The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-01-21
CHAPTER Iv-centinu.d.


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The logs for the new house were
ready two days sitter the cutting he
gan. Martin waddeil and Samuel Hill
sent teams to haul them. John Cam
sron and Peter Lukins had brought
the window sash and some clapboards
from Beartlstown In q small natboat.
Then came the day Of the raising-a
clear. warm day early in September.
All the men from the village and the
near farms gathered to help make 4
home for the newcomers. Samson
and Jack .Kelso went out for q hunt
after the cutting and brought In q
fat buck and many grouse for the bee
dinner. to which every woman Of the
neIghborhood made 4 contribution Of
cake OF pie or cookies or doughnuts.
"What will be my partf'' Samson
had inquired Of Kclso.
Nothing but Jug Of whisky and a
kind word and house warming"
Kelso had answered.
They notched and bored the logs
and made pins to bind them and cut
those that were to 60 around the nre-
place and window spaces. Strong.
willing and well-truined hands hewed
and fitted the logs together. Alexan-
der Ferguson lined the fireplace with q
curious mortar made Of clay in which
he mixed grass for q binder. This NOR
tar he rolled into layers called "cats,"
each eight inches long and three inches
thick. Then he laid them against the
logs and held them In place with q
woven network of stockA The nrst
nre-a slow one-baked the clay into
q rigid stone-llke sheath inside the
logs and presently the sticks were
burped away. The women had cooked
the meats by an open DIRE and spread
the dinner on q table Of rough boards
resting on poles Get in crotches. At
noon one Of them sounded . conch
shell. Then with shouts Of Joy the
men hurried to the freside and for Z
moment there was q great spluttering
over the wash basins Before they
ate, every man except Abe and Sam
son stock 4 pull At the juE-long or
short"-to quote q phrase Of the time.
1t was q cheerful company that sat
down upon the grass around the table
with loaded plates. Their food had
its extra seasoning Of merry jests and
loud laughter. Sarah. was a little
shocked at the fortnight directness
Of their eating, no knlves or forks or
napkins being needed In that process.
Having eaten, washed and packed
away their dishes the women went
home at two. Before they had gone
Samson's ears caught thunder of
horxes' feet in the distance. Looking
in Its direction he saw a cloud Of dust
in the road and band of horsemen
riding toward them at full speed. Abe
came to him and said:
II see the boys from Clary's Grove
arc coming. II they get mean. let me
deal with EN-. It's my responsibility.
I wouldn't wonder II they had some
Of Quits whisky with them"
The boys arrived In q cloud Of
dust and a chorus of Indian whoopa
and dismounted and hobbled theiz
horses. They came toward the work.
ers. led BY burly Jack Armstrong, q
stalwart. hard-faced blacksmith OF
about twenty-five with broad. heavy
shoulders, whose name has gone into
history. They had been drinking some
but no one Of them was in the leas,
degree of his balance. They scufied
around the jug for q moment In per
feet good nature and then Abe and
lrs. Waddell provided them with the
best remnants Of the dinner. They
were rather noisy. Soon they wen,
up on the roof to help with the rafters
and the clapboarding. They WORKED
we'll few minutes and suddenly they
came scrambling down for another
pull at the Jug. They were out for {
spree and Abe know It and knew furth
q that they had reached the limi,
Of discretion.
sBoys. there are ladies here ant
we've got to b careful" he said
sIIs's stick to the Job till -four o'clock
Thsn ven knock OF for refresh
nssts."
TAs- young revsssfs gathered in /,
sfoup and besaa - whisper togsther
oaaasoa writes that Il became svideo
80 thsy wses essas 10 make troubl,
~ says:
sWs - Isn ~ ehiidrso st Rst
Nlose = - 90 q ~. : SsaE 3