Western Reserve chronicle and weekly transcript of the times. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1854-1855, 1855-01-24

nome from muster, or " training, or
"shows," and spend his time in cultiva-
ting a garden or instead of lettering
away the evening at the store, smoking,
and hearing or telling deal of nothing
or worse, to spend the evening at home,
rea1ing such nonsense as the Farmer and
Horticulturist afford.
Years pass, and Mr.. Briggs "one acre
farm" shows that he and his boys have
not read "the papers" in vain. They
have learned how to set out a tree, and
how to take care Of it after il was set out.
Everything showed it received the right
kind Of food and care, and straightway
began to bring forth fruit meet for good
cultivation. In a short time the wants of
the the family were more than supplied.
and the surplus found ready market
with the neighbOrs at good prices.
Those early apples, so rich and tempt
ing, when all other apples were so green
and hard! and then such pears; they
went as fast as the sun and house could
ripen them, at three, four and FIVE cents
a piece. Then such rich, ripe grapes
too tempting for the coldest TO pass with
out a watering mouth. Mr.. Chapman's
family were almost the best customers for
the tempting fruit-6rst having learned
their excellence by the liberality of Mr..
Briggs, who never failed to send sPeci-
men of his best fruit to his neighbor.
The fifth season came. It was fruit
ful year. Apple, pear, peach, plum, and
all other trees were loaded with fruit.
Keeping in mini his conversation with
Mr.. Chapman, Mr.. Briggs had directed
his family to set down every cents worth
of fruit sold to Mr.. Chapman or his fami-
ly. This year, as it happened, was a
year Of "extrems hard times" The boot
business was at its worst ebb; little work
and low wages-and yet the price OF
every kind of provisions were up to the
highest notch, and money extremely tight.
But there was one family that did not
seem to be in the least affected by the
hard times, low prices of labor, high
prices of provisions, or the scarcity of
money. Mr.. Briggs and his two Oldest
sons, all had little change to let on
short time " with interest" to their needy |
meighbors.
One day Mr.. Chapman, who was short,
applied to Mr.. Briggs for " half'' for a
"quarter," meaning fifty dollars for three
months.
"Yes," said Mr.. Briggs, al have a
half or WHOLE just as you like"
"What, hundred dollars by you these
times don't see how it comes. You
and your boys don't work any harder
than and my boys do, and we can hard !
ly get along we are as saving and pinch !
ing as can be, too; times are so dreadful
hard, and everything family has to buy
is 50 dreadful high, and wages so low;
potatoes, a dollar a bushel, beef fifteen
cents a round, pork, sixteen cents, eggs,
twenty-five cents a dozen, and -four, Ten
or twelve dollars a barrel. How can a
man live 2"
SIT wont be hardly fair for me to ask
YOU for that twenty-five dollars now, will
it2"
TWENTY-FIVE dollars What do you
mean +? | don't understand you :"
aDon't you recollect We had BET be-
tween us about the price of some fruit
trees bought five years ago next sPrlngF
"AhI do remember something about
it. You were 10 give me twenty-five dol |
lars if you didn't get your twenty-five
dollars back from me for the products OF
these trees and things! 1t will come
very handy just now" !
"Don't be too fast, neighbor? l am
afraid it wont come very handy just now
That was what was dunniug you for,
that twenty five dollars p'
What, you don't pretend to say we
have had twenty-five dollars worth Of
stuff from your garden"
"More than that from that very twenty
five dollars worth of trees and other
thingsI Here is an account of every |
thing that you have bought and paid for A.;
of course it don't include what | have
sent you gratis"
And you have certainly not been
stingy. Why the bill amounts to thirty
seven dollars! is it possible!' !''
at is Just so; you have had over
twenty bushels of apples, and three BUSH
els of pears, and these alone come to
twenty-five do lars
own up lhe corn uIdH lIe nu1e
for seventy-fve."
No, 1 guess we will let the twenty
five go; | only mentioned it to show you
there may be good sense in new things
Now | will bet the twenty
five dollars over again, that my store bill
has not been half as large the past season
as yours, though 1 have had one more in
my family"
"It had not been so badly taken in
before, would stand you; but | guess it
won't be safe"