American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-01-31

on Its hearth II rlvaled, In its nov
city and charm, any tin peddIer's cart
that w came to our door. John
Axtell and his wife, who had seer It
pass their house, hurried over for a
look at 1t. Every hand was on the
stove as we tenderly carried II into
the house, piece by piece, and set It
up. Then they cut a mole In the up
per floor and the stone chimney and
fitted the pipe. How keenly we
watched the building Of the fire. How
quickly 1t roared and began to heat
the roomi
When the Axtells had gone away
Aunt Deel said:
TITS grand II Is sartin-but I'm
'frnid we can't afford ~it--ayes / bel"
1--WE can't afford to freeze any
longer. ] made up my mind That we
couldn't 20 through another winter
as we have" was my uncle's answer.
'How much did 1t cost7' she asked.
mot much dlfrer'nt from thirty
four dollars in sheep and grain" he
answered.
Rodney Barnes stayed to supper
md spent n part of the evening with
us.
Like other settlers there. Mr..
Barnes was a cheerful optlmist. Every
thing looked good TO him until 1t
turned out badly.
lie told how he had heard that II
was n growing country m the great
water highway of the st. Lawrence.
Prosperous towns were building up
In II. There were going 10 be great
cities In Northern New York. There
were rich stores Of lead and iron
In the rocks. Mr.. Barnes had bought
two hundred acres at ten dollars nm
acre. He had TO pay u fee of Ave
per cent. to GrImshaw's lawyer for
the survey sand the papers. This left
him owing fourteen hundred dollars
on his farm-much more than II was
worth.
Our cousin twisted the poker In
his great hands until II squeakcd as
he stood before my uncle and sald:
'My wife and l have chopped dnd
burnt and pried and hauled rocks an
shoveled dung an MIXED an churncd
until we ARE worn out. For almost
twenty years we've been workin' days
nm nights an Sundays. My mortgage
was overdue. l owed six hundred dol
lars on It. / thought II all over one
dny an went up to Grlmshaw's an
took him by the back Of the neck
and shook him. He said he would
drive me out % tho country. He
gave me six months 20 pay up. | had
10 pay or lose the land, | got the
money on the note that you signed
over IN Potsdam. Nobody Ia Cam
ton would IA dared to lend It to
me-"
"Why7" my uncle asked.
"'Frald o. Grlmshaw. He didn't
want me to he able TO pay It., The
place is worth more than six hundred
dollars new-that's the reason. / IN
tended TO cut some timber an ham
II to the village this winter so | could
pay Il part O the note an git more
time as l told We, but tho roads have
been so bad'I couldn't do any haul
In"
My uncle went and took Il drink at
the water pali. / saw by his face
TINT he was unusually wrought up.
"Afy heavens an earth" he ex-
claimed ms he Sat down again.
ITS the brain collie" l said to
myself as l looked at him.
MIR. Barnes seemed 10 have Il also.
'sToo much note" | whispered.
SIN awful sorry. but I've done
everything | couId.s said MIR. Barnes
"Ain't there somebody thnt1i take
another m~ortgagef-it ought to be
safe now" my uncle suggested.
Money IN SO tight It can't be done,
The bank has got all the money an
Grimshaw owns the hank. I've tried
and tried, but TIL make you safe. I'll
give You n mortgage until l car turn
round"
So | saw how Rodney Barnes, like
other settlers in L~ickitysplit, had gone
into bondage 60 the landlord.
"How much do you I'VE on this
placer" Barnes asked.
"Seven hundred an fifty dollars
said my uncle.
lis In duef"
ats been due a year an II / have
to pay that note m be short my In
terest."