Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-08-27
THE COUaTRYNAN AND THE CHIEF.
MORE EAYEsDROPPING.

a few of the "Chiels" and soap
tains' assembled at the usual place
of meeting to consider the disailec-
ton in the ranks of the "Old Par
/ ty' rs evidenced by the cOllOquy
between the "COuntryman and the
Colonel Precisely at midnight,
when all was dark and still, the
Grand Chewongfong whispered the
meeting to Orderand read the HER
AID in low and soft tones. The
conclusion was quickly reached
that Chief Joseph, (northwest) va
riously known as Oily Joe, Slippery
Joe, Talfy Joe and Gentleman Joe,
must see John and Jim without de-
lay. Our eavesdropper was at the
hall-glass door where one pane OF
glass is nibbed in the corner, and
he caught on TO the proceedings
and plan OF campaign. The next
day he preceded the "Chief," took
a survey of the field, and put him
self in position to see and hear
The place was well adapted to his
purpose. A clump of very large
trees were at the side of a field, and
through these he could work his
way unseen to the fence that en-
closed it. Here John had been
/ blowing, but just then it was din
ner time, and John was backed up
against one Of the largest trees with
his lunch bucket i'm his front. by
his side was the old time farmers
water pail and long.used gourd.-
Chief Joseph came lelsurely riding
along the "Back Road" when his
attention was drawn to the field by
Johns voice calling out to his res
tive pillow team, whoa, there! Jo-
seph rode straight to the spot where
he acc0sted John with his accus-
toned smile and in his usual Ches-
terlieldian manner. Stretching out
his right leg and drawing up his
left till he rested on his thigh in
the saddle, Chief Joseph began
with an inquiry intended to impress
John with the deep interest felt in
his welfare.
SAID he, "John are you farming
land on shares when you have
plenty of your ~
eyes, Joseph" said John, "Jim
and me thought we would try a
change in cropping this year
You sec everything went against
us last year, and we are going to
try a change of everything but our
religion. Joseph that is the only
comfort we have had these twelve
months or more
"What share do you get, John ?
How do you farm the land y
"Well, Jim and me furnishes the
seed and phosphate and get half
we raise. The land you see is only
medium, but with tOlerable sea-
son we may get twelve or fifteen
bushels to the acre. Twenty acres
ought to make two hundred and
forty or fifty bushels. Half of this
will nay us for our seed, phosphate,
harvesting, threshing aud leave us
enough to pay our horse feed while
We are blowing"
"Then, John, you don't count
your work at all"
"les, Joseph, you see there are
twenty-three trees scattered over
this field and we hope to get our
pay OH Of them
"But, John, they all bore apples
this year. They are not likely to
do so again next"
"That is just the reason we took
this field on the shares. lOu see,
Joseph, our trees seem to be too
old to bear anything, and we
thought as these had fruit on this
season, they might produce the crop
of halfdollars next year, and we
would get half
ala, Ia, ha. John, do declare.
Why, you must be the fellow the
HERALD says downed the Colonel
81 saw the HERALD, Joseph, and
jim aud me have been stumped
ever since to guess who told all
about it so plain"
"John, you did not like the Colo
ners explanation, | see. Didn't he
make it all right to your mind y
"No, Joseph, he did not. You
know how you and Mat and RO-
manus and JOSIAH and the doctor
aud others come along the "Back
Road = and told me and jim about
the good times coming, about all
that silver and low taxes and such
things, and Jim and me thought as
how we had give ont our horses
and wagon to haul our neighbOrs to
the polls, that il the DemOcratical
party was going to fool anybody
it ought not to be u.s."
$50 you are going to vote the
old ticket and try for the crop in a
new field. am glad to hear 1t,
John. intend to stick once more
myself"
"Ah. Joseph, they tell me you
fellers that ride round get paid by
tho Democratical committee. Your
crop is a sure one. Ours is subject
to drought and hail aud frost and
such like. Now they tell us the
hail destroyed the half-dollars in
their green state and they decay !
out of sight as soon as they fall to