The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-22

were the amiable loafers-
and Old Baumgartner. The person he
was discoursing about was his son
Sephenijah 1 am not sure that the
name was not the ripe fruit of his
fathers fancy-with, perhaps, the
Scriptural suggestion which Is likely to
be present in the affairs of a Pennsyl-
ia-German-whether commitment
or not-even if he live in Maryland.
Yes-always last; especial at fu-
nerals and weddings. Except his own
he's sure to be on time at his own
funeral. Right out in front! HahP
But sometimes he misses his wedding.
Why, knowed feller-yous all know
ed him, begoshensl-that didn't git
there till another feller'd married her
bout norm year afterward.
Wasn't it more'n year, boys? Yas-
Bill Eisenkrout. Or, now, was it his
brother-Baltzer Iron-Cabbage? Seems
to me now like it was Bali. Somesing
wiss B at the front end, anyhow"
Henry WasseFman diffidently intim-
ated that there was curious but
satisfactory element of safety In being
last-a "fast-nacht" in their language,
In fact. Those in front were the
ones usually hurt In railroad accidents,
Alexander Althoff remembered.
Safer" cried the speaker. OF
counsel But for why-say, for why?"
No one answered and he let several
impressive minutes intervene.
"You don't knowl Hang you, none
of yous knows? Well-because he amt
there when anysing occurs-always
a little lateI"
They agreed with him by a series
of sage mods.
"But, fellers, the worst is about
counting. It's no way to be always
late. Everybody else gifts there first,
and it's Messing for the fastnacht but
weeping and wailing and crashing of
the teeth. And mebby the other
Teller gifts considerable happiness and
a good farm"
There was complaint in the old mans
voice, and they knew that he meant
his own son Seffy. To add to their
now appearing over the Lustich Hill
an opportune moment for q pleasing
depression. For you must be told early
concerning Old Baumgartner's longing
for certain lands, tenements and hered-
Misunderstanding his own phrase
which were not his own, but which
adjoined his. It has passed into
the property IN question belonged to
one Sarah Pressed, it was known COLO
quially as Baumgartner's YeaFn."
And the reason of it was this:
Between his own farm and the public
road land the railroad station when it
came), lay the fairest meadoW-land
farmers eye had ever rested upon.
q am speaking again for the father of
Seffy and with his hyperbole.) Save
in one particular, it was ike an enemy's
beautiful territory lying between ones
less beautiful own and the open sea-
keeping one q poor inlander who Is
mad for the seas-whose crops must
either pass across the land of his adver-
sary and pay tithes to him, or go by
long distances around him at the cost
of greater tithes to the soulless owners
of the turnpikes-who aggravatingly
fix gate each way to make their tithes
more sure. So I say, 1t was ike having
the territory of his enemy lying between
his and deep wster-save, as / have
also said, in one particular, to wit;
that the owner-the Sarah Pressed /
have mentioned-was not Old Baum
gartner's enemy.
In fact, they were tremendous friends
And It was by this friendship-and
one other thing which mean to men
ton iater-that Old BaIImCarf0er hoDed