The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-02-20
LETTER FROM UNCLE JOSH.
No. /
EIDDLER'S CREEK, Feb. 10.
E,7ifor Fre, 49,.
No. /


EIDDLER'S CREEK, Feb. 10.
Editor Free Tess:
Ny neighbor Deacon Goodwin and /
take you paper on the ''smix" plan;
we eachpay for half, and one week
the Deacon he has it first, then the
next week 1 have it first, then as
quick as me is done with it he hands
it over &c the other, / have tried my
best TO hive the Deacon take it first
every wetk-because then don't feel
hurried s1-you see l can't read quite
so fast as the Deacon can and [ want
to take ny time, but the Deacon he
won't heir to such a thing. He says
he doesn't have any more right TO it
than L lave, that it is ''smix" and
''smix' il must be, clean through.
The Deacon's farm joins mine and
the creel runs through both of them,
and we ret along together the very
best kline. We settled down here the
same year, which was long time ago,
and we lever had a bit of fuss which
is wonder, for [ always had dispo-
sition TO -rile up rather quick, but
the Deacon always had that same ev-
en- sort Of good nature about him that
would mike one full ashamed to say
rough word to him. "Uncle JOSH" he
would say, ''you are too good man at
heart toallow yourself to use such
words, ind this would settle it. So
after willie | learned to curb myself
for | diCn't want the Deacon to think
i'll of me, because l thought the world
of him. He is. by all odds, the smart
est man in this part of the country.
He could always talk SO smart on
most any subject.
We both were brought up in New
England on farms and had to work
early and late to make both ends meet:
the LAND was so stony and billy it took
sharp figuring to raise enough crops
TO carry the family through and keep
out of debt, that is, our family.
The Deacon's father was better off
than nine and so was able to give his
children a better education than my
father could do, but through all the
years that the Deacon and have liv-
ed neal. each other out here in the
West, he never once has made me feel
my lack of education.
'Uncle Josh" he would say, "you
are a man Of good sound common
sense. Your heart is in the right
place, and [ am proud to have
such sensible neignbor 1t was
such little sayings as these that al
ways made me feel at home and on
equal terms with the deacon. and gave
me great confidence in his judgement.
And so in all our talks on politics. or
religion. or farm management al
ways felt free to express my views,
for if we did not agree sometimes. it
would make no difference with the
deacon; he would always put forth his
hand and say: '.well goodbye for to-
day, Uncle Josh, we are good friends
always" and we would shake hands
and each go his own way. We always
hitch up together and go over to the
village several miles away, whenever
there is TO be a political gathering,
for the deacon and [ ALWAYS wanted
to hear both sides, and we discussed
the speeches on our way home, long
after dark. And so we had many a
long talk about tariff and free trade
and unlimited silver coinage, and the
hard times, and low prices for all we
have TO sell, and the causes for it, and
all that sort of thing, and what the
Deacon had to say on these subjects
seemed to me so full of wisdom and
common sense, that | thought may be
you would like to print some of it. If
so, will write again.
UNCLE JOSH.