The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-04-17
RuRDsrrEA xONGT HEFARxERs

Mr.. rhisslepeds Early sprseg xxpsH-
e,c~-A Pnssegal Picture.
Prom shs Buriagssn Haskeyst
II is spring. and the annual warfare
begins. Early in the morning the jocund
farmer HES him to the Geld, and hunts
around in the dead weeds and grass tor
the pillow he left out there somewhere some
time last fall. When he finds it. he take
it to the shop to have IT mended. when
il is menbed, he goes back into the held
with il. Half way down the inst furrow
he falls, he runs the pillow fairly into = oig
live oak root, the handles alternately break
a RIB on this side Of him. and lab the breath
out of him on the other. and the sturdy
root, looking up out Of the ground with
pleased smile Of recognition says cheer
fully:
"Ah. Mr.. Thistlepod, at it again. ehs
Fifty feet farther on he strikes a stone
that doubles up the pillow point like q
piece of lead, and while the amazed and
beathless Agricultural leans, a limp heap
of humanity, across the plow, the reiic OF
the glacial period remarks, sleep,iy;
..Ah ha; spring here already 'aad you
woke me up
And then the granger sits uo"u anu r.
tiently tries 10 tie on that plow point with
hickory withe, and while he parsues
this fruitless task the FRIENDLY crow swoops
down near enough to ask:
Com to put this twenty IN corn, this
year. Mr.. This.lepodf"
And before he has time TO answer the
sable bird. tiny grasshopper. wnggang
out Of clod SO full OF egS that they can
Il 4 Il
Here we are again. Mr.. Ihistiepcu;
dinner for 800, 900, 0oo, 0co!"
And then q slow-moying. but very posi-.
tive potato bug crawls out INTO the sunlight
| to SEE. If the frost has faded his stripes, and
says:
The old-fashioned pesohblow potatoes
are the best for A sure crop, but the early
| rose should be planted tor the Inst mar
ket"
Then several new kinds Of bugs who
haven't made any record yet, climb over
| the fence, and come up to inquire about
the staple crops Of the neighboTbood. and
before he can get through with them Fro
lessor Tice sends him a circular stating
that there won't be drop Of rain from the
middle of May till the last OF October.
This almost stuns him. but he is begin
ming 10 feel a little resigned when dis
patch is received from the Department OF
Agriculture at Washington. saying that
| all indications point to summer % I'M
precedented. almost incessant and long con-
tinued rains and floods, and advising him
| 10 plant no root crops at all. While he Ii
trying to End words TO express his emotion,
a neighbor drops in TO tell HIM that all the
peach trees in the country are winter killed.
and that the hog cholera ~ raging Hereby
| in the northern part Of the township.
| Then his wife comes out TO tell HIM the
dog has fallen INTO the well; and when
the poor man gets TO the door yard. his
children, with much shouting and excite
ment. meet him and tell him there a,e
couple Of cate, Of the pole denomination,
in the spring house, and another under
the barn. With tears and groans he re-
turns 10 the field. bat by that time 1t has
begun 10 snow 10 hard he can't see the
horses when he stands at the pillow. lie Is
discouraged, and starts 20 the house with
his team. when he meets man who
bounces him for using a three-horse Cloves
he made himself, and wrings ten doliers
out of him fos il. When he reaches TIE
house the drive-well man IL waiting Tor
him, ard while he Is settling with HIM a
clock peddler comes in, and liRhtnInR
rod man, SCREENED by the storm. climbs up
on the ten dollar smoke house and iasten,
SG5 worth Of lightning rods on u. and
before the poor farmer can get has gun
half loaded. the baihff comes IN to tell him
that he has been drawn on the jury.