The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-08-06
THE FARMERS HIRED MAN.

w'm kinder lookin' round the market
for hired man," he exclaimed as he
stopped at one of the stands and nibbled
at an onion. al kinder need one, but
yet kinder hope shan't be able to
find him."
"How's that 3'
"Wall, there amt no profit in hired
man no more. No sir, he's no good
any longer.
"What's the reason ?"
"Oh, dozen reasons. First and fore
most, times have changed, and the hired
man has changed with 'em. All ! sir, it
makes me sad when think of the hired
men we had before the war-great big
fellers, with the strength Of an OK, and
the vim of a locomotive. didn't have
to holler my lungs out to get one Of 'em
out Of bed at three o'clock in the morn
ing, and it was all could do to coax
EN- to quit work and 60 to bed at ten
O'Clock at night. I'm afraid that we
shan't never see no more hired men
wuth keepin' around for their board"
"That's sad"
~ y wv sNbhs sS
said, want hired man. Pm willing
to pay eleven dollars or twelve dollars a
month for a smart day and all night, but
that amt me. never asked 4 man TO
get out of bed before three O'clock
never. allus give my men threc-quar-
ters Of an hour at noon, unless the hogs
get out, or cattle break in, or a shower
is coming up. After man has worked
right along for nine hours his system
wants at leas: half an hour to brace up
in. They don't quite work on some
farms till eight O'Clock, but I'm no such
slave driver. At half-paSi seven ! tell
my men TO knock of. All he has TO do
after that is to feed the stock, GU, lit
tie wood, NOW some grass for the horses,
milk four COWS, ill up the watering
trough, start smudgc in the smoke
house and pull few weeds in the gar
den. | never had hired man who
didn't grow fat on my work, and they
allus left me feeling that they hadn't half
earned their wages"
He stopped long enough to wipe a
tear from his eye, and then went on:
"And now look at the hired man of
to-day He wears white shirts and col
lars. He won't cat with knife. He
wants napkins when he eats, and if we
don't hang up clean towel once week
he wipes on his handkerchief. Call him
at three and he gets up at six. He
wants whole hour at noon, after sup
per he trots off to singing school or sits
down to newspaper. Fifteen years
ago il my hired man was sick half day
| could dock him. Ii he died could
take out months wages for the trouble
He was glad to get store orders for his
pay, and he would wash in the rain bar
rel and wipe on the clothes line. There's
been change, sir-an awful change,
and il reaction don't set in pretty
soon you will witness the downfall OF
agricultural in this country"
"Then you won't hire another -
"Wall, can't just say. Work is
powerfully pressing, but I'm going slow.
Before hire him want to know whcth-
er he's man who'll pass his plate for
more meat and taters, and whether we've
got to use starch in doing up his shirts.
The last man had took me to task for
not holding family prayers twice day,
and after had done so for three months
! found it was onlya game Of his to beat
me out of half an hour day. He
thought he had 4 pretty soft thing, aud
he looked mighty lonesome when cut
Old Hundicd down to two lines and go,
through the Lords prayer in forty Sc
conds."