The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1921-08-11
CHAPTER III.

They had dinner of prairie chick
ems and roast venlson. favored with
wild grape Jelly, and creamed potatoes
and cookies and doughnuts and raisln
pie. 1t was well-cooked dinner.
served on white linen, In a clean room,
and while they were eating, the sym
pathetic landlady stood by the table,
eager to learn Of their travels and to
make them feel at home. The good
food and their kindly welcome and
the beauty of the rolling, wooded
prniries softened the regret which had
been growing in their hearts, and
which only the children had dared
to express.
perhaps we haven't made a mis-
take, after ALL" Sarah whispered when
the dinner was over. 81 like these
people and the prairies are beautiful"
ut Is the land of plenty at last"
said Samson, as they came out OF
doors. at Is even better than
thought"
"As Douglas Jerrold said of Austria
liza: Tickle 1t with hoe and 1t
laughs with harvest" said DR..
Allen, who still sat In the shaded
dooryard, smoking his pipe. II have
an extra horse and saddle. Suppose
you leave the family with Mrs. Rut-
ledge ana ride around with me little
this afternoon. j can show you how
the land lies off TO the west of us,
and tomorrow wen look at the other
side"
THANK you-l want TO look around
here n little" said Samson. whats
the name of this placer
"New Salem. We call II a village.
II has a mill. carding machine, a
tavern, schoolhouse,, five stores,
fourteen houses, two or three men of
genius, ana u noisy dam. It's nscrude
but growing place and soon II will
have all the embellishments Of civil
lized life"
That evening many of the inhabIt.
ants Of the little village came to the
tavern to see the travellers and were
introduced by DR.. Allen. Most OF
them had come from Kentucky, al
though there were two Yankee fam
lilies who had moved on from Ohio.
"These are good folks" said the
Doctor. There are others who are
not so good. ] could show you some
pretty rough customers at clary's
Grove, not far from here. We have
to take things as they are and do
our best to make 'em better"
"Any IndiansT Sarah asked.
"You see one now and then, but
they're peaceable. Most of !em have
gone with the buffaloes-farther west.
Now and then a circuit rider gets
here and breaches TO us. You'll hear
the Reverend Stephen NuckIes If you
settle IN these parts. He can holler
louder than any man In the state"
The tavern was the only house In
New Salem with stairs In it--stairs
so steep, as Samson writes. that ''they
were first cousins TO the ladder"
There we're four small rooms above
them. Two or these were separated
by partition Of cloth hanging from
the rafters. In each was bed end
bedstead and smaller 5eds on the
floor. In case there were number
Of adult guests the bedstead was
screened with sheets hung upon
strings. In enc OF these rooms the
travellers had night of refreshing
sleep. rf
After riding two days with the
Doctor, Samson bought the claim of
one Isaac Gollaher>to half section
Of land little more than mile from
the western end OF the village. He
chose site for his house on the
edge of an open prairie.
"Now we'll go over aud see Abe, "
said Dr. Allen, after the deal was
made. Hes the best man with an
ak and saw In this part Of the
country. He clerks for Mr. 0ffut
Abe Lincoln is one of the best fellows
that ever iIved--a rough diamond Just
out Of the great mine OF the West, that
only needs to be cut and polished
Denton Offut's store was a small
log structure about twenty by twenty
which stocd near the brow OF the
hill east OF Rutledge's tavern. When
they entered II Abe lay at full length
on the counter his head resting on q
bolt Of blue denim as he studied q
book In his hand, He wore the same
shirt and one suspender and Iinsey
trousers which he had worn In the
dooryard Of the tavern. but his feet
were covered only by his blue yarr
socks.