There
are half a dozen men in this State VINO
sre raisinR frogs for the market and
mskine a heap Of money out Of IT."
But i never heard Of any one selling
frogs" persisted the Tidow; S,a, 40, . ,,,.
much less than buy one?"
Mot in Dayton" he laughed: but In
Me- York. They are on the bill Of fare
at most hotels and restauranta and are
eat the hind legs. you know. Ths .fr,s
iiyes In . sWampy spot You have
enough swamp to raise hundreds and
reoSx Suyere in the great city. Now.
then. I have told you how to make mon
n out Of that swamp Are you gofng
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

When the constable at Judge Hoke
"o.rt had cried Hear Yr" three times
over. the judE" arose and said.
Men Of Sandy Bend If ] speak in 4
broken voice. and my chm qUivers
when ] talk. il is because ] am feelin
such eminent emotions as I have not
felt in twenty wears before
This court keeps the Red Dog sa
loon and he plays poker and h. bets
on horse races. hUf h. can feel emo
tions as well IS the Sentlcst poet in
the land. take II that nearly all OF
YOU can do the sam. thing. There are
three dogs and four Cinnamon in the
room and they look TO me as If they
felt inward feelings
why this emotion? Why do ! stand
here with the tears ready to fall at
why this depression Of sreerits all
over Sand Bend
why hasn't there been a game of
poker nor a hoss race in three days?
Why is it that desperate Bill-even
lookin' as if he had just heard of the
death of mis- mother
DO you know. my friends. that ev-
cry shanty and tent and dugout in San
dy Bend is for sale at half value?
DO you know that nine residents
out of ten are packin' up to strike some
other town and bid farewell to old
such happiness and comfort?
Il will tell YOU what is the matter.
though you know : we'll as l do.
We have peen IrHllH ioi
thirty years. and at last we are licked.
Yes. my friends. hate to say, the
word, but we are licked. We have
seen the shadder Of II coming for the
last five years, but we were hopeful
that II would pass us by.
what was that which awoke Sandy
Bend from its happy sleep at daylight
the other morning? Did any of the
dead and gone. planted up there on the
hillside. turn over in their coffins? 1
can't say that they did. but II they
were true patriots they would have
done so. They would have got outer
their graves and whooped and yelled
and cussed.
What was that noise that jumped
us out OF our blankets and caused us
to look at each other as II we had
wakened in another land?
"'Toot, Toot, Toot"
Yes great Heavings, II was the
toot of locomotive on the new rail-
road only 1--WE miles away. and which
is TO run into Sandy Bend next week.
Think of II! A railroad into Sandy
Bend. That's one OF the pints we
have been licked on. II has wanted to
come here for the last ffteeen yearA
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10
g c oH C,OEACE NAN

befall us. am to have all the credit
He don't even want his name men
"Ied Gro in the pa fapsTs II will be stated
Il see," smiled Mrs. Bowser. The
aircraft man does all these things for
the fun of it"
expect that"
Then what sum does he WANT"
Mr.; BowSer eunIs schoss choksd up and don his
tions would permit him TO say:
He spoke of $500: but ! think I
can beat him down little. OF course.
VIII" viii be @ only too 20 glad to " put US up at
the best hotel free of all expense.
and they will give us our coal and
provisions for the return trip: Tell
I will tell you little story in
stead" replied Mrs. Bowser. .-Three
years ago you gave an aircraft man
You You w We're sN strapped apr d. into Seat seat and and
away YOU went. The craft had risen
ten feet when you began TO yell and
and ,hGnad shout id,oI and yon %n,, offered
descend. He accepted the offer. and
when you were unstrapped and once
more on the solid earth you handed
him 50 cents and started for home:
Mr. Rowser turned as red as a
boiled lobster. but for a wonder he
held his temper When he spoke
again there was not a harsh note in
his voice He said in a coaxing way:
But. you see. my dear. all the con-
ditions are different this time. On
the previous occasion ] was looking
for novelty: this time I am looking
for Mars and fame and money It
means everything to me. There won't
be one scream, even If we have to go
a hundred million miles high"
Have yoU talked With any scientific
man about this" asked Mrs. Bowser
$'Why. the air man is scientist, hil.l-
self. II he says We can reach Mars,
YOU can depend on II that We shall land
there in due time. He is coming here
this evening to talk the final arrange
ments over with me. I expect he will
ring the bell at any moment Then 1
have your consent, my dear"
MIR. Bowser,' she said, very seriously.
Let it be understood that If ne don
ask for any money tonight, you have
The Washington herald., 1915-10-10
Her LOVE and FROGS

The Swamp Farm" as II was called.
was situated four miles out of Dayton
and was owned by the Widow Bliss.
They said Of it that there was twenty
acres Of land and sixty acres Of swamp.
in which frog wouldn't live II he could
find another place.
i was indeed a poor farm. and the
ing. 1t was her fault entirely that she
was in such situation. She was hard
ly forty years old, had no children, and
was what copId d. De called s.ad, sood-Iook- LOOK
in the year that she did not have an
offer Of marriage or something very
close to an offer.
agent. the book canvasser. the patent
right man. and many others who came
that way. saw. admired. and was ready
love the IN Of ths n
better II she had good husband. but
she had may" for all these men ex-
cept one. He was Mr.. William Burton.
ranE.d a. an an old Mr. surson
didn't begin as most Of the others had.
He had the sense to admire the widow
Without telling is he. TT that he, he admired:
woman likes to be nattered more or less.
With the others. they had hardly go:
into the house before they were ready
living here in this lonely state You
ought to lie married again. and that
without any undue loss Of time"
"Oh, I'm making a better living than
any Of you fellows and don't have to
have the nuisance of a husband around"
would be the laughing reply.
''If any Of the men persisted after two
or three rebuffs. they found the Widow
Bliss very stern. After having told her
twenty lone different times that he loved
her and could not live without her, the
sewing machine agent threatened suicide
BY jumping down her we'll.
e dSn S.rs 40 tn; sse "a snswsrso ;"l
the neighbors here to get the body ou.,
and shor,d never care to drink the
water again saw this coming aad
urep6red for It. Come here.
And abe took him around back Of the