56 FIVE ACKES TOO MUCH. 



so dirty and bloody, the body is so dreadful to look 

 at and so hard to dispose of, and the whole affair so 

 sudden and altogether unpleasant. I was anxious to 

 know, before settling in Flushing, whether murder 

 was one of the institutions, and was to be guarded 

 against like chills and fever, musquitoes, and other 

 similar visitations. 



A day or two after the occurrence, I applied to my 

 invaluable friend Weeville for information, and in 

 quired whether murders were a common event in 

 that neighborhood. His manner in reply was very 

 encouraging. He had lived in Flushing nine years, 

 and this was the first case of the kind. It was the 

 most peaceable place he knew ; in fact, he had hard 

 ly ever heard a loud word spoken. He pictured it as 

 the abiding-place of angels or Quakers, and put my 

 scruples entirely at rest. Violence, or disputes even,, 

 among the Flushingites were not heard of, and mur 

 ders were far rarer than deaths by lightning. 



The day after this conversation there was a little 

 friendly contest among various fire-companies at the 

 peaceable village to determine which engine could 

 throw the highest stream of water; and what was 

 my amazement, on reading the accounts in the daily 

 papers, to learn that the contest wound up in a free 

 fight ; that knives, pistols, and clubs were freely used, 



