Georgias Ruling.docx
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- 上传时间:2023-08-18
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Georgias Ruling.docx
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GeorgiasRuling
Georgia'sRuling
IfyoushouldchancetovisittheGeneralLandOffice,stepintothedraughtsmen'sroomandasktobeshownthemapofSaladoCounty.AleisurelyGerman--pos-siblyoldKampferhimself--willbringittoyou.Itwillbefourfeetsquare,onheavydrawing-cloth.Theletteringandthefigureswillbebeautifullyclearanddistinct.Thetitlewillbeinsplendid,undecipherableGermantext,ornamentedwithclassicTeutonicdesigns--verylikelyCeresorPomonaleaningagainsttheinitialletterswithcornucopiasventinggrapesandwieners.Youmusttellhimthatthisisnotthemapyouwishtosee;thathewillkindlybringyouitsofficialpredecessor.Hewillthensay,"Ach,so!
"andbringoutamaphalfthesizeofthefirst,dim,old,tattered,andfaded.BylookingcarefullynearitsnorthwestcorneryouwillpresentlycomeupontheworncontoursofChiquitoRiver,and,maybe,ifyoureyesaregood,discernthesilentwitnesstothisstory.TheCommissioneroftheLandOfficewasoftheoldstyle;hisantiquecourtesywastooformalforhisday.Hedressedinfineblack,andtherewasasuggestionofRomandraperyinhislongcoat-skirts.Hiscollarswere"undetached"(blamehaberdasheryfortheword);histiewasanarrow,funerealstrip,tiedinthesameknotaswerehisshoe-strings.Hisgrayhairwasatrifletoolongbehind,buthekeptitsmoothandorderly.Hisfacewasclean-shaven,liketheoldstatesmen's.Mostpeoplethoughtitasternface,butwhenitsofficialexpressionwasoff,afewhadseenaltogetheradifferentcountenance.Especiallytenderandgentleithadappearedtothosewhowereabouthimduringthelastillnessofhisonlychild.TheCommissionerhadbeenawidowerforyears,andhislife,outsidehisofficialduties,hadbeensodevotedtolittleGeorgiathatpeoplespokeofitasatouchingandadmirablething.Hewasareservedman,anddignifiedalmosttoausterity,butthechildhadcomebelowitallandresteduponhisveryheart,sothatshescarcelymissedthemother'slovethathadbeentakenaway.Therewasawonderfulcompanionshipbetweenthem,forshehadmanyofhisownways,beingthoughtfulandseriousbeyondheryears.Oneday,whileshewaslyingwiththefeverburningbrightlyinherchecks,shesaidsuddenly:
"Papa,IwishIcoulddosomethinggoodforawholelotofchildren!
""Whatwouldyouliketodo,dear?
"askedtheCom-Missioner."Givethemaparty?
""Oh,Idon'tmeanthosekind.Imeanpoorchildrenwhohaven'thomes,andaren'tlovedandcaredforasIam.Itellyouwhat,papa!
""What,myownchild?
""IfIshouldn'tgetwell,I'llleavethemyou--notgiveyou,butjustlendyou,foryoumustcometomammaandmewhenyoudietoo.Ifyoucanfindtime,wouldn'tyoudosomethingtohelpthem,ifIaskyou,papa?
""Hush,hushdear,dearchild,"saidtheCommissioner,holdingherhotlittlehandagainsthischeek;"you'llgetwellrealsoon,andyouandIwillseewhatwecandoforthemtogether."Butinwhatsoeverpathsofbenevolence,thusvaguelypremeditated,theCommissionermighttread,hewasnottohavethecompanyofhisbeloved.Thatnightthelittlefrailbodygrewsuddenlytootiredtostrugglefurther,andGeorgia'sexitwasmadefromthegreatstagewhenshehadscarcelybeguntospeakherlittlepiecebeforethefootlights.Buttheremustbeastagemanagerwhounderstands.Shehadgiventhecuetotheonewhowastospeakafterher.Aweekaftershewaslaidaway,theCommissionerreappearedattheoffice,alittlemorecourteous,alittlepalerandsterner,withtheblackfrock-coathangingalittlemorelooselyfromhistallfigure.Hisdeskwaspiledwithworkthathadaccumulatedduringthefourheartbreakingweeksofhisabsence.Hischiefclerkhaddonewhathecould,buttherewereques-tionsoflaw,offinejudicialdecisionstobemadeconcern-ingtheissueofpatents,themarketingandleasingofschoollands,theclassificationintograzing,agricultural,watered,andtimbered,ofnewtractstobeopenedtosettlers.TheCommissionerwenttoworksilentlyandob-stinately,puttingbackhisgriefasfaraspossible,forcinghismindtoattackthecomplicatedandimportantbusi-nessofhisoffice.Ontheseconddayafterhisreturnhecalledtheporter,pointedtoaleather-coveredchairthatstoodnearhisown,andordereditremovedtoalumber-roomatthetopofthebuilding.InthatchairGeorgiawouldalwayssitwhenshecametotheofficeforhimofafternoons.Astimepassed,theCommissionerseemedtogrowmoresilent,solitary,andreserved.Anewphaseofminddevelopedinhim.Hecouldnotendurethepresenceofachild.Oftenwhenaclatteringyoungsterbelongingtooneoftheclerkswouldcomechatteringintothebigbusiness-roomadjoininghislittleapartment,theCom-missionerwouldstealsoftlyandclosethedoor.Hewouldalwayscrossthestreettoavoidmeetingtheschool-childrenwhentheycamedancingalonginhappygroupsuponthesidewalk,andhisfirmmouthwouldcloseintoamereline.Itwasnearlythreemonthsaftertherainshadwashedthelastdeadflower-petalsfromthemoundabovelittleGeorgiawhenthe"land-shark"firmofHamlinandAveryfiledpapersuponwhattheyconsideredthe"fattest"vacancyoftheyear.Itshouldnotbesupposedthatallwhoweretermed"land-sharks"deservedthename.Manyofthemwerereputablemenofgoodbusinesscharacter.SomeofthemcouldwalkintothemostaugustcouncilsoftheStateandsay:
"Gentlemen,wewouldliketohavethis,andthat,andmattersgothus."But,nexttoathreeyears'droughtandtheboll-worm,theActualSettlerhatedtheLand-shark.Theland-sharkhauntedtheLandOffice,whereallthelandrecordswerekept,andhunted"vacancies"--thatis,tractsofunappro-priatedpublicdomain,generallyinvisibleupontheofficialmaps,butactuallyexisting"upontheground."ThelawentitledanyonepossessingcertainStatescriptofilebyvirtueofsameuponanylandnotpreviouslylegallyappropriated.Mostofthescripwasnowinthehandsoftheland-sharks.Thus,atthecostofafewhundreddollars,theyoftensecuredlandsworthasmanythousands.Naturally,thesearchfor"vacancies"waslively.Butoften--veryoften--thelandtheythussecured,thoughlegally"unappropriated,"wouldbeoccupiedbyhappyandcontentedsettlers,whohadlabouredforyearstobuilduptheirhomes,onlytodiscoverthattheirtitleswereworthless,andtoreceiveperemptorynoticetoquit.Thuscameaboutthebitterandnotunjustifiablehatredfeltbythetoilingsettlerstowardtheshrewdandseldommercifulspeculatorswhosooftenturnedthemforthdestituteandhomelessfromtheirfruitlesslabours.Thehistoryofthestateteemswiththeirantagonism.Mr.Land-sharkseldomshowedhisfaceon"locations"fromwhichheshouldhavetoejecttheunfortunatevictimsofamonstrouslytangledlandsystem,butlethisemis-saxiesdothework.Therewasleadineverycabin,mouldedintoballsforhim;manyofhisbrothershadenrichedthegrasswiththeirblood.Thefaultofitalllayfarback.Whenthestatewasyoung,shefelttheneedofattract-ingnewcomers,andofrewardingthosepioneersalreadywithinherborders.Yearafteryearsheissuedlandscrip--Headrights,Bounties,VeteranDonations,Confeder-ates;andtorailroads,irrigationcompanies,colonies,andtillersofthesoilgalore.Allrequiredofthegranteewasthatheoritshouldhavethescripproperlysurveyeduponthepublicdomainbythecountyordistrictsurveyor,andthelandthusappropriatedbecamethepropertyofhimorit,orhisoritsheirsandassigns,forever.Inthosedays--andhereiswherethetroublebegan-thestate'sdomainwaspracticallyinexhaustible,andtheoldsurveyors,withprincely--yea,evenWesternAmerican--liberality,gavegoodmeasureandover-flowing.Oftenthejovialmanofmetesandboundswoulddispensealtogetherwiththetripodandchain.Mountedonaponythatcouldcoversomethingneara"vara"atastep,withapocketcompasstodirecthiscourse,hewouldtrotoutasurveybycountingthebeatofhispony'shoofs,markhiscorners,andwriteouthisfieldnoteswiththecomplacencyproducedbyanactofdutywellperformed.Sometimes--andwhocouldblamethesurveyor?
--whentheponywas"feelinghisoats,"hemightstepalittlehigherandfarther,andinthatcasethebeneficiaryofthescripmightgetathousandortwomoreacresinhissurveythanthescripcalledfor.Butlookattheboundlessleaguesthestatehadtospare!
However,nooneeverhadtocomplainoftheponyunder-stepping.Nearlyeveryoldsurveyinthestatecon-tainedanexcessofland.Inlateryears,whenthestatebecamemorepopulous,andlandvaluesincreased,thiscarelessworkentailedincalculabletrouble,endlesslitigation,aperiodofriotousland-grabbing,andnolittlebloodshed.Theland-sharksvoraciouslyattackedtheseexcessesintheoldsurveys,andfileduponsuchportionswithnewscripasunappropriatedpublicdomain.Wherevertheidenti-ficationsoftheoldtractswerevague,andthecornerswerenottobeclearlyestablished,theLandOfficewouldrecognizethenewerlocationsasvalid,andissuetitletothelocators.Herewasthegreatesthardshiptobefound.Theseoldsurveys,takenfromthepickoftheland,werealreadynearlyalloccupiedbyunsuspectingandpeacefulsettlers,andthustheirtitlesweredemolished,andthechoicewasplacedbeforethemeithertobuytheirlandoveratadoublepriceortovacateit,withtheirfamiliesandpersonalbelongings,immediately.Landlocatorssprangupbyhundreds.Thecountrywasheldupandsearchedfor"vacancies"atthepointofacompass.Hundredsofthousandsofdollars'worthofsplendidacreswerewrestedfromtheirinnocentpurchasersan
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