Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 16.pdf/632

 The Law at Wade's Ferry. Uncle Asa was the man who twice a week collected the cream for the creamery at Litchfield. This had to be ferried across the river and put on the cars at Wade's Ferry. The cream had been well iced, but the heat of the day had melted the ice, and Uncle Asa was anxious lest the cream should spoil. So after putting up the signal he spread a thick canvas over the cans to protect them from the sun's rays, climbed the lookout and waited. Lem Briry, who was detailed to act as ferryman, showed no sign of put ting off. In fact this conversation was being held over in Wade's between Lem Briry and Nate Small, who had come down in the hopes that he might hook a "barss." "Who's washin' terday, Lem? Ain't hed much time ter dry yit, hez it?" "I 'low et ain't," says Lem; "don't seem ez ef them folks ever hez much washin'; they don't hang out more'n one piece et a time." After more than an hour had been spent in this manner, Lem spoke with, "Guess I'll go over 'n' help 'em tek it in ennyhow" meanwhile making prep arations to hoisting the big sail and casting off, while Nate got out the big oar by which the craft was managed. There was no breeze and the motive powerwas furnished mainly by Lem and Nate by sculling with the long oar. However, they made the landing and were greeted by these words from Uncle Asa, backed up by Jed Peters and old Ma'am Hopkins, who had joined him shortly after his arrival at the landing. "I tell you whut, Lem Briry, ez fust selectman uv ther town uv Woolwich I'm a-goin' ter hev this thing looked into. I've been settin' here on this A-aggin nigh onto two hours arter I histed thet flag, with ten five gallon cans uv cream a-spilin' and whut ain't now fit fer nothin1 but hogs." These remarks were supported Ъу Jed Peters and Ma'am Hopkins, in much the same vein, but no reply was vouchsafed

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from either Lem or Nate as the party made ready to cross to Wade's Ferry. About a week after this occurrence suit was brought against the town of Vade's Ferry for dam ages; and an injunction also was asked re straining said town from operating said ferry by help furnished by citizens of said town. Law cases were uncommon in these parts, but whatever came up were ably handled by Trial Justice Kent, who presided in this instance. Court was held at Litchfield Plains, about a mile further up the Kennebec and where his Honor resided. The eventful day arrived late in August and the town meeting-house was crowded with citi zens of the neighborhood eager to give testi mony, discuss the case, or swap a "likely lookin' critter." The judge mounted to the bench, adjusted his steel rimmed glasses, and after expectorating an enormous quan tity of tobacco juice slowly delivered himself of the following. "You fellows frum Wade's Ferry and Woolwich hev been knawing on this ferry bone fer quite a spell. There hain't no need uv callin' any witnesses 'cause ther court air already 'quainted with the facts. Bein' ez how one side lows et hez a privi lege 'thout bein' able to exercise it, while t'other side contends they hadn't oughter hev any privilege. I've allus held thet folks et Wade's Ferry wuz like putty much in the same fix ez Sinbad the sailor and ef they hev carried the folks at Woolwich back an' forth doin' all ther work, payin' ther bills, an' abidin' by a decision which 'pears ter me warn't accordin' ter the statoots an' never did hold water anyhow, then I lows thet Wade's Ferry folks hez been the parties injured. Moreover. I shud 'vise folks et Woolwich ter build theirselves a ferry an* do their own ferryin'." This was taken as final and so ended the case of Woolwich г-. Wade's Ferry.