Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-06
Keep the Pump from Freezing.

One OF two nights recently. saws "A contrib
utOr TO the OHIO Farmer. Jack Frost gently
limited that we ought to be ready Tor him
when he comes in earnest. On going 10 the
pump in the morning, / found the water in
side frozen so that ii required quite an effort
10 break the Ice. But am ready Tor him.
and / want TO tell how managed il. At
home, on my fathers farm, we had no wells
or pumps-gOOd springs being abundant.
Hence il Is got caught the first winter after
] had married and moved on TO a farm Of my
own. L was not used TO freezing pumps, aud
so one bitter cold morning found both the
pumPS-the one at the house and the barn
pump-lOcked tight. / will not describe the
annoyance that follOwed-every farmer who
has pump has had some experience OF the
kind at some period of his life. 1t took three
days TO thaw those pumps out. and L was OBJ
liged 10 take my stock 10 neighbours, about
half a mile distant, in order to water
them, and also had TO obtain water at the
same place for household use. never get
caught the second time on the same trick.
AS soon as the pumps were clear Of ice. pro-
cured two good brass faucets, and boring
holes in the pumps, five feet below the plat
form, inserted the faucets in them securely.
| then procured a narrow strip OF board OF
sufficient length, and bored hole i'm one end
large enough TO slip over the handle of the
faucet With this l could turn the handle
easily, either way; and have never had any
trouble. Some have plug, simply, within
reach OF the hand, below the platform; but
this is sufficient I'm the coolest weather, be-
sides being incOnvenient. The faucets are
better every way. Care must be taken To
provide enough water, before turning il of.
TO start the pump i'm the morning. use these
faucets also in hot water, when the pumps
have been standing undisturbed in the hot
sun half a day. The water ABOVE the plat
form is then unfit for use, but it is usually
pumped into the trough for the tired, thirsty
horses, when the owner knows that sip OF il
would be as good emetic for himself.
A LONG MULE BACK RIDE.-Mr. George
Harris, formerly of the town of Locke, Cayu-
ga county, New York, has had a 100 miles
ride on a mule during the past twelve or
fourteen months. He writes to friend that
starting from Pueblo, i'm Colorado, he went
across New Mexico to FL PaSO and 200 miles
further down into old Mexico, then across
into Texas and travelled over the country
west of the Staked Plains. thence back
across the southern part of New Mexico to
Silver City, thence west TO Tucson, Arizona,
then striking the ella river and down 10
Fort Yuma on the Colorado river near the
southeast corner of California, thence to San
Diego, on the Pacific Ocean, thence back to
the Colorado river and up along that river
"a the south line of Utah and in Brlgham's
6ominions sixty miles south of Salt Lake
city 10 place called Jacobs City. At Sill
yer City he fell in with man by the name
of Lush or Lusk, from Wayne county, y. Y,
who seems to have shared with him the re-
mainder OF that perilouS journey. Harris
speaks of the country up the Colorado as the
most difficult to travel over OF any he had
seen.
A