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About The Springfield news. (Springfield, Lane County, Or.) 1916-2006 | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1921)
PAGE SIX THE SPRINGFIELD NEWS V NO I Copyright. All RigM ReaoWed Synopl8.-ni!vttted because ei the svyniingly barren outlook of hi t position as a school teacher In a J Canadian town, John Harris deter f mines to ave It. take, up land In M.-intloba and 'become a . "home I stea.lor." Mary, the Rlrl whom he J loves, declares she will accompany him. They are married and set out for the unknown country. Alec Mc t Crae. pioneer settler and adviser of I newcomers, proves an Invaluable friend. t.eav lag his wife with the family of a fellow settler. Fred Ar J thurs, Harris and MoCrae journey f over the prairie and select a home- stead. Mary Insists on accompanythg htm when he takes possession. CHAPTER II Continued. Darkness wns settling down dark ness of the seventh night since their departure from Emerson when, like a mole on the face of the plain, a lit tle pray lump grew on the horizon. Arthurs rose In his sleigh and waved Ms fur cap In the air; Harris sent back an answering cheer. Slowly the mole grew until In the gathering shad ows It took on Indistinctly the shape of a bnllding. and just as the rising moon crested the ridge of the Pembi na hills the travelers swung up at the door. Arthurs walked unerringly to a nail on the wall and took down a Inn tern ; Its dull flame drove the mist slowly down the glass, and presently the light was beating back from the glistening frost which sparkled on ev ery log of the little room. "Well, here we are In Hungry Hall," said Arthurs. "Everxthing jUst as I left It." Then, turning to his wife. "Come. LI1," he said. "Jack, perhaps you lijive nn engagement of your own." He took his wife In a passionate em brace and planted a fervent kiss upon her lips, w hile Harris followed his ex ample. Then they sat down on the boxes that served for chairs, amid a happiness too deep for words. So the minutes passed until Sirs. Ar thurs sprang to her feet. "Why. Wary," she exclaimed, "I do believe you're crying," while the moisture glistened on her own cheek. "Now. you men, clear out I I suppose you tliii.k the hor$es will stable them selves? Yes, I see you have the box full of wood, Fred. That's not so bad for a start. Leave some matches, and say. you might just get our boxes In here. Eemember we've lived In these clothes for the best part of two weeks." . , The young men sprang to their task, and as soon as they were out of the house the girls threw their arms about each other and wept like women to gether. It was only for a moment: a quick dash of the hand across the eyes, and both were busy removing coats and wraps. The door opened, and their "boxes," as well as other equipment from the sleighs, were car ried In, and the men disappeared to the little stable at the back of the house. After several attempts the girls succeeded In starting a fire In the rusted stove, and soon Its grateful heat was radiating to every corner of the room. The house was built of poplar logs, hewed and dove-tailed at the corners with the skill ,of the Ontario woods man. It was about 12x10 feet In size, with collar-beams eight feet from the floor. The roof was of .two thick nesses of elm boards, with tur paper between. The floor wns of poplar boards. The door was In the east side, nar the southeast corner; the stove stood about the center of the east wall. The only window was In the south; six panes of 8x10 glass suf ficed for light. Through this window another lantern shone back from the darkness, and the flickering light from the stove danced In duplicate. A rough board table sat under the window; a box nailed In the southwest corner ev idently served us cupboard. No tools or movable! of any value had been left in the place, Arthurs having stored such effects with a neighbor, some dozen miles away, lest they be stolen from the cabin by some unscrupulous traveler during his absence. The days that followed were days of Intense activity for both men and women. There was much to do, In side and out. In the Interior of the little house an extraordinary change was wrought; simple draperies and pictures relieved the bareness of the walls; shelves were built for the ac commodation of many trinkets dear to the feminine heart; a rag carpet cov ered the center of the floor; plain but appetizing dishes peeked enticingly from behind the paper curtain that now clothed the bare ribs of the cup- U..Jil8i' f jf!' TJ I a f -Si Vlr" ALEC M'CRAE. Autfvor of Th Cow Rincherfltc, Illustration board; and a sense of homeliness per vaded the atmosphere. A week mid passed, and no s'gn of life, other than that of the little party Itself, hnd been seen about the Ar thurs' homestead, when one tiny Har ris' ryes already becoming keen to the prairie distances, espied a dark point on the horizon. It' trevv slowly from a point to a spot, from a spot to an object, ud at length wns defined as a man on horseback. Presently Aleck McCrae drew up at tho door. "Hello, farmers." he cried, "how goes tho battle? An' the good wives? Uulldlng n IHtle Eden In this wilder ness, I'll warrant. Tell them to put another name In the pot, an' a hungry name at that. I haven't seen a white woman's meal I don't know when." The friends gathered about the old timer, plying him with questions, which he answered or discussed until the meal wns over, holding his own business quietly In the background. Cut with supper ended, his pipe In his teeth and his feet resting comfortably In the oven, he broached his subject. "Heady for the road In the morn In. Jack? Don't want to break up your little honeymoon, y' know, but the month Is wearing on. Nothing but horseback for It now. an' they do say the settlers are crowding up some thing wonderful. The best land' go ing fust. Most of, them will hold up now, with the roads breaking, but by slipping out on our horses we can lo cate tin' file before the real spring rush opens. You should get some kind of shelter up before the frost Is out of the ground, so's to lose no time from plowing once tho spring opens." Harris needed no urging, and In the early morning the two men. with blan kets ami provisions, started out on horseback for the silll farther west. Harris soon found that more Judgment "Isn't It Magnificent! All Free for the Taking!" was required In the selection of a prairie farm than he bad supposed, and he congratulated himself upon having fallen In with so experienced a plainsman as McCrae. "This Is good enough for me," said Harris at length, as their horses crest ed a little elevation from which the prairie stretched away In all direc tions, smooth as a table. "Isn't it mag nificent! And all free for the tak ing !" "It's pretty to look at," said Mc Crae, "but I guess you didn't come west for scenery, did you?" "Well, what's the matter with It? Look at that grass. If the soil wasn't all right It wouldn't grow native crops like that, would It?" "The soil's all right," answered Mc Crae. "Nothing better anywhere, an' you can plow 100 acres to every quar ter suction. Hut this Is In the frost belt. They get it every August some times July. We've got to get further west jet, Into the higher land of the Turtle mountain slopes. I know there's good stuff there that hasn't been tak en." Arid so they pressed on, until, In the bright sunshine, the blue line of the Turtle mountain lay like a lake on the western horizon. Many times in their explorations they passed over sections that Harris would have accepted, but McCrae ob jected, finding always some flaw not apparent to the untrained eye. At length they rode over u quarter where McCrae turned his horse nnd rod back again. Forward ami back, for ward nnd back, they rode the UW ncre. until not a rood of It hnd escaped their scrutiny. On tho southeast cor ner a stream. In n ravine of some "lepth, cut off a triangle of a few nrrvs' extent. Otherwise It win prai rie aod. almost level, with yellow clay lyltnf at the badger hole. Down In thtj ravine, where they had been shel tered from lire, wertf red willows. chok cherry bushes, and a few Utile poplars and bin lies; a w inding pond marked the course of the at renin, which was running In considerable vol ume. Even tis they stood on the bnnk n great cracking was heard, and huge block of. Ice rose to the surface of the pond. Some of these a they rose turned partly on their itVgc, showing two smooth sides. "Oood!" exclaimed McCrae. "There's some depth of water there. That pond hasn't fror.cn solid, or the Ice, wouldn't come up like that. That means water all winter for stock. Independent of your well a mighty important consid eration, which a lot of theso land grabbers don't seem to reckon on. Now there's a good quarter' Jack. This coulee will give shelter for your stock In raw weather, nn' there's a bench look a though It was put there for your little house. Thert's light tim ber to, the north, fit for fuel an' build ing, within 15 mile., an there'll be neighbors here before the summer- over, or I'm no prophet. What do you say?" "The quarter suit me, said Har ris. "And tho adjoining quarter Is good stuff, too. I can take pre-eni-Hon right on that. Hut there's just one thing I'm In doubt about. Ilov? I'm going to square It with you for the service you have given. My cash Is getting low, nnd " "Don't worry about that. I gener ally size up my customer an Mil Mm accordingly. If he hns lots of money, an' seems likely to Jnrt with It fool ishly. I put as much of It as I enn In safe keeping. Hut there Isn't any money fee as far as you're concerned Fact Is. I fclndu figure on trading this bill out with you. I expect to be ror Ing this country, east an' west, for some years to come, an' I've a little policy of establishing depots here au' there places where I can drop In for a square tnenl nn' a sleep an' a bit of western hospitality. Place, too. If you like, where there are men to any a good word for Aleck McCrae. How's that suit you?" Harris took Ms friend's hand Jn a warm grip. He rightly guessed that McCrae wn not bartering his services for hospitality, but was making It easy for Harris to accept them by nn ncarlnc to hnrcaln for a service In re turn.' So fhey shook hands together on the side of the bank overlooking the little coulee, nnd a they looked In each other's eye Harris realised for the first time that McCrne wn still a young man. A sense of com radeship came over him a feeling that this man was more of a brother than a father. With admiring eyes he looked on McCraiN tine face, bis broad shoulders, his wonderful phy sique, and the quest Ion he asked sprang from his lips before he could arrest It. "Why don't you get married. Mac?" "Who, nie?" said McCrae, laughing; hut Harris detected a tone In his vol.e that was not all happiness, and the thought came to him that Mc Crae' craving for hospitality might root deeper than he supposed. "It's a long ride to the land, office. continued McCrae, "aji' you cun t file a minute too soon. We'd belter find a corner post an' make sure of the num ber of this section, an' put as much road behind us as we enn tonight." After filing at the land office Harris returned at once to the Arthurs' home stead. The news thnt the Harrises were to be neighbors within 40 mile wns received with enthusiasm by both MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY All That Has Gone Before Is Past and the Future Is Clouded With Uncertainty. Today Is what you have. It Is also what you are. And again, Today Is what you do. And If you haven't any thing, and aren't anybody, and do nothing why, then, for you there Is no Today. For Today Is music. Today Is art Today Is literature. Today la Joy. To day Is work. Today Is play. Today Is life. Yesterday Is no problem for It Is past Tomorrow Is no problem for It Isn't here. Today Is supremacy. To day Is the world. Today Is Oppor tunity! Crowd In upon It then. Today tnke hold upon Its faintest chance. Spread your smiles Today. Ue game To day, lie glad and great Today. Today Is the day your day. Today Is Time and Change doing Its Job. Are you a vital part of the play? Today you may start out all anew. To day you may put to use what you learned a day ago. The center of your entire life may revolve about Today. Hut, above all things, do not fear Today. And let all worry slide. All tlilims that do uot count let them go, Fred nnd Lilian Arthurs. Itiit liar rls was now consumed with a Minima energy; he allowed himself only a precious half day at the home of the ArthurscM, bade hi wife an affect Inn ate farewell, nnd, with a cheery good by to the warm friend on the home stead, he was away down the trail to Emerson. On arrival at Emerson one of the first men he met wn Tom Morrison The two pioneers shook hand warm ly, nnd In a few word Harris told of having selected hi claim, waxing en thtrvfcistlc over the locality In which hi lot wn to be cast. "1 must get out there myself," said Morrison. "Do," Harris urged. "There are some other fine quarter In the neigh borhiHwl, nnd nothing would be better than to have you on one of them." The west bound trip wn made In good time, nllhoiigh not without dllll culty nt some point In the road, ami before tho tenth of April llnrrl wn back under the shelter of Arthur roof, lie was for pressing on alone In the morning, but he found that hi wife had made all her plan to ac company Mm nnd would listen neither to persuasion nor reason. "Hut. Mary, there's no house, and no shelter, ami no neighbors nothing but sky and grass as far a you can see.' "All the more reason I should go." she answered. "If you have to rough It In the open you at lenst deserve your meal rooked for you. and such other help as a woman can give, I really must be with you. I really must. John, and you know I'm go ing." Sn Inst be consented. The sup plies of provision were Increased, and together they set out to wrestle their fortune from the wilderness. On arrival at the homestend the young wife Immediately gave evidence that she Intended to bear her full share of the pioneer's 'duties. A com paratively dry spot was found among tho little poplar, and hero she built a tent with blanket and a bit of rag carpet that came in most ban ly for such purposes. Their stove wn set tip. and although It smoked stubborn ly for lack of drntight. It furnished bent for cooking, und when Jack re turned from tethering the horse the smell of frying ham and hot tea struck his nostril. "Well, that' better than rustling for myself, I will admit." he wild. "Be it eer so humble " llU lit COM l.NL. l-l) I jnventor of ths Letter-Bos. The Inventor of the letter box was Anthony Trollope, the novelist, who was 0 surveyor of the post olllce. In England, from IS-ll to bis retirement from the service In 1S07. One sure way of arousing Trollope lie was to suggest that ho neglected his post olllce work for the sake of his novels. He took, as a matter of fact, an In tense pride In his ollkinl work. or. as he put It. be bad a passion for letters. In his autobiography he enumerated various benefits for which the public had cause to be grateful to Mm. First came the arrangement by which the people living In IMtle villages could buy postage stamps; secondly, the free and early rural delivery, and the put ting up of pillar or letter-collecting boxes. Of that accommodation he says: "In the streets and way of England I was the originator. Iinvlng. however, got the authority for the erection of the first at St. Heller. In Jersey." Words! Words! It has been estimated Hint the Eng lish language possesses 7,HK) more word thnn the French. Ocrmnn and Spanish languages combined. too. Work and help and love To day. For this Today will never dawn again! George Matthew Adams Id Good Housekeeping. Making a Citizen. You make the citizen by giving htm Intelligence. lie must learn to see things as they are. lie must also learn to see the possibilities and rise In power to put them to the test. There Is no place for the coward In the inarch of progress. We nerd men, "brave men, who dare while others fly." And this mean they must have brains ami brawn villi which to fight life's battles nnd hold their own In the world. And to Intelligence we must ndd constancy It avulls little to be brilliant If you haven't the power to stick to your Job until you make a success of It. Per sistence will help you win, when you put your head to work. These are the first things In the making of citizens. The home and the school must work together tc produce It. Orlt. No Lack. In spite of the fact that there are always bo many pcoplo looking for trouble and so many people finding It, there seems to be always enough trou ble to keep everybody who desires It supplied. scours tCunduelad by National Council of tits Hoy Hcouts of A merles.) UNCONSCIOUS ADVERTISING In New llrtmswlik, N. J., boy scout noticed that a man wn driving a car, and obviously n stranger, who seemed In doubt a to hi proper di rection. Accordingly without hesita tion he Jumped on the running board nd rode nliHig ror a short distance, di recting the driver to his destination. The service being duly rendered, the boy hopped off the board and refused the stranger's proffered tip. explain ing that he was a boy scout, and couldn't take pay for a simple gsid turn. Nothing new In this for n scout. Nearly every scout In the country has been In a similar position, behaved Just a this boy did. apd kept still about it afterward, Just a this hoy did. Uut It U line scouting, all the same, and Just the kind of In cident that makes scouting count all along the line. This I what the man who benefited by this one scout's little act of courtesy, had to say about It aflerwurd when he told the story: "An organization that Influences 0 boy to stick to his principles and re fuse the lure of gold I certainly a strong one which deserve all public support." So much for the effect of one small good turn upon public opinion, and the best of It was the scout who did It wasn't thinking about Influencing pub lic opinion. He was Just doing hi everyday duty a a good scout and making no fuss about It at all, In good scout fashion. A SCOUT IS A FRIEND. Frederick Hall of Troop 1. Urtdge port. Conn., proved himself a true scout last winter by coming to the aid of a young girl who was battling against great odd In trying to feed, clothe and keep a roof over the head of herself and her four young broth er i ami sisters. Scout Hall, who sell newspapers, rend, ns did many othvr cltl.eu of Itrldgepoit, the Klory III the morning paper of June Cram's, dlfnculllc but be didn't stop with reading and saying "Dear me. what a pity!" H got busy In a practical way. He cut the story from the nej'pnpcr. parted it on a cardboard box cut a slot In th box and started oui. on a bouse At house campaign, showing the story wherever he went. 'All day he kept at his self appoint ed task and at night brought ?lt.70 In pennies, nickel and dime, and a few larger denomination Into the newspaper olllce. jiimoiiuclug that It was for Jane t'raiu and he hoped she and her family wouldn't suffer' any more, Others took up the work where the valiant scout led the way. and the little family was relieved of Us worst plight. LEGACIES FOR EOY SCOUTS. The following letter waS scut by the legal committee of the Hartford (Conn.) council lo all the lawyers In tho city: "The Hartford Council, I'.oy Scouts of America, inc., has to date been the recipient of two Is-quest. We arc n Ctnuieetlcut corporation wlthou; capital stock und empowered to re ceive bequests, hold property, etc. It 1.4 probuble that you, u an attorney, will be requested at times to suggest to clients who are making their wills the name of a worthy charitable or philanthropic movement which Is In need of an endowment, nnd In this connection we feel that the Iloy Scout of America dciervc your Indorsement." The national council of tho Hoy Scouts of America from time to time receives notification of bequests In wills, and It Is gratifying that the movement Is receiving this kind of en dowment. TEXAS SCOUTS ARE IN LUCK. W. C. Clark, a business man of Paris, Tex., has presented lo the boy scouts of the city a tract of 14 acres to be used by them exclusively. It adjoins a tract two miles west of town that was made a gift to the boys by Messrs. W. A. nnd Wort ham Col lins for the establishment of it hut. Mr. Clark made a gift to the scouts of a gymnasium equipment costing fl.OOO. WISDOM OF A FAMOUS SCOUT. "The greut men In this country were all outdoor men. Not only that, .but 'JO centuries ago the 12 men we hear so much about were all outdoor men, us was their Master. The greatest sermon ever preached wus not deliv ered In a temple, but from a moun tain side." Daniel Carter Heard, Na tional ScoiiLCoinnilsHjoner,