The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-18
He Asks for Information and is Referred
to DIR. Kingsbury.


He Asks for Information and is Referred
to DR.. Kingsbury.
"HeIlo! Hello! MI. Devil, HellO!!n
The above sounds greeted us yester-
day morning. We knew that Uncle
Zeke Bilkins was on the war path
again.
BIS that the fellow who wears
yaller shoes?"
Yes" we answered
B.-"Well, l want to ask you some
questions"
R-"All right, blaze away"
B.-"I want to ask you all about
Thomas jefferson. | was over at the
p~Ostoffice Saturday and heard a Teller
readin' in the Wilmington Messenger
| about jefferson. He said that DR..
Kingsbury knew all about Mr.. Jeffer-
son and was a powerful smart man.
Then he said the editor of THE Pro
GREssIvE FARMER didn't know Mr..
jefferson from a side of s~ole-leather. |
didn't believe him, but thought [ would
ask you"
R.-"Well, Uncle Zeke, you will
have to get your information from DR..
Kingsbury. l never knew Mr.. Jeffer-
son. He died nearly a hundred years
ago. But DR.. Kingsbury IS an old
acquaintance; used to go to school
with Mr.. jefferson. Call DR.. Kings
bury"
There was a brief silence, but we
soon heard Uncle Zeke talking to his
wife. Betsy" says he, Il am going
to hitch this ere thing on to DR.,
Kingsbury away down at Whining
ton. I'm going to talk to the sInartest
man outside O. New York. He knows
all about President Jefferson"
B,-"Hello! DR.. K~ingsbury."
DIR. K.-"WhO is that"
B.-"My name is Zeke Bilkins. I'm
an old friend of yours; have bin readin'
the Messenger ever since 1882. | think
a great deal of you, Doctor, and I want
you to tell me about some things"
DIR. K.-"AIl right, Mr.. BiIkins, l
have always been a friend to the
farming interests. Ihave labored hard
to rel eve our farmers of the unjust
tariff"
B.-"Hold on there. | don't want
anything about what you believe. l
want to know what you know about
Mr.. jefferson. Say, Doctor, are you
really a Doctor?'
DR.. K.-'No; I am only an LII. D."
B.-"Jerusalem! What does IL. D.
mean?" Uncle Zeke and Betsy and the
girls here held a council of war. They
finally concluded that ILL. D." stood
for Long, Lark Doctor
DR.. K.-"Mr. Bilkins, that degree
was conferred upon me by the faculty
of the University of Chapel Hill. l
have always felt proud of the title"
B.-"Hold On, Doctor, I want to
hear about Mr., Jefferson"
DR.. K.-''Well, he was one of our
profound statesmen who died early in
the present century. He made quite
a reputation and was considered quite
conservative, though [ cannot agree
with him in many things he said"
B.-"But didn't Jefferson lay the
foundation of the Democratic party?"
DR.. K.-"Yes, [ believe it has been
50 reported; but while many have
assayed to follow blindly in his tracks,
yet I myself do not agree with Jeffer-
son in a general way"
B.-"But say, Doctor, amt you a
Democrat?'
DR.. K.-"Certainly I am. believe
the Democratic party is the hope of
this country"
B.-"Well, why don't you endorse
Jefferson?"
DR.. K.-"YOu see Mr.. Jefferson was
ol~d-fashioned, He did not live in u
day and time. He made so many mis-
takes, too"
B.-"Hello! Doctor, I thought you
knew him personally. You said
Ramsey had got all he knew of him
second-handed, Didn't you ever see
him?''
DR.. K.-'No, I never saw him, but
I have read his writings"
B.-"Blast me if that don't look
sorter second-handed too. Say, Doc
tor, are you a member of the Alliance"
DR.. K.-"No, I am not eligible, but
I have a warm feeling for the farmers"
B.-"Why don't you advocate their
demands, then?"
DR.. K,-'I do, but you see some of
their demands, the Sub-Treasury for
instance, don't harmonic with the