Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-04-23
IF I ONLY KNEW HOW.

swell, Dave, you had better join in
with us and fight the monopolies and
things" So saying Tom Hudson
drove on up the road toward home,
leaving David Tykel to return again to
the occupation of cutting out of the
corn the few struggling sunf1owers that
the cultivator had left-a very common
employment of the Kansas farmer in
August. He owned the place, and it
was to his interest clearly not to let the
golden-headed giants scatter another
years crop far aud wide over his care
iully-worked acres.
He had worked hard that summer,
but there seemed little prospects for
pay for his work. He had not put in
any wheat; his oats had been only
moderate yield, while his corn had been
SO burned by the drouth that the yield
could not be much. 1t was question
how he was to live, pay taxes, and keep
his farm in workable condition-the
same dreadful question of the farmer
which occurs all over the west and
which ends so often in the mortgage
and ultimate ruin. So far he had sue
ceeded in warding off the mortgage,
but would his efforts be successful in
the future? Even if he were able to
pull through the present season until
another crop came, could he as the
years went on, and his children grew,
and perhaps increased in number, pro-
vide for the maintenance of his family?
1t was the western farmers ever-pres-
ent question: "How can l possibly
live?''
The abundance or pOOrness of his
crop seemed to make but little differ
ence in the result. Last year his crops
were good, bountiful, but the selling Of
corn for 13 or IA cents, and oats for the
same, rJbrought in little money; yet
money he must have. Nothing else
but money would do.
These were the thoughts David Tykel
was dwelling upon as he strobe rapidly
down the cOrn-row and struck Occa-
sionally at sunflower with his heavy
cornknife. 1t was very warn after
noon for such work, especially if vigor-
ously followed up. but when a mans
thoughts are intently employed upon
another subject, his muscles sometimes
keep pace with his meditations. When
he arrived at the other side of the field
he was thoroughly heated up. There
ran crosswise through his ''eighty'' a
small creek, scarcely more than a
''ravine" or draw" 1t curved around
through the center of the farm, taking
up with its branches perhaps twenty
acres of land. In some places the
banks were steep down to the water;
in others they were low, and the bot.
tom spread out into an acre or two
before it reached the abrupt ascent to
the second level. Along this little
creek there grew some timber, and it
was the policy of the previous owner to
spare it. This Mr.. Tykel continued,
except that he cut out here and there
the poorer trees to make room for the
better trees that were coming on. But,
as is the case with most such Kansas
creeks, the timber only grew in a line
close to the creek. Many Of the trees
were on the steep bank near the waters
edge, where they had been partially
protected from fire in the past years
In this creek the water either flowed in
torrents or did not flow at all. A heavy
rain above would bring river down
with startling suddenness aud vehe-
mence, but in few hours it would al