Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-08-24

To let you into a part of the plot at
the beginning, so that it may not be so
great a puzzle to your brain. it may be
stated that there was a widow named
Ridgeway living at Colville. a town of
1000 inhabitants.
There was living, also, at Beach Hill
a lawyer named Hammond. Beach
Hill and Colville We're forty miles
apart, but the lawyer and the widow
had somehow become acquainted, and
perhaps they would have fallen in love
had either been able to support the
other. Five miles from Beach Hill
was a place called Widowville. There
was a good reason for it. Five wild
overs, all farmers, had built their
houses there. Each widower had a
lot Of children. numbering from five
to eight.
Between Beach Hill and Widow
Vile was a farm of eighty acres called
the Lester farm. In seven years it
had had five tenants. The soil was so
poor that they all starved out. This
farm the Widow Ridgeway leased.
vi course the five widowers of Wild
oWville heard Of the widows arrival
and what she proposed to do. and they
prlcked up their ears and said that
something would be doing. Enos
Cook, who had the biggest number of
children. was the first one to drive
over and introduce himself.
Jason TDrpor woo +Io - .,,I..
and he went over the same ground and
came away feeling just as good. SO
it was with Luke Harper, Moses Swift
and Philetus Johnson. All looked upon
the Widow Ridgeway rs a prize to be
won, and each M determined in his
mind to win her, though he didn't
say anything to the others about it.
Two weeks had passed when they
all called again, and this time their
talk with the widow was more free.
1t was at the third call that the plot
developed. If the farmers could spare
a little time from their own work they
might pillow a little and plant a little
for her and thus help her along. OF
course they would. They would be
only too glad to do it. What crop did
the widow think would pay her best?
She promptly answered that potatoes
would probably be the best selling
crop. How many acres? Why. she
had figured out that about sixty acres
would be the right thing.
Sixty acres of potatoes. Why, the
average farmer thinks he has Il big
planting if he puts in ten. The Wild
owers elevated their eyebrows in some
thing like horror, but after a confer
cncc lasting an hour it was agreed to
come to the widows figures. When it
came time for blowing the five brought
their teams and plows and worked
happily together. When they couldn't
come themselves they sent their hired
men. Sixty acres is a big field. but it
was eventually plowed and dragged.
1t was then that the widow made an
announcement. She gathered together
the five tired men at the back door and
said:
My friends, do not think l lack
you are all in love with me and intend
to propose marriage. l like you all.
You are good and true men. l cannot
as yet say that / prefer one to another,
but am going to carry out a plan.
The one hat does the most for me in
this matter of the potato crop I shall
look upon as being the most worthy to
become my husband"
Satisfaction cleaned in the eyes Of
every widowcr.
To plant sixty acres of ground takes
a heap of seed potatoes. The widow
didn't have a peck. The five farmers
Clipped in and bought them for her.
They planted them for her. When it
was time they plowed them out and
hoed them for her. Again. when it
was time they dug them for her.
When the tubers were ripe for digging
the potato trust sent a man to offer 80
cents a bushel, which was the usual
price. Two weeks later. after it had
been ascertained that not another po-
tato would be offered for sale in that
part of the state, it raised it's offer to
rs cents. and the widow took it.
When the last potato had been load
ed up and drawn away the widow
Ridgeway gave a banquet to the five
farmers, and it was known that her
choice was to be announced. The
farmers noticed that eight plates We're
placed on the table. That meant two
more persons were to sit down. They
arrived. 1t was Lawyer Hammond and
the Baptist preacher from the village.
What business had brought them? in
quired each farmer of himself, but no
one had solved the question when the
banquet was finished. and the lawyer
rose up and said:
Gentlemen, this has been a great
race between who should have the
widows heart and hand. You have all
done nobly. Each one of you has
shown himself to be a good and true
man. In fact, you all have been so
worthy of Tits good woman's love that
she cannot decide which one of you to
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