Cleveland County herald., 1919-02-20

on US hearth It riValed, in it's nov city and charm, any tin peddler's cart that ever came to our door. John AXtell and his wife, who had seen it pass their house, hurried over for a look at it. Every hand was on the stove as we tenderly carried it into the house, piece by piece, and set it up. Then they cut a hole in the up- per floor and the stone chimney and fitted the pipe. How keenly we watched the building of the fire. How quickly it roared and began to heat the roomi
 When the Axtells had gone away Aunt Deel said:
 "It's grand! It is sartin-but I'm 'fraid we can't afford it-ayes I be '"
 "We can't afford to freeze any longer, I made up my mind that we couldn't go through another winter as we have" was my uncle's answer.
 ''How much did it cost?" she asked.
 Mot much differnt from thirty four dollars in sheep and grain" he answered.
 Rodney Barnes stayed to supper and spent a part of the evening with us.
 Like other settlers there, Mir. Barnes was a cheerful optimist. Every thing looked good to him until it turned out badly.
 He told how he had heard that it was growing country near the great water highway of the St. Lawrence. Prosperous towns were building up in it. There were going to be great cities in Northern New York. There were rich stores of lead and iron in the rocks. MT. Barnes had bought two hundred acres at ten dollars an acre. He had to pay fee of five per cent. to Grimshaw's lawyer for the survey .and the papers. This left him owing fourteen hundred dollars on his farm-much more than 1t was worth.
 Our cousin twisted the poker in his great hands until it squeaked as he stood before my uncle and said:
 My wife and I have chopped and bQAhL pIlCu lld IdulCu 1OCho shoveled dung an milked an churned until we are worn out. For almost twenty years we've been workin' days an nights an Sundays. My mortgage was overdue, l owed six hundred dol lars on it. l thought it all over one day an went up to Grimshaw's an took him by the back of the neck and shook him. He said he would drive me out O the country. He gave me six months to pay up. I had to pay or lose the land. got the money on the note that you signed over in Potsdam. Nobody in Can ton would "a dared to lend it to me-"
 'Why?" my uncle asked.
 "'Fraid O GrimShaw. He didn't want me to be able to pay it. The place is worth more than six hundred dollars now-thats the reason. I in- tended to cut some timber an haul it to the village this winter so I could pay part O the note an git more time as 1 told ye, but the roads have been so bad I couldn't do any haul in'."
 My uncle went and took a drink at the water pail. I saw by his face that he was unusually wrought up.
 My heavens an earth! p he ex- claimed as he sat down again.
 Its the brain colic," I said to myself as I looked at, him.
 MT. Barnes seemed to have it also. 'Foo much note," I whispered.
 'Tm awful sorry, but I've done everything I could," said MT. Barnes.
 "Ain't there somebody that'll take another mortgage?-it ought to be safe now,' my uncle suggested
 Money is so tight it can't be done. The bank has got all the money an Grimshaw owns the bank. I've tried and tried, but I'll make you safe. I'll give you a mortgage until I can turn round"
 So I saw how Rodney Barnes, like other settlers in Lickitysplit, had gone into bondage to the landlord.
 "HOw much do you owe on this placer" Barnes asked.
 "Seven hundred an fifty dollars" 1" said my uncle.
 "Is it due?"
 "It's been due a year an if have to pay that note I'll be short my in- terest."