| Show HE BOUGHT HT HIS OWN HORSE pow TI ow 1 aira I r ioa old john thomas was wa luried e d in collecting bent old J john ohn thomas who used to own about half the land across tho the ohio river from cincinnati was a character sot not easily forgotten he be had so in much uc h money he did not know what to do wi lh it but be never had bad enough his so son n inlaw in law van ness aness attended to his a affairs afa irs for him one time old john came to his son in laws office and asked him how the tenants were paying their rent oh pretty well said the agent only one behind I 1 think one behind sirl exclaimed old john well one is enough who is he be peterson up on the hill bill farm is behind but well sir why he pay his rent I 1 want you to understand sir no one can live on land of mine without paying his rent why is it well the fact is father Peter pet soa has been sick for nearly a year past and lie he has not been able to putt put out any crop cut but he is industrious when he is well and he is an honest 1 I dont care what he is whether sick or well sir thundered the rich man inan 1 I say lie he hasiot has got to pay that rent what property has he be oh you dont want to take coercive measures he will pay up as soon as ashe he can you have hare plenty father and he has nothing besides he is a good tenant after all he aint sir if he pay what property has he tell nie me that tha V I 1 well he has some horses I 1 think 11 well sir you take the sheriff out there and levy on the horses no man carl can live on my land unless he pays I 1 tell tel lyou you go on and levy but the son in laws evident reluctance in the matter made old john suspicious pi cious and when van ness and the sheriff got ready to go to the hill hii farm he be climbed into the buggy bugg yv with ith them and rode along when they came to the farm old john had to be told which w was a z his land as he owned so much he co could u ld not keep track of it when van ness pointed it out the old man saw a horse in one of the tha pastures and had it levied on the horse hors was ewas a very fine one anil and the old fellow felt he was ms sure of getting gettic his bis money but it happened that he e had bad horses of his own pasturing on nearly evey every farm that he possessed and this animal was one of that number 1 I dont believe said van new ness its as the men rode home that you will get any one to bid on that horse they all sympathize with peterson then ril ill buy boy it myself sir was the sturdy rejoinder 1 I like that horse anyway so at the sale van ness quietly circulated the report and several neighbors ran up the price till it was nearly double the rent due for the he hill farm and then old john bid it in ile he deducted the debt from the purchase price and sent the remainder in cash to peterson for he was as honest as he was avaricious and for years he plumed himself on getting his money out of the tenant later when peterson had Kee recovered his health and had paid to van ness all the back rent for of course he made nothing out of the horse trade that crafty son soil in law told old john all about it and the old fellow nearly had bad a fit of apoplexy but he recovered when he found thae the debt had really been paid and that peterson had an excellent crop and was likely never to be in arrears again chicago post |
