Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-03
AN uNHEARD OF soHEMER.
The Experience of Farmer Wright, of
Webster, with an Ohio Man.

AAN AAPoEieucS OF Farmer wright VI
Webster, with an Ohio Man.
From the Antericas tee Recorder.
'SAnd so you have got one Of those Ohio
tramps at your place, have your
The above question was addressed to
Mr.. Wright, OF Webster county, few
days ago.
''Tramps 20 answered the farmer, "Do
you call them tramps? Well, if they are,
they have more sense than any tramps |
ever met, and be went on to explain how
he had got the man in his employ, and
what he had done.
A reporter had long interview with
him few hours after the above converse
tion, and Mr.. Wrights experience has
been decided eye-Opener TO him.
THE way | met my Ohio triend," he
said, was this. | was in Preston one
day and was made acquainted with him.
heard hum inquire if any one was IN
from near Jack StapletOn's. | told him L
lived near there. and if he wanted to go
that way l could give him a seat. he
SAID he had friend who was working tor
Mr.. StapletOn, and ne would like to make
him snort visit. l took him out and in
yited him TO supper with me before going
over to StapletOn's. He was such pleas
ant and agreeable man that pressed him
to come back and remain a few days with
me, and after some hesitation he agreed to
do so. He came back and remained at
my house during tine holidays. The house
was full of company, and he was so quiet
and agreeable, and withal such gentle
man that he was much thought OF and
made many friends"
81 thought you said you hired him."
broke IN the reporter.
''WaIt minute. | am coming to that"
said Mr.. Wright. "My man, as call him,
asked lots of questions about our way OF
farm lng; said he was reared on a farm,
and had always liked it, but had turned
out to be an engineer. One night near
New Years day we were talking, and l
asked aim what he intended to do in this
country. He said he hardly knew; that
ne had come down ON DIR. EstabrOOk's eX-
cursiOn to get out of the cold weather.
That he was willing to do anything to
make an honest living, and asked me il
knew of anyone who wanted hand. 1
told him | needed one, but could not afford
to pay as much as 1 knew he would want.
He said he didn't know about that, and
asked me TO name my price. l told him L
would see him in the morning.
''rhe next morning l told MIN what 1
could afford to pay, andsto my surprise he
Immediately accepted it, and asked for
some work to do. On January 1, bright
and early, he was up and out. working
here and there, at whatever he could see
needed done. / never saw such a man TO
work. He kept IL up, and in week had
my place Strengthened up as it hasn't
been for years. Then the cold weather
came on, and you ought to have seen how
we'll ne cared for the cattle! He fed them
we'll, kept good beds for them, and nailed
up every crack in the barn.
zone morning we got up and found our
pond frozen over completely. He walked
over to it, examined it for minute, and
then to my horror and astonishment, ran
on it and slid clear across, coming back
the same way, something l would not do
for $1,000. When he got back, he said;
"'Why don't you put up ice hereP
"'Put uD iee,' said l, and burst out
laughing. Why, man, 1t wouldn't last a
week, and then have no place to put
it,"
"'Why, that's easy enough said he. Il
can put up this ice for you, and it will keep
as long as you will want it,
'rhe idea dumfounded me, and l
wouldn't listen to or think of it. Well, do
you know. that fellow talked ice into my
head all day, and when l got up the next
day he began it again, and the next. The
night of the third day L went to bed full of
ice. | dreampt OF ice; | ate ice and slept
ice. and when | arose the next morning
was determined to have ice for an expert
ment. l told my man so, and he was de-
lighted.
''He ran and got saw, and and he
and negro went to the pond, He got a
long board and put it near the middle OF
the pond, broke hole in the ice and start
ed his saw, cutting out square blocks
about 2 feet square. The ice was 51@
inches thick. By noon he'll had 1900 or 1,5O0
pounds cut out, working like Trojan in
his shirt sleeves in that clustering wealth
er. The lumber for the ice house was on
hand then, and he began that, selecting a
cool and snadY place for it. He built il
air tight, with 6-inch hollow wall on all
sides, which he packed full Of sawdust.
Wnen he had rooted it he laid a heavy lay
er of saWdust and layer of ice, putting
sawdust in between each block. He filed
the house to the roof, put on more saw
dust and closed the door.
~ own | was doubtful about the expe-
riment but there was not much money at
stake. and no time lost, as we could do
nothing on the farm. The first few DAYS
the ground under the house was wet, then
it got dryer and now is perfectly dry
some days afterward he called me to the
house, scraped off the sawdust, and asked
me 10 feel OF the ice. | did so, and it felt
as dry as glass.
That man." said Mr.. Wright, S'as he
arose to leave, sis a genus. and if our
Ohio friends are half as good farmers as
he, we need 10000 OF them here"