Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-08-28
THh PRAIRIE BOYS LIFE.
Tt Has It's Pleasant Side and Makes a
Wholesome Man.

re HaA It's Pleasant Side and Makes a
wholesome Man.
The boy on the western prairie, trans
planted from the east. may find life
monotonous for while. especially If
settlement on the land be made in the
fall
But when spring comes and the farm
OF settlement begins to grow-to add
cows, horses, pigs and fowls-then the
boy has work enough and play enough.
A boy from the east, who had lived all
his life in a city. found on the prairie
soon after his arrival, a family of
skunks Taking one In his arms he
ran home and exclaimed: ''See what
pretty kitty I've found"
Among the early experiences of the
settlers boy is his encounter with the
iack-rabbit He meets him ON the prai-
RE, perhaps not far from the house.
Itops and stretches out his long ears.
I'll have you" He advances cautiously.
The jack moves away slowly on three
legs, apparently lame in every joint.
The boy makes a rush. when lol the
jack has vanished. A few pieces of
flying grass. a vanishing streak of yell
low and brown, and the vision is past
The boy rubs his eyes and wonders if he
saw any rabbit at all ''I'll bring Rover
the next time" he says; hell catch
himp
The. dog has the same experience.
Jack puts himself out of sight with a
jerk and twist Immediately. The fact
is, only a greyhound can catch a jack,
and greyhound does not succeed I'M
less he has been deprived of food three
or four days. Even then he is not sue
cessful, always.
But the boy has pets enough without
the jack, although Jack, if taken in
hand in infancy, makes docile pet
and most destructive one, for he has
liking for everything of a vegetable
kind, and one day in a garden will make
great havoc
Quail come into the yard of the house
at first, and prairie chicks take posses
sion of the corn field when the corn be-
gins to she'll Our boy traps these for
the table, and for market If he lives
within ten or twenty miles of large
town; and of young quail and chicks he
has several in process of training.
Among the early acquisitions is a lit
ter of pigs. These may run wild, but
they must be rounded up" at night
and put in the Enclosure. This, and
the keeping of an eye" to them all
day, is part of his labor or pastime. Of
the stock, the boy has probably calf,
'tall his owr," and IL receives much at
| tention.
His duties keep him busy, and neither
his mind nor his body grows rusty from
! disuse. If he lives on creek he has
the creek to play with, but If he be a
far east boy he may not find much
pleasure in it. for between prairie
creek and an eastern brook there is as
much difference as between a slow OK
and a fast horse The prairie creek
creeps along as though ashamed of It
self, silently, without cheerful CLEAN
or sparkle-oh, so different from the
talking, laughing. dancing brook of the
east
But the browning of the prairie boys
happiness comes when he is sole owner
of a pony-a Texan pony, perhaps -sne
with yellow coat with white dapple,
white name and tail; the boys fortune
Is made now. The pony can carry 6
man weighing two hundred pounds
How easily, then, does the pony carry
the boy.
The boy and the pony ara INSOFAR
able, and of great usefulness, too, fol
they herd the cows, look up and bring
home straying animals and constitute
the express line" between home ane
the outlying places. going to tow1
twenty miles away, may be, for thu
mail, and making really the connecting
link between the new home and the OLD
home in the east
The boy grows strong, why ant
brown. His appetite is astonishing
and he eats whatever comes withou
question. His racing up and dow
quickens all faculties. He enjoys tn
outdoor life, delights in all his posses
sions and surroundings, and asks 70
or thinks of nothing better. He is on
of the many boys racing on to manhoo
full of hope, energy, pluck" and goot
nature, Of which the world cannot hav
too much Blessings on the prairi
boy!- George A. Stockwell, in tn
Country Gentleman