Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-05-07

growing as ln8 lnclemency OF the
weather you'd admit of, and came
home with the firm conviction that
fruit can be grown successfully in
Wisconsin, and as the visions of
grapes, pears, and plums and all that
sort of thing We're vivid in ny mag
nation, | resolved and re>resolved 10
make them realities. | had my little
place on the bluff all dotted ever
with trees and vines--in imaeina~
ton mark you. But alas! after tak~
ing an account Of my stamps, after
replenishing the Harder and meal
chest, | found to my dismay that Il
whole nurseries were to be had for
ever so small q sum Of money, was
not in g condition to buy even a
seeding plum tree. Andy had cut
oil the stream and my pond was
dry. Like the fair but unlucky
milkmaid, my hopes were dashed,
and like another great, but unfortu,
nate individual, ! sighed a long fares
well to all my fancied happiness
But being bit Of d philosopher |
shouldered my agricultural imple-
ments and broke for the garden, re-
solved TO make the best of what |
had, and if possible cause two cher
ries grow where but one had grown
before. But here fresh disappoint-
mcnt awaited me. The devil or the
cold weather or some other climatic
influence had been playing the mis-
chief with my trees, splitting the
bark, blfghting the limbs, and killing
some outright. What are our horti-
culturists about that they do not de-
wise some means Of extracting this
fruit blighting principle from our at
mosphere? 1t would be a much bet-
ter thing to do than to go fooling
away their time and money at Louis
Napoeon's swindling Paris Exposi-
ton, But the Lord giveth and the
Lord taketh away, and there this
question Of fruits is but secondary
one compared with bread. We can
get along without fruit, but bread is
indispensable. We can even dispense
with meat, providing we have plenty
of ham and eggs, ppt bread is the
staff oflife, and that is getting serious.
Eleven, thirteen, fifteen and seven
teen dollars a barrel. Whew! where
is it going to stop? When will the
"rings" that control the grain, flour,
and provision markets be satisfied {?
Somebody has written history of a
"m0uthful of bread" and very de-
lightful and instructive book it is; but
there he has omitted the most inter-
esting and important part Of the sub
.lect, which is, the way Tow to get it.
Why don't some ingenious chap get
out patent for economizing bread :?
Why can't we get along without so
much victuals =? How often were We
told in our younger days that it was
better to pay two butchers than one
doctor. Alas that is true no longer.
Physic is now cheaper than bread,
it is nov the loss Of appetite in a large
family is a God send to DC thankful
for Let physic be thrown to chill
dren as well as to dogs-there is
economy in it. The butcher and ba-
ller are far more fearful than the doe
ter and undertaken Something must
be did. There are too many people
like the Old woman in the nursery
tale, of whom it was said that "pic-
tuals and drink was the chief Of her
diet" Wemust eat less or die faster.
Yes, that's the plan. Patriots should
always beready to die for their coun-
try's good, and their country asks it
now. There are too many people in
the world the price OF bread proves
it. Wouldn't it be a nice thing if all
the useless, non producers, the idle
drones that eat and drink and give
nothing in return, could be induced
to betake themselves to Kingdom
come ~ He that will not work,
neither shall heeat." That's the law;
let it be in force by all means, and
bread will be cheap enough. Honest,
hard working people will then have
good fat.picking. Let it be.donc. But
then, you say starvation is horrible
stuff. Who would not rather die of
starvation than of cancer? We
have al got to die, that's sure. Let
US look at the bills of mortality, can
Ger, consumption, dropsy, govt, liver
complaint, diabetis, feTors, neuralgia,
lock jaw, measles, itch, pantoId,
cramp in the runnet, and thousand
other ills that flesh is heir to- all Of
which can be escaped by simply coas-
ing to waste bread and meat, 1t aim
so bad as it looks to be, brother Cover:
therefore, if it shall be my lot to be
brought face to face with the grim
messenger for want Of mouthful Of
bread, it will be a consolation to know
that he might lave come in worse
form, and stayed with the proud salts
faction that beef and bread, to say
nothing of butter, will be cheapened
thereby. | shall shuttle off this mortal
coil with all the dignity of one who
accepts the inevitable with as few
wry faces as possible.
hope to have the pleasure Of meet
ing you at the Editorial Convention
next June at Sparta, provided always
the stamp account will permit of my
going if not, ! trust we shall meet
at the Great and Final Convention to
which the passage is free-no trouble
about return tickets. Until then and
forever after permit me to subscribe
myself your friend and fellow suf-
ferer, ]. N. BURGESS.