Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-02-11
Ing with the tent when be returned.

We wont need that. son." and
thought there was note almost OF a,
lection In his voice that made N
warm to the man. ut couldn't raj
tonight on bet. Clean out tn
wagon an you two boys sleep on th
door Of It, You get the benefit o, tn
springs that way. an it's dryern tn
ground"
But where will you sleep?"
"Oh. I'll roll up somewhere. Tn
an old-timer."
Jake gathered some dry grass an,
buffalo chips and out OF an astonish
ingly little fire he soon had the re:
boiling. Then he fried bacon and lait
the strips of hot bacon on slabs O.
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.
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
10 while. at great distances, we could
see q homesteader's shack, q 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 IL 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; 1t was quite dark when we
stopped.
"This is the place." Jake said, but
you can't see it tonight. Have a good
sleep and Wen 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 a township map from his
pocket and showed us in detail where
We were.
"This Is u.s." he said. pointing with a
thick. stubby finger, fright on the
northwest quarter O. Fourteen. I'M
medjut west of US is a 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 ihmedjut north
west, cornerin' right against this quar-
ter. 'cept fer the road allowance, is
the southeast quarter Of Twenty-Five,
which is open. Now these two quar-
ters, 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
Ter stock an all that kind O. thing, an
you get the benefit of 1t all, an it don't
AXE two acres off'n your land. It's a
plumb paradise an you can't beat it
Nowhere"
"How far is 1t to a railroad Jack
asked.
"Plumb down that road allowance,
hirty-two miles, straight as the crow
lies, when 1t amt sittin'." he threw
n with little smoker.
"Thirty-two miles!" Jack exclaimed.
Pretty well In the wilderness. isn't
II"
Wilderness nothin'l This is subur-
ian prop'rty. This is close in. l take
some of 'em back sixty an seventy
In eighty miles. Thirty-two miles is
u.s. right. an I'll tell you why. When
new railroad comes it's likely to come
about thirty miles from the other;
hats about sensible distance apart.
An here you are. in the middle of the
'ight-of-way, an may be cuttin' your
homestead into town lots; ten lots to
IN acre an two hundred dollars a lot.
Jan you beat it? The Lord sure has
,een good to you, fer no special reason
hat I can notice. Tain't your good
ooks an faint your good sense, ex-
'ep' in selectin' me as your financial
advisor, so to speak. reckon it's all
account O. those girls-sisters, you
said"
Jake threw querying stress on the
word sisters but it was against all
nature to be. offended at him. Had
We resented his remark he would have
aughed our seriousness out of court.
But we decided to see some of the ad-
dining sections.
Sixteen appealed TO Jack. We could
lave taken the west half. and so, work
ng together. we would have had a mile
urrow. The gully also touched Six
cen. and would have given us the
same advantages as Jake claimed for
he sections he had recommended.
However. we found him very fixed in