North Of Austin - Chapter 25

Time Marches On

Chapter twenty five

Time was passing and there was at least one auto owned by each of our clan.

I gave in and bought an auto also.  I kept my buggy and team but found myself using them for pleasure only nowadays.

Linus had set up repair stations in towns all over and he opened one in our town so we had a place where we could get our auto repaired if needed.

I retired by turning my law office over to Abner’s son and now I only keep the family’s holdings in order.

The third generation was now almost grown which meant that there was some grumbling about the need to start dividing the holdings up.  This was partly solved when an engineer we hired found oil on our properties.

With cash flowing into everyone hands this quieted the ones who were complaining though some were spending it as soon as they got it.

I could see the handwriting on the wall and it would only be a matter of time before the discontent of some would make it too difficult to continue what started with Ma and Pa and us six boys.

I called a meeting of us brothers and discussed what was going on. I told them both Ma and Pa were growing feeble and weren’t going to last very long.

I laid out a plan for when they were gone (but not before) we would sell all of the family holdings. And divide the money up equally. It would be up to the brothers as to whether they wanted to divide their share with their family now or wait till they passed on.

I told them I had been contacted by an eastern corporation who wanted to buy our holdings at a good price and were willing to wait until the passing of our parents. They are willing to put up a large amount of earnest money in escrow to seal the deal.

Abner said he didn’t like the idea of breaking up the holdings but realized something had to be done and he didn’t have a better idea. I reminded him that Jeannie Ann’s property wasn’t part of the deal for that was hers and hers alone. You are living there so you wouldn’t be making a big change. He agreed that was true.

Each of the brothers said what didn’t like about the deal but in the end they all agreed that it was the best solution for all. With the admonition to not discuss this with anyone we adjourned the meeting and I had everyone sign off on the deal.

Within a year both Ma and Pa were gone. I completed the sale of our holdings and each family netted several millions of dollars.

Not all of the brothers shared their money with their kids and grandkids. This left some of them to have to find employment where before they laid around and did nothing.

Some like me divided the money equally among their kids.

I was a little concerned about Daniel for he had invested a lot of his life into his grandpa’s ranch but he said he was tired of working those long hours while others did nothing. He said he knew where there was a fine ranch for sale and he was going to buy it with part of the money I gave to him. He was now married and turned Abby and I into grandparents.

We had bought the property we lived on so it wasn’t part of the families deal and as of now we have no plans to move.

Having married when we were young, Abby and I have many years left to enjoy each other. Our kids are out on their own and are fixed financially.

So life is good; though not always easy.

THE END

North Of Austin - Chapter 24

Something New in Town - The Automobile

Chapter Twenty Four

Lately there were several of what they called automobiles in town, and one of Abner’s boys was crazy about them. He came and talked to me and asked what I thought about them.

I said that it looked like there was a lot of room for improvement on them.

He wanted to go to the place where they were making them and learn all about what made them run. He said his pa didn’t want him to leave the ranch but if I said he should go it would be alright with him.

I told Linus (the boy) “I need to ride out to the ranch and while there I will talk to your Pa before I gave my opinion on the subject.”

Linus said, “Good, let’s go.”

I could see he was all caught up in the idea of know how the things worked. He rattled on about autos all the way to the ranch.

After cooling off with some cool water I sat down and talked with Abner about some business. He then said he wanted my opinion on the subject that he didn’t know anything about which was them automobiles.

I said, “It is the coming thing and we might as well get used to them. It is going to be like when we started using steam driven equipment on the farms.”

Abner said, “I guess you’re right.”

I said, “Linus isn’t going to be much use around here till he gets it out of his system so let him go.”

Abner agreed and called the boy in from the porch and said, “Your uncle thinks it would be alright for you to educate yourself on these engines and get it out of your system.  Just don’t go forgetting where the money comes from around here.”

I knew Abner didn’t want to lose him but he is going to have to let him find his own way like I did when I was about the boys age.

Linus spent much of his time in the two what they called motor stations. It was the place where people could get their auto worked on when it wasn’t working right which was quite often.

He quickly got the drift of what made the autos run and was given a job to work on them. After two months one of the station owners decided to send Linus to the factory of one of the most popular autos so he could learn everything from the beginning to the end of manufacturing process.

After three months Linus knew every screw and bolt that was required to put an auto together. He stayed another three months to study other car models.

He returned to work in the stations but discovered the station owner who sent him to the factory had gone out of business.

He came back to live with Abby and me and wanted my advice about his future.

We talked for hours; discussing what his options were if he stayed in the auto business. I finally understood what he really wanted to do, was to own his own auto store.

I told him; It would be best if he was to set up his shop in a larger town. There just wasn’t enough people who were in the market for a horseless carriage in our town as of yet, and not in the foreseeable future.

Then I suggested for him to get a job at one of the large car shops and learn all he could about running an auto business.

I emphasized that the most important thing to know was how to convince people to buy his product.

Notice how the sales clerks were able to sell the auto to people who were on the fence so to speak. This means you are going to have to become a successful sales person.

He said, “That means another six months of learning.”

I told him to think in terms of a year.

Linus took my advice and in just a little over a year he opened a small auto sales station. It was one he could handle by himself. He stocked the autos, sold the autos and repaired the autos. As his business grew he hired two people who he trained.

One to repair automobiles and another to sell them. He kept this process up till he had a large business that was built on a fair price and good service.

Finally Linus built a warehouse and stocked it with the parts that either wore out or broke most often. He could have a person’s auto back to them in half the time and it would be fixed right.

Things were going very well for Linus and I was surprised to see him come to my office.

After we chatted about the home folks he said; “The reason I’m here is because you have a good marriage and a family that is growing up. I need you to tell me how to get a wife like Abby.”

I told him, “To be frank I just lucked out but in selecting a wife you need to follow your heart after you have decided the kind of wife you need.”

I told him; “You are in a business that requires you to deal with people with money and they have families who are society people. It would be best to find a woman who is an asset and could be helpful to your business.  

You certainly wouldn’t want a country gal who has very little education.  

Seek for a woman who is real and flows within the society you find yourself in without any pretense. But the most important thing is to find a woman who you can love and one who completely loves you.  As you meet young women your heart will tell you who is right for you but take your time and let love grow just to make sure.”

It was a couple of years later that I received a letter from Linus,.  He wrote that he more or less followed my advice and met and married the love of his life.

He said, “She is everything that you told me that I should look for.”

 

TO BE CONTINUED

North of Austin Chapter 23

 

Chapter twenty three

Daniel came to me and wanted to go out to the ranch to help with the branding of the new calves. He would have to skip school to do it and I knew Abby wouldn’t allow it. That was the reason he came to me, thinking I might over rule her.

I told him, “No but let me talk to your ma and see what she says.”

I knew what she was going to say but thought I might get her to relent a little. After some back and forth and there being a lot of tenseness in the air I got her to agree to let him miss Friday’s school which gave him the weekend to play cowboy.  I was proud of him for he was already a good hand with both horses and cattle.

His mother said; “He may become a cowboy but he will be an educated one,” to which I agreed.

I knew there was a driving force in him to become a rancher. There was one thing about Daniel and that was he was real. He was what he pretended to be. This was what the cow hands recognized about him and he had won their respect.

He had learned what Abner had taught about handling horses and cattle to the point he was as good as any of the other hands on the ranch. He could break a horse to ride without being mean to him and have him working cattle in a short time.

Daniel had found a large, lean and mean stud he wanted for himself. The horse threw him a dozen times or more but he finally had him working like he wanted him to do. He also made friends with the horse to where the horse wanted to follow him around like a dog.

Daniel talked straight to the cow hands and though still a boy he always talked sense and not foolishness. The hands would tease him about taking him to town to where the ladies were and get him a woman.

This was the one thing that always embarrassed him and he didn’t have a good retort back at them.

On one such occasion he decided to try to turn the tables on them and he said; “Take me to them.”

They didn’t know how to handle this turn of events for some of them knew his mother and they knew she would run them out of the country if they pulled off such a stunt.

After a hard day’s work the men had this Saturday night off. Several times Daniel had rode night herd if they had some cattle rounded up but this Saturday there were none except for a few that hung around the compound all the time.

This time he was ready when the teasing started and he said he was going with them and “Get him a woman.”

Some of them started to back out and not go to town but figure they better go and watch over him. Daniel had told me about the teasing he had been getting from the hands so I decided to help him get even with them.

Unbeknownst to his mother I went down to the house of pleasure and talked to the madam whom I had legal dealings with on several occasions and set it up where Daniel would get his woman so to speak. He rode in with the hands and the madam immediately made over him and called one of the younger women over and whispered in her ear with all of the hands watching with their mouths open.

The young woman said; “C’mon big boy” and they went upstairs. All the cowhands waited downstairs for two hours till the woman and Daniel came down stairs laughing. She was making over him and whispering to the other women. They all crowded around him and said; “Me next big boy.” Daniel told the hands he was going to stay at home the rest of the night and would see them later.

I saw him come in and asked him how it went; “Were the men fooled?”

He said: “What do you mean fooled?” I could see he was going to try to give me the same treatment the cowboys got so I said, “All right for you cowboy.”

His mother came in and hugged him and said; “Phew, where have you been?”

Abby looked at me and said; “All right what is going on?”

I told her ask Daniel cause he is the one who smells. She decided to drop it but said; “You take a bath and get that stink off of you.”

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

 

 

Ways and Means

Ways and Means: a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives that is in charge of taxes, trade issues, government debt. 

The Ways and Means committee views the people and their resources as theirs to do with as they please. It is their task to formulate some method to cover the costs and expenses of government conjured up by the congress (and the President). Their methods and enforcements create a lot of pain to the ones supplying their needs. In other words the costs are high to the ones paying the price. 

Similarly the Ways and Means committee in Heaven when viewing the condition of lost man realized that it was up to them to provide the price of the redemption of mankind for no one else had the wherewithal to accomplish the task at hand.

Enter the redemptive twins; Grace and Mercy. Only by employing Grace and Mercy could the committee (The Godhead) accomplish the needed task. The price to be paid fell on the Son of God for after a total evaluation He was the only one who was fully qualified to pay the price of redemption. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 gives some pertinent information concerning our salvation; Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.  

Did you get that?  

Let's break it down so as to emphasize the parts of the statement God is making! 

Your body is a temple!  

While you live in it, once saved the Holy Spirit that you received as a gift also inhabits it with you! That is as close as you can get. 

The next thing to consider is; You were the property of a holding agency known as spiritual death but was redeemable for a price. God in His mercy purchased you (paid the price) and now you are His property.  

 

 

GOD NOW HOLDS THE TITLE DEED TO YOU. 

Let's make one final check to see if you understand this.  

Does your conduct reflect  God's ownership of you or your independence  from Him? Is it obedience or rebellion? Will it be reward or judgment?  

There is a measure of confidence and peace in knowing that you belong to the king of the whole universe and understanding this - - should motivate you to further pledge all that is within you to serve Him with all of your being and no longer be slack in your service for your master.  

In the halls of heavenly records there is a birth certificate with the name of God as your father. Fair thee well child of God!

 

NORTH OF AUSTIN - Chapter 22

Cattle Drive

 

Chapter 22  - Abby Goes to Town with her 4 Children.

Abby was just turned thirty when she gave birth to another boy.  

Three boys and one girl.  Daniel was the oldest and spent as much time with Abner as I would allow.  There was something about Abner’s rough exterior that appealed to my son. I could tell when he had been with Abner by the way he acted when he came home. He would act roughly with his siblings.

On this particular day our hired hand hitched up the buggy for Abby and she came to town with all four of the kids. Daniel was big enough to hold Lloyd our new baby so Abby was free to drive the horse. When she arrived she took baby Lloyd and Daniel jumped down and hooked up the horse to the rail. Sammie got down and Daniel helped Lorry to which she objected.

Abby with all her brood started her shopping tour when she was braced by a cowboy who was above the deadline and he was armed. Along with him were four more intruders. The first one began to say unseemly things to Abby and wanted to take the baby. Daniel lit into him kicking him with his sharp metal toed boots and the man fell to the ground.

The other four men started to move forward as Daniel relentlessly kept kicking the man wherever he could. As one of the men reached for Daniel a gun barrel crashed across his skull.

Cody hit another one and knocked him out in the street where a heavily loaded wagon ran over his leg, breaking it. Cody’s deputy hit the other two with his gun butt in quick succession and Cody pulled Daniel back from the man he was still kicking.

They disarmed the men and his deputy took them to jail.  Abby hugged Cody and said "I’m glad you were here and handled this."

Cody said, "Daniel almost had it under control. It looks like his time with Abner was well spent.  When I was with Abner he taught me the same stuff he used on that worthless tramp."

The man laying in the street was hurting and pleading for help.  The doctor finally showed up and got him down to his office. Those who got pistol whipped had split scalps and were sewed up by one of the nurses later on.

I arrived after it was all over and felt a little ashamed for not being there.

The next day the rancher whose men were involved in the fracas showed up and was plenty mad. He came to me and demanded an explanation why his men had been mistreated.

He wouldn’t listen to anything I tried to say so I told him to sit down and shut up or I would knock him silly. That quieted him down and I told him what happened and if I had seen what they were doing they would be lying dead for no one messes with my family.

Then I told him he had better keep his mouth civil or he would need some new teeth.

After seeing I meant business he meekly said, I’m starting roundup and I need these men. There are not any more men available around here with experience.

I asked him how many men he needed and he said “I could make it with six.”

I told him to get back to his gathering herd and tomorrow he would have the men he needed. Cody took the men before the judge and he fined them all the money they had and gave the thirty days for being above the deadline and thirty days for accosting Abby.

They were complaining about losing their job and for the time in jail. The judge said; if anybody is unhappy I will double their time in jail. The noise went silent immediately.

The next day I pulled five of our hands to go with me and help the ramrod finish his drive. I knew what it was like to make a round up and a hard drive to the rail head and have trouble the last minute. Before the week was over his herd was either loaded and on the way to market or in the corrals to be loaded tomorrow.

He came over to me and said; you’re alright. “I’m sorry for the way I acted when I first saw you.  I want to thank you and your men for I was really in a bind. I had to meet the schedule or the rail road would have refused my herd.  If that happened, I don’t know what I would have done.”

I said, “We cattlemen have to stick together. Just try to pick hands with a little more self-control for the next drive.”

TO BE CONTINUED