New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-13


heavily 1 declined with thanks, and that was the
last ] heard of the nice times we were to nave
fishing or hunting while | was with him..
/ STAYED my month out with MIN, and all we
did in the whole time was TO draw stones ana
cut brush from his new ground, working carry
and ala atc not and me GwayS In When my month
was up l told him l would not stay any longer
with him and asked for my money. 1 was put
of with promises and did not succeed in collect
ing the whole of it until some months later.
My youthful visions of the pleasures OF o
farmers life had received their first severe shock;
but still / did not despair. ] comforted myself
with the thought that he must be an exceptionally
hard master, and thinking thus returned nome
footsore and weary. The rest Of the summer
helped the farmers near home by the day, ana
through haying learned to use the scythe,, anu iu
got along fairly well. In the fall l received the
second blow to my. dream of farmers ne III
had been in the habit of helping a neighbor with
a hay press, with which we went around Danng
hay for the farmers. One farmer for whom we
had completed job wished me TO remain WIN
much persuasion and many fair promises on ms ms
part finally consented There was no settled
amount of wages agreed upon, but upon ms
promise TO be liberal with me l did not press the
matter. / remained with him six weeks, until
lis work was in good shape for the winter. When
the weather became too cold for further outdoor
services. Upon my remarking that would IKE
a settlement with him he turned and looked az
Inc with establishment, saying should feel wen
paid as had received my board for the last SIX
weeks. Upon my reminding him Of his promises
he laughed, and said they did not amount to any
thing. as 1 was minor and could DO nothing
about it, and if was not of Of his place IN zen
minutes he would kick me of. As he was a
man of ungovernable temper l hastily departed,
cheated out Of my hard earned money that n ,ba
expected TO use in helping me through scn1o ar
coming winter, and with my desire to DE Iarnler
much lessened. 49,,
After winter at school, my next, and last, eX-
perience of farmers life was in helping nnlf
through the haying season. could not complain
of the terms offered me, and as he waR the Lead
ing member of the neighborhood church. antici,
pated pleasant time with him. But soon Iouno
that although only in my fourteenth year, ! was
expected TO do a mans work He kept large
dairy, and had TO he up in the morning and go
have them in tie barnyard ready, for milking by
sunrise. The milking was done, 6reakIast eateh'
and we were ready for the bayfield, at o'clock.
The moving was all done by machine, and my
main work consisted in pitching hay on the wagon.
he one side and on the other, and II hap
pencd 20 be moment behind him he would come
around and call me lazy whelp for not keeping
up with him. lie got pick at me almost the
first day. through, j must confess, trek ]
played upon him in the haymow. l had always
mistrusted the old gentleman wore wig, ana
out If Such was The case. We used a
horse-fork TO unload with | would stand at the
the wagon, get behind it, and push 1t over to the
spot he wished it to co. uniasten the fork, ana
return it to the wagon, while he he would PACK
| the forkful against him. and as it rose above his
head before | unfastened it il took his hat and
wig with il and buried it under huge mass OF
hay. The old fellow was bald-n0t n hair on
his head-and he was about the angriest man !
ever saw. II ever it would have been a relief
TO man 10 indulge in good fit Of swearing, that
was the time, while ], not able 70 restrain my
self as ! watched his efforts TO recover his lost
wig, fairly shrieked with laughter. He never
forgave me- and took every occasion to vent his
spite upon me until he made my life burden as
long as | stayed with him. Thus we toiled from
before sunrise until it dark we could not
find the hay, and had to stop for the night. This
was my last experience on farm, for when we
home and announced, TO the dismay of
nv mother, that was through with
farming forever and much against her wishes
learned trade and came to the city. When l
contrast my life upon the farm, working for
fifteen or sixteen hours a day, with hardly time
allowed us TO get our meals, with my life in the
city. eight hours work O day and indoors, pro-
tected from the weather I never have had any
| occasion To regret that left the farm. ] have
not overdrawn the picture Of farmers life as
I fourd IT, and have stated the reasons why did
not like il, and / doubt not but there are hun
dreds of young men in the city who have left
| the farm for substantially the same reasons.
| have often thought there Is no reason for the
| farmer making his life hard. If they would
| work within limits and not try TO do so much
| in so short time, get little help II necessary
| and not break themselves down physically before
| they have arrived at middle age, they would he
| able 10 work for years after they are now prac-
tically ont worthless for work. They would
| be as rich in the end and would have chance TO
indulge in few of the simple pleasures OF life. and
go down 10 their old age hale and robust and far
| happier than they do under The system Of farm
| ing as / found it during my brief experience