The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-09-26
TAXING a NEWSPAPER.
PnAcsIcAL sropr Pleasantly roLD

Pleasant day this, neighbor Gas
KILL said one farmer to another,
coming into the barn of the latter,
who was engaged in separating thc
chaff from the wheat crop by the
means of fan.
very fine day, friend Alton, any
news" returned the individual ad-
dressed.
Nothing of Importance l have
called over to see if you wouldn't
join Carpenter and myself in taking
the paper this year. The price is
only two dollars
Nothing cheap that you don't
want, returned Gaskill, in a posi-
tive tone, q don't believe in news
papers | never heard of one doing
any good. If an old stray one hap
pens to get in our house, my gals
are crazy after it, and nothing can
be got out of them until it is read
through. They would not be good
for cent if paper came every
week. And, besides, dollars amt
picked up in every corn hill.
But think, ncighbor Gaskill, how
much information your gals would
get if they had fresh newspaper
every week filed with all the latest
intelligence. The time they would
spend in reading, would be nothing
to what they would gain
'And what would they gain, Won
der? Get their heads filed with
nonsensical stories. Look at Sally
Black isn't she fine specimen OF
one Of your newspaper reading gals?
Not worth, to her father three pump
kin seeds. remember well enough
when she was one of the most pro-
missing bodies about here. But her
father was fool enough to take a
newspaper. And one could see a
change in Sally! She began to
spruce up and to look smart. First
came a bow on her Sunday bonnet,
and then gloves to go to meeting.
After that she must he sent to
school again, and that at the very
time when she began to be worth
something about home. And now
she has got a forte piano, and fell
low comes every week to teach her
music
EThan y-n~ Won't join US, ~; 5hLop,
Mr.. Alton said /; avoiding a useless
reply to Gaskill.
% no ); that | will not. Money
thrown away on newspapers is
worse than wasted. | never heard
Of their doing any good. The time
spent in reading a newspaper every
week, would be enough to raise a
hundred bushels of rotatoes.-Your
newspaper, in my opinion, is a dear
bargain at any price.
MIR. Alton changed the subject.
and soon left ncighbor Gasllill to his
fancicS.
About three months afterwards,
however, they again mot, as they
had frequently done duriug the in
termediatc time.
'llavc you sold your wheat yet p
asked Mr.. Alton.
Eyes l sold it day before ycstcr-
day
How much did you get for it p
Eighty five
NO more ? Why, | thought every
one Eucw that the price had advan-
ccd to ninty five ccnts.-To whom
did yon sell p
10 Wakclul, the storckccpcr in
1t. He met me day before
yesterday, ard asked me if | had
sold my crop yet. said had not.
He then offered to take it at eighty
five cents, the market price, and |
said he might as well have it, as
there was doubtless little chance of
It's rising. Yesterday he sent over
his wagon and took it away
This was hardly fair in Wakrful.
re tame to me also, and offered to
BUY my crop at cighty-G'e. But |
had juSt .rielvcd my news paper,
in which | saw that in consequence
OF accounts from Europe of a short
crop, grain had gone up. | asked
him ninety-fvc, which, after some
baggling, he consented to give
'Did he pay you nincty-iivc ccntsr
exclaimed GaSkill, in surprise and
chagrin.
'llc ccrtaily did
600 bad too bad! No better
than downright cheating, to take
such shameful advantage of mans
ignorance
Certainly, Wakcful cannot be
justified in his conduct replied Mr..
Alton ut is not right for one man
to take advantage of another mans
Ignorance and get his goods for less
than they are worth. But does not
any man deserve thus TO suffer who
remains wholly ignorant, in world
where he knows there are always
enough ready to avail themselves of
ms igTorance Had you been will
l