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fire and the sample room for the game. Charley advanced Tom a $5 bill; it went among Bill's chips in a few deals. Another five discovered the same fate, so another and another, until Charley Hillsinger contributed $25 to burst Bill Simpson, a feat never performed. As each five evaporated Tom would exclaim: "Igod!" After Charley contributed the $25 to test the bluff abilities of Tom he flatly refused to advance another cent. "Igod!" said Tom, "I never met a man before able to do me." Tom then went to his bosom and pulled out a note for $40 he held against one of his neighbors and succeeded in cashing it, Simpson buying it at par. This sum staked Tom for a few moments, but it struggled against fate, and like the proverbial snowball that strove to lower the temperature of hell, failed in its mission. "Igod!" Tom went into his jeans and raked out $12 in cash $5 of which belonged to Margie, his wife. It pursued the even tenor of its way into the stack belonging to Simpson; failing to secure another cent of Hillsinger the game was up. The three, Charley, Tom and Pat Conarty who was a witness to the great American game trudged home on foot at midnight, punctuating every pace with "Igod," He begged of Charley to loan him $5.00 to give to the poor Margie, her dearly earned total sum of earthly wealth. Charley was heartless and refused. Next morning Tom discovered that they could do a better job of shopping in Logan and entirely refused to come to Norton. They started home, Tom as downcast as a man could be, utterly dejected; not a word not an audible sound above the repeated sigh escaping from the bosom of Tom. As they started for home Hillsinger slipped a $5.00 note in Pat Conarty's hand telling him to give it to Tom out on the prairies before he died with a broken heart. A few miles from their home Pat said: "Here Tom, is that $5.00 I borrowed of you, I did not need it." "Give it to Maggie, it's hers." And looking a thousand thanks at Pat the great load rose from his heart and Tom sang, whistled and enjoyed the scenery from that moment. No day in the history of Tom's life will be better appreciated than that one which found Tom not an embezzeler of his wife's money In 1889 Tom sold his farm to Jack Conarty, moved to Bow Creek, in Phillips county, where he now resides. In November 1874 John, Pat and Ed Conarty and John E. King came to Norton county and settled on Cactus and Buck creeks in the south east part of the county. Their father, Edward Conarty, was born in County Cavan, Ireland, November 10th, 1808. Was married there to Susan King in 1847; came to the United States in March 1866. Eight children were born to them, two of them, Pat and John were born in Ireland, the other six were born in this country. He came to Norton county In May 1883, and died in Norton November 5, 1893. His widow still lives here. Patrick H. was born September 12. 1841; was married Feb 16, 1868 to Mary Walters. They have eight children. Pat volunteered September 21, 1861 in the U. S. army, served in John M. Glover's 3 Missouri cavalry; was in the battle of Chillicothe; was in the entire Missouri campaign; has always been a republican, was a candidate for sheriff in 1883, but was defeated by Lisbon Sheley in the convention: was under sheriff from 1878 to 1880. He moved to Norton in 1877 had been constable of Center township for two terms; was trustee of Grant township for six years |
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| KSGenWeb logo were designed and are copyrighted by Tom & Carolyn Ward for the limited use of the KSGenWeb Project. Permission is granted for use only on an official KSGenWeb page. | |||
web design ©2003 by Ardie Grimes,
Norton County, Kansas GenWeb coordinator
Text and photos from this 1894 book are within the public domain
