Chapter XVI —
ARRIVING AT ELMORE, OHIO, STRANDED—RECEIVING EIGHT DOLLARS ON A
PATENT-RIGHT SALE—DUNNED IN ADVANCE BY THE LANDLORD—CHANGING
HOTELS—MY VISIT TO FREMONT—MEETING MR. KEEFER AND BORROWING MONEY—OUR
VISIT TO FINDLAY—A BIG DEAL—LOSING MONEY IN WHEAT—FOLLOWED BY
OFFICERS WITH A WRIT OF REPLEVIN—OUTWITTING THEM—A FOUR-MILE
CHASE—HIDING OUR RIG IN A CELLAR.
I stopped at Bronson, where my wife and boy were visiting her people and
in a couple of days we all started for Elmore, where we arrived bag and
baggage without a cent.
My wife said she couldn’t see why I should want her to accompany me when
I was meeting with such poor success. I explained that it would possibly
come very handy to have her Saratoga trunk along occasionally to help
satisfy the landlords of our responsibility.
“O, I see you want to sort of pawn us, occasionally for hotel bills,
don’t you?”
“Well, yes,” I answered, “it might be convenient to do so should we get
cornered.”
She said she didn’t think she cared to be detained for hotel bills.
“Well, you wouldn’t see a fellow starve would you?”
“No,” she replied, “but if ever we are pawned I want you to try and
redeem us as soon as possible.”
We took quarters at one of the best hotels, and the next day after our
arrival a young man came there selling ornamental stove-pipe hole covers
made of plaster of paris.
I made his acquaintance at once and learned that he was from Battle
Creek, Mich., where his father resided and owned a good property.
I asked his reason for engaging in that business. He said his father
suggested it so that he would gain experience.
“Oh, I see, you are looking for experience.”
“Yes, that’s what I want.”
“Well sir,” I said, “you are in a poor business to get experience. You
ought to get into the business I am in if you want experience.”
“What is your business?” he asked. I then introduced my model and
explained its merits.
He said he would like Calhoun County, Mich., and asked the price. I
looked the map over and set the price at one hundred and fifty dollars.
He said he would like it, but hadn’t money enough.
I asked how much he had.
After counting what he had he said eight dollars was all he could spare.
“Well, I will take the eight dollars and your note for one hundred and
forty-two dollars, payable three months after date.”
He agreed, and I made out the papers, receiving the cash and note.
This amount of money, though small, came just in the nick of time,
because of the Saratoga-trunk scheme not proving a success. In less than
one hour after I had made the deal, the landlord asked me to pay in
advance. I immediately flew into a rage and demanded him to make out my
bill for what we had had and receipt it in full, which he did, and I
paid it with a flourish and with the air of a millionaire!
There was another hotel just across the street, and when our landlord
happened to step out in front of his house and I noticed the landlord
of[Pg 221] the opposite house also standing outside of his door I at once took
advantage of the situation and began to abuse my landlord at a terrible
rate for his impertinence and cussed meanness and gave him to distinctly
understand that he would lose boarders by the means.
I then called on the other landlord and explained how his competitor had
shown his narrow ideas of running a hotel and how quickly he secured his
pay after demanding it and then asked if he could give us
accommodations. He said he could, and we moved at once.
The new proprietor proved to be our kind of a landlord. The next day
Frank, who had stopped off at Toledo, came on and joined us.
We left my family there and went over to Fremont, where by accident we
met Mr. Keefer and my mother.
They asked how we were progressing.
I explained everything and “just how it all happened.”
My mother said she thought we had done splendidly. Mr. Keefer said: “It
did beat the d——l.”
I then called him one side and began negotiations for a hundred-dollar
loan.
He explained that he was absolutely hard up, but would be glad to help
me if he could.
I then reminded him that his signature at the bank would be all that was
needed.
“Well,” said he, “I believe you will come out all right some day, and I
guess I’ll sign with you if you think you can meet it.”
We stepped into the bank and procured the money.
The next day Frank and I went over to Findlay where we met a man selling
a patent washing machine. We there succeeded in effecting a trade in our
patent, and also found a customer for a large sale on the washing
machine, for which the agent paid us liberally.
The two trades netted us thirteen hundred dollars in cash and a fine
horse, harness and carriage.
We then drove over to Elmore, where I had left my wife and boy. After
leaving her money enough to convince her that she would not be pawned
that week we started the next day eastward, stopping at Fremont for
supper about six o’clock.
We had traded the State of Illinois in our patent to a gentleman in the
lightning-rod [Pg 223]business, and that night while walking up street we
noticed a large crowd of men standing on the corner talking.
We stepped across the street to see what the excitement was.
On looking over the shoulders of the men we saw our customer, the
lightning-rod man, standing there holding his pitchfork in one hand and
valise in the other. We were about to crowd in when we heard him say:
“Well, if I can find them I shall have them arrested and replevin the
horse.”
Frank and I then held a short consultation. Our first idea was to go to
him and ascertain what he meant by saying he would arrest us. We felt
certain we had violated no law, or at least had no intention of doing
so. But after reconsidering the matter we concluded that he was simply a
“squealer,” and as we had made a square, fair trade with him we decided
to let him find us instead of our looking for him.
Our experience of a few days before with the writ of replevin had been a
very good lesson. We didn’t consider it worth while to deliberately turn
our stock over to “squealers,” when they were taking so much pains to
hunt us up, and[Pg 224] especially when we stopped to realize that in dealing
with a lightning-rod man it was simply a case of “diamond cut diamond.”
We therefore started East that evening, arriving at Cleveland a few days
later.
On reading the late daily papers which we always made a practice of
doing, we found several long articles about two men visiting Findlay
with a patent right and how they had taken a handsome horse and carriage
and several thousand dollars in cash for which they gave worthless
deeds.
We also read a full description of ourselves and the horse and buggy and
that a liberal reward would be paid for our capture and return to
Findlay.
We were at a loss to understand the meaning of all this, and called on
one of the best lawyers in Cleveland and paid him ten dollars to examine
our Power of Attorney.
He pronounced it perfect, and said we had complied with the law in
having it recorded, in our method of deeding, and in every other
respect; and said that the patentee was powerless to annul the Power of
Attorney, except by giving me thirty days’ notice.
We then concluded to give them a good chase, before giving up the horse
and carriage; for though they had spent considerable money in trying to
capture us, we realized that the horse and buggy were all we had to look
out for, so far as concerned any loss.
We stopped at a first-class hotel, and enjoyed life hugely.
While there, we met an acquaintance who had been speculating in wheat,
and had made a lot of money in a very short time.
He assured us that if we would let him invest a portion of our cash the
same as he was intending to invest his own, we would leave Cleveland
with a barrel of money. Of course we hadn’t thought of scooping it in by
the barrel, and the idea rather caught us.
Neither Frank nor myself had the slightest conception of the method of
speculating in that way. And to this day, I am still as ignorant as then
regarding it, and have no desire to learn it.
Well, we let our friend invest five hundred dollars, and in less than
three days he called on us for three hundred more, saying he must have
it to tide us over. Two days later he announced to us the crushing fact
that all was lost! His cash as well as ours.
He then began urging us to try it once more. Anxious to get back what
we had lost, we needed but little persuasion; and in less than one week
found ourselves about cleaned out. We had speculated all we cared to;
and after settling up with the landlord, started west again with the
horse and buggy, to continue our patent-right business.
Wherever we stopped, we imagined every time we saw a person approaching
us, that it was an officer with papers for our arrest, or a writ of
replevin for the horse and carriage. We cared more for the writ than we
did for the arrest, as we had by this time posted ourselves as to the
trouble and annoyance it would cause us to allow them to get possession
of the rig. Besides, it had already become a question whether we would
out-general them or they us.
We realized that their reasons, whatever they were, for demanding our
arrest, were groundless. So our only desire was to sell the whole outfit
at a good figure.
It would have paid us better in every way to have turned it over to the
men we had traded with, and to have come to an understanding with them;
but we were too anxious to win, in the race we had begun.
We had a great scare and narrow escape, at a small inland town where we
stopped just at dusk, intending to remain over night.
While sitting in front of the hotel, about nine o’clock that evening,
several gentlemen scrutinized us very sharply as they passed by. Among
them happened to be an old friend whom we had known at Clyde. He asked
what we had been doing that the authorities had a right to arrest us,
adding that two men were at that very moment looking up an officer for
that purpose.
We gave immediate orders for our horse to be hitched up, and hastily
informed our friend of the facts. He said there must be some reason for
the Findlay authorities wanting us, as they had offered a reward of a
hundred dollars for us, and twenty-five for the horse and buggy.
We started west at a rapid gait.
It was a beautiful moonlight night, and we had not traveled far till we
saw coming after us two men on horseback, riding rapidly. We drove but a
few rods farther when we came to a steep hill, at the bottom of which
was a cross-road extending in both directions through the woods, and a
large bridge crossing a river just west of the road-crossing. We drove
down the [Pg 230]embankment and under the bridge into the river, and there
awaited the coming of the two men. They stopped on the bridge, and there
held a consultation We heard one of them say:
“I wonder which way the devils went, anyhow?”
“Well,” the other remarked, “they are traveling west, and it’s quite
likely they have crossed the bridge.”
Just as they were about to start again our horse pawed in the water, and
at once attracted their attention.
A “KICKER AND SQUEALER.”
One of them stopped, and said; “Wait a minute. I heard a noise under the
bridge.”
At this they both stopped, and, as we supposed, were about to make an
investigation, when I dropped the reins, and raising my hands to my
mouth, made a noise like the bellowing of a “critter.” One of them said:
“Oh, come on. It’s nothing but a —— old cow!”
They then started across the bridge, greatly to our relief and
satisfaction.
After a few moments’ delay we returned to the cross-roads, and started
south, traveling but a short distance when we again turned west.
We now began to realize that they were making it quite lively for us,
and decided to sell the whole rig at any price.
We drove to within about a mile of Norwalk, when I alighted and walked
into the town for the purpose of finding a buyer.
Frank drove to a small inland town eight miles south of Norwalk, where I
agreed to meet him the next day.
The following morning I met a middle-aged gentleman on the streets, and
asked him if there were any horse-buyers in town. He asked what kind of
horses I had for sale. I told him I only had one, and gave a description
of the animal.
He said he was buying horses, and would drive out with me and see if we
could deal.
He hitched up a pair of horses, and taking another gentleman with us,
started south. Upon arriving at our destination, we found Frank
quartered at a nice country hotel.
The two men looked our whole outfit over, scrutinizing it very closely,
and showed no signs of wanting to buy, and did not even ask our price.
I then said:
“Gentlemen, we will sell you this whole rig cheap, if you wish it.”
Finally, after I had repeated several times that I would sell it
dirt-cheap, the old gentleman ventured to ask what I considered cheap?
“Well, sir,” said I, “you can have the whole outfit for twelve hundred
dollars.”
“Great Heavens!” he exclaimed. “Do you call that cheap?”
“Well,” I answered, “you needn’t buy unless you want to.”
They then drove off, when I said:
“Frank, those men have had a full description of us and our rig, and
we’d better skip.”
Frank said he had a trade about worked up with the landlord’s father,
who lived three miles from there. He wanted to trade a fine horse for
our carriage, and thought it best to take our chances of staying to
close it up.
After dinner the landlord accompanied us to his father’s farm. We had to
travel one mile west and two north. On our way there, and about a half
mile from town, we had a conversation with a young farmer acquaintance
of the landlord, who said if we didn’t make a deal as we expected, he
would give us a trade of some kind on our way back. On reaching the farm
we found a handsome four-year-old colt unbroken, but as we could see, a
valuable animal.
We traded our carriage for it and a cheap saddle and bridle. When we
came to look the carriage over we found an iron brace broken, and the
bargain was, that we were to take it back to town and pay for getting it
repaired, and then leave it in care of the landlord.
We started back, the landlord and myself walking and leading the colt,
while Frank drove our horse and buggy.
When we reached the young farmer’s place above-mentioned, he came out to
the gate; and after we were several rods past the house, called to the
landlord, who went back.
I noticed that the farmer talked in a very loud tone till the landlord
got close to him, when he then spoke very low.
Just then Frank came driving up, when I said:
“There’s something in the wind. I’ll bet that farmer has talked with
some one since we went up there, who has told him about the patent-right
deal.”
I then explained the actions of the farmer. Frank said it did look a
little suspicious, but thought it might possibly be a mistake. As a
matter of caution Frank drove on to the hotel, where he unhitched the
horse, and prepared to[Pg 234] start on horseback as soon as we arrived with
the colt, which I was to ride.
A FOUR MILE CHASE.—PAGE 234
As soon as the landlord returned to where I was, he showed considerable
anxiety and nervousness, which convinced me more than ever that I was
correct in my surmises.
He talked but little, on our way to the hotel. When we arrived there his
wife came out and had a private talk with him, I then said:
“Well, landlord, we will allow you one dollar for the carriage repairs
and you can have it done yourself.”
At that I reached out for the halter-strap, to take possession of the
colt.
“Well, see here,” said he, excitedly, “there is something wrong. Two men
have been here looking for you.”
“Where are they?” I asked.
“Well,” said he, “they have no doubt gone one mile too far west, in
trying to get to my father’s farm, and have missed us.”
I stepped to the middle of the road, and looking west, saw in the
distance a team with two men coming. I called for Frank to hitch up
again, at once, fully realizing the uselessness of trying to take the
colt and leave the buggy, and[Pg 237] that there was no time to argue or
explain matters to the satisfaction of the landlord.
When I had paid our hotel bill, and gotten the valise containing our
shirts—(which we clung to with a bull-dog tenacity, owing to our late
shirtless experience)—I hurried to the barn, where I found Frank had
the horse between the shafts, and we hitched him up in a space of time
that would have done credit to an expert Fire-engine Company.
Only one side of the shafts was supported by the harness, and we did not
stop to fasten the hold-back straps, nor to put the lines through the
terret, nor tie the hitching strap. But the instant the traces were
fastened and the lines were in the buggy, we jumped in, and none too
soon, either, for just as we turned our horse in the road the two men
came driving around the corner. We started south, with our horse on a
dead run and under the whip, followed by them with their horses under
full speed, and also under the whip.
The race was indeed exciting, on a Macadamized road as smooth and hard
as a floor. I drove, using the whip freely, while Frank stood up in the
carriage, facing the men, swinging his hat and yelling like a wild
Indian. They kept up[Pg 238] the chase for about four miles, we making a turn
at every cross-road, first west then south, and kept it up till we saw
they were slacking their gait, when we also gave our horse a rest.
We then proceeded west, driving till very late that night, and arriving
at the house of a farmer acquaintance of mine, five miles from Clyde,
about midnight. I called him up and explained matters. He said we should
put the horse in the barn, and stay with him two or three days, till we
saw how things were.
We told him that his neighbors would very soon learn that he had a horse
and carriage there, and would necessarily have to have an explanation as
to the ownership.
We then suggested putting the whole rig, horse and all, into the cellar,
which we did; and then remained there three days, eating spring chickens
and new potatoes. We paid our friend’s wife three dollars per day for
keeping us and our horse, besides fifty cents apiece for young chickens
which were about one-third grown. This was twenty-five cents more than
she could have gotten for them had she kept them till they were full
grown. Yet she worried a great deal about killing off her young
chickens. Every time she[Pg 239] cooked one for us she would declare that she
didn’t believe it paid, and she wouldn’t kill any more till they grew to
full size.
We undertook to argue her out of the idea, by showing how many bushels
of corn each chicken would eat before fall, and the low price it would
bring at that time.
She said: “It didn’t make any difference. Common sense taught her that a
chicken wasn’t worth as much when it was one-third grown as when full
grown, and she didn’t care to sell us any more.”
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