The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16


ion was made. A thousand dollars
was a dear lesson, but Mr.. Mettler
was exceedingly pleased to have re-
co, cred so generous portion OF ms
earnings with which to begin his OLD
business again.
= - =.
rome evening i'm 1S44. when N. P.
erpwder, fatARar-Hfl p. M u, Crowd
loving an indian {rdii. keShoticed a
horseman coming toward him and
could readily see from the careless
manner OF the rider that it was
white man. So he waited for him.
The two men had never met before,
but after some conversation each
learned that the other belonged to
the same common brotherhood OF
hOmeseekers in the New Purchase.
/ here was almost no reserve among
strangers in those days. There was
! kindred fellowship that made each
confide in the other. Mr.. CrOWder
told him he was opening a new home
over on Middle Creek and asked the
stranger of his plans. He said he
was building a mill on Skunk river
north of Oskaloosa but lacked sixty
dollars OF having enough money to
purchase the necessary machinery to
e.,ulp the mill. The idea OF having
1 mill so near to himself and his
neighbors appealed SO strongly to
Mr.. Crowder that he said. without a
moments hesitation, not even know
ing the strangers name, that he had
that amount of money in the house
| upit M ich hn hod intnnHpn nntnr
his land as soon as 1t came into m
| ket, and that ii the stranger would
return the money when needed he
/ would let him have it to use for so
laudable purpose The stranger
went home with his newly made
friend and the evening was spent in
a pioneer conference. The next
morning Mr.. Crowder counted out to
his guest, who proved to be Mr..
George Duncan, siXty-tive dollars in
silver Sixty-five dollars was
snug sum of money in that. daV, es-
pecially when it had been sacredly
laid aside Tor the purpose of purchas-
ing a home for the family. No obi
cations or specified rate of interest
were thought of by Mr.. Crowder in.
making this loan He simply thought
of the unmeasured advantage of
nearby grist mill to the whole com
munity and to his own family. Mr.
Duncan went to Burlington and com
pleted the purchase of the necessary
machinery for his mill.
- - -
/, In 1913, James Woods, who lived
over on Middle Creek, came over to
Samuel Collins to borrow some
money. He found Mr.. Coffin some
miles from home breaking prairie
! Mr.. Coffin told him he did not have
time to go to the house to get him
the money, but If he would go over
TO the house he would find package
of money in a particular corner of
the smoke house. Take from the
package the sum he wanted and PIT:
the rest back where he got it, No
note or obligation whatever was Civ
en-. i S. L. Pomeroy was admlnstra-
tor of the Coffin estate and says this
was fair sample of the business
methods of this large-hearted man.
He aimed to deal in that way only
with men OF veracity and his losses
were not overly large.
- - -
And even after the banks were
started and in good running order, We
have been told that there were CHI
zens who continued to hide their
money under rafters in the barn, TN
Ter the rag carpet in the parIOr. art
behind the kitchen clock, while not
4 few, cCntrarv to tie advice of their
bankers, bought gold bricks and blue
Ky. And even to this day humcn
nat c has not changed its habits
much.
THE ROUSTABOUT.
Continued in our NEXT
II nhINEHn GnnIlA,. L,