The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-03
For the Farmer and Mechanic
What-T Tou-Will.
BY PHiLO SopHER.

a big Exposition at Raleigh, where were
brought together the big stumps and
specimens of her 'undeveloped resource
ct cetera dd lataitum The newspaper
is powerful agency IN this country any
how, but heap of people don't believe
it; and the editor does great deal of
gratuitous work Tor perhaps | ought to
say unrecompensedw work for he expects to
be remunerated for it at some time. Now
think it would be good thing for the
newspapers to stop Dragging about our
big trees etc. and to urge our people to
try TO learn how 10 make something out
Of these big trees 10 sell, and to 20 todig
ging and try to uncover the hidden treas
ures In oul soil. We can't expect stran-
gers to come in and pull our COW out of
the mire unless we lay hold ourselves.
lit is true there were a great many
things at the Exposition to crafty the
pride of Carolinian, but all the big
machinery there was the work of the
Yankee. North Carolinians may have
inventive genius, but up to this time it
has been employed mainly in producing
whirligig-churns and ''patent baby cra-
dies " IN fact we, as people believe in
taking care of the babies and giving
doubt had the tendency to nurture our
"Rip-Van-W Wrnkle'' qualities, it never
theless has had the effect of adding to
the personal charms of our people, es-
pecially the female portion for one of the
most taking exhibits | saw at the Exposi-
ton, was the pretty women there. ltell
you North Carolina with just little help
from Virginia, is bard to beat on this
line.
Think if we would discard the patent
baby cradles and adopt the root pig-or-
die policy to a greater extent. 1t would
be better for US as a people; for stunted
pig, although 1t does not present very
handsome appearance, nevertheless makes
a monstrous good ''rooter.
The old-fashion loom and spinning
wheel by the side Of the improved ma
chinery for weaving and spinning showed
the progress that has been made in this
direction. but then North Carolinians
didn't do it. We copy after the foolish
fashions and adopt the silly notions of
other people, but neglect the lesson We
might learn from other useful enter
prises. Why | noticed that the young
men had learned from somebody new
fashion way of walking with their sweet
hearts The old style was for the girl to
take her feller's arm and she could show
the state of her feeling to him by the
amount of avoirdupois that she pulled
down on it. And its wonderful to think
how good it makes teller feel for lis
girl to lean confidingly on his arm a il
she meant to say whittier thou goest,
| will 60; where thou lodgest, | will lodge;
thy people shall be my people. But
the new style is for the feler to reach
down under his girls arm and grasp her
by the wrist, thus giving her precedence.
Its the man hanging on 10 the woman
and not the woman clinging 70 the man;
and is, | expect somewhat a concession
to the new-tangled notions about
women rights y
Its not graceful and | don't ike il 10
way When [ saw 'em a walking around
with a grip on 10 their girls wrists, and
the girls hands sticking out to the front
it reminded me of iellel | saw once. who
had caught snake by the neck and was
holding it off at arms length, afraid OF
being bitten. Aud for the want Of bet
ter name for this new style, | intend to
call it 'snake-ock.'
While | was standing near Franklin
|county's exhibit drawing mental COM
pariscns between things as they are ami
things as they used to be, young Wake
Forest student that knew came up wit h
city girl and he had the snake lock =
on her in the most approved style. Now
this young man was raised on farm and
had seen him plowing bob-tail gray
mule many time. He proposed TO her to
axe a look at the pickles, sweet meats, etc.
but she with asupercilious air, oh, no,
[ detesi everything pertaining to the
cuisine, unless I'm hungry, | love the
artistic and ornamental. Let's look at
this embroidery" And judging from
the lock which came into that young
man face / am of the opinion that he
could not have been hired afterwards to
have said bacon and collards' to that
! girl Ter twenty five cents and thinks | tO
myself, thinks I-''old feller, you'd bet
ter release your grip from that young
woman's wrist and hitch on to some
country girl that knows chicken from
turkey and can tell which COW gives the
butter-miik." For when he completes
his education, if he should succeed IL
persuading this city girl to link her des'
tiny with bis and he should happen t
fail in the profession he chooses anC
should have to 90 back to plowlrg & that
gray mule, he'll find himself prematurely
bald beaded Its not all Of life to live,
neither is it all of life to eat, but at tht
same time life is not made up OF etherea
nothingness and a satisfied "stummack
has a wonderful effect in preserving th,
equilibrium of ones temper.
While | was at the Exp position | cor
4 II,
asked a young lady who was stopping a
the Branson House if | could have tht
pleasure of taking her. She consented
and | went around for her. Aud whei
we got out on the sidewalk, | didn't asl
her to take my arm, but | was foo
enough to try to follow the fashion ant
to attempt the 'snake-lock. 30
reached down and grabbed her BY til,
wrist. Now I'm purity tail and she i
rather low, and when | Strengthened up
| had her purity well lifted off the ground
She was tip -toeing purity smaltly, in fac
| | had her walking turkey good fash
ion. Thus we kept on until she told N,
that she believed she preferred WALKING
to being toted in that manner, then re
leased my grip and she took my arm
but she touched it mighty lightly. sh'
didn't pull down much and | didn't likt
that.
Byron's Mazeppa was played that nig h
by Miss Louise Buckingham taking tn
part OF Mazeppa. After had watche,
the play awhile, concluded that there
was not much Byron in it, but grea
deal Of Mazeppa. Miss Buckingham
acting did very well, but, | must confes
found myself wishing two or thre