The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-07-22

an Ills GANAA AAAAk&s
correct or not the intelligent reader
will readily perceive that it repre-
sents what might have been" under
favorable circumstances. But we let
him tell his own story. Here is what
the reportorial haymaker has to say
oFrom time immemorial country
lifer has been sung in song and story.
The hay field has been pictured IN as
manv bright and beautiful colors as
the rainbow itself. AS you vel
know / came out here in Alsae'
township, to get tanned. l though
I'd stay a week, bat / guess they cal
get along with their haying without
me arrived here on the farm Sun
day evening. When the sun wen.
down everything was delightful. Al
I sat on the broad porch and th'
breeze came in through the trees, J
began thinking of buying a little farm
so pleasant IL seemed. The cows
had all been MIXED, the chickens
were roosting the pigs were sleeping
along the roadside, the erickets were
chirpinr and several pretty DAIRY
maids sat listening to wonderlui
startling stories Of city life told them
Inv tho nerson who had come five
miles TO take part in haymaking. Bye
and Bve / retired. Went to bed
earlier than | had for years. The
boss farmer said we'd have TO get ~
long before .he sun came peeping
over the hill tops. / vas sung tc
sleep BY the gentle murmer ola mus
quito. and before / was aware OF y
another day had been born. 1t wa:
four O'Clock when / went cut and
ba.hed my head in fresh running wa
ter. | was the last on the ground.
Five sturdy men with five sturdy
seythes stood sharpening their blades
with whetstones, and the song they
scraped was decidedly novel and IN
teresting to me. l was given a scythe
and was assigned TO the tan ena'
Then the first mower cut his measure,
then the next, and the next and the
next. until finally | followed in. !
rot in about ten feet, and when |
looked back it appeared as if some
one had been pulling of the grass.
When we got to the other end Of the
field came to the conclusion l had
better drop moving. was promo
ted TO the position Of w%ater-boy. !
threw a little keg over my shoulder
ard went to the spring. The dairy
girls were there and my errand was
forgotten. The men said that the
water was not as fresh rs it might be.
Then breakfast was announced. /
had worked fearfully hard and terri
bic appetite had crept over me. 1t was
six o'clock. At half past we were in
the field again. Eight o'clock found
me with a rake tossing over the hay
that had already become scorched IN
der the hot morning sun. We tossed
it over and kept the green side up.
At nine o'clock we went over it again,
while the men were moving away
over in another part ofthe field. The
sun was fearfully hot; far worse than
writing articles in a cool and CON-
Portable sanetum. The perspiration
figured a hundred little canals down
my back and my eyes became blind
ed. and the men wanted water so
often that | concluded a salt stone
was in the throat ofeaeh. Finally at
ten O'Clock we stopped work and ad-
iourned to the shade Of a large tree.
Our morning lunch had been brought.
Strange to say the minds Of the men
w once left their work. They
munched bread and drank milk, and
between bites and gulps they talked
hay and nothing but hay. They
praised my endurance, while lin turn
occupied my mind in i~nventing some
sort of a story to get cut Of my hay.
ing Job. Then we went to work again
The sun shone hotter than ever, and
the men became thirstier. / tramped
over the hot hay field until my fee.
became sore.-And we tossed the
hay this way and that until it be-
came as hot and parched as the dust
in the road. At twelve O'Clock
was tired, weary and foot sore.
thought farming the most miserable
bore in the world. l could hardly
see. My eyes were iaaamed, anC
my whole body seemed to be steam
ing. And when the dinner bell rane
/ imagined / could not walk to the
farm house. During the meal ]
hadn't much to say. In answer tC
questions, however, | stated | would
like to be a boss farmer with having
left out. After dinner the men com
menced specializing as to how sOoU
they could haul that bay in. Finally
the red clock in the kitchen struck
one, and again we took to the field
First it was water carrying and then
hay tossing In the afternoon came
the wagon. The hay was rolled OIL
large piles by a large patent horse
rake, and the wagon was driven uT
through the rows of these piles. ]
got in the wagon to tramp the hay
down. At first it was all right and
easy, but when the men commenced
tossing in great clouds of dry grass
completely covering me over, and
filing my ears, eyes and mouth full
ofhay seed and almost strangling me
at the same time, / thought l had
struck one of the worst places in the
world-At one time / imagined the
man on the wagon was working
against me, for be several times roll.
ed a mighty arm full over me and
packed it down on me as if be wan
ted to preserve me for the season.
Painting, perspiring, full Of hayseed.
scratched, nearly blind and boiled
red like a lobster / sat down when
the wagon was loaded. The ride
under the hot sun to the barn wa;
not as romantic Is / had imagined il
to be. Before we got there, my in
sides were nearly jolted out OF me
After the horses took a rest, they
made one tremendous effort and jerk
ed the wagon up the hill on to IT,,
barnaOor. / was way up under th,
cross beams and il was as hot as a bake
oven. The perspiration started from
every pore. The more / wiped tn,
worse it became. Down went tht
hay into the NOW and up rose th,
dust in nj mouths and ears. Little
by little the load decreased, but a
last the ladders came in sight anC
soon after the load had all been toss