THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 0, 1000.
THE YELLOW
GOURD
BANK
The Riches It Received at the
Cost of a Great Sacrifice.
By FRANK H. SWEET.
fCopyrlght, 1903, by American Press Asso
ciation. "Nick," said Mr. Jim Conway, in
terrupting tbo tuno lie was whistling
to address the man who rode beside
him, "I hain't felt so much like a boy
In years!"
"Nor me either," returned Mr. Nich
olas NIckerson, nlso breaking off in
the midst of a whistled tuue. "I feel
like I'd Jest broke out of a cage."
They were rough bearded, carelessly
dressed men with sun browned faces
and toil hardened hands, but they
wore as happy as kings In purple nnd
line linen. They were going borne.
For almost one-half their lives they
bad called wherever they happened to
be In the west "home," but now tlicy
were on their way back to tbo placo
where they were born.
"Queer," said Conway slowly, "that
the longer n man stays away from tho
old homo neighborhood the better bo
likes It. When I left it I was so tired
of them simple old scenes that I
thought I hated 'cm. But now"
lie paused, half ashamed to tell his
comrade more.
"Yes," agreed NIckerson; "after
awhile every old tree an' rock an'
slope an' inedder that he ort to bavo
forgotten long ngo kinder kinder
seems liko a brother."
"A man gits kinder hungry to see
'em again," said Conway.
"Yep; kinder hungry."
They said no moro for some time
after that, but did not resume their
whistling.
"Wonder if anybody '11 know us till
we tell 'cm who we are?" said NIcker
son after awhile.
"Doubtful; mebby not then. Most of
the old timers are gone, an' tho younger
ones won't know us. But the old hills
an' streams an' crooks In the road
won't be strangers."
"No. Kinder queer, but I've thought
more about them than about the peo
plenone of mlno are left now, you
know."
"Nor mine," said Conway. "Father,
mother nnd brother dead nnd two sis
ters married and gone."
The sun was dropping behind a
bank of heavy clouds slowly rising
from above the western edge of tho
prairie when they reached a home
stead claim and rode along Its fence
of barbed wire toward a weather beat
en little home near tho farther corner.
Tho fence was overgrown in places
with last summer's weeds, nnd here
and there a post lopped over, rotted
off at tho bottom, but partially up
" held by the tension of the wire.
Yet in that weather beaten little
bouse dwelt a capitalist, tho sole pro
prietor of a bank and treasure there
in. The bank, which sat beside a crazy
old clock on a shelf mndo of the side
CONWAY AND NICKEBSON DREW REIN.
of a soap box, was a small, pudgy yel
low gourd that stood up on its larger
end and liad a slit besldo its stem for
the Introduction of deposits.
In it was a capital of 11 cents.
Tho capitalist was Jackson Baacom,
over whose towey head almost four
years had passed. Ten cents of tho
money had been tossed, before him by
a passing horseman, who had seen tho
old mannish looking baby perched on
the low top bar that helped to AH a
gap In the wire fence and wanted to
Beo "the little fellow smllo a dime's
worth," as ho expressed it
Jackson had tumbled from tho bar
With a shout, picked up tho two nick
els and put thorn into tho gourd
bank with the penny which hod been
tho bank's boIq capital for many a day
before that
It was a little more than a week
after tho time of tho bank's great In
crease In capital when Conway and
NIckerson drew rein before the weath
er beaten little house.
Jackson had boon perched upon tho
) Bar until within a quarter of an hour
of their arrival. Ho had been startled
( from his perch by a cry of alarm from
ajjuujt iu umi uuuDu. ioor, wean,
worn, hopelesn Mrs. Bascom had fallen
In something very liko a faint
When, a UtUo later, Conway and
NIckerson rode vp to the barwny the
cloud wall that had risen from the
west was halfway across tho sky nnd
dusk was falling.
"Rain in ten minutes." said Conway
laconically.
They tied their horses to the posts,
swung themselves over the low bars
and ndvanced to the house.
The door was open, nnd the men
saw the children gathered about tho
fainting woman. There were Lyddy,
un old faced, anxious looking girl of
twelve or thirteen; Jimmy and John
ny, grave little fellows of about ten
and eight, nnd Jackson, tbo capitalist.
Lyddy bad bathed her mother's wan
face with cool water, nnd Jimmy and
Johnny were fanning her with their
tntturod straw hats. Jackson stood
back and looked solemnly on, and his
distress was none tho less great be
cause he was not crying.
"Can we do anything?" asked Con
way ns tho two looked in at the door.
"I am better now," said Mrs. Bas
com weakly, but gratefully, raising her
head from the shabby old lounge where
the children had placed her. "It will
soon pass away; it always does."
"If we can do anything" began
NIckerson slowly.
"Won't you come In?" Invited Mrs.
r.ascom, with a feeble attempt to bo
hospitable. "Lyddy, set chairs for the
gentlemen."
Tho dusk was fast deepening. The
cloud wall had spread across tho sky,
and a few great drops of the coming
storm were plashing down.
"Much obliged to you, mom," return
ed Conway, "but If we can't bo of any
help we'll ride on. Is there any place
near here where wo enn git accommo
dations for tho night?"
"The nearest house is two miles
away." said Sirs. Bascom. "You can't
ride on In tho storm. You are welcome
to put your horses in tho barn and stop
here."
The men made a show of remon
strance. "We needn't eat much," NIckerson
whispered to his comrade, "an' we can
pay for what wo git."
Tho horses were hardly under shel
ter before the rain Increased to a down
pour. "Whore," began Conway "that Is,
Is your husband comln home soon?"
"He Is dead," answered Mrs. Bas
com. By this time she was able to sit up
on tho rude lounge.
"Lyddy," sho said, "set out a bite
for the gentlemen to eat. We haven't
got much, but you're welcome to what
there Is."
"Thank ye, mom," returned Conway
awkwardly.
The children were shy at first, but
when the frugal meal was over and
tho men were sitting back from the
table while Lyddy cleared It off little
Jackson advanced gravely nnd climb
ed on Conway's knee.
"Were you doln', mister?" ho asked.
"Hush Jackson!" said his mother.
"Oh," jest leave s tell as not, mom!"
said Conway. "Mo an' NIckerson arc
on our way back to tho old Indiana
home we left twenty-five years ago."
"What part of Indiana?" asked the
widow, with pitiful eagerness.
"Green county Spencervllle."
Tho woman's eager look faded away.
"We are from Burtls," she said.
"An' we're doln' back dere pretty
soon!" spoke up Jackson cheerfully.
"That so. mom?" asked Conway
heartily. "That's good!"
"I I wo" began the widow weak
ly. She glanced at tho Children, and
there was an undercurrent of hope
lessness Iu her low voice that told tho
men that, though she did not wish to
destroy tho hope of tho children, she
felt little for herself.
"Yes, mom," Interrupted Conway,
understanding. "It costs a heap of
money. I right heavy rain falltn',
hain't It?"
"I dot money," Jackson uttered tri
umphantly, "In my bank! Wo doln'
I pretty soon."
He scrambled down from Conway's
knee.
"Did my bank, Yyddy!" he com
manded. When It was handed down
to him he brought It triumphantly to
Conway.
"Money!" ho chuckled. "Doln' back
to Ind'ana pretty soon!"
NIckerson saw that there were tears
in the widow's eyes.
"Want to look at my knife, Jack
son?" he asked, producing a huge,
many bladed affair, with a corkscrew
in the back.
Jackson grasped It, marveled and
was silent. Presently he fell asleep
In Conway's lap, with the huge knife
In his clutch.
The men, with awkward kindness,
tried to tall: of other things, but Mrs.
Bascom kept returning to tho one sub
ject ever in her thoughts the old
home.
"I have been hoping for years to
go," she said, "bur
"Same way with us, mom!" returned
Conway. "Mo an NIckerson got to
gether four years ngo wo camo from
tho same old town at about the same
time, but never happened to meet
again till four years ago an' ever
since we'ro been flggerln' on tnkin' a
Ja'nt back there, but never got to It
till now. We've Anally managed to
save up enough to mako tbo trip."
Presently tho widow told them a
part of her story. She glossed over
tho fallings of her dead husband, but
a word or phraso let fall hero nnd
there told Conway and NIckerson what
kind of man ho had boen.
Jackson Bascom tho elder bad been
neither depraved nor vicious. Ho bnd
been simply a combination of over
hopefulness and laziness a con ten tod
waiter for something to turn up.
In tho meantimo ho formed tbo
homestead In a half hearted fashion,
which brought scarcely enough to llvo
miserably upon.
Tbo rears Dae sod on. bat tho mil
road never came. When the claim be
came bis own Bascom mortgaged It
and dribbled away the proceeds.
By and by he died, leaving a broken
down, heartsick woman nnd half help
less children.
Tho future hold but little promise
for them. Before long the mortgage
on the homestead would fall due, and
they knew from the first that they
would not bo able to satisfy It. The
home would have to go.
Mrs. Bascom had longed to return to
tho old borne state, at llrst hopefully,
then doubtfully, nnd at last in dreary
hopelessness. Tho longing at last be
came almost a monomania with the
poor woman.
When one's heart Is full of a beloved
subject one must talk of It. and tho
FUMHIiED l'Oll A MOMENT WITH THE
aour.u hank.
mother told the children of It till they
longed to go almost as ardently as she
did.
Though she bad hoped long, her
courage and strength gave way slowly
as her health declined.
"I have wanted to go for so long,"
she said, concluding tho story. "But
now" She ended with a sigh.
Tho two strangers understood how
much of real heroism there was in
that simple recital and were silent
when It was done.
Then little Jackson woke up nnd be
gan to examine again the wonderful
knlfo with groat Interest To divert
tho thoughts of tho others as much ns
possible NIckerson dlplaycd and ex
plained tho mechanism of tho knife,
exposing tho corkscrew, opening out
the hook for removing stones from
horses' hoofs, revealing tho tweezers,
tho saw blade, tho file and the screw
driver. Jackson alternately whooped with
delight and stared In mute amazement.
Then ho suddenly held out tho gourd
bank to NIckerson and reached for
the knife.
"Mo'Il trade wld you." ho eald.
Trade his bank and its treasures, al
most sufficient in bis eyes to tnko them
to Indiana, for tho wonderful knlfo
which ho wanted so badly! Toor lit
tle follow!
"I wait till mornln', Jackson," said
NIckerson. "We'll see nbout it then."
When Jackson was packed away in
his little trundle bed tho knife went
with him.
After the men had retired to tho pal
let that Lyddy spread on tho floor
they talked in tones so low thnt tho
occupants of tho other room did not
hear them.
"Sho won't live long unless sho
goes," said Conway.
"Nobody tbar'll know us or keer any
thing about us." said NIckerson.
They said but few words more.
They lay very still for a long time, and
tho other occupants of tho little house
did not hear them when they arose,
just before the east was turning gray.
They donned their garments and then,
in the dimness of tho room, NIckerson
handed Conway something which ho
bad taken out of his pockot and passed
out of the house as noiseless as pos
sible. Conway took something from bis
own pocket and, tiptoeing and feeling
his way to tho table, wrote In tho
darkness n few words with a stub of
pencil on a scrap of paper. Then ho
made his way to tho clock shelf and
fumbled for a moment with the gourd
bank.
Then ho stepped softly to the door
and passed out Into tho drizzle nnd
through tho barway, beyond which
NIckerson was holding their horses.
Thoy mounted and rodo awny in tho
dreary rain back to tho westward, in
tho direction from which they had
come.
"Nobody 'd know us thar anyhow!"
said Conway after awhllo in a gruff
way.
"Nor keer about us!" returned NIck
erson. When morning dawned tho light
shining In through tho llttlo window of
tho weather beaten houso fell upon
llttlo Jackson sleeping in the trundle
bod with Nlckerson's wonderful knlfo
still clutched In his hand, and In the
other room tho light revealed a corner
of groon paper sticking out through
the silt In tbo gourd bank.
Tho Bascoms discovered it before
long and looked Into tho bank. Tho
llttlo gourd was cnrelessly stuffed with
greenbacks and national banknotes
tho money which Jim Conway and
Nick NIckerson had hoarded to tako
thorn back to Indiana.
As tho money was pulled out a scrap
of dirty white paper appeared. On it
was written in Conway's rude band:
"To tako yon back homo. Qod bless
you!"
CALLOFTHEWEST
Sounded by Governor John
son of Minnesota,
TIME TO THROW OFF SHACKLES
He Says States' of Far West and
Southwest Should Rise In Their
Might and Claim Share
of Influence.
Seattle, Wash., Aug. 4. "It Is time
that tho west threw off the shackles
of the east. I would preach no sec
tional dlvlslous and no sectional
strifes, but Minnesota and Washing
ton and the states between them, with
those to the south of us, should rise
in their might and claim for them
selves that fair share of influence In
the halls of congress uud In tho ad
ministration of national affairs to
which they are entitled by every law
of common sense as well as of polit
ical economy."
This was the declaration of Governor
John A. Johnson In his address at tho
Minnesota day celebration at the Se
attle exposition.
"We as an Integral part of the Amer
ican people should cast our influence
and our votes not only to ndvance tho
material interests of our own particu
lar section, but we should bo broad
enough nud big enough to labor for
the common good of our common coun
try," said the governor.
"We have In tho stntes west of tho
Mississippi tho undoubted balance of
power, no matter under what nuniu
the national administration at Wash
ington exists. In tho years that have
passed our population and our mate
rial wealth have not enjoyed that rep
resentation to which thoy are entitled,
and, furthermore, our leaders have
been content to follow In no small
measure the leadership of men who
represent relatively small constituen
cies and smaller commonwealths."
The speaker declared that the "call
of the west," among other things, was
the call for patriotism and progress,
for emancipation from every form of
old world and new world caste and
privilege, from tho tyranny of wealth
nnd birth, nnd alike from the domina
tion of tho trust and political machine.
"Fifty years of national folly In tho
enactment of navigation laws and high
protective tariffs have crippled Amer
ican shipping until over 00 per cent of
our Atlantic commerce Is carried In
foreign bottoms," said Governor John
son. FINE GIFTS FOR ROOSEVELT.
British East Africa Officials Entertain
Him at Public Banquet.
Nairobi, British Kust Africa, Aug. 4.
Theodore Roosevelt and his son Ker
mlt were tho guests of honor at a
public banquet given in Nairobi. Fred
erick J. Jackson, governor of British
Hast Africa, was chairman, and 17.1
persons sat down at the table. Cap
tain Sanderson, town clerk of Nairobi,
road an address of welcome to tho
former president of the United States
and afterward handed him the ad
dress, which was inclosed in a sec
tion of elephant tusk mounted in sil
ver and with a silver chain.
The American residents of the pro
tectorate presented Mr. Roosevelt with
a tobacco box made of tho hoof of a
rhinoceros, silver mounted; the skull
of a rhinoceros, also mounted In sil
ver, and a buffalo head.
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL,
Closing Stock Quotations.
Money on call opened at 2 per
highest 2, lowest 1H. closing H4 per
Most ot the day's loans were mado
cent,
cent.
at 2
ero:
per cent. Closing prices of stocks w
Amal. Copper... Norr. & west..
. 93
Atchison 119 Northwestern
B. & O ,119 Penn. R. R..
Brooklyn R. T.. S1H Reading
Ches. & Ohio.... 7S Rock Island...
C. C.C.ii St.L.. 75'.i St. Paul
D. & II 195 Southern Pac.
.189
.140
.102
. ih
.13oi
. 8SK
Erie 37 Southern Ry...
Gen. Electric... 172 South. Ry. pt..
111. Central 154 SuRar
Int. -Met 15 Texas Pacific..
72
131
. 30
.202
Louis. & Nash.. 140 Union Pacific..
Manhattan 144 U. S. Steel
Missouri Pac... 75 V. B. Steel pf..
75
.120
. 76
N. Y. Central. ...140 West. Union...
Market Reports.
WHEAT Contract grade, August, J1.06
al.07.
CORN No. 2, yellow, for local trade,
78a"9c.
OATS No. 2. white, natural, E3c.
BUTTER Unsettled; receipts, 20.4S1
packages; creamery, specials, 27c. (official
27c); extras, 2Gc; thirds to firsts, 23a
26c; Btato dairy, common to finest, 20a
26c; process, firsts to special, 20o24c;
western, factory, 20a21c.; Imitation
creamery, 22a23c.
CHEESE Steady; receipts, 10,233 boxes;
state, new, full cream, special, 14al5o.;
small, colored, fancy, 14c; large, colored,
fancy, 14c; small, whtto, fancy, 14c; good
to prime, I3al3c; common to fair, 11a
12c; skims, full to specials, 8 all Sic
EGGS Firm; receipts, 17,071 oases;
ttato, Pennsylvania and nearby, hennery,
white, 80a32c; gathered, white, S5aJ0c;
hennery, brown and mixed, fonoy, 2So29c;
gathered, brown, fair to prime, 24a27c;
western, extra firsts, Ua5o.( firsts, 22a
23c: seconds, 20&MO.
DRESSED POULTRY-Irregular; broil
era, nearby, fancy, squab, per pair, 40a
50c.; 3 lbs. to pair, per lb., jOaSSa; west
ern, dry picked, iral8a; scalded, Italia.;
fowls, barrels, lGal60.; old rooster, Ilk
11 Vic.; spring docks, nearby, ISViarT.;
squabs, white, per doe., iXaSXO; rroMa
broilers, milk fed, fancy, per lb., 0o.;
corn fed, fanoy, 17al9a; roasting chlok
ens, milk fed, Malio.; corn fed, UaSOa;
geese, No. 1, OalOo.
HAY AND BTRAW-Oteady; timothy,
per hundred, 80c.s41.02H; shipping, TOaTGc;
lever, mixed, SGaSOa; clover, G070o. long
ryo Btraw, 80aD0o.; oat and wheat, 40a.;
mall bales, IViafic. lets.
ROBERT J. BURDETTE ILL.
Burlington Hawkeye Humorist, Now a
Pastor, Leaves Duties.
Los Angeles, Aug, 4. Dr. Robert J.
Burdetto, tbo humorist, formerly of the
Burlington Hawkeye, and pastor of
the Tomplo Baptist church here. Is
seriously 111 at bis cottogo at Clifton-
ROBERT J. BURDETTE.'
by-the-Sea. lie lias not fully recover
ed from a severe injury to the. spine
which ho sustained in a fall last
March.
Dr. Burdetto was to have returned
to Ills pastorate Aug. 15, but will lie
unable to do so. lie said that his
resignation was iu the hands of the
church trustees.
TROOPS MARCH ON SABADELL.
Ordered to Show No Mercy to Span
ish Rebels.
Madrid, Aug. 4. A column of troops
composed of artillery, cavalry und In
fantry Is marching on Sabadell, ten
miles from Barcelona, where tho in
surgents aro holding out, with orders
to repress mercilessly any resistance
that may be encountered.
The gernl strike at Madrid nnd
Bilbao lias failed owing to the precau
tionary measures taken by the author
ities. The outbreak at Barcelona was u re
sult of a Republican plot, which was
timed to coincide with a general strike
throughout Spain scheduled for Aug.
2. The movement at Barcelona was
premature. Tho plot was betrayed to
the government, which was able to
block tlie efforts of the organizers at
Bilbao, Madrid, Alicante and else
where. LITTLE GIRI KIDNAPED.
Woman Said to Have Started West
With Eight-year-old Child.
Sharon, l'n., Aug. 4. Rosella Neil,
eight years old, has been kidnaped
from the home of her grandparents,
supposedly by an older sister. The
woman Is said to have started west
with tho child.
Tlie chief of police here communi
cated with tho Cleveland authorities
ordering the arrest of the woman if
sho was located in that city. The sis
ter lives In Kansas.
BANK CASHIER CONFESSES.
Collapses After Telling Directors He
Has Embezzled $26,000.
Southern IMnes, N. C, Aug. 4 G. A.
Kimball, cashier of the Citizens' bank;
confessed to the directors of tlie bank
to tho embezzlement of $20,000 of tho
institution's funds.
Kimball turned over to the bank
deeds to his nnd his wife's property
aggregating $8,000. He collapsed after
making bis confession and is in a se
rious physical condition.
The Raspberry Crop.
Do not weaken the growth of red
raspberries by cutting back the canes
this year. Walt until next year, then
cut back to three feet. It will be nec
essary to pass through the plantation
of blackcap raspberries several times
ti.i.
SPRIO OF IIEltBERT RASPBERRIES.
to catch the plants at tho proper
height. Varieties of this class should
seldom bo beaded higher than two
feet This secures stocky plants, and
whon tho laterals nro cut back the fol
lowing spring a strong, healthy plant
is formed, from which tho crop Is eas
ily picked. A lino sprig of raspberries
la shown In tho cut. The berries are
known as tho Herbert class.
Why Not?
Grandpa likes to It las weo Sallle.
Sho says no;
Says his whlskora, thick and bushy,
Prick her bo.
Grandpa's head is soft and shiny
On the top,
Where the hair began to thin and
Would not stop.
Grandpa kisses. Sallle questions.
So 'tis said,
"Grandpa, why not put your whlskert
On your head?"
Chicago Record-Herald.
Careless Charles.
"Charley, , dear," said young Mrs
Torklns, "what is a piker?"
"A piker is a man who starts with a
shoestring nnd tries to run It up lntc
a bank roll."
"How careless of you I Every time
you used to go to tho racee you In
sisted on wearing button shoes!"
Washington Star.
i'.4.:J.ma,$ ''' :' :':
-73., -.i
ROLL of
HONOR
Attention is called to the STRENGTH
of the
Wayne County
Tlie FINANCIER of New York
City has published a ROLL Ob
HONOR of the 11,470 State Hanks
and Trust Companies of United
States. In this list the WAYNE
COUNTY SAVINGS BANK
Stands 38th in the United States.
Stands 10th in Pennsylvania.
Stands FIRST in Wayne County.
Capital, Surplus, $455,000.00
Total ASSETS, $2,733,000.00
Honesdale. Pa., May 29 1908.,
VTOTICE OF INCORPORATION. No
x tice is hereby given that an appli
cation will be made to the Governor of tho
'Ull?.0.' Pennsylvania, upon Friday, August
6. IBM), by (ieo. II. Lancaster. Mary It. Can
caster. Oscar K. Lancaster and C. Kverett
Lancaster, under the. Act of Assembly ot the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania entitled.
An Act to provide for the incorporation anrt
regulation of certain corporations," approved
April 2. ,1874" and the supplements me re to.
for tho charter plan Intended corporation to
lie called Tlio Goo. 11. Lancaster Company."
the character and object of which Is "the
manufacturing and selling of building ma
terial and anything in connection therewith
nnd to conductu general wood manufacturlne
and turning business." and for these purpos
es to have, possess and enjoy nil the rights,
benellts and privileges of said Act of Assemb
ly and Us supplements. A. T. SEAltLK.
, , , . . Solicitor.
Honesdale Pa. July i). 11)09. 5tJeol3
Having purchased the interest of
T. L. Mcdlnntl, of Carbondale, In
the harness business of lletz &
Medlnnd of that city, the business
will be conducted in tho futtiro by
C. M. lletz alone, who will nlso con
(imie bis store in Honesdnlo as here
tofore. In order to reduce stock,
reductions in prices will bo mndo
on nil goods. Ilnrgains may bo
found in both stores. Mr. Edward
Fasshnuer, who has been in tho
Honesdale store nbout ten years aa
clerk, will bnve full clinrge of the
Cnrbonriale store.
C. M. BETZ
Manufacturer of
Custom Harness
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION,
ESTATE OF
VIRGIL CONKLIN,
lute of Preston, Pu.
All persons Indebted to said estate are notl
iledtomnke Immediate payment to the un
dersigned : und those having claims against
the said estate are notified to present them
duly attested for settlement.
JOHN RANDALL, Administrator,
Lake Como. Pa.. June :i0. lm. 52t3
Ponies and Carts
Beautiful Shetland Ponies, handsome
Carts, solid Gold Watches, Diamond Rings
and other valuable presents given away.
To Boys and Girls who win our
PONEY AND CART CONTEST
Open to all Boys and Girls. Costs nothing
to enter. Get enrolled at once. Hundreds of
dollars worth of prizes and cash besides,
EVERY CONTESTANT IS PAID CASH
whether he wins a grand prlzo or not.
Wrlto us today for full particulars before
It Is too late,
J
HUMAN LIFE PUBLISHING CO.,
528 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, Mass.
ilffi 111
C. M.Betz.