Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-09-17

question of right just now. Will you
let me have the lot for the year at the
price offer?
Landowner-Yes; you may have it
It's so much gain to me; but if it wasn't
for that COMPOUNDED common you should
Fay more.
Another Year.
On the meanwhile Landowner has succeeded
in getting through parliament an act authoriz-
izng him to enclose the common. and has
taken possession. He has accordingly fenced
in tho whole OF 1t. Not against cattle this time,
but against Labor)
Labor, gong to Landowner-Pleasc.
sir, as the common is enclosed, I've now
no free land to work upon, and should
be very glad to hire that same lot of you
for another year.
Landowner-Humph! You did pref
ty well ON that lot last year, didn't
you?
Labor-Yes, sir! I was able to give
Capital new spade, besides paying
him for the use of his; and had enough
over to keep my family in comfort after
paying you the rent.
Landowner-And you expect to get
the land for the same rent this year?
Labor hope you will let me have
it on the same terms, sir. If I'm oblig-
ed to pay more / shall not be able to
give Capital so much for the use of his
spade, and my family will suffer for
want of the comforts to which they
have been accustomed
Landowner-That'sn none of my busi-
ness. Capital must be content with a
smaller return, and you must reduce
the expenses of your family. There's
no common for you to cultivate now, or
for him to pasture his heifer on You
must both of you cut your coat accord
ing to your cloth, and wear your old
clothes when you have no cloth.
Labor-I'm aware of that, sir, and
can only hope that you will consider
my circumstances
Landowner-What I shall consider
will be my own interest shall man.
age my estate on strictly business
principles You paid me fifteen bush.
els of potatoes on account of my inn
provements last year. We agreed upon
that as fair. didn't we?
Labor-Yes, sir.
Landowner-Well! I'll be easy with
you and charge You no more this year;
but you must keep the fence in re-
pair.
Labor--It will be very hard on me,
sir: taking so much from the support of
my family, but / suppose that l must
do as you say; aud if must, must.
Landowner-Now how much will
you agree to give me for the use of my
land? Last year you wouldn't give me
anything, and l had to come to your
terms, because you had the common to
fall back upon. This year there's no
common. and you've got to conae to
mine
Labor hope, sir, that they W Ill be
such as to enable me to live and keep
my family comfortably, which viii be-
hard work enough now, with the addi-
xional work I'm obliged to put apon
the fence.
Landowner-Comforta / don't
know and / don't care. You ought to
be satisfied with the neccssaries OF life,
and rot talk about Injuries. But
there's no use in wasting any more talk
about the matter. The rent of the lot
for this year is fifty bushels in all.
Labor-But, >ir,-
Landowner-ltut me no Butts. That's
the rent.
Labor-We shall starve, sir, and then
your land will be of no use to you.
You must have somebody to cultivate
it.
observation-disclosures something in
that; but, as l said, fifty bushels is the
rent. You know that you must take
the land at my price, and know you'll
make the shift to pull through If you
can't and find that you really haven't
enough to live on, perhaps I'll not exact
the whole of the rent, but let part re-
main in arrears, for you to make up
when you have an extra good year, and
I will give you some of the small pota-
toes in charity, to keep you alive and
out of the poorhouse-where (aside)
should have to pay for the whole sup
port of you and your family.