Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-05-08
NUMBER ~
partially aroused sleeper, who sinks to
sleep again. under the influence of

sleep again, under the influence o
| newly administered anodyne.
The Giant assured him that the pres
ent period of depression was not of very
wide extent, and that statistics would
show that the prosperity of the island
was above the average. He got down
books containing tabulated statements,
and proceeded to show the farmer that
the condition of the island, as whole,
| was excellent. Then he took Farmer
Jack over his estate. and over that of
some OF his sons. He showed him his
fine horses and houses, his imported
stock, talked learnedly bout improved
hods of farming, pointed out how
thrift, ability. and foresight tended to
make one prosperous, illustrated his
meaning by pointing to the marvellous
! influence these qualities had exerted
over the fortunes of one of his sons,
who had begun life with mouse-trap
and now owned vast domain. The
farmer did not suspect that the thrift,
ability and foresight of this son were
| the thrift, ability and foresight of the
gambler who has half the deck up his
sleeve.
Again the conversation drifted to
farming, and the farmer received hints
as to the advisability of being more
economic in his living, introducing inn
proved machinery, rotating his crops,
raising greater varieties of farm pro-
ducts, until he began to feel ashamed
of himself, and mwardly resolved,
amid his sumptuous surroundings, to
spend no more money in riotous living,
and entirely reform bis methods. He
was made to feel that he was RESPONSE.
ble for the condition of things on the
island. So, when he left the giant, he
had a pocket full of money and a heart
full of hope and good resolutions, 6ut
the giant had a mortgage on has farm.
AS be was leaving he saw a mtn being
kicked out of one of the park gates,
but it was only miner who had come
to make some complaint. He did not
have any interest in the matter.
CHAPTER VI.
Years passed over the head Of the
Farmer and his childr en-, bringing with
them, now good, and again, evil for
tune; but during the whole time the
condition of the farmer and his sons
was becoming slowly but surely worse,
notwithstanding the optimistic views
of the giant, who contiuually predicted
better times in the near future, and
was always ready with some plausible
explanation of why they were so bad
now; but who never let an opportunity
escape of intiaming the fathers ire to-
ward his sons who lived in the south
ern end of the island. Year by year,
the farmer had parted with his land,
acre by acre, and that which he now
held was heavily mortgaged. He had
tried many of the suggestions of the |
giant. While, for time, some of them I
seemed succe ssful, eventually he had
to borrow more money to keep bis head |
above water. He had practised the
strictest economy, all to no purpose.
Year by year, is mortgage grew, his
dress became more shabby in its ap-
pearance. His dress, his stock, his
fact, everything about him,
began to show unmistakable signs of
and decay. Still, his land
was fairly good, his crops were abund-
ant. When be consulted the giant,
that party showed him his own pros
perity and that of his sons, and, by
ong tables of statistics, convin ced him
hat the island was prosperous, and,
Dy many ingenious arguments which
have not now time to repeat, tried to
make him believe that 1t was not bad
hing to be in debt. If any of the farm
RS sons suggest any curtailment of
he giants privileges in the family
ouncil. they were overwhelmed with
pprobrious epithets. On these occas-
ons his claquers would howl "crank!" I
anarchist" and "socialstw until
hey were black in the face: by this
means confusing the old man very
much, so that he could hardly tell
ight from wrong.