Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-05-30
BY
IRVING BAcHELLER
CHAPTER xv-continued.
t0opyrishs By Irving Bachenerl

SWhere do We hail fromF"
~Cobleskill."
'on business for Judge WestbrookT p
ayes"
.'Writs to server"
sYes," 1 answered with no thought
of my impruience
"Say, young man, by hockey nettie !
I advise you to turn right around and
go back"
"Why?"
"'Cause If We try to serve any writs
yell git into trouble"
'That's interesting" answered. al
am not seeking a quarrel, but I do
want to see how the people feel about
the payment Of their rents"
"Say mister, look down into that val
ley there" the stranger began. "See
all them houses-they'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 hockey nettie guess
not. The men who live there built the
houses an cleaned the land. We amt
gone to the landlord. / am for the
men who made every rod o. that land
an who own not a single rod Of it.
Years an years ago q king gave 1t to
a man who never cut one tree or laid
one stone on another. The deeds say
that we must pay a rent o. so many
bushels o. wheat year but the land is
NO good for wheat, an amt been for
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
hockey nettie they had got used to it.
Kings an magistrates an slavery
didI't look so bad to 'em as they do
1ow. 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 Twin 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 ] say we can't nay the rents no
more an We mustn't try to make us.
BY hockey nettiel You'l have trouble
If We do"
The truth had flashed upon me out
Of the words of this simple man. I'm
I'll then l had heard only one side of
the case. If / were to be the se~sant
Of justice. as Mr.. Wright had aG,4.sed,
what was to do? These tenants had
Deen Grimshawed and were being
Grimshawed out of the just fruits of
their toll by the feudal chief whose
remote ancestor had been a kings IA
yorite. For half moment 1 watched
the wagering needle of my compass
and then:
III what you say is true think you
are right" I said.
! don't agree with you" said young
Latour. '@The PATRONS have a clear
Title to this land. If the tenants don't
want to pay the rents they ought to
ger out and make way for Others"
Look here, young man, my name is
Josiah Curtis" said the stranger. 81
ave In the first house on the right
nand side o. the road. You may tell
the judge that I won't pay rent no
nlore-7ot as long as I live-and /
won't git out. either"
Mr. Latour, you and Purvis may go
Oh slowly-I'n overtake you soon" /
said.
Ihey went on and left me alone with
curtis. He was getting excited and /
wished to allay his fears.
Don't let him try to serve no writs
or tnere'n 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 up the
leighborhood. but / want to know the
1acts. shall try to see other tenants
ana report ~lat they say. 1t may lead
10 a settlement"
we went on together to the top of
,ne nil near which we had been stand
tug' Far ahead saw a cloud Of dust
~ NJ no signs Of Latour and Puryis.
1ney must have spurred their horses
.h'o run. The fear came to me that
--atoar would try to serve the writs In
T ~, OF me. They were in his pocket.
=. -" NAT fool had been not to call for
uneLn. My companion saw the look of
N0neern in my face.
- | don't like that young feller," said
Nurtis. Hes in fer trouble"
ne ran toward his house, which was
NH! a Few rods beyond us, while
started on in pursuit of the two men
TOP speed. Before my horse had
t GNen dozen jumps 1 heard horn
SVi,o"ing behind me and fits echo In the
,-ilis. Within half moment dozen
-ofhs were sounding In the valleys
otouhd me. What a contrast to the
~, IN which we had been riding was
,-i's pandemonium which had broken |
,Oess IN the countryside. A little ahead |
could see men running out Of the |
'@us NJ horse had begun to latheFi !