The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-03-19
LICK AVID so LUcKs


The Merchant uud the Farmer.
Good morning. friend Hoehandle.' .
All. Yardstick. ] am glad to see
you. Come ont TO smell the fresh air
and hear the birds sing. l suppose
Well. am glad TO see you; walk into
the house. Mrs. Hoehandle will be most
happy TO see a city friend; that is II
you will not quiz our style of living.
We plain country faIks are not quite
up TO fashion and II is well we are not,
for We could not afford il if we were.
All! Yardstick. you are lucky dog
here We are. about fifty years old, each
Of us. and"
Good gracious. Hoehandle. Why
what can you mean? Why. l am but
forty. or say triae over. and quite
young looking--s6 they say-at that"
Ha! ha! ha. Yardstick. it wont
do. Still playing the beau. | see, but
no matter. AS was saying. here we
are. You rich merchant. never did
any work in your life, and |, poor
farmer. worked hard all my days-boys
together-started on nothing-every-
thing in luck. everything in luck"
Well. we'll, Hoehandle. you are a
modest man, | wont yet 60 into an ar
gument with you on our comparative
positions in the world; that is. | will
get through another matter first. !
want thousand dollars for thirty days,
lie you have it over"
Have it over .-oyer what. Yard
stick 7" M
81 mean. friend Hoehandlc, that il
you are not short, should like to--the
fact is, | am out on a shining expedi-
tion, and must raise some money"
"Ah! I see. have it over--short--
shinning--means that you want to bor-
row, and that | must lend you-all
right. sir. have it, l have it. and
Yardstick. | am proud to be able to
lend you. Want thousand s-well,
hold. let US go through this matter now,
before my good wife comes in-these
women always want 10 know all that's
going on, and she will inquire IL am
indebted to you. Indebted. ha ha
she would be astonished If John. Hoe.
handle should owe a man thousand
dollars = hillo! don't sigh so. man -
what's the matterf Pay Tape, Yard.
stick s. Co. There you are. sir. here
| is the check"
THANK you, Hoehandle. here is our
note, had it ready before l left home,
knew you would oblige me-"
"As was observing, Yardstick, you
city merchants do have an easy time oI
IL, Go TO New York, buy your stock,
sell at a profit. buy again. sell again,
roll up your hundred thousand in few
years; and poor John Hoehandle works
like a slave six months out of twelve
up in the morning at daylight. and
works at least four hours before dinner
and sometimes two after dinner, and III
harvest time from sunrise to sunset
Yes, sir, it is a fact, and what have We
got to show for IL. Why, after thirty
years toll. sir, I have only this farm o
three hundred acres, worth, perhaps
thirty dollars an acre, and perhaps
little bank stock, purchased with it
yearly profits"
And pray, my good friend, wha
have you averaged per year, clear pro
fits, over all expenditures, for all THU
terrible labor for thirty yearsp
"Not over two thousand dollars
year, Yardstick, while you make ten.'
:" Let me see, farm worth nine thou
sand thirty years proit-sixty-nin'
thousand, and large yearly income
beside; poor fellow-why you are t.
be pitied." !. -.
all in luck. All! if l had only been
merchant"
"Let me ask, Hoehandle, your pro
ducts are all. sold for cash down, think
Never credit out, do your"
"Credit! What, credit grain, what
Credit my wool Credit my live stock
Excuse me, ha ha You don't know
what farming is, ! see. 0, no, sir, ou
produce is cash. All we raise is cash
at my door. Why, | am plagued +
death by produce buyers, and purchas
ers of live stock, wool buyers, and al
the rest Of them, who will gladly al
vance me eighty per cent. on my pro
duce here, and pay me the other twen
ty in thirty days. Credit! | do no
know the word, sir. l don't use II
But Yardstick, they tell me you ar
getting rich."
Hoehandle, how will you exchang
property with me, 'unsight, unseen,
, as the boys say; you know how-hov
Il stand-do you, Hoehandles" J"
Stand, yes sir; why the firm 9
ITape, Yardstick & Co. are good TO
, two hundred thousand at any moment
! They say that you sold that amour
i, last year alone" -,
|" True, SO we did, on paper, and w
are wurth something handsome TOO, o
II ssa. 81 kz~sa&@ h-as@ 49, s4s