Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-18

a Sig, Rough Dressed, Bearded Mar
Stood in the Middle of the Road
With Gun on His Shoulder.
all them houses-Ihey're the little
houses O. the poor. See how smooth
the land is? Who built them houses
Who cleaned that land? Was it Mr..
Livingston? By hokey nettiel guess
not. The men who live there built the
houses an cleaned the land. We amt
| got nothin' else-not dollar! It's all
gone to the landlord. l am for the
men who made every rod O. that land
an who own not a single rod of it.
Years an years ago king gave it to
a man who never cut one tree or laid
one stone on another. The deeds say
that we must pay rent O. so many
bushels o wheat year but the land Is
nc good for wheat, an amt been for
a hundred years. Why, We see, mis-
ter, good many things have happened
in three hundred years. The land was
willin' to give wheat then an a good
many folks was willin' to be slaves. By
bokey nettie they had got used to it.
Kings an magistrates an slavery
/ didn't look so bad to 'em as they do
now. Our brains have changed-that's
what's the matter-same as the soil
has changed. We want to be free like
other folks in this country. America
has growed up around us but here we
are livin' back in old Holland three
hundred years ago. 1t don't set good.
We see lots O. people that don't have
to be slaves. They own their land an
they amt worked any harder than we
have or been any more savin'. That's
why l say. we can't pay the rents no
more an ye mustn't try to make us.
By hokey nettle! You'll have trouble
il ye do"
The truth had flashed upon me out
Of the words Of this simple man. Un-
til then had heard only one side of
the case. If / were to be the servant
Of justice, as Mr. Wright had advised,
what was to do? These tenants had
been Grlmshawed and were being
Grimshawed out Of the just fruits of
their toll by the feudal chief whose
remote ancestor had been kings fa-
vorite. For half a moment l watched
the wavering needle of my compass
and then:
"If what you say is true think YOU
are right" l said.
II don't agree with you," said young
Latour. 'The PATRONS have clear
title to this land If the tenants don't
want to pay the rents they ought TO
get out and make way for Others"
"Look here, young man, my name is
Josiah Curtis" said the stranger. 81
live in the first house on the right
hand side o. the road. You may tell
the judge that l won't pay rent no
nore-not as long as I live-and I
won't git ont, either"
''NTr Latour, you and Purvis may 20
on slowly-Tll overtake you soon," I
said.
They went on and left me alone with
Curtis. He was getting excited and I
wished to allay his fears.
"Don't let him try to serve no writs
or there'll be hell to pay in this val.
ley" said Curtis.
"In that case shall not try to serve
the writs. don't want to stir ,lp the
neighborhood, but want to know the
facts. shall try to see other tenants
and report what they say. 1t may lead
to a settlement"
We went on together to the ton of
the hill near which we had been stand |
ing. Far ahead l saw cloud of dust
but no signs of Latour and Purvis.
They must have spurred their horses
into run. The fear came to me that
Latour would try to serve the writs in
spite Of me. They were in his pocket.
What fool had been not to call for
them. My companion saw the look Of
concern in my face.
Il dent like that young feller," said
Curtis. He's in fer trouble"
He ran toward his house, which was
cnly few rods beyond us, while |
started on in pursuit of the two men
at top speed. Before my horse had
taken dozen jumps heard horn
blowing behind me and its echo in the
hills. Within half moment dozen
horns were sounding In the valleys
around me. What contrast to the
quiet in which We had been riding was
this pandemonium which had broken
loose In the countryside. A little ahead
l could see men running out of the
fields. My horse had begun to lather,
foi the sun was hot. My companions
were far ahead. | could not see the
dust Of their heels now. gave up try
ing to catch them and checked the
speed of my horse and went on at u
walk. The horns were still sounding.
Some of them seemed to be miles
away. About twenty rods ahead ! saw
three riders in stran.e. costumes come