Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-07-12
BUNKER HILL LETTER.
Special Correspondence


jury 18th, 1884.
AS the ponderous wheels OF
time revolve, something of an in
teresting nature is mfolded to us
every day. The 4th of July, the
natal day of our National indie
pendence dawned upon us with
gentle breezes and glorious SUM-
shine, and with heavens artillery
warning us of an outburst of her
fulness, it passed away forever in
tears.
Harvest III its proper time has
come, and the golden grain which
few days ago was waving in its
efulgent splendor now dots the
hills and the valleys in motion
less piles, seemingly awaiting the
last process to which it must be
subjected, that Of being separated
from the chaff, previous to pass
ing between the rolls in its final
preparation of slipping down the
millions of yawning outlets wait
ing for it. The crops throughout
the entire State, and especially in
this county are good. Owing to
the irregular ripening ofgrain the
harvest has been a protracted one,
but not q tedious one by any
means. The first wheat cut in
this neighborhood was on the nth
Of June. | am informed that in
other localities it will not all be
cut before the middle of the pres
ent week, which will make fully
three weeks for q wheat harvest
alone, many farmers finished be-
fore others commenced thereby
making a sufficiency of hands for
all. A great many binders have
been successfully worked, and
where they are properly managed
have given general satisfaction.
Out of the lS Esterley's, which
have been put out by the enter
prising firm of Miller & Henson
from Bunker Hill, not one will
come back on their hands. The
Deering, Osburn, Champion,
Marsh, Whitney, Wood and all
others used in this neighborhood
are all highly spoken of and do
their work well. | asked one
farmer who used the Esterly what
he would take for it if he could
not get another and had to resort
to the old cradle. "By POUNDS"
said he II would not take 81 ,O0O,"
two other farmers made similar
expressions, but did not place the
estimate quite so high. I have
also heard several of our best
farmers in this neighborhood, who
did not supply themselves this
year say that they had cut their
last crops with the cradles. In
Harry Gilmore's "Four Years in
the Saddle" he always places him.
self front and foremost in all bat
ties, and says he reached in time
to "see the fun" when he and
''five or six others" would annihi-
late or capture whole battalion
regiment or whatever there was.
So thought / would rush in and
have a little fun this harvest in
Bob Lannon's field, and / had it
to my heart content. / Graded
l shocked, l bound, | raked and
jumped up on the sheaf to tramp
it down in the stubble or briers as
the case might be. / shirked laid
in the shade, played sick and
worked harder to framean excuse
than ever Rohrbaugh did to frame
an indictment, and l amt found
no fun yet. / had one consola-
ton, however, Bob had to stay in
the field all the time to keep me
there, for he watched me and III
kept very vigilant eye on him.
Well, after enjoying this imagi-
nary fun for about two weeks
with him and others | concluded |
l would take day off. Accor-
| dinghy the 4th of July was the
day selected. In company with
Ed Henson we set out for Arden
Nbehind his spirited horse Dash"
(not the spirited "Dash" of Arden
who sings his Democratic ink so
freely, and about ii o'clock we
brought up at Mr.. w. T. Noll's,