davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
FORGOT SOMETHING.

A Post-Oface Clerk Declines to Accom-.
mediate an Anxious Old Lady.
"Could get a letter back that 1 dropped
in a box uptown bout an hour agos" asked
an anxious old woman at the general de-
livery window Of the New York post-office
the other day.
mo, you couldn't was the reply. ssLet-
tiers dropped in the boxes must go the regu-
lar course. They can't be returned to the
writer"
''Cayn'ts Well, that's too bad. It's a
real important letter to darter o. mine
ivin' few miles out o. Jersey City, and
here ! was green enough TO mail it without
backin' it proper, an Pm 'feered it Ill be
a long time gittin' to her. You couldn't
have the mailin' clerk finish backin' itr'
81 don't know, but I doubt if I could.
May be I can, though. What's missing
from the address,"
swell, it's addressed to Mrs. Susan Ann
Honeyman, Box 247, Jersey City,
isn't that all right?'
eyes, all right fer as i. goes; but it is
reel important letter, and forgot to put in
haste on it, that's all If you'll just hunt
it up and"
But the crowd swept her away from the
window before the sentence was finished.
Time,
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
An Ill Wind.

!. While bee-keepers at the North are
agitating for legislation against the
spraying of fruit trees with arsenites
during the blossoming season as a pro-
lection against fruit-injuring insects,
sportsmen at the South appear to have
an equally valid cause for legislation
against the use Of paris green by cotton
planters for the destruction of the cotton
worm. Complaints come from many
quarters that the liberal use of this
arsenite has been playing havoc with
the game birds, which fed upon the
poisoned worms, Of which they are very
fond. Partridges and prairie chickens.
which were very numerous in MANY
regions. have, it is said, been nearly all
destroyed. Whole focks having been
found dead in many places. There is
danger that unless the worms are saved
from the poison the sportsman's occu-
patton will soon be gone in wide areas
just as its an i'll wind that blows no.
body good, It's = good wind that blows
nOb7dy i'll
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
SWEET POTATOES.

The Best Methods of Growing, 0pAOoet10
and Harvesting.
L have been growing and sproutine
sweet potatoes for eleven years, writes
correspondent of the American Agri-
culturist, and my method of harvesting,
storing and keeping them is as follows:
Boxes are made two feet long, one foo
wide and one foot deep. The hettoD
and ends are of inch boards, the sides q
Stats, with spaces a quarter of an inch
between for ventilation. Each box con.
tains one bushel, allowing for shrinls
age. The dimensions OF the bo1es
should be very exact, so they may be SCI
one above another, without projecting
beyond the general pile.
The ii me to harvest the sweet potar
toes is on dry, sunny days. Take the
boxes to the field and fill them nearly
to the top. taking care not to let any.
project above, SO as to become bruised
by superintendent box. They are
hauled in and stored at once. MY sWeet
potato house is sixteen feet square snd
eight high in the clear, of heWn logs,
made perfectly tight by being pointed
inside and out with mortar. The cetls
ing is of dressed and matched pine lum-
Der, upon which is spread foot of saw
dust, to keep out frost There is D
fireplace on the north side of the store
room. The potatoes, having been sorted
in the field, are brought in and the
boxes are stacked up, the lower one bee
ing foot from the earth foor a small
fire is kept up in damp and rainy weash-
er to dry the potatoes thoroughly be.
fore winter sets in; snd after the wealth
or becomes frosty. sufficient fire is
maintained to preserve . temperature q
about sixty degrees, never allowing il
to go lower than fifty. IN this way 3
have kept three hundred bushels of
sweet potatoes, with . loss Of less than
one in twenty.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28

tend operations. One by one the things
had been handed over in profound still
ness, and a big stack made by the Cor
don's back doorstep.
There were bags Of potatoes, Of tur-
nips, of onions and OF beans, two big
bundles of wood, one or two cabbages
and yellow pumpkins to give color to
the pile and the bag of -four above, while
browning the whole was cautiously set
in place Jack-o'lantern fixed to pole.
It hao cross-bar for arms and was COM
fortably attired in Tom Horizons OUT
grown overcoat, which would be just big
enough for Dick, while its Glands" were
ornamented with q pair of new blue nit
tens sent by Mrs. Gray. How the boya
gloated over that stack, to be sure.
Dear, dear me, nothing but the fear of
getting caught ever induced them to
tear themselves away. Then they hid
behind the fence on the Gray side of it,
while Tom gave laundering rap aud
then bounced over among them, nearly
demolishing Billy in his haste.
They nearly exploded when Dick came
to the door and gave perfect ycll of
surprise. Then as he shouted to the
rest of the family to come and see, how
the eyes at every crack in the fence did
shine. It was we'll the Jack beamed so,
or really I don't know but the eyes
would have illuminated for themselves.
If the Gordons got more pleasure out OF
it than the boys did I don't know how
they did it. And this at least 1 am sure
OF, that every single boy who had hand
in that pile declared it was the jolliest
fun he had ever had in his life, and that
more than one substantial present that
found its way to the Gordon house in
the succeeding weeks was a result OF the
ball that the boys set rolling that night
of the Jack-o'-lantern parade. Ruth
Hays, in N. Y. Observer.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.
MANURE.
The Beat Methods of Making, Saving and
Applying 1t.

The Beat Methods of Making. Saving and
Applying It.
It is an all-important point in the
saving OF manure, says the Ohio Farmer,
to use enough bedding to absorb all of
the liquid manure, for there is where
the greatest waste of manure occurs
The solid manure is nearly always saved,
but large part of the liquid manure is
allowed to go to waste, and often be-
cause the value Of it is not properly
understood. OF late there has been so
much written and said on the subject
that almost every intelligent farmer
Understands its value. was more fully
impressed with its value when took
up an old stable floor few years ago.
There were two or three loads of worn
out straw, chaff and dried manure, all of
1T SO dry and light it was difficult to
load on account of the wind blowing it
away; to all appearance it was not
worth much more than SO much chaff.
We were top-dressing wheat with stable
manure at the time. We spread this
manure on the same field, but not near
as thick, and the wheat thus manured
was almost twice as heavy, and the
grass where it was applied always lodged
as long as it was in meadow. Since
then have doubled my efforts in trying
to save all the liquid manure.
think straw and chaff little the
incest for bedding, when it can be had,
as they are drier and generally more
convenient; but leaves, muck, sawdust
and shavings will answer the same pur-
pose. Yards where stock is allowed to
run should be as small as possible, not to
crowd the stock too much, and then the
manure will not be washed so much by
the rain and will be easier to gather.
Where stock is allowed to run to stack
in the yard, the litter around the stack
should be kept spread over the yard and
kept as near level as possible, and if
any thing, have the lowest spot in the
center. think it good plan to allow
hogs to run in the yard, as they will
keep it from getting tramped SO hard,
and the straw will rot faster.
1t will surprise those who have never
tried this plan to see the amount of
straw that can be worked into manure.
In this connection 1 should like to call
the attention of farmers who keep sheep
to the Importance of keeping them we'll
bedded with clean straw. / am quite
sure that the benefit from the manure
can be nearly doubled and the only
trouble will be to keep the stables
cleaned often, so as not to let the ma
nure ferment, as it would be unhealthy
for the sheep. The common practice is
to let sheep run without any bedding at
all and never clean the stables until
they want to use the manure; then they
have to use a pickaxe or spade to dig
the manure up, and it comes out in great
chunks, difficult to spread evenly. If
they were kept bedded and the stables
cleaned, the manure would be as easy to
spread as other manure, and there would
be double the amount of it.
1t is good plan to have the stable
floors as nearly water-tight as possible,
in order to keep the liquid part of the
manure where it can be absorbed by the
bedding or dipped up and turned over
the pile.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
A LAWYERS APPETITE.

1t Was Simply Enormous and In the Course
of Time Killed It's Owner.
In conversation with a leading law
yer to-day we fell to talking about glnt-
tony and gluttons, and he told me a
story about the gluttony of a brother
lawyer of this city, in the front rank Of
his profession, who fell victim several
years ago to his eating and drinking
habits. 81 was with him and another
friend" said my informant, several
summers ago at Coney Island; and one
day he requested our company at his
parlors at eleven o'clock that night, to
"a little lunch;' we were on hand, though
little sleepy, and were appalled, at the
costly and expensive repast which he
had provided. There was such a variety
of dishes and SO many courses that it
required all our ingenuity to work our
way through them, by pretending to par.
take of each of them so as not to bring
on fit of sickness. But not SO with
our host, who partook freely of every
thing on the menu. 1 will just tell you
few things that he got away with be-
fore we got up. Among them were two
cups of coffee, an oyster stew, dozen
oysters raw, whole lobster, a large dish
of chicken salad, several slices cf bread
and butter, and two quarts OF cham
payne We ourselves, am proud to
say, got away with our lives, at one
o'clock in the morning, retired, but
actually lay awake until morning ex-
pecting to hear that my learned friend
had been seized with mortal Illness.
But as no such tidings arrived, arose
about breakfast time, still expecting to
hear that he was dead. On the contra
ry,- however, he was the first man
met on the piazza, looking as fresh as a
rose. He is dead now, however, and we
have another prominent man in Chicago
who will go the same way soon."-Ck:ea-
go Journal.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
BUT MORE SURPRISES WERE TO CONE.
but the boys would have

BUT MORE SURPRISES WE'RE TO COME.
sequentially, but the boys would have
no airs.
'"That will be jolly for your father"
said John Teal; ''but what are you
going to give yourself?'
Walter lifted his eyebrows super
ciliously. ''Isn't that enough?" he said,
haughtily.
''More than enough for your father"
said Jasper. bluntly; ''but you don't
give it. 1 thought we boys were run
ming this business" and then Walter
offered his mite with the rest.
The night before Thanksgiving came,
clear, starlit evening, dark enough for
the conspirators, but not too dark. The
Gordons were all at home, Mr.. Gordon
sitting up and busted with piece of
wood carving. He was carpenter by
trade, and had some skill, which he
hoped to turn to trif1ing account during
his illness. He looked pale and anx-
ious, and there were new lines of care in
Mother Gordon's face as she bent over
her mending-basket. The younger
children were safely in bed, and Dick
and Ellen at the table, with their heads
slose together, were pulling over
hard ''sum," for they were trying to
keep up with their classes by evening
work. Tomorrow would be a holiday
ut the mill, but there would be little
feStlv1ty at home. 1t was so hard to
earn the daily food for the family now:
there was nothing to spare for luxuries.
II wish L could get up little some
thing extra for the children" thought
Mrs. Gordon, with weary sigh, and at
the moment came laundering rap at
the door and a sound of swift feet scur-
rying away.
CHOSE boys!' sighed Mr.. Gordon.
half irritably, and Dick sprang up and
ran to the door.
"What is it, Dick? Don't keep the
door open," called his mother, for Dick
was looking up and down the street fo-
the mysterious visitant.
sIt's a box" he called back, excitedlv.
ga big box!" and Ellen flew to helm him.
aud between them they rugged into the
room not only the big box, but a smaller
pasteboard one that had been hidden
behind it. And there were Rachel's
plump chickens dressed for COOKING. and
looking almost good enough to be eaten
then and there; there were potatoes.
turnips and onions, nicely washed and
made ready, and a quart bowl OF
ruddy cranberry sauce. There was a
loaf OF bread for stuffing, while the
smaller box held two spicy mince pies
below (Which Rachels mother had sentl
and above the pumpkin pies she had
promised, of which she was Justly proud.
SO glossy, so golden were they. with
crisp edges of crust delicious to see.
And if she and Jasper could have seen
the Thanksgiving their gifts made in
the Gordon household they would have
been repaid hundred-fold.
But more surprises were to come The
Jack-olantern boys had decided with
many regrets not to hang their gifts
separately, because some Of us are dead
sure to be caught-that Dick, you
know" so they had met ct Billy Gray's
house, the back yard whereof joined the
back yard of the Gordons. Here one or
two of them had climbed over the fence,
the rest occupying the vantage ground
Of shed roof and fence itself to superin-
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
FIELD GATE.

post. By tramping in the soil and frege
ments of stone the post will retain its
position and soon become quite rigid.
Then on top nail another square board
very slightly slanted, so as to protec9
the post from rain and sun. 1t is sup
posed that the hinges and posts have
been adapted to each other.
The gates should be light, perfectly
balanced and of durable wood. g0
structure is important, and herein is the
point of failure, if any.
One brace should extend diagona1l6
from the heel of the gate to the upper
free corner of the nose of the frame
being bolted or nailed with wroughe
nails and clinched to each cross-rail. If
so braced the sag or dragging of the
gate will be very slow to manifest IT.
self. Sometimes fine gates have pieces
crossing at right angles about the
middle of the gate, but they are quite
unnecessary and are harmful, as they
add weight with but little increase O
strength. By the tightness of The con-
struction some firmneSs is at first found,
but soon lost, and in a few months the
gate says and the carpenter artist is
blamed. Every brace should rest in Che
direction of its length. When a secon4
strip, diagonal from the middle q the
gate down to the lower free corner, is a.
tached, it only resists in the direction o.
its width. The gate is A B N q
brace &C AZ should be firmly attached
to the cross strips with double strip af
d, in which one latch may hang.
Under the corner d Q caster-rolle4
may be placed with a piece in tie
ground for this wheel to travel upo0.
With this there is no probability of tho
gate sagging as long as the wood dos
not give way from decay.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28

'sShe thinks lot of those chickens, too
Meant to sell them for her Christmas
| money. Won't it help the Gordons
though? Must be having tough time
of it, / declare! Why don't tell the
other fellows tonight and get 'em all to
do something? They needn't interfere
| with Rays basket, and / guess the Cor
dons will need all the help they can get
this winter. Perhaps their fathers will
help. too, if the boys do; anyway it'll set
the ball a-rolling. There, If that amt q
fine sfgger' Of Jack-o,lantern never
saw one," and Jasper swept up his chips
and carried his Jack of in triumph to
be displayed.
The parade duly took place, and was a
fine affair with two or three dozen boys
in the ranks, with s'Jacks" Of all degrees
OF ugliness. Jasper hadn't been able to
keep his plan a secret till after the per-
Torrance as he had intended, but had
come out with 1t, boy-fashion, just as
soon as he reached the place of rendez-
vous, and all the boys were elate with
the idea. Nothing would do but they
must go through the village and down
the side street where the Gordons lived,
bringing the whole family to the win
dows by their noisy demonstrations,
when each boy waved his hat wildly, and
gave them three times three before they
moved on. The Gordons were rather puz-
zled by this proceeding. Dick indeed
thought it rather kind Of his old school
mates to give him a bit of their fun,
though he was no longer of them. Mrs.
Gordon wished they hadn't been so noisy
and walked spa" who had just dropped
into an uneasy slumber, but boys don't
think, she added, apologetically. Ellen
sighed over the pumpkins wasted on
that procession and wished she had one
for pies; while the smaller fry one and
all were wild with excitement and longed
to give chase, but were relentlessly swept
of to bed by the motherly Jane, who
came next Ellen in age, and was nurse
maid in general.
Little did any of the family guess at
the plans developing in that noisy
crowd. Every boy was ready to do
something, for Dick had been favorite,
and then Jasper's artful proposal that
the things should be hung at the door,
May-basket fashion, promised unlimited
larks.
They were all country boys, with each
his own way of earning money. Some
had vegetables of their own raising,
some apples; several of them kept hens
and had eggs to sell, and though none
of them could give much, yet as one
boys gift met another's, good deal was
made up.
''I'll give wood" cried Tom Horton,
loudly; ''I've got wood-lot this year."
"And so've l." shouted Billy Gray,
''and I will give just as much as Tom
does!'
''I've got prime lot of nuts to sell"
added another. ''I'll give some of the
money towards bag of four and then
there were several dimes and quarters
offered to make it up.
''I'll ask father to send a load of
COAL" said Walter Hale, at last, con-
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28

softly up ana took a seat on the landing just
as Mr.. Bowser had removed coat aud vest
and collar and was mixing the lather.
While he was soaping his tace heard him
growl several times, and afterwards ascer-
tanned that it was caused by his jabbing
the brush into his eyes and mouth by mis-
take. About one-haf Of the lather was de-
posted on hls shirt front before he got
through. He was just seventeen minutes
getting ready for the razor, and when he
took 1t up beard him mutter:
This thing handles mighty awkward
If that fellow has gone and sold me q left
handed razor Pn prosecute him to the last
ditchl"
He held it In various positions to get ssthe
hang" and when he finally got it, he made
. careful motion along his right cheek To
his great surprise and delight he didn't cut
his head on. On the contrary, he shaved
on q whole spoonful Of lether. and heard
him chuckling:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28

I was young an straight as sapling, my hand
didn't tremble then;
held my head with the highest. an had the re.
spect of men;
I stood in the flush of manhood an drank ut
this same bar.
IT'S true as there is a Heaven, where my wife
an children are!
drank up thrifty business, an then in the
empty bowl
I squandered the dear old homestead, an sti-
fed my wretched soul,
An broke the heart OF my darling; God! can
such things be true?
left her homeless and dying, and came to
carouse with you.
Sweets Yes! it's sweet an its bitter, an
here's to your health, my friend!
Mol my story isn't finished, but it's getting on
to the end;
The children went with their mother, as chill
dreu mostly do,
An buried them, or the city did-here's luck
an long life to you.
Who's that?-don't you see her?-there! my
w:fei-and the children, too!
Why, Katy, my girl, go home, go home; this
isn't the place for you!
It isn't Katy!- raving here! have
money yet;
Give me another-stronger-Imus forGet-for-
get!
shayl isn't it awfully jolly, this drinking your
self to ruin?
An getting the worth of your money, just as
have been doing?
Shay! is there any thing the matter: Don't put
me into the street!
If I stay little longer then my story'u be
complete
Shay! I'm your friend, bartender; what's the
maZzer with me?
It's getting dark of q sudden-sdark can not
see
ListenI there's some one singing! IT'S Katy's
voice hear:
"Wa-t-c-h--n-g and Waiting for thee.
at Heavens portals. DEAR
MRS. NJ L. RAYNE.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28

In the warm, mellow sunshine. "A load
Of cornstalks was going in at the farm
gate and row of yellow pumpkins
summed themselves in the open barn
window, while punches of peppers hung
drying outside. Through the yellow
leaves Of the big elms the sky showed
deeply blue, and afar off the river gilt
tered like a silver thread through the
meadows. But Jasper wasn't thinking
of the beauty of the afternoon, being
very much engaged just now with his
Jack-o'-lantern. He had got quite be-
witching slant to the eyes, and what he
regarded as most fetching" express
sion to the mouth. and was proceeding
to elaborate the nose when Rachel came
out.
Another Jack-o'-lantern, Jasper?" she
called out before she was fairly off the
door steps. ''What hoy you are!'
eyes, ma'am;" Jasper kept on carv-
ing. "And the biggest one of the sea-
son, too! Coin to have parade to-
night"
Rachel didn't say any thing to this.
She came along to the bench, leaning
idly against the well-curb, and falling
into a brown study Immediately. JAS
per looked at her once or twice, curious
ly, out of the corner of his eye to see
s'what was up" for Rachel was never
quiet long. Presently she remarked,
solemnly, and apropos of nothing:
sJasper, it's almost Thanksgiving.''
Jasper laughed. s'Tell US something
we don't know, won't you?" he sug.
yested, holding off his Jack and survey.
ing it critically with one eye shut.
Rachel laughed a little, too, but soon
grew grave again. sWell, what are you
going to do about it, you know?"
s'Do?" Jasper stared at her with both
eyes open. "Why, let it come, to be
sure. What are you driving at?"
Rachel sat down on the bench beside
him to talk comfortably. 'You know
the Gordons, don't your" she said. I'm
driving at them"
''Dick's folks, yes; what of emp"
''Why, they're in great trouble. Mr..
Gordon broke his leg last week, and
their cows dead"
81 know it," interrupted Jasper.
''They took Dick out Of school and put
him in the mill. He's a smart little
chap and s'pose somebody's got to earn
money"
Eyes. And Ellen's in the mill, too
She was in my Glass;
Rachel stopped to muse again. How
she would hate working in the mill her
self!
"Well?" prompted Jasper, and she
reused at once. so, yes! Well, I've
been thinking; and if you'll give some
of your vegetables and things, I'll give
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
"JAsPER, RS ALMOST THANKSGIVING.

JASPER, IT'S ALMOST THANKSGIVING"
. pair Of my chickens and we can send
them Thanksgiving dinner"
'sThey won't take it, I'll bet," said as
per, promptly. They're awful proud. I"
ssAh. but how can they help it?" said
Rachel. ssWe11 hang it at the door the
night beforehand, and they'll never know
who sent it. They can't send it back
then! See?"
She hoped that Jasper wasn't going
'sto throw cold water" This was such a
nice way of helping the Gordons, and
she was so sorry for them. But she
needn't have been afraid; Jasper was
only considering, and presently he said:
s.Au right, Rachel, go ahead; and, I
say, put in one Of my honey-combs, too.
for the babies"
ssThat'u be jolly" Rachel beamed on
him. "And If you don't turn all your
pumpkins into Jack-o'-lanterns before
then, I'll make some pies. It'll be .
famous basket You'll see."
She jumped up lightly and ran on to
in1pect her chickens and decide an the
two r. be sacrificed.
ssThat wasn't half bad of Ray" said
Jaspes to himself - she disappeared