TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 26, 1911.
MP
ZtS-rrZ KSJhV "VSVS rLJJt It bars rst and almost all or us nop "a
CHAPTER n
rlS eld braaa band hada? om wU
and Lb orcmaJxatlott of a saw band
waa talked of around th poatofBe.
Th old instruments wara brass and
had th old-faahlonad rotary valves,
and th strings kept breaking. Tb
town thought w should hav a new
band. nickel-plated Instruments with
th lat platon valve. As It would
advertise th town, and ao loos aa tha
band didn't play would gtr It an np-to-dat
appaaranc. th wealthier elt
Inu contributed, but notwithstanding
my exhibition and fallur at lb lie
li:Uan musical demonstration, they lat
m In. and I played th snara drum,
becau It waa tha easiest to carry.
Our Instruments cam, and tb to n
nearly went wild over them, and w
began practicing every night In th
band ball. W got lit to go and play
at ordinary picnics, and you cam and
got o In a wagon with flags on th
aid of th bos. Wi played along for
a fear months thla way. and then we
thought of anlforma. Wi wanted
something that would distinguish us
from tha common herd. As It waa.
unless yon carried your born or dram
all day at a picnic, they couldn't tell
us from th rest ef th farmer, which
reflected on th city. So again w
levied a tax on tb cltlsena and som
of them moTd out of town to eacapa
It. but under tb bead of education they
contributed according to their means
as their property that lay In town
would be enhanced In value by tb
uniforms.
TV began to recelT large booklets
of uniforms, shown on handsome young
men with pink cheeks. Ralph Cr
waa th only member of our band who
looked like th lithographs, ao after a
long discussion w picked out tb ones
that were on th fallow that looked
like Ralph, and ordered IT assorted
uniforms, second -hand, from Lyon A
Healy. of Chicago. They were sap-
posed to be all slses between such and
such. The colored pictures of them
showed them to be a beautiful light
blue gray, with red stripes down tha
pants leg. and th coat was a long
'cutaway, with three rows of big brasa
buttona on th cheat, and large red
epaulettes on th shoulders, and a lot
of red and gold braid on tb coat tails
and collars. Tb cape were high and
leaned forward, with a short straight
stiff brim and a red plum went In th
front and top of th cap.
There wasn't much sleeping don
after th money order left town. Tb
whol town sat around th postofflc
stoT and wondered whether they
would steal tb money order or not.
but w kept It aa much of a secret as
possible th day th money left.
There wasn't a man In town, or a
drummer that cam to town that could
figure accurately bow long w would
hav to wait, After th order bad
bean gone about a week. I hung out
at th depot and watched for toe train
that waa due at noon each day, but
each day th express messenger aald
he hadn't aeen or beard anything of
them. Father finally earn to me and
aald that th whol town thought th
reaaon X bung around th depot waa to
get th first dlr Into th uniforms
when they cam. Of course he knew
different. He knew It waa because th
musical strain ran so strong In our
family, but the town In general waa
about ready to aoeua me of crowding,
ao be said. "Ton go now out In the
hills and I'll let you know when they
come." I knew when I left th depot
thai tt wme suicide, but there was
nothing else to do. eo I went. A few
days later I saw a man driving fast
over th country road through the
Mil, and knew It wasn't the doctor's
rig It must be th band uniforms had
com: so I left the gap In th fence
I was watching for a man and ran to
town, and found that they bad been
there two days: father had bean out
of town surveying. When the people
saw me they left their stores and
house and want with me to the depot
I naked them If they looked like the
pictures, and they said. "Just exactly,
only finer.' I was astonished to hear
that the other bad all taken theirs
and left only one for me to choose
from. I bad never seen uniforms, only
In catalogues, and one at a circus, and
sever had bad any on except I wore
oar Father's Good Templar Ixvda-a re
gnlla for a few minute. They had
com In a big boa. and this on suit
and cap waa all that waa left In the
box. I book It out and held It up
aurarnst m. and th crowd laughed,
wail I saw nothing to laugh at, I
could see that th man who cut It
didn't apclally have me In mind, so
to pacify the mob I stepped Into tb
trousers, and I think I took on or
two more step before either pacts leg
moved. This stilt thsy had left for
me waa out to fit a man feet s. that
weighed 10 pounds at least, and who
didn't carry muon 01 cia weignt in
broad shoulders. I stood feet 1. and
weiehed Its. I not on th coat, and
John Wolfard yelled from the crowd
and asked If th tu!ettes didn't go
on my shoaLders. I told him on horn
player thev-ld. but on drummers tbes
iwi folded Just serosa hla bosom,
Tb coat talla struck th calves of my
lei-a. Fortunately tnere waa a Dig
fold at tb bottom of th trousers, and
much gray cloth that oould b taken
out of th back of th coat, and with
these remedies It got to fit pretty welL
All of th pants had to be mad over
anyway, as they were not spring oot
tonw whieh waa all th rag then,
so we bad them cut that
OX court. oar pvpiuivr
quickly wtth these clothes.
and half of th young fellows In th
band got married that Winter, while
th gilt braid waa yet new. and before
tb moth bolea that war In most of
them got together. Our prices Jumped
from $30 up to 150 and you atlU came
and got ua, and brought aa many of u
away from the celebration aa you oould
flBThr waa but n Demcrat In Sll-
HOMER DTTlN-a FOR HIS
yerton. and he waa one in every sens
of th word. H hadnt aald much for
veers Just paid his bets regularly
four years without much back talk
but that Fall when Grorer Cleveland
waa elected for the first time, Jake Mo
Clane's vole lasted about half an hour.
Then ha wrote what he wanted to tell
you on a slat. He wrot to in iow
that be wanted to defray all of th ex
penses of the sntir band to Portland
the next Saturday night, wher they
were going to give Cleveland a big
Deroooratlo rally, and have eleotrto
llghte. Of course, we aeoepted, as Jake
McClan had paid mort toward th new
Instruments and anlforma than any oth
er man In town.
W had to leave Silverton at 1
o'clock Saturday morning, and go In a
-dead-ax" wagon 11 miles to Oervala.
ao as to catch th morning train on the
main line of th Southern Pacific I
rode directly over tha hind axle and lot
th only gold filling I ever had up to
that time. W got ther at daylight
and had breakfaat that had been spe
cially prepared for us, for which
Jake paid. He wasn't an uncle, but Ilk
-Aunty" McMillan, waa fat, ao every
body called him In Silverton. "Uncle
Jake." We took th Albany local, and
by t o'clock war In Portland. 47 mile
from Silverton. It waa th flret time I
waa ever ther without soms on hold
ing me by th wrist, and It seemed
great. Th uniforms kind of mad me
brave, and Unci Jake marched ahead
end we played aa w marched up the
main street, which waa First street.
On th basa drum waa printed in red
letters. 'Silverton Trombone Band." and
peopl would yell -Hurrah for Silver-ton'-
while Uncle Jak would answr
them by yelling -Hurrah for Cleve
land" Unci Jak frequently sold oat
tl to th butchers there, o before w
knew It we had stopped In front of a
batcher shop, and were playing while
he was la the back end of the shop
selling cattle. From one butcber shop
to another we went, playing all the
time, and many of us marching In new
shoes on the first cobblestones we had
ever seen. Finally In the afternoon we
bought a box of apples for lunoh. The
day waa dark and cloudy. In front of
one shop Uncle Jske brought a butch
er, who he eald bad bought more cattle
than any of th rest, and b wanted ua
to play for thla man. number It In the
new book. Eighteen In th new book
waa th on pleo of elaaalral mualo
which we bought when we got the uni
forms. The only difference that It bore
to th other quicksteps was that It
didn't go quit so feat, and about tb
middle of the pleoe tt had 1 bars reet
for everybody but the barytone play
er, and from long and careful training
w had reached a stag wher we oould
BOXXB SPRIXTUVO TO TOWX.
2
play up to within a few feet of thla
1 bars rest and almost all of us stop
simultaneously, at which point th
barytone player would run a little scale
that waa called a- cadenaa, and w
would watch the leader's head and
when ho nodded w would Join In and
finish out the piece. It was a pretty
thing, and we told Uncle Jak we wer
holding it for th reviewing stand,
where we wanted Cleveland to hear it;
to he said all right, be would have the
butcher there to hear It also. After
marching all afternoon and having our
photos taken, tb Wg parade started
at ( o'clock.
After marching In tho parade until
nearly midnight It came our turn to
stop and play before the reviewing
stand. Most of us were so sleepy we
could hardly keep our eyas open, and
the horn-blowera were a sorry lot. Be
tween their new shoes and their Hps.
they were about done up. Their up
per lips hung out far and were purple.
They looked like they had all got into
a bee's nest and had been stung on
the lips. The leader cautioned each
member that the supreme moment of
our lives was upon us; that all the
other bands were present, and that he
thought Cleveland himself was. He
said. "Whatever you do, don't play
when you get the 1 bars of rest; and
you, there, with the snare drum, don't
zZJs
BAND USIFORJ1.
roll out into that open space as you
hav atways done before." It was an
awful moment. Uncle Jake was still to
be beard bragging to everybody what a
pie.- It was. Finally, with th greatest
difficulty, the piece waa otarted. I
thought I had a pioneer Idea that they
didn't need me. and for fear of being
accused of breaking down the piece In
case they made a flssla of It. I would
quit as soon as we got started and
did. I Just made motions without hit
ting the drum: but It wasn't a new
thought, aa nearly every other member
had done the same thing, so when we
approached the 18 bars' rest the only
on playing waa th leader himself,
and ha had the tremolo stop out. He
stopped Just as a large skyrocket went
up. Wa -hadn't been used to fireworks
that la, big ones and the only bary
tone solo anybody heard waa the bary
tone player yelling to tha man next to
him. "Look, quick. Tom. at that sky
rocket." Uncle Jake directed the butch
ers ha had brought down to hear num
ber 18, to th fireworks, and wo never
resumed th piece, and never aw each
other until we met th next day on
the train bound for home. Aside from
that on piece tha trip waa a great
musical triumph, and Uncle Jake waa
the hero.
A few more -rears passed studying
character, when I Joined the Good Tem
plars Lodge. Father wanted to retire
from tt. and I was to take his place. I
knew them ail on tha street, but when
my name was voted on and accepted,
and tha Saturday night I was to take
the oath came. It waa different. I went
all dressed up and waa quartered in the
outer waiting-room. I had heard so
muoh about riding goats, and even
father wouldn't tell me what they did
to you there. He didn't even go tha
night I Joined. All he would say was
that he didn't want to tee it. Th
outside guard brought me a red and
gold regalia and aald, "Put It on around
your neck." Then I waited some min
utes and beard singing In the big
lodgeroom. It waa upstair over the
town hall, and no one was ever al
lowed to peep In unless he waa a
member. Finally I heard raps like a
hammer, and people walking. The out
aide guard, who was one of Uncle Jske
McClatne'e hired men. came, and I
aeked him If ther waa anything to be
afraid of- He aald he couldn't tell me:
that It was against the rules. I no
ticed be had cloves on his bresth. He
said. -Oet ready; they may call for
us any minute." I asked him If I had
mussed my hair when I put my regalia
on. and he said I had. slightly, and he
fixed It, and he gave me aome perfume
to put on my handkerchief and my
coat lapeL Preeently a rap came at
th door, and a email peephole opened,
aod a voice came In baas. "Whoa
there?" The hired man said something
and again the voice at the peephole
said. "Admit him." W were then In
another small hall, and the guard no
ticed that erery now and then, unless
I held my mouth shut, my back teeth
chattered. I wasn't cold, quite, but
that feeling that, thank heavens, you
only hav one In a lifetime, waa with
me. In another moment another queer
rap. and a female voice asked. "Who's
therer Uncle Jake's hired man took
me by tha arm. and eald In a strong,
bold vole. "A brother wants to enter."
Tha truth waa th brother didn't. H
waa all In, and about out. I heard the
female vole say, or rather sing It. that
ther was a brother outside knocking
for admission. Then a great rustling
of feet was heard when the lady at the
wicket said. -Bring thy brother In." I
waa past recognising anybody by this
time, although tha woman at the door
turned out to ba our hired girl, but I
couldn't recognise her then. They all
rose and aang. while I marched to the
other end of the great hall and knelt
before a throne; and a man with more
cloves on hla breath and a mora elah-
mm
HOSEEB Ef HIS UXTFOIUI.
orate regalia read something about rum
being a serpent and strong drink waa
raging. Another rap or two with the
mallet, and then we tooK anotner cir
cle while they sang, and then we
stopped in front of a leaser Important
booth, and there had more reading, and
another odor of cloves. But all thla
time my neck would pop at any at
tempt to get easy and relax to any
thing like a natural pose. Finally I
was escorted to a table and sworn,
t.ii. k mAK l.nt alnirlnr. Thev nro-
duced a book: I signed and paid two dol
lars, men tney eicuneu o m
and a recess was declared to congratu
late the brother. Evtn then I made an
attempt to walk across th floor, and
wouldn't hav made it without assist
ance. There we were all chums, but,
with the regalia, so changed.
ATtor that about all we did wa to
buy candy hearts at the postofflee
that had reading printed on them, "I
love you." or "Will you be true?" Some
times the printing would be too strong
n - CLnnA Tnmrila. Inrts-A but If it VU
we could always aell the one heart for
what the whole sacK coat- J. was jater
dlscharged from thla high body for
aleeplng on a billiard table In Port
land, to the disgrace of our whole fam
ily, and especially my father.
Easter Sunday to the country boy 1
about th biggest thing on the boards.
Easter Itself is a tame day compared
i. v. ,k. Hi nf th, weelra nrevloua
have been. In tb Far West and I aup
pose Ifs the same all over the country
i ki.1. ,V,.I . r ,r. mnA th. 1M m
temporarily off that Is. you can steal .
another boya eggs aunng tne penu
previous to Easter without Its being a
crime punishable by parents or law.
In fact, you can steal anybody's eggs
during the fortnight previous to Easter
Sunday, and lucky are those homes
where there are enough eggs for break
fast till after tho big feast, composed
chiefly of eggs, roasted, boiled and
parched by the open fire on Easter day.
CyvMA,lmA I O hnV tllBkffl a bad
throw Easter, then nothing but broken
eggs follow in tne iree mui.
among the quieter boys the worst ef
fect la acute Indigestion from a mix
ture of over-done goose, guinea, tur
key and hen eggs.
Tha last big Easter campaign I took
part in waa in Silverton. and all of ua
boys In the neighborhood were Jealoua
of Joe Welch because we had a hunch
that Joe had tho greatest number of
eggs. He was the shrewdest of us all,
and what was more to the purpose, he
waa close-mouthed, and there wae noth
ing In his silent laugh at the post
office corner of evenings to tip us off
as to Just where his eggs wer hidden.
He had made several big steals from
other boys, and It was surmised that
It was he who had acquired Warren
Ubby's collection of turkey egg.
Late on afternoon, when I had been
kept In our house longer than usual by
THB OXE DEMOCRAT I fllLVKRTO!,
JAKI3 at'CLAirCE.
a lesson In arithmetic by my father,
and Just as I was starting downtown.
I went to take a last glance at the
place where my eggs were hidden In a
hole under the barn, when, lo and be
hold, ther was Joe Welch crawling
out from under our barn with my eggs
In a sack. Before he aaw me I darted
back Into the house and watched him
from the attlo window. He looked all
around, and then ran out of the barn
yard, across the street to his own home
end crawled under the house from the
back. He was gone for 15 minutes, and
when he came out he brushed his
clothes, looked all around, and seeing
no one. went downtown, whistling a
new tun our brass band had Just re
ceived from the East. I saw that the
oay was all mine I was born under a
lucky star so I ran and got a sack, for
I sraelled big business. Pack In hand,
I crawled under Dr. Welch's house, and
away up in the darkest corner, next
to th chimney, were the eggs with my
own Initials on them. There was a big
heap altogether, and tt seemed aa if
every egg that any goose, turkey, hen
or guinea had laid In the neighborhood
of Ellverton for the last year was there.
I wiped my eyes at first, then my heart
began to beat so loudly that I waa
afraid Mrs. Welch, Joe's mother, would
discover me, for I oould hear her jral
a A -yy. . .-. : .-rr . ."7 jl.
t lne- around In the house plainly
ing around in the house plainly. I got
an tne BacK wuum uvm wnuuiwmji
1 1 1 ,-.,1 M hot an tlinn TnftHfl A.
ftlBV klll:, l.J J -
trip to our calf pasture, where I hid
them in a range corner.
I had to make another Journey to
. - n haiA , o-nOAA PffHL
CL UlvlU nil, w rt - r "un '
turkey eggs and guinea eggs, besides
all shades of hen eggs. Including some
yellow cochin eggs I knew Joe had
stolen from another boy. When I
reached tho fence corner witn tne lasn
load I got a shock. The fence creaked,
and I thought I had been discovered.
But it waa a false alarm, and I was
about as proud as a pirate could be
when 1 reaiizea taut n vua wuu
look In such an out-of-the-way place
for the eggs.
That night when I went to tne post-
Ta. W.1r1i hnrl A twinkle in hlS
eye that no one understoo'd but me, and
I let on that I was just as cwuwu
as to who had tne mw vggs, oui
when I saw him the next day he waa
more thoughtful he had a rar-away
look on his face, and I well, l guess x
looked a trifle happier than ha did.
I OThn T WAA Ahmit 17
I raised a pup. I liked him more than I
did some people ana no prenncu mo
-i . n i wu!i AAem na.tnral
MKimrt uub w ' i, ,.
that we were much alike In general
character.
I loved Mm then and I love his
memory now. He died In my lap In
A PART OF THE FAMOUS
Portland. Or., when he was about
years old. Some one had poisoned him.
Every time I go to Portland there la
no place I look on with more deep re
gret than the spot near the railroad
yards where he lies buried.
I owned this dog's mother and he and
I became pais. He was more than a
An u. ha. imnwt human intelligence.
but passed In a crowd for a dog. In
that way he rooiea ne&s, u uioy u
on him in preference to me.
I named him Duff when he waa a few
weeks old, and when I was at the Lewis
and Clark Exposition In Portland a long
time afterward many were the people
that came, not to se my exhibit of
birds and horses, but to talk about
Duff. These people had been Im
pressed years befora by this re,ther or-
, , . . , I . I.. T llr- A
mnarv-iooKinK uuu
good many very
worthy dogs, he
Joke at the New
would have been
York dog show.
He was anything th crowd he was
with-wanted him to be. His early
character in Silverton represented the
local color of the town. As a result
he waa more or less a clown. He and I
went about without much purpose, and
where there waa tha least resistance
not meaning that we tried any of the
doorknob. But w sort of loitered
around at our leisure, and In that way
got to know each other very well, and
Incidentally a Jot of other people.
One Sunday we want to Wllholt
Springs, a mountain resort, where many
prominent people came from Portland
to spend a week or so. The proprietor
was a cross, surly man, and his guests
were pining for something Intellectual.
They soon found .Duff. Thsy marveled
at hla tricks and his keen mind. They
said they wished he waa the pro-"
prletor of th soda springs.
It was here that Duff Introduced me
into the first real artistic atmosphere
f had experienced. The man that ad
mired my dog chum most was a lith
ographer named Walling. I drew pic
tures for him on bark and chips while
Duff was resting. Mr. Walling told
me that both of ua ought to come to
Portland, where he waa sure our tal
ents would make a hit.
W finally did go to Portland after
several years, and Duff's friends re
ceived us warmly. I had expected to
make my fortune and to support Duff
royally. But my drawing was not ap
preciated In Portland as it waa In Sil
verton. Th first money I ever acquired from
art was brought in by Duff. I got him a
position at the Standard Theater, where
he Joined the song and dance team of
Hickey and Clifford. They paid me
fl.60 per week for tho stunts Duff did
every evening during their few months
engagement.
One rehearsal was all the dog needed.
I doubt If any chorus girl's vanity ever
took her to the theater with more reg
ularity than this dog's pride in his act
took him. His part -was at a given sig
nal to run on the stage and grab Hlclc
eT ),r a prepared pad concealed under
the actor"a coat tails. Then Duff waa
awung around and around banging by
hla teeth.
I sat in a front seat every night and
applauded. Sometimes Duff would come
to the footlights and peek over at me
and wag his tall. Ho turned a few hand
springs and Jumped tope and never ob
jected as to who came on first. This
made him the most popular actor with
the stage director.
In Silverton, before we went to Port
land. Duff did more tricks than I could
tell you of in a day's talk. He carried
In stove wood; he rode up on the hay
fork holding to a sack; he sat on the
cowcatcher of the locomotive; he was
.i -.t-iavar th. hlrd doiT. the sheD-
herd, th clown. He could catch a coin .
Mm h
or a baseball that was laid on the
top of his nose. He would turn a back
.omnrsault lust for the asking. What is
more, he understood any plain lan- .
gua.se, the kind we usea in buveriou.
When I was an engine wiper he waa
the watchdog of all the company's
property. Thus, when Receiver Scott,
of tha O. R. Co.. doubted the dog's
ability to watch the engine all night as
he slept on the cab seat where I
ought to have been, but waa accus
tomed to stay away from my post and
sleep In my bed Duff attacked the in
quisitive receiver who had sneaked
up in the dark, and treed him on an old
fashioned pump in the yard of a near
by hotel.
A lady once, when I was boasting of
Duffs wonderful Intelligence, said:,
"Do you mean to tell me that I can't
bide your knife where he can't find itT"
-Yes," I said, "it would be Impossi
ble." I told Duff to go Into the next room
till we hid the knife. She put it up on
the top shelf of the sideboard, behind
the only real cut glass there was In Sil
verton. Duff came In and began to sniff with
his bead up. Before either of us had
time to stop him he mounted the side
board, knocking down all the glass and
breaking it and brought us the knife.
An actor finally offered me $100 for
SIfVERTOf BRASS BAXD.
Duff. My father came to Portland to
see me about accepting the offer. Wo
talked It over one day on the Stark
street ferry. Duff was with us, and
we thought he knew what we were
talking about. He looked as sad as
father, and I felt I couldn't bear to sell
him. though I couldn't Imagine any
thing that one hundred dollar wouldn't
buy.
Father said life waa made up of such
sorrows and disappointments; that
while nothing could be finer than to
spend a lifetime with a dog ot such
wonderful intelligence and sympathy,
still a hundred dollars at compound in
terest at 10 per cent for 20 years would
buy so-and-so and so-and-so, and that
In th professional life Duff was lead
ing he might be stolen.
I was about to agree. All this time
Duff had stood between us, hl8 eyes
on tho floor. I spoke to him and h!
raised his head slowly and looked at
father full In the eye.
In that look he saved ns. Father
turned to me and said:
"Homer, I guess we can't sell him."
At that Duff leaped high in the air,
bumped father's hat off his head,
caught It in the air and ran frisking
about the boat with It.
No, ho couldn't be sold; ther was
something In Duff that showed in his
eyes and prohibited a price.
Tha Silverton Appeal was the one
newspaper In Silverton. It was a week
ly, that the editor told me might soma
time be changed to a dally. If the town
ever responded to Its encouragement;
but the toa-n didn't respond, so that
the Silverton Appeal Is still a weekly.
For a time it got to look like it would
be a monthly. The editor always set
type and smoked long stem pipes; with
big aheare he culled from every other
paper. Lots of times he took cord
wood for subscriptions, and, after that
system had been inaugurated for a few
years, he ran a woodyard In connection
with the Silverton Appeal.
The Appeal was unique in Its way;
there was an Individuality about the
paper that one would know it was pub
lished in Silverton and nowhere else.
The editor was about as smart aa any
man In town, but once in a while he
got things into the paper that they
didn't see till they were printed. I
noticed an cdvertisement once for a
lost horse that read aa follows:
"Found, a bay horse fifteen and half
hands high, left hind foot white, small
star In the forehead; any one describ
ing the property, and paying for this
advertisement, can have the same by
calling at my farm."
There was one strong opposition to
the Silverton Appeal, and It was a hard
competitor. It waa tho old covered
b rid ire that crossed Silver Creek, on
THE SILVERTOX BRAS
Main street. Sometimes the old bridge
had more news on it than the Appeal;
people got so they posted some of tha
town scandals, and it always had more
local news than the home paper. H.
G. Guild, who was the best editor the
Silverton Appeal ever had, was shrewd
enough Saturday nights, before the Ap
peal appeared on the streets, to go out
and quietly tear down some of the big
headlines that the bridge had and the
Appeal didn't, and in that way the Ap
peal finally got ahead.
The Job work in connection with the
Silverton Appeal was advertised all
over the bridge, and throughout the
Appeal the Job work was as queer as
the editorial page. One advertisement
announced a sale of Al Coolldge, the
banker. It appears that Uncle Al had
e-nt overstocked with old harrows and
a mixture of livestock, and was' going
to sell them at auction. The advertise
ment listed among the enumerated
stock "one two-year-old yearling bull."
Of course, it wasn't the intention of
the Silverton Appeal to compete with
any other paper, and, as the editor
started the woodyard for subscrip
tions, after that had run a couple of
years it was frequently remarked that
he had got to be a better Judge of oord
wood than he waa of news. But the
people of Silverton'appreclated the Sil
verton Appeal; they many times re
marked that they liked it lots better
than the Portland Oreonlan, as It al
ways had more home news In It.
I used to drift around into the sho
shop. Simeral was a ballplayer, so ha
used to sit in his shop and talk over
the errors of the latest games. If you
have ever sat in a shoemaker's chair,
you are bound to admit It Is the most
comfortable seat you ever fell into. I use
to sit ther and whittle leatner and talk
with the shoemaker; I must have whit
tled leather scraps for two or three
years without missing much time.
Finally one day by mistake I cut into
an upper that was to be made Into a
shoe and It nearly broke up the shop;
I couldn't pay for It, and we didn't
want to ask father to settle, so I Joined
the firm to get out of It.
My only duty then in town was t
get up our cows that we let run In
the streets nights, hoping they would
find some neighbor's garden gate open,
I used to get them up and milk them, but
going Into this firm as a shoemaker
was such a big surprise.
I told all the young men around
town and some of the old ones that
thought I drew too many pictures; In
fact, I told a few girls that thought
because I did not have pocket change
enough to take them to dances, that I
wasn't much. I went home early,
didn't tell father, because he didn't
want me to work; Just wanted ma to
study faces and draw.
I didn't sleep much; turned and
tossed until 4 o'clock, then got up and
went to Slmeral's shop. I thought ot
the cows, but didn't get them up; In
fact, didn't have time and didn't think
it would look dignified. Simeral came
about 9, and let me in, and before ha
had the key out of the door I waa into
a roll of red morocco, starting on some
boots that would have sold even before
they had been finished. He came to ma
and said, "Homer, there ain't a boot in
this shop I would trust you with now,
but I saw a feller the other day with
two and when he brings them in
they're youro. In the meantime, I have
20 cords of wood up In the alley next
to my house. If you will go up and
saw that twice in two and toss it up
into tho woodshed, by the time that'i
done there'll be some boots In."
Of course I saw the peculiar part ol
learning the shoemaklng trade, but 1
had told so many people that I had to
go. I had been sawing wood about
half an hour. Just long enough to be
thoroughly disgusted with any branch
of the shoemaklng trade, when I heard
a familiar cowbell, looked around, and
saw my old father come driving our
cows past this very woodpile. There
was no way to escape, as they were
too close, i t.-.ougat of many ways of
eluding sisoovery; perhaps the safest
cZ the many would be to bend over
and saw wood, knowing that as he had
never seen me In that position, he
would likely pass on by.
But the older and shrewder of the
three COW3 recognized me and stopped,
perhaps because she saw so much of
her milk on my boots. I didn't look
up, but kept on sawing, pulled the hat
down tighter and felt strange. I also
felt father's hand on my shoulders and
dreaded for once to tell him the truth,
as It sometimes hurts. He said, "Ho
mer, will you please tell me what has
happened? Have you had any trouble
at home? Speak up plainly." "No. I
said, "no'hlng wrong there." "Then
tell me what this strange departure
means. I got up early, called you, and
you were not in your room. Tell me
lust the plain truth."
"Well, I'm her learning the shoe
maker's trade of Frank Simeral, and I
started In to saw." "You're whatr
said father. "I'm learning the shoe
maker's trade." He made me repeat it
till It sounded ghastly, then taking me
by one hand he squeezed it gently and
affectionately when he said, "Homer,
look me square in the eye." I thought
on that particular occasion Just a stab
over the shoulder would do, but he
eald, "No, rlsht In the eye. You know,
don't you, that I sold the most beauti
ful farm you or any one else ever saw,
mainly that you might live here in Sil
verton so that If by any chance you
didn't turn out to be a cartoonist, you
couldn't say that I hadn't done all that
was in my power to do for your art
education. You know that, don't your'
"Yes," I said. "Then do you think you
are playing me fair? Mind you. I am
delighted to see you laarn this trade,
but don't you think you ought to have
had the manhood to come home and
learn it of me? I've got twice as much
wood as this to saw."
(Copyright, 1910, by G. W. Dillingham
umptuijr,
S BAND .EX ROUTE.