Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-08-31

B0RR0wINe TOOLS.
We promised some two mouths
ago to give our readers a lecture
on this subject, and We now at
tempt to fulfill our promise par
tally, not being able to devote as
much time to the subject as we
desire.
In some neighborhoods the
practice Of borrowing is carried
on to such an extent that it is
an absolute nuisance. an evil that
cannot be tolerated. Now, ifthe
borrower would return the arti-
cles borrowed when he has done
using them, or at the time he
agrees to, and in as good order
as he received them, the case
would be very different; but the
experience of many persons will
bear testimony that in three Ca
ses out Of four, as a general rule,
they have had to send for the ar
ticles, or implements lent, AID
have generally found them left
out, exposed to the dews and rain,
and ifthe things lent were heavy
farming implements, consequent
ly suffered damage. In many
cases the articles were injured
by the borrowers, and they were
knowing 10 this fact; yet they
stoutly contended that they we're
thus injured when they received
them. In other cases the arti-
cIes we're damaged, but returned
home. and the injured part kept
outof sight as much as possible,
and when the owners made the
discovery that such injury had
been sustained, and spoke to the
borrowers about the matter, they
have generally been, to appear
ance, perfectly ignorant Of the
whole matter.
Ifa neighbor borrows an axe,
or saw, and by the use thereof,
shall dull them, does he 60 and
grind one, and file the other, and
return the articles in good condi-
ton? No, no, the article is sent
home, if the owner does not have
to spend an hour or two in COM
ing for it, without a word Of ex-
cuse or apology. These facts,
reader, are what renders the sys-
tenn Of borrowing a nuisance
1t makes but little difference
whether a man profess to be
honest, virtuons, or religious, il
borrowing he rObs his neighbors
as much as if he took his purse
"Time is Honey" is it not?-
You admit livery we'll. Now
five lent you a pillow to be sen,
home at a given time, and you
fail to do as you agree, and We
shall have to send a man to get
it, and he occupies an hour in SC
doing, you virtually rob US o.
that mans wages for an hour
If we lend you an axe, and you
blunt the edge against stones
and We have to grind it and
spend an hour in SO doing; one te
turn, and another to grind, YOU
not only rob US ofthe time thu.
spent, but also wearing away o.
both axe and grindstone to some
extent though Of little value
You may just as well take twenty
five cents from our purse, as t.
take it in the above manner.
We are speaking Of what farm
crs generally suffer from the prac
tice Of borrowing, aud not wha'
has occurred in our own case.-
We did, however, once live where
we were so harrassed by borrower.
that We adopted the motto, "nei
Their borrow nor lend,' and we f.
nally drove away the leeches who
would not have left a whole too
on our premises in one year, if VIZ
had yielded to their borrowing
impogtunities. We will cite an
instance showing the extent tc
which borrowing was carried in
the place alluded to. One morn,
ing We were called upon by a gen,
ueman, who with a winning smile
requested us to do him the par.
ticular favor TO lend him one o.
our cows catis. He informed US
that no had a COW which was very
sick, and having lost her cud he
would be very much obliged to us
for one from one our own cows
We informed him that we had
never deprived a COW Of her cue
Tor the purpose Of becoming in.
iected with the malady of dis,
eased COW, and begged to be ex.
cused.
Ii borrowers were not general.
ly abundantly able to provide
tools for themselves, the case
would be different; but it is +,
well known fact, that many veal.
thy farmers depend on borrowing
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