The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-05-08


ing his waking hours, aud Of which he
d.eamed at night. That was the idea CT
becoming farmer. He just more IMAM
dotted on farming. He looked on an aEeu
agIiculturist with awe, and vowed II hlS
manufacturer spared him he ""Si'd one Gay
plauce around on a farm, leed ioSS, learn
ralves 70 suck. and smite the Wild potato
Ln,, He knew but one song. and that he
was evollastingly singing. The first verse
was:
I want to be granger,
And with the Changers stand
i horny listed farmer,
With haysiacll in my hand.
Cne day he went to the boss with tears in
hi, ey es, and told him he could NOT stand
it any longer. lie felt that the dry goods
business was not what he was made for,
and that farming was the only business on
earth worth following. lie 60; OIL long
STING about tile independent farmer,
new blown hay and all that sort Ut
thing. and then md US all goodbye, pranccd
out into the country and hired out TO an
old farmer named Virgins.
Simpkius didn't know any more about
farming than a gaEder does about the sal
ary grab, hut he was willing TO learn. The
first thing Wiggins set him at WAS sorting
over ninety bushels Of half rotten potatoes
in The back cellar. Simpkins didn't see
any thing particularly independent about
that, but went TO work and came out vic
tOriOus.
Then Wiggins told him he was going
away, and that lie must take the brindle
COW out Of Ike shed aud turn her into Tie
pasture. SimPkins waltzed up to the bIin-
die COW as large as life, and she planted
her foot in his diaphragm and landed him
over the manure pile against tbs fence
lie slowly picked HIMSELF UP, and went
around and cyawled into the manger. He
united her and she went out of the stable
with elevated tail, and 4 Tutl!ed image OF
SimpkiIs clingiug to the end of the rope.
She ran along the fence for twenty yods,
.jamming Simpkins against every post.
TLen Virgins big yellow bul! dog ~hO
had not been introduce d to the newly hired
man, appeared OH the scene. He saw at
q glance that a stranger was foolmg around
among the cattle ard he rushed into the
breach. He made pass for the flying
coat tails and missed tLem, but caught a
god hold Immediately under.
SiInpkins yelled, and the COW let herself
out with the ox-dry goods clerk aud the dog
stringiug along like the tail of q kite In
vain Simpkns kicked and yellcG, in vain
he begged and swore, the dog held his grip.
Down through the field they went, smash
ing through the picket fence into the o.
chaTd, scattering an inOtfensive old SOW and
thirteen pigs to the four winds of heaven,
through another fence into the garden,
where for two mortal hours that degraded
brindle COW chased up and down, tTeading
into a heterogeneous mass onions radiShes,
cucUmbeIs and other garden sass" till
you couldn't cell where one bed left off and
another commenced. SimpIinS was gritty.
and he hung or like grim death to a de
funct African, bound to conquer OF die
The bulldog had saving hold aud he knew
il he just closed his teeth together, shut
his eyes and was happy. No matter if the
old COW did sling him around sharp corners
till his tail snapped in the morning breeze.
lt bad Simpkins foul, and it amt bull dog
nature to back out as long as there is any
thing left to ''chaw."
Well the old COW made a short turn at
The lower end of the garden and Simpkins
and the dog went sailing thIoEgh the air
usual, when the dog came in Contact
with the butt of a hickory post, and his
hold tore out leaving 4 deep cash for the
doctors to operate on. With the rapidity
of a streak of creased chain lightning,
Simpkins let go the rope, Skinned up the
post, and perched on the top he looked
down with defiance on the angry bull dog,
who jumped and pranccd and cussed in dog
talk, and hOwled for the hearts blood Of
the intrepid farmer About every other
jump the dog would catch Simpkins'
breeches, ard sometimes the hide, which
proceedings had tendency to keep him
earnestly interested III the arrangement.
Six Chester White pigs lay in state along
the orchard fence, and the old SOW and the
rest of the litter were legaling themselves
on the daLlia roots and similar food. Wig
gins garden was blotted out and his brin-
die COW was well nigh ruined. Worst of
all, Wiggens would not be home until dark
1t was a fearful long day. Across the fields
he saw neighbor farmers vending their
way to their dinners, but there was no re-
lief for him. The day wore to amend at
last, but no NigginS came. Taking ad-
vantage of a time when the dog veutured
u few rods away to smell of the garden
fence, Simpllins jumped from his post of
homer and climbed a walnut tree where he
could rest his limbs in a more becoming
manner.
Eight, nine, ten o'clock came, and at
almost eleven came Wiggins. No light
shown fom the window, no Simpkins came
to gre ct him, and put ont his horses. He
did the job himself and started for the
house, but had not proceeded far when he
fell over tie Old SOW, smashed four more
pigs, and Larked his nose on q grub that
belonged on the wOUdptle. Then he jumped
up and SwOre and carried on like Il pirate
The old SOW lit out in disgust. Hearing
.ne o%s in the garden, and remembering
tH"' tne Coo''. had been raising hob with
MS c lli, ne StePP' into the house and cot
his gun. As Le Salsico COIL, h., I,,l-od D.,
the tree and saw something Nnite indiGy
tinctly, but no doubt it was a coon 60
ting right under where his aim would Do
sure lie unhitchGd the old fuzce, and de
posted good charge of BB shot in poor
SimPkins poster iOr.
With sound ike .he rending of the hea-
vens, Simpkins dropped, knocking Wig
gins and his gun about II rod. Without
gathering up his effect, Wiggins leaped
the fence and sailed of up the road at a fif-
teen-mi!e gait. 1e ran three miles to a
Methodist minister's, whore he applied fo,
ioagi"ss. saving he had been caught and
tortured ny the hu-kluX, and almost kin
ed. lie reckoned they had killed Simpkins.
as he was nowhere to be found. There
must have been as many as fifty of them.
As soon as he wss gone SimpiAins caught
up the gun and shot the dog. and started
for town. Two doctors and tailor licgeC
him up SO he could get around, but hC
was very polite preferjng to stand up il
company for some time
Loud ana deep are his curses against til,