Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-11

That evening I was chiefly inter
ested ia the stove. What a Joy i
was to me with its damper and grid
dies and high oven and the shiny edgt
on its hearthl 1t rivaled, in IT'S nov
city and charm, any tin peddler's car
that ever came to our door, Johr
/ Axtell and his wife. who had seen il
pass their house, hurried over for Q
look at it. Every hand was on tho
stove as we tenderly carried it into
the house, piece by piece, and set il
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:
TITS grandl IT is sartin-but I'm
fraid we can't afford it-ayes l be ~
1--WE can't afford to freeze any
longer. / 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.
'Not much differ'nt from thirty
four dollars in sheep and grain," he
answered.
Rodney Barnes stayed to supper
and spent part Of the evening with
us.
Like other settlers there Mr..
Barnes was 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 we're building up
In it. There were going to be great
cities sin Northern New York. There
were rich stores of lead and iron
in the rocks. Mr.. 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 it 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 1 have chopped and
burnt and pried and hauled rocks an
shoveled dung an MIXED an ehurned
until we are worn out. For almost
twenty years we've been workin' days
an nights an Sundays. My mortgage
was overdue, owed six hundred dol
lars on it. | thought it all over one
day an went UP to Grimshaws an
took him by the back of the neck
and shook him. He said he would
drive me out O. this country. He
gave me six months to pay up. | had
to pay or lose the land I 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-that's the reason. | in
tended to cut some timber an haul
it to the village this winter so l could
pay part o. the note an git more
time as I 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" he ex-
claimed as he sat down again.
ITS the brain collie" said to
myself as l looked at him.
Mr.. Barnes seemed to have 1t also.
'"Too much note" l whispered.
"Pm awful sorry, but I've done |
everything l could" said Mr.. 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 III make you safe. I'll
give you a mortgage until / can turn
round"
SO ] saw how Rodney Barnes, like
other settlers In Licldtysplit, had gone
into bondage TO the landlord.
"How much do you owe on this
placer Barnes asked.
"Seven hundred an fifty dollars"
said my uncle.
lis it due?"
'It's been due a year an if have
to pay that note TN be short my in
terest."
God O. Israel! I'm scairt," said
Uncle Peabody.
Down crashed the stick of wood
into the box.
what aboutp
"It would be like him to put the
screws on you now. You've got be-
.ween him an his prey. You've taken
he mouse away from the cat"
remember the little panic that
fell on as then. l could see tears
n the eyes of Aunt Deel as she sat
With her head leaning wearily on her
hand.
"If he does I'll do all l ean," said
Barnes, "whatever I've got will be