The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-09-18

"Oh, I'll roll up somewhere. I'm
an old-timer."
Jake gathered some dry grass and
buffalo chips and out of an astonish-
ingy little fire he soon had the tea
boiling. Then he fried bacon and laid
the strips of hot bacon on slabs Of
bread. And we ate bacon and bread,
and then jam and bread and drank
hot black tea. while the slow twilight
settled down about us.
o
When daylight came we had break
fast and started on our journey again.
The day was much the same as the
one before, except that we were now
well out on 'the bald-headed." Once
In while, at great distances we could
see a homesteader's shack, little iso-
lated sentinel box of the vanguard Of
settlement. Once we were intercepted
by another team and democrat, much
like our own, which cut across our
trail The driver asked if we could
spare any water. We gave him half
of what was in our keg, and he ex-
tended his plug Of chewing tobacco
all round. We chatted few minutes,
and then with mutual friendly shouts
and waving Of our arms we were off
again.
We camped that night by a stream
of which Jake knew, because there was
little water on the prairies, even at the
first Of May. Next day we drove all
day, and later into the evening than
usual; it was quite dark when we
stopped.
"This is the place." Jake said, "but
you can't see it tonight. Have a good
sleep and We'll size 'er up In the
mornin'"
We tried to eat breakfast without
concern, but we were hurried and
nervous, and eager to see how our
Judgment would tally with Jake's. On
the road he had tried to explain to us
the system of survey, and we had
general idea of it in our heads. Now
he took township map from his
pocket and showed us in detail where
we were.
This is US" he said, pointing with
thick, stubby finger, fright on the
northwest quarter O. Fourteen. I'm
medjut west of us is road allowance,
runnin' north an south. Immediut
west of that again is section Fifteen,
which is railroad land, an can't be
took up free. But immedjut north
west, cornerin' right against this quar-
ter, 'cept fer the road allowance, is
the southeast quarter of Twenty-tw
which is open. Now these two quar-
tiers, northwest Fourteen an southeast
Twenty-Five, is as good as any land
that lays out o. doors, an better than
most. There's a bit of gully here
you'll see it in minute-runS down
from the northeast an cuts off to the
southwest, an runs right between
these two quarters. There's springs in
the gully somewhere, an runnin' water
practical the year round, an shelter
fer stock an all that kind O. thing, an
you get the benefit of it all, an it don't
take two acres off'n your land. It's a
plumb paradise an you can't beat it
nowhere"
"How far is it to a railroad Jack
asked
plumb down that road allowance,
thirty-twO miles, straight as the crow
flies, when it amt sittin'." he threw
in with a little smoker.
"Thirty-two miles!" Jack exclaimed.
Pretty well in the wilderness, isn't
it?"
Wilderness nothin'! This is subur-
ban prop'rty. This is close In. / take
some of 'em back sixty an seventy
an eighty miles. Thirty-two miles is
JUS right, an I'll tell you why. When
a new railroad comes its likely to come
about thirty miles from the other;
that's about sensible distance apart
An here you are, In the middle of the
right-of-way, an may be cuttin' your
homestead into town lots; ten lots to
an acre an two hundred dollars a lot.
Can you beat it? The Lord sure has
been good to you, fer no special reason
that l can notice. 'Tain't your good
looks an faint your good sense, ex
cep in selectin' me as your financial
advisor, so to speak. l reckon it's all
account o. those girls-sisters, you
said"