The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-12-08

FROM MOures lturai Ncs YORKER.
Farmer Maked.'s Excursion.
Not many days ago, farmer MakQdo tool,
n little excursion away from home How he
happened to start, We cannot tell-hc was
not going to market, for hc has nothing to
/ sell Just now nor TO mill--nor TO mectngg:
/ but he was away from home, and met with
snndry adventures rather suggestive 10 him
self and the whole Makcdo family conncc-
ton. One who has the faculty Of story.
! telling, "a faculty not ours we scarce need
say,) could make something OF this, inter
esting and instructive.
| The first we saw was an old wagon drawn
! by white horse and brown mare-ycnc.
rablc IN age, but not particularly 81 in APP
pearance-coming slowly along the muddy
road. That wagon had never missed a storm
!, since u came iaio the present owner s.hands,
except once, when, for three days, it stood
out with broken tongue, snug as need be,
under load Of hay. The driver who was
prescntablc man enough, was no less Il
/ parsonage than Mr.. T.. Makedo himself
! Pretty soon the horses, wagon. and driver
stopped. They stopped altogether, for Mr..
NJ. here met an old acquaintance he had not
seen in several years before This was our
particular friend, F. Taker, ESQ, who carries
ION one Of the best managed farms we have
ever ramblcd Overcome which almost cycitcs
coyetous thought in our heart. The two
tricnds--who had been schoolrnatcS-.bad a
cordial chat together; brief one, however,
as farmer I. was on his way to the Railroad
station, and had only few minutes to spare.
ilo knew his team, and what they could do,
50 when his time was up he left, and his hit
was such as mcthoc!cal, punctual man al
ways makes.
They parted, and our hero started SLOW
y to be surc-ior it required time "to ret
up thc notion as they say on the tr,irk
Mabcdo put in little more fuel with the
snd) There was jump, 4 crash, and
Jo.t-the horses went on, but tie wagon
was h%turc Somehow, the long tried
aNics gave way fore and aft, and there lay
the wreck, rIsAt in sight Of the comfortable
farmhouse Of Mr.. laker, aforementioned
The team turned up into the most convenient
ience-corncr-thoy were not in the mood
for running away
Makedo was in Gulndary. He had not
began to see what shit he could make do to
80 on with, when Mr. Taker came back. and
insisted on his stopping for the night with
hun, saying he could put him on his wheels
again at an carly hour. lie could not help
doing 50, very wcll--and was almost clad
Of the accident, it gave him 50 good chance
to renew his acquaintance.
Farmer 7. gave his team into the care Of
his son, while he went himself to eXtricate
Makedo from the ruins They dragged the
wagon out Of the road, and took tue horses
TO the stable. And now, having fairly g,t
our hero upon the premises Of p. 1aher
Esq, we will leave storytelling to itself, and
only give some Of his mcditatious, then and
afterwards, on what he saw there.
The yards Of the barn and house were
neat and orderly. They were not numbered
up with old logs broken boards and ruined
implements, with sprinking Of pigs and
geese, and all the et cet,ras, Makedo saw so
plainly when he looked at home. "a place
for everything, aud everything in its place"
seemed the rGc on Mr. Takers premises.
bf ana nothing tiSe. You could not mis-
take it for corner Of barn.lloor, nor
hen-roost or pig Fen---it was a convenient
and comfortable stablc--and also a very
different place from that in which Makedo's
horses usually got their proycndcr. 1t had
ausht floor under it, and light floor over it
it was lighted by windows instead Of wide
cracks and vacancies left by missing boards.
There was place to hang up even Farmer
NJ. 5 old harness, which had seldom found
better resting place than the floor, or dis.
puted with the old hen the possession of the
tanning mill, and had often spent night
across the plow in the furrow.
They went into the barn. Ii would be n
long story to tell what they saw there, but
Makedo looked, and wondered and wondered
how his friend Iakcr had ever contriycd M
anything so handy, and where on earth he
ever raised what it was crammcd with from
basement to ridgc-polc. NJ S farm was %
acres larger than r. and his old.fashioncG.
BY barn was not often as full, though he
used 1t for stable, corn-house, pig pen and
hcn-roost, for each Of which purposes farmer
I. had separate buildings. Makcdo had his
thought to take home with him. Somehow
the JoH hc got when the wagon came down.
waAcd him up-hc had his ewes wide Omen
for the novelties which met them.
They looked into the hog-pen, went among
the cattle and sheep, aud farmer ". saw SO
different sight from that which greeted his
eyes at nome, that we have not the heart TO
say a word about it.
They passed through the wood she'd
There was pile Of wood, sawed, split, and
seasoned, enough to last year at least
Makcdo thought of his wife and daughters
as he looked upon it, and he wondered where
they could pick up wood enough with which
to get their supper that night. The weather
had been bad-hc had put oil drawing until
there was scarce stick, but was intending
to get something they could make do an.
other day. "llow much nicer it is" thought
he, ITO have pile of dry wood to 90 to-
Ny wife deserves one If ever q woman did, .
| am sure"
They went down cellar. Where could
farmer Taker have raised all the fruit and .
vegetables stored there. That was wonder
the wonder of wonders to Makedo. He |
thought his friend had sold nothing this fail, |
or barn, granary and cellar could not be 50 .
full. But this was not so-hc had sold as
much as usual and had something over for a
rising market
They went into the house and sat down.
MAEEDo kept up his thinking until after sup.
per, and then he broke forth into Words
He asked TAKER at least hundred ques.
tons about his farm, his mode Of manage.
mcnt, his crops, his cattle, &C., &c. They
talked long and late, and We hope NJ. viii
never forget that conversation. lf we
should tell the substance of the information
communicated, we shoudrcpeat much that
has already appeared in the columns of the
RURAL NEw.ioHEER. That has told how
good crops and animals are raiscd-how
profitable farms are managed, &c, &c., and
the very man Mr.. EASY MAKEDo was talking
with so earnestly was no other than our good
friend PRENlrn TAKER, Esq, who knows all
about it.
In the morning MAHEpo's wagon was
mcnded, and he turned the white horse and
brown mare towards home. So, it still re.
mains mystery where he started ior--wc
only know that when he returned he had a
long talk with his boys, and we expect
will grow out Of his unfinished
excursion.
STORE EEErEH,-"lhat's n bad ffy.ccnt
piece. cant take it. 1t is only lead sill.
4