The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-25
THE FARMER EDITOR.
The Interesting Experience of Il Journal
istic Farm Hand.


istic Farm Hand.
al believe" said Mr.. ColnOn. turning
around, as he was on the front seat of
the carriage. TO face the larger portion
of his audience. that | had sooner
write editorials than be a farm hand.
When | was 8 boy came to the cOnclu-
sion that | would strike out on nv own
responsibility; that | would carve out a
line of action in contact with the world
at once worthy and commendable. l
left home when | was good chunk of q
boy and driftei around on the surface of
nature some time before | located my
claims and pre-empted a fondneSs for
good square up and up work. l appren-
ticed myself to farmer for Sl2 month,
board and washing. Prior to locating
with the farmer | had followed several
| calling>, but | was dissatisfied with each
and all OF them. Among the number
being butcher. painter. singing teacher
and member of Bible class in Sunday
school.
..When entered into contract with
the farmer. he said: Ned. whatever
YOU do, do it we'll If YOU milk the cow
in the morning, exact the last bit of
ROYALTY from her: if YOU feed the stock
in the evening. don't give them too
much food. for it may tie them up like
the contortionist YOU see displayed on
the circus posters; if yOu should be
called upon to get up before daylight
and hunt for it with candle, don't
complain. Ned, don't complain; re-
member that the early bird catches the
worm. and that the early farm hand is
source OF JOY to his employer. Eat
whatever Is set before YOU and never
complain if there is no butter upon the
table. when it is selling for fifty cents a
pound" Thjs was my initiation into
the duties of farmer.
had hired to the farmer late in the
ffternOon. and when supper was ready
| made 4 grand charge, in company
with three others, upon the banquet
hall. We sat down to a supper OF cold
pork. potatoes. and plenty of skinned
milk. From the outset | was affected
with diSinclinatiOn to eat; | couldn't
eat; that was all there was about it.
After supper the farmer said: Ned; 90
out to the barn and help milk. Look
! out for the brinGle cow. she is a little
troublesome sometimes, but think YOU
can manage her Armed with the
milk pail repaired to the barn and
confronted the br.ndle cow.
The brindle cow had child-lke
simplicity look in her eye. There was
striking difference in her character
as | afterward found Out-more than in
any cow that | had ever seen before, or
have ever seen since. She was raised
in Texas and grew up on the freedom
of the country, until she was just enter
ing girlhoOd. when she immigrated to
California and became the property of
my employer. | approached her with
4 great deal of caut on She had
nervous way of switching her tail and
picking up her right hind foot that |
didn't like and felt solicitous about. l
carefully put my hand on the cows
lons and solaced her with those gentle
words, so, Brindle, So She seemed
to like the affection which displayed.
| fOndled her until | thought the coast
was clear and | could get in my work
and richly earn my salary
Il commenced milking, but somehow
or other no milk rewarded my labor.
The brindle cow evidently was aware
that was a new hand upon the ranch.
l made one great exert on to exact the
fluid from her The brindle cOw-as
was afterwards informed-nervouSiy
picked up her right hind leg and gently
tied a knot in my abdomen When the
conclusion came shot up into the sky
like a rocket and in descending landed
head first in the watering trough. when
| was kindly removed to more cOngen-
ial quarters by the farmer and his two
grown daughters: the milk pail was rent
in fragments. while the corral was badly
Uttered up with the remnants of nv
clothing. To tell YOU the truth, didn't
know it was loaded.
''In the middle of the night of the
same evening that this accident hap
pened, was rudrly awakened by the
farmer placing his hand upon my
bruised legs. saving: Ned. it 5 time to
get up; come, rouse Yourself
| Thoughts in my waking moments |
that the brindle COW had again struck |
me. Getting up, | lighted the tallow |
candle in my boudoir and laboriously |
pulled on nv trOwSerS, or what was left /
of them. Coming down stairs, the |
farmer said: Ned, as YOU had pOol |
luck in the dairy last night. YOU can
wrestle with the wood-pile awhile be-
fore breakfast As went out doors a
little faint streak in the eastern horizon /
foretOld that in the course of three or
four hours the sun would illuminate the
surface of nature. | sleeply picked up /
the saw and commenced to lay the |
foundation for an appetite for break !
fast. was so sleepy and sore that I |
could not exert myself, and laying the !
saw down fell asleep with as much /
as the fat boy in Pickwick. |
Il hadn't been asleep more than han |
an hour before / was roughly awakened |
by the farmer crying: Come, l don't /
pay you to sleep. paw you to work 1
got mad ut this rough interruption to
my dreams, and as the birds were inst
beginning to carol their praises to the
morning dawn left the farm for good.
As passed out of the gate heard the
farmer remark to one of his grown-up
daughters who stood in the doorway:
IF had boy as lazy as that I would
make an editor out of him. And from
that moment / resolved to, be a news
paper man. The great success which |
have achieved in journalism is largely
due to me fact that | at one time
worked on a farm when boy. for
twelve dollars a month, with board and |
washing thrown in as an inducement
Or good behavior. Stockton 4idrertck.