The Bonneville Dam chronicle., November 13, 1936, Page FOURTEEN, Image 14

X H I
I Ol K l I I S
B O S S K V I I* I« I
Patterns of Wolfpen
By HARLAN HATCHER
Copyright by th# Hobb* Merrill «'o
WNT Servir#
long. Had.” J. is ^ k t suid with a boy
l»h shyness.
Sparrel turned to look at hi* old
In 17S5 Saul Pattern of Virginia
came Into the beautiful virgin coun­ est mui who was covering hi* words
try of the Big Sandy valley In
by moving a new lamb against It'
Kentucky. Chief of the perils were
the Shawnee», who s o u k lit to hold mother, l i e was u well favored man
their lands from the ever-encroach­ of twenty four, wide In the shoul­
ing whites. From a huge pinnacle ders, clear-eyed, a young mustache
Saul gazed upon the fat bottom» and
the endless acres of forest in Its pri­ which emphasized the gravity of
meval quietude at the mouth of the his hearing.
Wolfpen. and felt an eagerness to
“ 1 allowed you'd he getting mar
possess it, declaring It a place tit ried t>ne day. son. 1 didn't know'
for a man to LIVK in! Five years
later he returned with I'.arton, his Who do you favor?"
“ Jane llurden over at 1‘ lke." It
fifteen-year-old son, and built a rude
cabin.
In Saul's absence the In­ was emotional (o utter her name.
dians attacked Iiarton and wounded
“ I gtiess she's a good girl a 1'
him so badly Saul was forced to re­
right. She comes of good people."
turn with him to Virginia. In : .
when it was reasonably safe, Saul
"I ought to huve a place to take
returned with his fumily and a pat­ her to.”
ent for 4.000 acres, this time to
“ You can have the Marebor.e
stay. He added to the cabin, planted
crops and fattened his stock on the farm. There's a tine place for a
rich meadows. Soon other settlers house there.”
arrived.
A century later, in the
“ T h a t ’s Just It. I want a hou»t*
spring of 1885. we find Cynth’a Pat­
with
things In It and money to
tern. of the fifth generation follow­
ing Saul, perched on the pinnacle start In.”
from which her great-great-grand­
“ W e can soon saw up a house
father had first viewed Wolfpen Hot- on the new mill If you don't want
toms.
The valleys, heretofore un­
touched by the waves of change lo come Into the home place for a
sweeping the Itepubllc, are at last while."
beginning to feel that restless surge.
“ We ought to have that money.
Her dad. Sparrel, and her brothers,
Dad. Th ere Is no sense to If. You
Jesse. Jasper and Abral, convert the
old water - wheeled mill to steam sell and let me have my part while
power. Cynthia feels that something It'll do me some good."
out of the past has been buried with
"A body gets attached lo thing*
Saul. Cynthia Is pretty and imagina­
Jasper.
Don’t you feel th at?”
tive miss in her late teens, who ofle*
“ Not to a lot o f timber-land we
re-created Saul and her other fore­
bears, and fancied them still living
never see much of a n yw a y and Ir
Sparrel proudly brings home the won't move.”
first meal out of the steam mill, and
They w ere silent again.
Sparrel
Julia, his wife. Is pleased. Genera­
tion after generation has added com­ watched the pained efforts o f the
forts and conveniences to Saul'.* young ew e grow weaker.
homestead, and Sparrel has not
“ She can't make It. but It’s a pity
shirked. The family goes easily Into
the work of the new season, due to to kill her because sbe wasn't made
the simplicity of life designed long right to start with.”
ago on the Wolfpen. Joy Is abun­
He stood apart delaying for s»-v
dant. Jesse plans to study law. A
eral more minutes, but when tin-
stranger, Shellenberger by name,
comes to Wolfpen, intent on buying poor creatu re fixed her agonized
timber.
Sparrel refuses his trffer. eyes upon him, he o;>ened his long
Shellenberger tells of progress In the hunting knife and slit her th r o a t
SY N O P SIS
outside world. With the advent of
Shellenberger some Intangible dis­
turbing alteration seems to afTect
the atmosphere of Wolfpen.
C H A P T E R V — Continued
— 6—
“ I Just never thought about sell
ing a n y ; a man buys land if he can
and he sells only i f he has to. I'd
rather have my land. A family
ought to have plenty of land around
them. But here I'm getting along
and It stands to reason in a few
yea rs it'll go to the children. Some­
times It 'pears like It's coming to
the place where you have to have
more money instead of making your
own things. And I could sa w on
th at new mill. I'd like to see how
a big wheel sa w the size of a mill­
stone would go through a log when
my new engine twirled It.”
Ja sp er found him there among his
herbs and canisters enveloped in a
smell o f turpentine, ginger and tar.
Through the small window cam e the
bewildered bleating o f the new
Iambs.
“ IIow are th ey? " Sparrel asked
Just as though he were not thinking
o f Shellenberger.
“ T h e y ’re dropping pretty fa st
right now,” Jasper answered, m ak­
ing the sam e pretense.
“ H o w ’s that young ew e?”
“ She’s not making it.”
“ W e’ll try this,” Sparrel said.
T h e y walked around behind the
barn to the railed lot w h ere the
ew es w ere penned. Sparrel treated
the afflicted o n e; then they stood
a p a r t from her against the low
fence.
“ W h at did you think about that
fe lle r ’s offer?” Ja sp er asked, as
though his thoughts had suddenly
and without warning become au­
dible.
'T h aven’t bad a chance to think
about it much yet, son.”
" W e better take it.”
“ W h y so?”
“ It's n good price. Th n t’d be a
sight of money.”
Sparrel regarded the Iambs m ak­
ing friends with their mothers, and
m ade no reply.
“ 1 want to g et married before
No one said anything more about
Shellenberger or bis offer, but the
spirit of unrest he had brought Into
[he fam ily continued and multiplied
in silence through the week. S p a r ­
rel would h ave to decide, and when
he had made up tils mind he would
say w hat w a s to be done. In the
meantime the responsibility
lay
heavy upon him. A ll the dally pu r­
poses o f his life grew easily out of
tradition: that Is the w a y It had a l­
ways been done on Wolfpen. But
for this problem there was no
precedent, and Sparrel found It be­
wildering to settle on what was
best to do. l i e could think about
buying land and building a new
mill, because three generations be­
fore him had bought land and made
new mills. Hut there w as nothing
about selling. And how was a sim ­
ple, honest, hospitable man like
Sparrel Pattern to know anything
helpful about partnerships or r o y ­
alties or gelling off surplus timber
while reserving ownership o f the
land or the m arketing o f logs.
He sat with his perplexity In the
corner by the fireplace In the e v e ­
ning, fingering slowly at his trimmed
heard and looking Into the white
oak-bark ashes smoldering In the
circle Julia had arranged purposely
for baking the fluffy wheat biscuits
for bis supper. He loved her and
her way o f speaking to him through
such personal gestures as ash baked
biscuits on the evening when the
butter was sweet from the churn.
He took down the second volume
of the history of the United States
and held the yellow-cornered pages
open In his hands. T h ere w as the
tale o f the growth of these states
and of the westward sw eep of rest­
less men who were a lw a y s leaving
one thing and seeking out another!
Now they had done all that while
he and his fath ers lived out their
Wr.tfru.n
Wolfpen.
Th e rough sketch must now be
filled In. T h e fa ct w as certain, hut
the mnnner rested with the makers
of the future. Would It he continu­
ous destruction and debris, dirt and
ugliness, wasted land and destroyed
Umber like the Ohio end of the Big
I* A M I
n i; < » s i < l l
“ I Just look a ludion to g»
Suini)’ ? Or Uilgbt 11 he III tin* *»r
<»# |„
Uniti* lo town, ten I don’t frtd n( rest in
Hk i
derly ninnner <>f \V»dipeli?
" " l " " * * tn.le
my
mind
this
morning
and
I'm
go
and greed wculti nevcr pause for
f"*l <‘t n»i ..i
lug te try I»» seo T a n d y Morgan
Vision or pian. T h e Ohio wu» fili
about wtuil I t.dd yen alieni iti,.
lllg, Ibi* W est W .1* fillllig, thè lli'illll
l i e rode through u „.
talli* n e re tilllng' e v ery w Iu re (freni • other d a y .”
u b a i he coni»! Icnrn) lite iinreal I git»*. “ Will you w a t e r the tln-.-p
of meli and thè Inexoritldf pressure and fell M other?”
of traile. T h e outshle ha ! pimhed
“ Ve», Jesse
She bud never »een
Iute (Titlcll»burg. (ben tip lo lami**
liltit In n flurry liefere. Sie* waved
un l<> lUchartlsoii ami l ’ alnts»Mie. good l>y lo him als»» and wuiche.)
and now thè big Samly boat» « ero him ride h urriedly dow n the creek
towliig 11 righi Ini»» IT ke sillle M si I a fte r S pa rrel and Jasper.
of thè tlinber "ii 1 1 .»• I« iw « t Suini)
l i e o verloo k them al the Kannen
creek font.
was gone and tin hlllslib H \\ •’ re gut
iVi\ with vv i*lio nt*. T h e »!em a n i
“ W h ere a re you going in, »on}"
they i
\\ :\H lncr«‘ii*lng ; the liungrv mills Sparrel asked also in surprise
mus 1 he fed. und now S' eilen berger
“ 1 though! I'd )l|s| go over to
waft up here on Cannon und W .«If ! town, too," Jease subi.
•« i J
pen wanting logs and land. And
"I thought )o|j Hi-lit Up to It.
H.«rtiin |i(J IU M
afte r all, why m d? No I»- ling tmt field lo look a ft e r Hint last p ie c e
*n s ia li stori),
■
III « cidi i Jasja-r said, ami there na» an Irrt
the demand might 00.is.*
I hat »ml» that
<lre< needed llu* inonfy m«»rc Iban talion In hi* Voice
•">e iw«»
j
the iiumpuge.
'* A I* rti i ft loo king a fte r It "
Th ere w is the new mill t in t could
“ W hai about the sheep, a<>n?
’’ »USr
ll w a s a» near as
run a saw lie had b»-.-h >»*» busy. Sparrel asked
' *1«
" ■ »,!* J
with the planili ig h»* had inrilly • he g.*t In reproving Je«*«• for com
>t lliu r ')««» Wdftel
I • •
!
#««*n hi* mill. It wr u ft n » crl on* lo lug along.
J
soil timber!.imi at a pr<»ill. Senti
’ ( y n t li lu wilt w ater them alt right
"» •>*». i U*!
ment could new r pro»p ••r » man
•• her. ni) self.*
fesse »poke ijnletljr, r.«|»itg on With
He clo*c<| the worn h l»t»»r. b«v«»k i hl« fa th er atei brother op the bank ■ “ I 11 fix tirr."
und put It ha»'k on it* shelf
Ht
Sp a rre l anld no m o r e ; be rode
"When *lld hr fr«
wound up tile hi Ight* on »in­ r|.H-k. o ff at a b.pe up K a nnen.
and barimd bis f*•••!. and lay .n th<*
1 1 " 1 I1») ' r 'Vi
“ W bat ar»- yon going to do over
\\ li­ n »tie
bed. walling for Julia.
■ 'Much oblig'd*
at town a n y w n y ?” J.'i»|M-r doman b-d
hud |)llt out til«' lliii.p an t bad taken
* " •• •• : ,j|
" I ve g.«t «olile bu stn -ss of my
tmr pía»'»* by lit* side, 1 e la d lit*
'
way, Spurrjr
..wn lo attend to, J isja-r.“ J«»«.-
ham on her face. strokln g It 3 ently.
I ! n't rrrkoo I is
said.
and said. “ W e w<»n't ti.uc ti m -ft th«*
i ve i, «-en figurini
¡j(
I
i.ey
rode
In
flit*
Sparrel.
Je»
■
land Shtdlrnbcrg •r want * an <1 th«*
toon«•y will con»« In rig it lu1 fitly.” J a s p e r — w ith e a se and rupldity up
tilwr ”
the creek, the fall o f tw ••!%«• tiiHifk
"I tl¡ nk litat *
1 , Spa - •
•' * '«■ li »*4. », vgj
Julia «ald. Ju»t a* tliotigh H oy liad muted In the »oft dirt, beating In
» •
julek rhythm as If they w e re only
had a long talk ahoid It.
•
11 • r u -cry u 3 » I
■ >ne rider, and then nervously out
“ We dldn t thlnk inm li al. *if r.. t
.f rhythm as though there were say«."
havlng real money when we were |
S; .r-«*l r«-»turr«j i
nine. T h e y ro b* without words, th.-
young, dld we, Ju lia ?”
II
n and walke] ■ 1#-
only sounds the mild friction of
“ We had fh * fine piare lo s 'a r i 1
. • ., ....
saddle
b
a
t
h
e
r
and
the
quirk
Infer
on. and It wasn't a bit of IroubUt t,
vat» o f the hoof» eolie/ ting Into » tents atei «bite ihirtx
m akc thlrigs ”
• g
; i » fa
more Insistent one ami then »bat
“ 1 reckon It » not fhat way wlth
Jas(o*r In tlrp brhlM u
terlng Into many.
•tur rlilldren.”
"I .• • - s y « » * j boji (til op
At rite upper ford ri,» Pattern
“ W e can see tfo-m nIt get a go„d
>
:• ...» ll b'is «.es».'
'
men
cros»e»t
rite
r
re
e
k
and
began
to
slart now.” J u llu anld. thlnking
Ciltl.h Up S te p s !otte ||o It wr liy the
.........
i iX
Usual tim e r Jestr ivlli
bridle path w lm ti lifted tlo-fu »!<>vs
ly Into fru iiesh e» ! t.ap, took them
V
: v e : u: »; tui
around the ridge, and lowered them I re- kon." .Sparrel
luto (lie Kig Sandy Ih.ttnms a few
I : • .
; i ratr-l it "*
mile» below
I'lk evllle
A» they
Je -«• rfosjed the
climbed, leaning fo r w a rd lightly dm... I *T.-«t Into ttt «
while the hill trained mules picked court house groo fid*.
their way with precios* «lepa up Ihe of m«*n who were brtmhf*
mountain, S p a r re l and his sons ros«- i 1 • k Ir i • * it.d • ' * 1
.«ut o f rite revo lving thought» that »he corner hy the rrerti?
bail posses se«| them and relaxe«) • • . - i t.’i«- p - u p
n
Itilo the untroubled »•■ n»all*<n of trough
I l,.-rr ID tie
riding up a »loop hillside on a .-rowd was Tandy Mfiv
capable mount. T h e hills were nowr . .. ici lo'iir '1 truly • *<C‘ ^
fully a w a k e , ami Die wild life astir 1 is hi .'s la-fore It bom m
p «•» over theft*#*
iti the wood» ; the original p«.»s«-s
I ...tv M-.rgan wMalru-lli
I »«ira o f the lumi w h ich ha«l »ur
I vlved lie* P a tte r n s hut had not yet criminal l»*jrr 11
j felt the batid o f Ihe Shellenh ergers
Uv . - r y ■ * ne s a i l that «
.... •
iIcvid*.|H-<]. Tand?
T h ey ca m e out *>f th e dense up
'
j |*T woodland at the end of tin-
rldge and |iuu»ed for an Instant lo
hi<«k
ut i i tie*
• ’ ' " h » back
U' a u
n « * i P in
i i i i n u a k cle
i c * barely vis
lt»le through the fuint gr«*»-n of the
* i • : u. J
w.o ]■ I go I» I rIOkfort lit
of kenftl.ky. He
"
»nd w*!
i In
n the county
•
pb* «lowm the rivet.
tree*, ami dow n upon rite green walkt*! '•!> ,0
# _ i____ • » _ »
-
» I
. ».i« hf»ml finn Mi®'
fringe»! bends o f the Itlg Samly crushed bis Mad "«,
river sw eepin g through the valley.
-U hy. h“ * #re
J<**
'I hen w hile the mule* plured rin*tr glad to »ee yo«- H0* 1*
precis« d o w n w a r d step», the men folks?
leaned b a c k w a r d ligh tly und dropped
• About a* well
gra d u a lly Into the a u ra of thought »aid “ Il»*v*r’a )«>ur*r
“ I Want to Get Married Before which atirrotinded »ml l»olute<l each
-Never Mt W W J *
Long, Dad.”
o n e: Sparrel, Jease, J a sp er In fib*; |„ my life." T a n d y - K "
n* alw ays, of her children and not Shellenberger, T a n d y Morgan, Jane , (ili n
Burden In a cir c le <jf revolving (
j
o f herself.
«I.
“ Y ou ’re going over to town In thought.
- I’d like to
1 * '
At nine o ’clock rimy r«»<|,. into rim you're »’.on«
the morning?” »he »aid
“ Yes.”
strag g lin g o u ts k ir ts o f the llttm time.” J.’»«e laid
Th at way the talk they hn,| about county-seat, on the dirt road which
• Sure lllght 0 * A If *
thickened with houses fa r th e r along will excuse me
selling four thousand acres of tint
and becam e th e main afreet.
It
Marcio opened
her land to Shellenberger.
Tandy
-- ,
gathered on Its eilge the livery sta
through the crowd
Cynthia was a w a k e when the hie, ihe h a rd w a r e sto re ami bar
first undecided birds In th«* orchard tie«» s h o p ; then, overflow ing around
courty.'
„
dl
chirped uncertainly for rite morn
the public s q u a r e that held the him >" r” *"*
ing. Ily the time they hud swelled court-house and Jail, It fronted the hank hulldln*. «P
to a full chorus with the coming of three general stores, the s t a le bank,
hefC
daybreak, she w as In the barn
the post-office, the Hibson I l.iti'**, a flee fooi" Ht.
.......
s
on
the
chair*
yurd opening the gate and watch
restaurant ami pool room, a few
pji u tini on
Ing Sparrel and Jasper rid............
homes with tre es ami w ide yar<l*. table, i mi nwajr
Wolfpen toward Knntmn on th.-lr and then plunged down through the hook shelves,
- lo s t have * neat.
way to I’ lkevllle. Before they «11« w areh ou ses to the w h a r f w h ere sev
eral sm all boats w e re tied. T h l* wn*
„ chair am« *ut u
sparrel turned In the saddle arid I’ lkevllle.
waved good by to Cynthia
And I’ lk ev llle had a future, the
.........
She was Htill leaning on Ihe g ale wise men said. It stood at Ihe head
wlien Jesse cam e out «.f f|ie barn o f navigation on rim Big Sandy In you something
with his own black gelding.
.
Ti
the h eart o f the coal region.
It Tandy."
••Is that *n. • oftr.
“ Yon open the gate for me will was only a m atter o f time.
The
you, C ynth ia?”
,,|ne
boats hail at last c o m e ; one day, g a t t i ha " ' 1
‘•Why, Jesoe, w herever ure you so the more hopeful predicted, the
going to?”
(IO ut
rullroad would lengthen up the vul-