The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-09-14
CHAPTER l.
HOW A sIDEwlsE DOG TRoTs.

II Il =
G-&AsA3 were the amiable loafers--
and Old Baumgartner. The person he
was discoursing about was his son
Sepheniiah. | 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 Pennsyl-
vania- German-whether COMMUNICATE
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 ms own
funeral. Right out in 'front.' Hair
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 aiterward.
Wasn't it more'n year, boys? ias-
Bill Eisenkrout. Or, now, was 1t his
brother-Baltzer Iron-CabbageY Seems
to me now like it was BALI. Someslng
wiss B at the front end, anyhow"
Henry Wasserman diffidently intlm-
ated that there was a 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. ~.
"Safe?" cried the speaker. " OF
counsel But for why-say, for WHY"
Old Baumgartner challenged defiantly:
No one answered and he let several
impressive minutes intervene.
f'You don't know! Hang you, none
of yous knows2 Well-because he amt
there when anysing occurs-alwaya
q little latel"
They agreed with him by 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 guashing, 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
embarrassment, this same son was
now appearing over the Lustich Hill
an opportune moment for a 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. 1t has passed into q
proverb OF the vicinage; indeed, though
the property in question belonged tc
one Sarah Pressed, it was known colo
ouially as Baumgartner's Yearn."
And the reason of it was this
Between his own farm and the public
road land the railroad station when il
camel, lay the fairest meadow-lanc
farmers eye had ever rested upon
Il am speaking again for the father o.
Seffy and with his hyperbole.) Save
in one particular, it was like an enemy Z
beautiful territory lying between one'i
less beautiful own and the open sea-
keeping one poor inlander who Il
mad for the seas-whose crops mus
either pass across the land of his adver
sary and pay tithes to him, or go b.
long distances around him at the cos
of greater tithes to the soulless owner
of the turnpikes-who aggravatingl.
fix a gate each way to make their 1.-THE
more sure SO / say, it was like having
the territory of his enemy lying between
his and deep water-save, as / hav
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 we're tremendous friends
And it was by this friendsbip-ant
, Al ,,,Iiah I voaax, tn fnnO