Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-02-07
CHAPTER v.
The Great Stranger


Some strangers came along the
road those days-hunters, peddlers
and the like--and their coming filed
me with q Joy which mostly went
away with them, l regret to say. None
of these, however, appealed to my
Imagination as did old Kate. But
there was one stranger greater than
she-greater indeed, than any other
who came into Rattleroad. He came
rarely and would not be long detained.
How curiously we looked at him,
knowing his fame and power! This
great stranger was Money.
1 shall never forget the day that
my uncle showed me dollar bill and
a little shiny, gold coin and three
pieces of silver, nor can l forget how
carefully he watched them while
they lay In my hands and presently
put them back into his wallet. That
was long before the time Of which
| am writing. remember hearing him
say, one day of that year, when i
| asked him to take us to the Caravan
of Wild Beasts which was coming to
| the village:
'Pm sorry, but It's been hundred
Sundays since / had dollar In my
wallet for more than ten minutes"
1 have his old account book for
the years of 1897 and 1888. Here are
some of the entries:
BALANCED accounts with ]. Doro-
| thy and gave him my note for S2.15
/ n 4
Sold ten bushels of wheat to II. Miner
at 90 cents, to be paid in goods.
"Sold two sheep TO Flavius Curtis
and took his note for SO, payable in
boots on or before March the first"
Only one entry In more than a
hundred mention money, and this was
the sum of eleven cents received in
balance from a neighbor.
So II will be seen that q spirit OF
mutual accommodation served TO
help us over the rough going. Mr.
Grlmshaw, however, demanded his
pay I'm cash aud that find was main
ly the habit of the money-lenders.
We were poor but our poverty was
not like that of these days In which
am writing. 1t was proud and
clearly and well-fed. Our fathers
had seen heroic service in the wars
and we knew 1t.
was twelve years old when be
gan to be the reader for our LITTLE
family. Aunt Deel had long com
planned that she couldn't keep up will
her knitting and read so much. W.
had not seen Mr.. Wright for nearl.
two years, but he had sent us tn
novels of Sir Walter Scott and l hat
led them heart deep into the cree
battles of Old Mortality
Then came the evil days of 1881
when the story of our lives began (
quicken its pace and excite our inter
est In its coming chapters. II CAV
us enough to think of. God knows.
Wild specuatlons In land and tn
American paper-money system ha
brought us into rough going. Tn
I banks of the city of New York Ia
:, suspended payment of their note
{ They could no longer meet their er
l gagements. As usual, the burden fe
heaviest on the poor. 1t was hard
get money even for black salts.
Uncle Peabody had been silent an
: depressed for n month or more. II
!. had signed note for Rodney Barne
I a cousin. long before and was afrai
!, that he would have to pay II. dldn
a know what n note was and | remen
:, Der that one night when l lay thin
ing about It. decided that II mu
he something in the nature OF hor'
collie. My uncle told me that no
Y was trouble which attacked Il
II brain instead OF the stomach.
r one autumn day In Canton Unc
l. Peabody traded three sheep and tive
~ bushels of wheat for cook sto'
and brought II home In the big WACO
e Rodney Barnes came with him To he
Is set up the stove. He was big gia
VI man with the longest nose In q
township. nave often wondered he
" any one would solve the problem
y kissing Mr.. Barnes in the immedla
q. ,eglUi Of his nose, the same being
10 he lature of defense.
S: That evening | was chiefly int
on tied IN the stove. What joy
Is no 10 no with it's damper and gr