The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-11
MAD TO HARROW.
How Deacon Moses Brown Handled an
Obstinate Horse.


frmness that some persons called
him obstinate, says the Youths
Companion. Though never harsh
in his treatment of his oxen and
horses, he always contrived to
handle them so that they were the
best-trained animals in the neigh
borhood. At last, however, the
good deacon bought an apparently
fine horse, which after time occa-
sionally showed signs Of being
balky. Still the deacon was so skill
full in his management that he had
no serious trouble, until one day
in May when he undertook to do
some narrowing on his little farm.
The horse went we'll enough for
a time, but about 8 o'clock in the
morning he suddenly stopped and
obstinately refused to bulge. The
deacon coaxed him, tried to lead
him by the bride, even whipped
him a little, but all without avail.
There the beast stood, and there he
evidently meant to stand just as
long as he pleased.
Bill SWEET, the hired man, who
was at work with the oxen in the
adjoining field, chuckled as he saw
the deacon's predicainent.
"Guess he's stuck this time," said
Bill to himself. "Might about as
we'll give it up" as the deacon made
another Intellectual attempt to start
the obstinate brute.
Pretty soon the deacon hung the
reins over the top Of the names and
started for the house.
"What's the old man up to now,
s'pose?" asked Bill, apparently of
the "nigh" OK. Shouldn't wonder
if he's goin' to try somethin' new"
And SO it proved, for in mo-
ment the deacon reappeared bear
ing two pieces of board and an old
kitchen chair.
"Looks as though he meant to Sc
down n take it easy" explained
Bill to the oxen. "Guess he'll be
maxim an all-day job of it,
The deacon, without saying a
word, placed the boards side by
side on the harrow, set the chair
firmly on the boards, took the reins
in his hands and seated himself in
the chair. Then he took the reins
encouragingly and called cheering
ly to the horse:
"Come, go long, ye've got to
harrer !"
But the horse didn't harrow; he
simply put his ears back and looked
perfectly immovable.
So all through the forenoon the
deacon sat perched on his chair,
showing no anger, nor even lmpa-
tience. Sometimes he sang to him.
self stanza or two of
How firm foundation, ye saints of the
Lord.
or something equally applicable to
the case in hand. Occasionally he
shook the reins and called, "Come,
git up, got to harrer !"
When the dinner-horn sounded
the deacon called to Bill:
"Tell mother | sha'n't be up till
I get through this job"
When, after dinner, Bill returned
to his work he saw the deacon sit
ting solemnly erect, and heard him
repeat the familiar refrain, "Come,
60 long, ye'ye got to harrer
During the afternoon Bill often
looked across at the deacon and
horse, and expressed, sometimes to
himself, sometimes to the nigh"
OK, his belief that the deacon had
met his match. Then, as he looked
again and remembered how determ-
ined Deacon Moses always was, be
would change his mind and say,
"Wall, by back, the old man'll
fetch him yit."
By and by the horn was blown
for supper, but the deacon little
needed. He only called to Bill, and
told him to see to all the chores, as
he couldn't leave the field yet
awhile; then he tapped the reins
gently and repeated the well-worn
formula, "Come, go long, got to
harrer y
Bill ate his supper, did the chores,
and prepared to go to bed. Then
he thought he would just look to
see how the deacon was getting
along with his job. So to the field
he went in the darkness-it was
now nearly 8 o'clock in the evening
there to find the triumphant dea.
con riding on the harrow across
the field as fast as the horse could
haul him.
They did not stop as Bill ap.
preached, but the deacon shouted
as they went past, Had to harrer
didn't he?"
1t is worth recording that evel
afterward the horse remembered bis
lesson and never showed any symp
toms of balkiness. AS the deacoE
would have said, "He knew he'd
got to harrer."
The Use Of Water and Salt.
Salt is an absolute essential te