Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-09-11

Seed time and harvest in the ives
have not lost all the picturesque situa
ti0ns of the old regime of sickle ant
cradle and broadcast sowing, for tn,
methods of binding into sheaves snt
erecting shocks" thereof have change<
very little from the first. The not un
musical clamor of the drill, and the en-
ergetic hum of the reaping-machine add
new element to the poetry of rural life,
somewhat realistic, to be sure, and anti.
classical, but capable of fine artistic
treatment. Indeed, just at this time in
its history, farm-life in our western states
is taking on the habiliments of bust.
ness highly honorable and fit for men
and women of no mean culture to engage
themselves in. Here and there the more
prosperous and wealthy soil-ownes have
already erected villas to dwell in, and
vast, gayly painted barns for their stores
while, their fields, inclosed with hedges,
are kept afteI the most scrupulous pat
tern of neatness and beauty. l have
seen group of hay-harvesters on Level
western meadow, which of itself would
make most eloquent inscription on the
medal of American democracy. Light
limbed, graceful horses to q model wagon,
standing midway of the plat; the timo-
thy swaths, lying straight and thick on .
stubble as even rs q parlor floor: two
strong men, we'll dressed and clean, with
buckskin gloves to protect their hands,
lifting the hay to the top of the load,
whereon stands a graceful youth, his
brown face, full of intelligence, shaded
by broad hat, and his hands gloved,
too, make strong contrast with the Old
Worlds groups of laboring peasant
ry dressed in parti-colored rags.
The wheat and oats harvests,
however, bring together q greater
number of toilers; and, owing to the
rapidity necessary, all the operations are
extremely laborious and wearying ON
the muscles Binding wheat, for in
stance, simple as it may seem, is next to
terrible in its effects upon the system,
when performed with that push and
rush common to harvest fields. Hence
the well-tO do farmer is seldom seen at
such work. He rides upon the cushioned
seat of the reaper, while his "hired
hands" do the "binding" and shocking"
He pays them wages of from one and q
half to two dollars per day for their ser
vices. The good old custom of taking
luncheon in the harvest field at eleven
o'clock A. N. il still observed in many
districts; but the lunch basket is not al
ways borne in the hands of pretty, red
Tipped lass, as an artist would have it.
The farmers daughter may be away at
bOarding-scho0l, learning to play the
piano, instead Of carrying pies and corn
cakes afield for her fathers men. Never
theleas, if abe we're at home, you might
see her, in sun-bonnet and gloves, gladly
trudging across the stubble, with the big
basket on her plump arm, and . jug Of
milk-if buttermilk, all the better-in
her hand, singing as she goes snatch
from some popular song and chorus, or
mayhap whistling-yes, actually whist
ling-the cheeriest bars of new waltz.
The lunch n eaten under the boughs of
q walnut or maple tree, the cheerful lit
tie lass standing by, chatting gayly with
some one of her youthful acquaintsnces,
it may be her sweetheart. Pies, made
of early small fruit OF of pulverised
dried pumpkin, and with cool butter
milk, make No mean feast for hungry,
exhausted laborers; but sometimes home
made wine, clear, sweet, and several
years old, takes the place of milk. This
wine is made of red currants, raspber-
ries, blackerries, or, rarely, Of grapes. I
have tasted some that would grace the
board of an epicure.