Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-07-15
VOL. XIII.
JONES AND JOHNSON.
a SKETCH FOR FARMERS

neighbors. Their farms were beautifully stu
ated the soil naturally productive. So fa
there was not particle OF difference betweel
| the two places, yet they wore very dissimia
aspect. William Johnsons buildings looked
nice and tidy. His door yard was clean, hi,
house neatly painted, bis windows whole His
/ barns and out buildings were snug and com
itcrtable his orchard looked thrifty. and tht
trees we're carefully dressed. Now Mr. Jones
had no more of a family to support than hi:
neighbor vet the aspect of his house and farm
was very different. Old rubbish was kicking
around in the yard, thai should have been il
less slightly places, his house looked weather
beaten and neglected, rags TO re seen in spots
where panes of glass are expected IL be found
there were large cracks in his barn, through
which the winds of heaven had free course.
His apple trees were disfigured by old bark
and dead limbs; in short, everything seemed
to Il look of dilapdation and neglect
Edwin Jones was a hardworking man, yet ev-
erything was at loose ends with him, and he of
ten caught himself wondering how it was that
his neighbor Johnson kept along SO smoothly
and quiet, and yet had everything in such per
feet order.
d" Good morning. Johnson said Jones, one
day in spring, as he put his head in at the door,
g have you got an auger :?
To be sure" returned johnson. " should
not know how to get along without one.'
Well, / want to borrow it a little while
| have delayed sowing my grain now these two
days because my harrow was broke, and | had
nothing to mend it WITH
All mine is already in the ground said
johnson.
And it is high time" returned the other
g What l am to do now [ don't know. | have
lost one of my steers
That's bad how did it happen?"
He broke his leg"
Broke his leg! How, pray?"
Why" he returned, with mortified air.
g the floor had got worn and shaky, and so he
got his leg through it, and snapped the bone
right off so | had to kill him
"Ah! Mr.. Jones' such losses as these we
farmers should guard against. a little labor
at the proper time, would have saved all of
that
4 know'i and should have fixed the floor
long ago, if l had had the tools. But it is no
use crying for spilled milk. What is done
can't be helped"
And that was Edwin Jones only consolation.
When a thing was done, be satisfied himself
with the reflection that it could net be helped,
and seldom laid up his experience for further
use Mr.. johnson turned towards the shed,
and led the way up into light chamber and
Jones followed him. Here was a stout bench,
all fitted for use upon it a full set of planes,
saws, hammers, &c, while in rack against
the partition, were arranged a set of chissels,
gimlets, screw-drivers. files, aud hung around
were number of different sized angurs. In
short, everything that man could need for re
pairing about the house. Mr.. johnson suppli-
ed his neighbor with the required article, and
as he handed it to him, he remarked
Il lent your boy small hammer few days
ago which he promised to bring back soon.
have rather needed it about putting down the
carpet"
Well, Johns sick he is quite feverish, and
we have had to send for The doctor. He got
cold. | spose, scattering through the vet
Fact, is, l was rather careless about it. ]
knew his boots wanted mehding, and l meant
10 have carried them down to the village and
got them fixed, but I forgot it,"
do all such little jobs myself, neighbor
Jones' was the quiet reply. :" always keep
a little leather on hand then, when there is
tapping to be done [ can fix it in few min
utes All these things can be attended to
rainy davs, when I should otherwise be idle
:. Well" returned Jones, g I suppose [ could
cobble shoe if had the tools, but it takes
quite a collection to fill q cobbler's bench
However what's done can't be undohe. I guess
John will be about again in day or two. l
must be off and fix my harrow
1t took Edwin Jones all day to ix his har-
row, so he had to postpone narrowing his
ground till the next day, and when he at last
got his grain into the ground he was just one
week behind his neighbor. His son ohm was
confined to the house nine days, and during
that time he had to hire an extra hand, besides
having the doctors bill to pay. 1t was just
so all the way through. When it came to hay
ing he had to buy new rakes the old ones
were gone to rack and ruin. Perhaps they
started with the loss of a few teeth, or the
breaking of bow, and so for want of proper
tools to repair the break, he was obliged to re-
place them with new rakes. So in all the de
partments Of his business, he was constantly
meeting obstacles that retarded his progress,
all for the want of few simple tools.
One rainy day in the fall, after harvesting
was over, johnson was at work in his tool
chamber; when his neighbor Jones entered.
" Johnson" said the latter, after he had
watched the movements of his neighbors plane
a few moments, d" how much did that sled of
yours cost? | hare got to have one this win
ter
40, that cost me nothing l made that my
self. [ got out the timber last winter, so that
matters disposed of; and feel quite proud of
it too. It's my first attempt
" Well, neighbor johnson, I don't see how
in the world you get along so: Your farm
don't produce any more than mine does and |
don't believe you work as hard rs | do. Your
wife don't make any better butter than mine :;
your sheep don't grow any better wool You
raise more fruit to be sure"
" have not so many trees as YOU
:: No, but the fruit is of better quality, and
finds ready market"
Yes, because | have taken great pains to
obtain the best gratis. My trees We're the
same as yours when we started. Ny cows give
more milk than yours do in the winter, for they
have warmer barn. [ raise more pork than
you do, because my pens are tight and comfort
| able, and so on"
"And l suppose you are laying up money p
muttered Jones, with a crest-fallen look.
Certainly L am-about two hundred
year"
So much" exclaimed Jones with look
of surprise " why l can't lay up single cent;
in fact, am running behind hand"
Let me tell you the secret" said johnson,
in the kindest, most neighborly way. Last
summer saw you buy two new rakes and two
pitch forks now how much did they cost
you y"
Lets see-two dollars and half