The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-10-01
Nasty AT BEET STATION.

releef Nv the hard handed agricultoor-
lists nv lllinoy We hey made some
blunders ourselves, and besides, the
farmers themselves don't show that
abstract onthoosiasn wich | wanted
to see. They are too devoted to
things purely personal to take broad
views NV things.
Our first misforchoon occurred in
the election Nv officers Nv our Grange.
| got list Nv the officers, and went
on to gil 'em. Mr. Cephas BiIlins was
elected Master. Mr.. Pettes Treasurer,
Mr.. Blathcrs Secretary. and the other
principal Offices wuz filed by the other
gentlemen who wooden decline a coun-
ty offs ef they wuz urged hard
cnuff.
"Wat am | to hev ?" | asked.
Billins run his intellectual eve
down the list.
Wood it SCOT you to DC Flora ?n
he gently replied.
Anything" wuz my answer
Whereupon | wuz elected Flora,
and the list wuz published in the coun-
papers.
There WIZ gnfIaw all Over the
county. Not one NV us knowed that
Flora wuz a female, knowledge is
power! The idec of my bein Flora
the goddess ov Flowers, and sich
| mite cz well put on white muslin
dress, with low neck and short sleeves,
and stand in a taboo cz the Goddess
Nv Liberty!
But wee endoored the lafture Nv
the populis at this little blundcr, and
went to work vigorously to drum up
recroOts. We held daily meetins in
the back room NV the Jackson Hotel,
discussin the wrongs Nv the labOrin
classes. To see US there wuz a site
wich wood hev meltid the hearts Nv
the laborin men. Billinscs favOrit at
titood wuz leanin on his elbow on a
temporary bar Pettus, lyin on a
long table, at full length, mournfully
wettin his lips ever and anon, with
little whisky and water, while Blath-
ers wuz tipped back in cheer with
his feet in a winder sill, where he
Good see the sons Of toll, whose inter-
est he was watchin over, q sweatin
in a distant field.
Observe" said Blathers, that
honest yeomanry putin in his un-
requited toll Ny sole aches for him. +"
And to drown his sorrow at the
site, Mr.. Blathers ordered a glass NV
whisky, remarkin TO the landlord in
the most absent-miBdcd manner TO
just chalk it down, wich the landlord,
hevin herd the concloOding sentence
NV the order, in an ekally absent
minded manner didn't bring the lick
er at all His onfeelin remark was
that he wuz just out Nv chalk.
That afternoon got hold Nv three
farmers, and had long and satisfac-
tory talk with them. They were in
censed agin monopolies, and were
ready tn jine in q movement to bdst
en- told EN- Nv our new organiza-
shun, and invited the TO come with
me and enroll themselves with choice
band Nv NOBLE spirits, who wuz agoin
to bust their bonds and elevate labor
to its proper place.
"Are you willin to iine sich holy
croosad!" I demanded. "Are YOU
willin to jine a organizashun witch
will give the farmers NV the country
a proper reward for their labor-wich
will give EN-, in short, wat belongs to
EN- ?"
1--WE air! we air said they in ko-
rious.
Then, come with me ~ sed |.
/ ushered 'em into the back room
of the jackson Hotel.
"Billins, Blathurs, Pettus,n | vel
led exultingly, "here is three honest
yeomanry who hes ben ground into
the dust by thievin monopolies, who
want their rites-here is three recroots
for our noble army of freemen ~
1t struck me at the time that my
friends did not look so exultant ez
they should-that they wore the gen.
eral appearance NV three men who
wood hev liked to hev bin somewhere
else.
"Mr. Billius," sed farmer No. |,
"you propose to give the farmers wat
is there doc, do YOU ?"
"Mr. Blathers, you are going to
restore to the farmers wat is there
own, amt 700 ?" sed farmer No 2.
"Mr. Pettus, YOU propose to help
to restore to labor wat belongs to il,
don't yoo?"
Certainly" sed Billins, Blather
and Pettus, ez white ez sheets.
Then commence in this holy croo-
SADIE by payin me for the load nv hay
l sold VOC eight years ago." sed the
infooriated man, seezin Billins by the
throat
Pay me for the load Nv potatoes
you bought NV me last winter"
shouted No. 2, seezin Blathurs.
PAY me for the load Nv wood l
drawd 700 last fall, wuz year ago."
shouted No. 8, going for Pettus.
The farmers didn't git their pay,
and we have abandoned all hope NY
sekoorin them. There aint no use of
us sympathizers with labor tryin to do
anything with men who take such
narrer and grovelin views NV things
ez these men do. Principles are
broad and general in their nacher
and cannot be brought down to sich
small matters ez wood, potatoes and
hay. Ontil men kin be made broad
er, our labors will be in vain. Can't
Pettus, Blathers and Billins sym2a-
thize with labor jist ez well when
they don't pay as when they do?
follered these men out and heer6
en- ask each other wat earthly good
it could possibly do labor and laborin
men to elect three sich internal beasts
to offs. This is the reward We git
for our services in awakinin the mas
ses to sense Nv there wrongs. And
the ongrateful wretches are organizin
to elect actooal farmer to the Legis-
lature, and to sich county ofises ez
hev anything to do with taxashun
and sich. Wat Endorsement is there
for us to continvoo our work.