The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-12-14
efs IA.
Aorfenltaral
[From the Aneriaan. AerlcsIturigt.
An Insane Farmer.

1t don't surprise us to hear Of specula.
tors in Wall st., and other fast men
and women in the citybecoming deran-
ged but ont in the pure air and amid
the peaceful scenes of the country, it
fairly shocks rs to hear Of lunatics.
Aud then, worse still, they say this
man was driven madsby reading the
Agrlcultuylst. That brings the charge
TO our own door in fearful way.
BE was upset not by hard midnight
study Of mathematics, metaphysics.
classics, physic, law or divinity; not
in the vain search for the philosophers
stone, nor by trying to square the cir
Gle, or to invent perpetual motion; not
by any Of these exhausting labors, but
simply by reading our quiet pages, at
the cool Of the day, just after shouting
his harvest home.
Not real ease of insanity +? Just
wait, then, tin we prove it. Here is
the evidence. On the evening afore-
said, while reading the paper, he drop
ped it on the floor, and felIinto deep
study, for half an hour during which
he spoke to no one. Then, suddenly
rousing, he brought his clenched fist
down upon the table with blow
which made everything rattle, and
spoke in loud voice IN do it, ]
declare I'll it, and I'lldo it at once
Nobody knew what he meant, and he
explained himself to no one. But
next morning he went out before
breakfast and drove down stakes all
along the highway, and all about his
door yard. During the day, he was
seen walking about the premises in
front of the house, examining some old
and half dead poplars, and was heard
to, mntter something like this: Yon
must come down, old gentlemen, you
must come down and make room for
your betters.' And some old stumps
and piles Of stones and rubbish he sal
uted in the same way. Fft
Not many days after, he called his
son and man John to dig holes by the
road side. and in the yard where he
had driven stakes What possesses
the old man p they whispered to each
other. as they delved away at the I'M
accustomed work The holes being
dug, he ordered the double team to be
hitched up, and all parties drove to
the woods. On the. outskirts of the
forest, the farmer found some fine young
elms, maple and ash; he babe the men
dig them up carefully, and then haul
them home in the wagon. This work
he kept up for several days, laboring
himself III digging up and setting out,
and enjoyed the work exceedingly.
By the road side in front Of the house.
he set rows Of white elms and by the
street leading off in right angles to
this, he set naples, mingliug the hard
and soft, and an occasional white ash.
AS The work proceeded from day to
day, he would sit down and look this
way and that, aud up into the air, in
sort Of revery. Perhaps the crack
Drained man was thitking that the
arching elms would make weird look
ing canopy over his front avenue. aud
that t he gold and crimson and purple
hues Of the foliage on the side street
would look quite fantastic in Autumn.
His wife and children, looking out of
the windows, occasionally, exclaiming
to one another; What is father doing?
: Birham-wood has come to Dunsin-
ane, laughingly shouted the Oldest
who had read Shakespeare
at her boarding school Ever since he
got bis last agricultural paper, his
head has been full of something new.
This fit of transplanting was broken
in upon for several days, while some
OF the ordinary field labor called for
During this time be seem
ed perfectly rational, though his fam
lily noticed that on returning from his
work at evening he would walk around
among the newly-planted trees and
muttered something to them.
But after this work was flushed, the
disease set 10 again He ordered the
Old poplarS to be cut down and grub
bed up, and the piles of stone and
rubbish by the fence to be cleared away.
He then went to a neighboring nurse
ry, and bought several ornamental
trees, roses and shrubs, and had them
set out in his door-yard His wife
and daughters were delighted and
aided in the work of planting the
bushes and vines though they re-
joiced with trembling-it seemed so
strange. An the neighborS admitted
that the farmer was improving his
homestead, and the family took new
pride in their dwelling, and felt in
creasing attachment to. farm life.
But then, what did it all mean /! He
never acted so before. Not one far
mer in hundred was ever known to to
sach things There must be screw
loose somewhere. That agricultural
paper upset him