The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-06-28
BILL ARP.
A LICK AT INDEPENDENTS.


Great expectations have not been realized.
Farmin' is good deal like fishin'. Every
time you start out you can just see yourself
catchin' em; but after tryin' every hole in
the creek you gokhome sorrowfAly, with
fsherman's lucksr But We are not COM
plainin' by no means, for we've got wheat
enuf for biskit every day and light.bread
on Sunday, and few bushels to spare for
them angels that is to cum along unawares
sum of these days. We flushed cuttin the
oat crop this mornin', AMI what with them
aud the clover already housed, the cattle
are safe for another year. imagine they
look sassy aud thankful but as for me, Mr..
Editur, am used up individual. Durin'
harvest l have had to be a binder, and if
you don't know what that is, ask Harris
The ends of these fingers which are now in
scribin' this epistel are in bad fix. Skar-
iGde and stuck up with bull nettles and
brlars, they are as sore as school boys
bile There was gum variation to my bust
ness, such as catchin' young rabbits, and
findin' partridge nests, and pickin' dew
berries but the romance woreoff the first
day, and by the end of the next my wife
says l was as humble n man as any wo-
man could desire. It's nifty purity
thing to write about and make up Dads and
PONIES. The golden grain, the many reap
ers, the struttin' sheaves, the song of the
harvesters, and purity Miss Ruth coquettin'
around the fields of old man Boaz, and
show jokin' did they drive their team a
hcld,' is all so sweet and nice to man up
a tree with an unbrel, but if them poets
had TO tie wheat half day in June sum
their sentimentality would henceforth seek
another subjek. tried swingin' the era
die awhile, but somehow or somehow else,
| couldn't exacactly get the lik. 1t wasent
the kind of cradle I've been used to, and
I'm too old dog to learn new tricks now.
The swing of the reaper's cradle is very
peculiar motion-very regular in its itrcg-
ularity, and goes for the weeds and bushes
ana brlars and the wheat-all the same.
Somehow or other'it reminds me of an in
dependent candidate side wipin' around to
get offis in twistifide way Well, | like
independence, and that's why like farmin'
nobody to look~to for a livin' but Provi.
dence. l like to see man independent in
opinion and in action, too, and if he suck
seeds, it shows that there is gum in him
but it won't do to run that kedule too long
or too fur, in politics or religion. Bona
part and Beccher tridc it, and if they
couldn't keep it up, nobody can't. Every
man has got to fall into line some time
For while all sorts of people will pat an
independent on the back aud say ego it, my
larkey, bully for you," but before long
they'll begin TO think over what good,
fat thing he's got, and then human nature,
hE ThIeb YOU -kaoY .is as asaaa tho 1sexil VIII
him SO easy he won't know it. On the
whole, the aspirin man had better go along
smoothly with his party or his church or
his copartncrs, as the case may be. General
Black says he to me, says he, "Bill, as you
are goin' to farmin' let me give you piece
Of advice Don't go off on new lines, but
watch your nabors and do purity much rs
they DO" Well, he didn't mean that if
the nabors went bar footed in the summer
time and slept in shirt and washed their
feet in u skillet, and their darters worked
in the field and dipped snuff, we must do
so too--by no means. But he meant to say
that the kind Of farmin' that is sustained
by the majority of farmers was nifty apt to
be the best.
Jesse with gittin offis--thc best way is
the old way. 1t may be, however, that
Providence does raise up man as an in.
strument to reform society, but the instru-
ment is very likely to think he is doin it
all on his own hook, and he'll keep on re-
formin till the millennium if the people will
let him. think it would be we'll enough
for him to report progress sometime, and
may be the good Lord would let his servant
depart in peace. But you let felIcr get
taste of Washington and it does look orpos-
sible to even get hin. away from there. 81
aoW stand far reelection" OF curse lie
will, but it does Scent TO me tha, if had
held rotative office right straight along for
forty years | would hunt the shade of Lib
crty Hall and quit. Why, sur, there's for
ty men i'll that district been patiently wait.
IN twenty years for his chance, and hos now
proposin' to outlivc 'cm all and himself too.
Spose he does want to die in harness, what's
that to Berry Houck ? There's SUN other
gentlemen worthy and well qualified who
would take the gears kindly, and work in
en-, too But if had horse that wore
out his broechin holdiu' back up hill, and
hadent pulled nary pound ip seventeen
years, he wouldent die in my harness, shore.
He mout hunt another wagin. I've no
ldee OF toadyipg man who toadys ever
body and everything I don't like from