Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-03-12
farm ann honstboIO.
Hired Labor.

The author of My Farm of EJgwood."
comments on the hired labor question a.
follows:
There lived some twenty or thirty wears
ago in New England. race OF men.
American born, and who, having gone
through two winters course of district
school ciphering and reading. became the
most interchangeable and ingenious OF farm
workers. Their hoen- was sleight OF
hand; they could make an OK yoke. or an
axe helve on rainy days; by adroit mauipu-
lation, they could relieve choking COW.
or a. deity. hive swarm Of bees. Their
furrows were not Of the straightest, but
their control OF long team Of oxen was a
miracle Of guidance. They may have car
ried bit of Cavend.h twist in their waist
coat pockets; they certainly did not waste
time At lavations; but as farm workers
they had rare aptitude; no tool came amiss
To them; they Graded; they churned. If
need were; they chopped aud piled their
three cords OF wood between sun and sun
With bare feet, aud keen-wheited six
pound Blanchard, they laid such clean
broad swaths through the fields Of dewy
herisgrass. As made "old countrymen
stare BY kind Of intuition, they knew
the locality of every tree. and OF every
medicinal herb that grew in the woods.
Ra7est of all which they possessed. was an
acuieness OF understanding. which enabled
them To comprehend an order before it
was half uttered. and to meet occasional
and unforeseen difficulties, with a steady
assurance as If they had been an accepted
part OF the problem. 1t was possible TO
send such a man into wood with his
team. to select stick of timber. of chest
nut or oak. that should measure given
amount; he could be trusted to ind such.
to cut ii, to score it, 10 load il; if the tree
lodged. lie could be trusted to devise some
artliice for bringing /; down; and finally
Tor its sure and prompt delivery at the
point indicated. Your freshman. on the
other hand, balks at the first turn he must
have multitude of chains; he needs boy
to aid him with the team. aud another to
carry bar; he spends an hour in his
doubtful estimate Of dimensions. but be
gorra it's lumpish tree" and lie thwacks
into the rind a foot or two from the ground
30 a. 10 leave 'nat,' IRISH stump. Half
through the bole. he begins to doubt If il
be indeed chestnut or a poplar; and cast
Ing his eye aloft 10 measure Il anew, an
ancient wo0dpecker drops omething
smartlng into his eye and hi. howl starts
the Illuminating team into a confused en-
tanglement among the young wood. Hay-
Ing eased his pain, and extricated his cat
tie, he pushes on with his axe. and pres
emily, with light crash Of plant hOughs,
hls timber Is lodged ia the top OF an adj
joining tree. lie tugs, aud strains. and
swears, and splits the helvc of his axe In
adapting it for a lever. aud presently,
near TO noon, comes back for three or four
hands 20 give him 4 boost with the tree.
You return-to find the team strayed
through gate left open, into a thriving
corn-field, and one OF your pet tulip trees
lodged in 1.-THE young hickory.
Och. and its a toolip-it is. and wa.
thinkin' twas niyer chestnut; begorra.
its lucky thin, 1t didn't come down
intrely."
These, and other such, replace the New
Englander born, who long ago was paid
of, wrapped his savings in a dingy piece
OF sheepskin, scratched his head reflect
ingly, and disappeared from the stage.