Page:06-24-1920 -The Story of the Jones County Calf Case.pdf/14

 to get ready to try his Jones County Calf Case again. He would raise a little money, and we would be on hand when the bell rang and try it over again, and then the enemy would take it to the supreme court, and the supreme court would pick it to pieces, and reverse it; but not so but what there was enough left of the case to try again. There were always a few little remnants around somewhere, and Bob and myself could piece them together and have a new suit of clothes when the next term of court came.

Finally, after the lapse of a quarter of a century from the time that John Foreman lost his calves, we got a verdict up here at Waterloo, (I have forgotten how much it was) but we tried it three times up at Waterloo, and we got another verdict and they appealed it to the supreme court, and it was affirmed.

Bob was an old man. He was a middle aged man before John Foreman lost his four calves—light colored calves—and when we were through the weight of a quarter of a century had bowed him. He was so many times bankrupt that I lost count. By the time we got through his indebtedness was barred by the statute of limitations. He came home to Jones County, where he was first indicted, where his enemies—the defendants—lived, and went to work and paid every dollar that he owed. He would go to a man that he owed, and say, "I came to pay you." No, he would not say "came", he would say "come". "I come to pay you." "Why," the man would say, perhaps, "why, I don't remember, Mr. Johnson, that you owe me anything." "Yes," Bob would say, "I owe you two dollars. I borrowed it when I was trying my Jones County Calf Case, and I have never paid it, and I want to pay it and I want to pay the interest on it." Well, the man would say, "Why, it is outlawed." "Yes, that is the reason that I am particularly anxious to pay it." And the man would not charge him any interest, and old Bob would pay.

He was then selling real estate up at Anamosa. That is a business that the impecunious can indulge in. It doesn't take any cash capital to begin with. Bob was doing well. Finally,