Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896 edition. Excerpt: ... IRREPRESSIBLE CONFLICT CONCERNING A HOG TROUGH. As people of peace, this country used to have few quarrels and fights, and when one came off it was remembered. I never, for twenty years after coming here, saw but one real hard fought battle, and that I will now describe. One day I had a trip to St. Helena in Cedar county, and on the route I came, not far from the county line, to a small but romantic valley which, embowered among the hills, presented a beautiful and attractive landscape. A silvery stream, over which was thrown a rustic bridge, sped merrily along, and on either side were fine farms with highly cultivated fields. A more peaceful, pleasant spot one could hardly find, and it would be difficult to believe that in so charming an Arcadian retreat, had been heard the shouts of combatants and the crash of war. Yet such, I regret to say, was the case. Near the stream just mentioned was the farm of a man whom I will call Smith, (that not being his right name) and his house, but a short distance from the bridge, was tastefully situated amid trees and vines. With old man Smith and his wife lived two slab-sided, strapping sons and their wives, all of whom, generally peaceable and sluggish, were at the time I came to the bridge in question, engaged in warlike demonstrations of no make believe variety. As they occupied the bridge, I could not pass over, and hence had to stop and see t he scrim mage. The names of the two sons were Joe and Jim. and from what I could learn as to the cause of the row, it appeared that they had had certain differences of opinion, whereby lengthy and earnest discussions and exhaustive arguments ensued, concerning their respective rights and duties in regard to the cleaning out of a certain hog trough then and...
