Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-11-15
Something for Nothing.
Cor. Country Gentleman.


ing, or more for less, seems universal,
and manifests itself in countless ways.
"Three card monte" the "soap box
and $40 bill trick" the lottery, the
prize package, the "to boot" in a trade,
the confidence game, the "smuggled
goods" dodge, the chromos for sub.
scribers and the like, all appeal to this
desire to get something for nothing.
Let us notice few of the most repu-
table Of the schemes, especially those
that most often deceive farmers.
Just now in Ohio the prize dodge
with ready.made clothing is the rage.
| walk up one of the principal streets
of Cleveland, and in the great show
window of an immense clothing store
| see a fine live horse, with saddle and
bride, offered as a prize to that one
among the customers of the store who
holds the lucky ticket. Day after day,
week after week, the horse stands
there, eats his oats and hay from his
elegant manger, and draws crowds of
purchasers who buy more or less cloth
ing, many of them mainly for the
chance it gives them to win that horse.
In Cincinnati l see almost the same
thing; this time it is an elegant pony
and phaeton. In Cleveland, again,
just across the street from the horse>
lottery, is an old reliable house that has
sold good clothing at fair (and fxed)
prices for many years. But it has
been into the prize business, and realiz>
ing that "hope deferred maketh the
heart sick, it gives a genuine stem.
winding Waterbury watch with every
purchase of clothing amounting to $42,"
and an electrical magnetic instructor"
with each suit of clothing costing less
than $12!
For myself, when buy horses, l
buy horses; when buy watches, /
buy watches; and when l buy clothing
want my moneys worth of clothing
and not part of it in infnitesimal
chances on saddle horse that will be
an elephant on my hands if have the
bad luck to draw him, or in watches
or electrical instructors"
have friend, banker and large
land owner and farmer, whose gray
hairs, keen eye and quiet smile show
that he has seen the world. In fact
he was for years in early life steam
boat clerk or captain on the lakes.
One day lately three young sharpers
asked him TO friendly game Of euchre
to while away the time on the cars.
Repeatedly, as the play went on, one
of the three would bluff him for bet
on some card where he was sure to
win, and his partner would nudge his
foot and wink him to take the bet.
Finally he quickly said: "Guess not,
young gentlemen! I've been there. l
don't nix mine. When Iplay euchre,
play euchre, and when / play poker
or sledge, l play poker or sledge."
The young men seemed to lose their
interest in the friendly game they
found they were not dealing with
"kid."
Some farmers hope to get something
for nothing out Of their land. They
can only do it by cheating the genera>
lions that are to follow. Old Mr.. Tull
a century ago originated the express
sion, "tillage is manure" This has
been shown to be essentially incorrect,
again and again /; but every few years
it serenely hobs up its head, and runs
new life of usefulness" Originally,
"manure" (same root as m,aneuvrc)
meant tillage, hand work. But it don't
now, and 1t did not when Tull made
his famous. spophthegm. II it had,
his apophthegm would have been a
mere truism of definition. Manure"
now means fertilizing substance add
ed to the soil, and neither clover nor
tillage adds plant food to any appreci-
able extent. Clover, let us say, eel.
lects and cooks the plant food, and til.
lage masticates it so that the plants can
better digest it, but you must have the
food in the soil before you can cook or
masticate it. do not mean that til