Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-07-27
The Hired Man.

"Pm kinder lookin round the market for
hired man," he exclaimed, as he stopped
at one of the stands and nibbed at an onion.
:" kinder need one, but yet kinder hope
shant be able to find him."
slows that ?"
"Wall, thar amt no profit in hired man
no more. No, sir, he's no good any longer"
"What's the reason Z"
"Oh, a 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 morning, and it was all could
do to coax 'em to go 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
ats sad, and more, too. Now, as said =,
] want hired man. I'm willing to pay 81
or Sl2 a month for a smart one. Some
farmers want man to work all day and all
night, but that amt me- / have never
asked one to get out of bed before three
o'clock-never. | always give my man
three-quarters of an hour at noon unless the
hogs git out, or cattle break in, or shower
is coming up. After man has worked
right along for nine hours his system wants
at least half an hour to brace up in. They
don't quit work on some farms till eight
o'clock, but I'm no such slave-driver. At
half-past seven tell my man to knock off.
All he has to do after that is to feed the
stock, cut little wood, NOW some grass for
the horses, milk four COWS, fill up the water
trough, start smudge in the smoke house
and pull few weeds in the garden. Inever
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 tear
from his eye, and then went on
Sand now you look at the hired man of
to-day. He wears white shirts and collars.
He won't eat with knife. He wants nap
kins when he eats, and if we don't hang up
a clean towel once week he wipes off his
handkerchief. Call him at three and he gets
up at six. He wants whole hour at noon,
and after supper he trots off to singing
school, or sits down to newspaper. Fifteen
years ago if my hired man was sick for half
a day could dock him. If he died, | could
take out months wages for the troubl
lie was glad to get store orders for his pa
and he would wash in the rain barrel and
wipe on the clothes line. There's bin a
change, sir,--an awful change; and if reac-
ton don't set in pretty soon You will witness
the downfall of agriculture in this country"
"Then you won't hire another ?"
"Wall, | can't just say. Work is power
fully pressing, but I'm going slow. Before
| hire him | want to know whether he's a
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 to me to task for not holding family
prayers twice day, and after had done SO
for three months found it was only game
of his to beat me out of half an hour day
He thought he had pretty soft thing, and
he looked mighty lonesome when | cut Old
Hundred down to two lines, and go through
with the Lords prayer in forty seconds
Detroit Free Press.