The Red Cloud chief., 1882-08-25
borrowing Tools.

The needso Of modern farming demand
a great variety of tools; indeed the
greatest difference between the farm ny
of to-day and of twenty years ago il Ia
be found in the great improvement in
all kinds of too,s. and the great saving
OF labor that their use accompli.hc..
Many Of these tools are expensive and
require considerable skill ia their u-e
and care TO keep them in good repair.
so that the small farmer who In. only
occasional use for them, and can Ill
afford 10 " them. is PLACED in the Ill
lemma of not being able Ia do without
them nor io buy them either; in hi sstrait
he is fain Ia borrow.
Now. IL he will but be careful la oh.
serye two or three rules in borrowing.
he will have little trouble in any cool
Christian neighborhood. in getting any
tools he needs at any time the owners
are not using them; but by neglect Il
them he will become an annoyance To
the neighborhood. and unable to supply
his need without buying.
First of all no tool should eyer be bor-
rowcd without the knowledge aud con-
sem OF the owner. nor without an I'M
d~erstandipg ~ Ia when IL is To he re-
turned. Second. any borrowed tool
should be returned Immediately when
it IL no longer wanted. or when the
owner requests. and in : Of any dam.
age the owner should BE- informed and
satisfaction given. Simple n these
rules are, and strange as il may seem
that any n should neglect them. there
is probably no one source Of frouble
between neighbors So fruitful n care
Icssness or wilful neglect of dniy and
common decency i'm these matters. IL
Is extremely anroying. when in need of
q tool to be unable tn find il. and espe-
cially so when one does MT know which
OF I've or three cauciess neighbors tn
blame for the annoyance.
know n man who makes great pro-
fessions Of religious faith. aud whose
sincerity I do not pretend TO Judge. who
has had in constant use. for n year n, a
time, tools which belonged TO a neigh
Dor. and which said neighbor had To re-
place. not knowing where they were
lost; but when he found out at last who
was nj fault, il made n great dial Of
hard feeling. which was = good deal
worse than the loss of the tools.
II is a good plan To brand all tools
with the owners name. which will
serve 10 remind honest persons where
they belong and will often prevent their
being neglected. Ii is also n good plan
to keep n slate and pencil in the tool
house on which n memorandum should
be made when q tool is borrowed. anil
erased when it il returned-this will
serve TO remind the owner where TO
look for missing tools With such pre-
cautions. and among decent neighbors.
the farmer who owns good tools need
not fear to follow the teaching from
him that would borrow Of thee. turn
thou not away" There are. however. /
neighbors and neighbors. and any one
who wishes to keep his tools where he
can find them when needed. will have
10 discriminate between the careless,
unprincipled borrower. who never re-
turns . borrow Ell tool till il 10 sent for.
and the careful. conscientious man who
returns Whatever he borrows,
promptly and in good order.
Ii Is often difficult. where several
are employed on the farm. To pre-
vent their borrowing and lending tools
without the knowledge IL their employ
ers; this is one Of the most fruitful
sources Of trouble. aad needs careful
attention. No hired nan should Dor. /
or lend any tool without knowl-
edge of his employcr-snd Of the owner |
Of the tool in question.-W. d. Pa.
BRICK. IN Ses-Enqtaad Farmer.